Something You Should Know

Hard to imagine a hot summer day without a can of soda or beer. Before the mid-60s those cans were absolutely useless unless you had a can opener handy. This episode begins with the story of the pop-top can and how it changed everything.   https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Ermal_Fraze You have a secret. Everyone has a secret - probably many secrets. Even though we all have them, carrying around sec...

Do you know what happens to your brain when you are sleeping? In a sense, a cleaning crew gets in there to clean out all the toxins so that your brain works better the next day. I know it sounds weird but it is exactly what happens. Listen as I begin this episode with that explanation. http://ens-newswire.com/2013/10/18/brain-cleans-itself-of-toxins-during-sleep/ Failure is often part of success....

Have you ever had déjà vu - that feeling that what you are experiencing now, you have experienced before? Most people have. This episode begins with some interesting insight into what it is, why it occurs and when and where it is most likely to occur. Source: Marie Jones author of The Déjà Vu Enigma (https://amzn.to/3xB94j3). We all have the need to own something according to psychologist Bruce Ho...

How does music affect your feelings and emotions? This episode begins by looking at some interesting research that shows how just the right music can influence how you feel. https://www.theregister.com/2010/06/21/mood_music/ Do you feel safe? What would happen if your safety was threatened - would you know what to react? Is your home an easy target for burglars? These are important questions you s...

It just happens that sometimes you have to ask a stranger for a favor. Perhaps you need to borrow their phone or help you carry something. And there is one proven way that will greatly increase the chances they will grant you that favor. I begin this episode by telling you what it is. http://www.medicaldaily.com/likeability-trustworthy-how-be-popular-377296 Your time is precious. So how you mange,...

Dogs are fascinating. The things they do, the ways they behave are so interesting to watch. Plus, the fact that most dogs give their owners unconditional love - hard to beat that. Did you know that even though dogs will eat almost anything – they actually prefer two distinct flavors? We begin this episode of the podcast with what those two flavors are and some other interesting facts about what yo...

Ask people what their favorite number is and you will get a lot of different answers. But if you ask thousands of people, one number emerges as the clear winner? This episode begins with what that number is and why so many people like it and consider it lucky. Source: Alex Bellos author of Here’s Looking at Euclid (https://amzn.to/3wgjt3z)  What are you afraid of? Spiders? The dark? Public speakin...

If you have brothers or sisters, you probably know that sibling relationships change as we move from childhood to adulthood. Sometimes they change for the better – sometimes not. We begin this episode by unraveling the complications of adult sibling relationships. http://www.rd.com/advice/relationships/adult-sibling-estrangement/ Did you have a secret identity when you were a kid? Maybe you preten...

Remember when we all started using reusable grocery bags and there was a big concern about germs and bacteria in those bags? You don’t hear so much about this anymore - so is it still a big concern? This episode begins with a discussion on just how clean those bags are and how clean they should be. https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/how-clean-are-your-reusable-shopping-bags-the-truth-will-shock-y...

Hold a strand of spaghetti at each end and break it in 2. It cannot be done. And this puzzle has mystified great minds of science including Nobel prize winner Richard Feynman. Now there appears to be an explanation which I’ll tell you at the beginning of this episode. https://www.thenakedscientists.com/get-naked/experiments/snapping-spaghetti You have a lot of desires. Have you ever wondered why y...

Have you heard the advice that couples should have a date night. That’s common advice to help keep the romance alive in long term relationships. But interestingly, “couple time” is not the highest quality time couples can have. In fact it doesn’t even come in second. Listen as I explain another way couples can spend their time that is much more beneficial and rewarding. https://www.businessinsider...

Has it ever happened that your cellphone rang or buzzed but when you checked it had not? It was a phantom ring. This episode begins with an explanation as to why that happens to a lot of us. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130701-why-you-feel-phantom-phone-calls Here are three fairly common concerns of people: • They worry too much • They don’t have enough confidence • They wish they had more...

A kiss is so much more than just a kiss. It turns out kissing sends messages to the person you are kissing. This episode begins with some interesting facts about what kissing does, the messages it sends and why men and women tend to prefer different kinds of kisses. https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/20-things-you-never-knew-about-kissing/ss-AA3gtBD Who doesn’t love a bargain? Howev...

Ever notice those people who shop at the grocery store and sometimes changes their mind and take items out of the shopping cart and stash them somewhere in the checkout line ? Well, stores are making it harder to do that and that is just ones of the ways grocery stores try to get you to spend more money. I start this episode with a list of several other strategies grocery stores use because knowin...

Skill, practice and hard work are often considered the cornerstones of success. Maybe. However, one often overlooked strategy to being great at something is - reverse engineering. By disassembling and analyzing what others have done to be successful you can find a better path to success for yourself according to psychologist Ron Freidman. Ron is an expert on human motivation and author of the book...

Taking your cellphone or tablet to the beach or the pool is a risky proposition. If it drops into the water or gets sand in it -that could spell disaster. Of course, you could buy a special case to protect it but what about just a plain old sandwich bag from your kitchen drawer? Listen as I reveal just how well they perform at protecting your electronics. https://bit.ly/3u3uljm I am first to admit...

Have you ever had that experience of driving and all of a sudden seeing a motorcycle that “came out of nowhere.” How does that happen? There is actually an explanation for why this is such a common occurrence and we begin today’s episode with the explanation. http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/motorcycles/a19641/why-you-dont-seemotorcycles-on-the-road/ Every piece of technology you use has a sto...

At our house, we take our shoes off when we come in from outside and it turns out to be a good idea. This episode begins with an explanation of what is clinging to your shoes when you walk into your house and why leaving your shoes outside is a really good idea. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/07/03/my-shoes-dirty-studies-suggest-theyre-covered-fecal-bacteria/1637780001/ How did Amazon ge...

What could possibly be the difference between all the zillions of shampoos on the market? If you want clean hair, isn’t shampoo all the same? This episode begins with a discussion on the difference - or lack of difference - between shampoos. https://theconversation.com/does-the-price-of-your-shampoo-affect-how-clean-your-hair-is-heres-the-science-71597 Color is a big part of our lives. We care abo...

We’d probably all like to be more persuasive. And there is one little sentence to tack on to the end of any request that is more likely to get people to do what you want. Listen as I begin this episode by revealing that one simple sentence. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10510974.2012.727941?journalCode=rcst20 Have you ever wondered, what makes you human? What is it about us that sepa...

When you have a smart phone, you can take a photo of anything, anytime, anywhere. So this episode starts with one very simple piece of advice that can make those pictures to take more interesting and more memorable. And it is really, really simple. http://photoinf.com/Golden_Mean/Dale_Cotton/Daystar_Lessons_in_Composition.htm Love is tricky business. Despite our desire and need for finding love -...

Next time you are feeling stressed or need a little reassurance there is someone you need to call - immediately! It is a very close relative of yours. This episode begins with some stress reducing advice and an explanation of why it works so well. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/may/12/mother-phone-call-study-us-oxytocin I think we all like to believe we know what we are talking about but...

Often people who deal with the public as part of their job often begin to believe that people in general are not very bright. As an example, one question workers at Disney theme parks are often asked is “What time is the 3 o’clock parade?” Which is, of course, a pretty stupid question on its surface. But it’s how the employees answer the question that makes Disney customer service so legendary – a...

When it comes to medical advice, a doctor is supposed to know what is truth and what is myth. However, an amazing number of doctors are misinformed. This episode begins with some information about a survey that showed how many pediatricians believe some common parenting advice that has been proven to be untrue. Source: Baby Facts by Andrew Adesman, M.D. (https://amzn.to/3h0oPLw) Digital communicat...

If you don’t wear decent sunglasses outside, you are asking for trouble. Just ask any eye doctor. Ultraviolet light is bad for your eyes - and sunglasses can stop it - if you get the right kind of sunglasses. This episode begins with a description of what to look for in a good pair of sunglasses. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/how-to-choose-best-sunglasses It certainly seems like you are the...