Episodes

  • Why Your Memory is Perfectly Imperfect & How to Love Better

    Why Your Memory is Perfectly Imperfect & How to Love Better
    Mar 13 2025
    Everyone knows that $19.99 is really $20. And we know that gas sold at $3.49 and 9/10 per gallon is really $3.50. We get it. So why do retailers and gas stations still price things this way? The answer is more interesting than you might think so we begin this episode by explaining what’s going on.https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/01/the-psychological-difference-between-1200-and-1167/384993/ Your memory isn’t as good as you like to think. You forget a lot of things and your memory distorts a lot of other things so that what you remember to be true – isn’t. Given how sophisticated the human brain is, why are our memories so prone to error? That’s a fascinating question I explore with Gillian Murphy, an associate professor in the School of Applied Psychology at University College Cork and coauthor of the book Memory Lane: The Perfectly Imperfect Ways We Remember (https://amzn.to/41J9nu1). What does it mean to love well? Whether a lover, a friend or family member, there are people in your life you love who you could probably love better. What might that look like? Here with some insight into this is Yung Pueblo who has sold over 1.5 million books worldwide that have been translated into over 25 languages. He has an online audience of over 4 million people and has been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS Mornings and other media outlets. His latest bestselling book is How to Love Better: The Path to Deeper Connection Through Growth, Kindness, and Compassion (https://amzn.to/41LOZZ7) Could having a dishwasher lead to allergies? It is part of that theory that living in a squeaky-clean environment can cause health problems. While it might sound a little odd, there is good evidence to support the idea. Listen as I explain. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/289832 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at https://FactorMeals.com/something50off QUINCE: Indulge in affordable luxury! Go to https://Quince.com/sysk for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING SHOPIFY: Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk and upgrade your selling today! HERS: Hers is changing women's healthcare by providing access to GLP-1 weekly injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as oral medication kits. Start your free online visit today at https://forhers.com/sysk INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    49 mins
  • The Startling Impact of Peer Pressure & Why Shyness Can Be a Plus

    The Startling Impact of Peer Pressure & Why Shyness Can Be a Plus
    Mar 10 2025
    Who hasn’t had to wait at a doctor’s office well past the appointment time. It sucks. What is a reasonable amount of time to have to wait? Should you complain to someone? This episode starts with some interesting research that explains what you should do so your doctor knows your time is valuable and you shouldn’t have to wait so long. https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/practices/ppatients-switched-doctors-long-wait-times-vitals Peer pressure is a powerful force – more powerful than people realize. You are constantly influencing people around you to be more like you, and they are influencing you to be more like them - without even realizing it. When you understand the power of peer pressure it can become a powerful tool. Joining me to discuss all this is Robert Frank, a professor of Management and Economics at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management and author of the book Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work (https://amzn.to/3L4HPno). Almost everyone has felt shy. In fact, only 2% of people claim they never feel shy. The rest of us have all been in situations where we have felt shy to some extent. What is shyness? Why are some people more prone to it than others? Can you overcome shyness in situations that really matter? Here with some advice is Lynne Henderson who has worked with shy people to help them overcome that feeling that prevents people from fully engaging in life.By the way, it being shy isn't always a problem to be fixed. Sometimes it can be quite charming! Lynne is the founder of the Social Fitness Center and the founder and co-director of the Shyness Institute. She is also author of The Shyness Workbook (https://amzn.to/3sA1Njp). Sometimes you just “click” with someone. It can happen in romance, friendship and in business. People just click. What is happening when that happens? Who are you most likely to click with? Listen as we explore the magic of clicking – and hear some ways that will help you become better at clicking. Source: Ori Brafman author of Click (https://amzn.to/3FF1nO0). PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at https://FactorMeals.com/something50off QUINCE: Indulge in affordable luxury! Go to https://Quince.com/sysk for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING SHOPIFY: Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk and upgrade your selling today! HERS: Hers is changing women's healthcare by providing access to GLP-1 weekly injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as oral medication kits. Start your free online visit today at https://forhers.com/sysk INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • What Your Senses Can’t Perceive & What Happens When You Are Too Productive - SYSK Choice

    What Your Senses Can’t Perceive & What Happens When You Are Too Productive - SYSK Choice
    Mar 8 2025
    What if I told you that being left-handed or right-handed has a powerful influence on decisions you make? Listen as I begin this episode by explaining how this works. http://casasanto.com/papers/Casasanto&Chrysikou_2011.pdf There are colors all around you that you can’t see. But birds can see them. Many birds see colors that are unimaginable to you. Dogs smell things everywhere that you can’t smell. Other animals have the ability to sense the magnetic fields of the earth – but you cannot. These are just a few of the interesting ways that other creatures perceive the world differently than humans. And it gets even more interesting than that. If you would like to hear how, listen to my conversation with Ed Yong, a Pulitzer prize winning science journalist, staff member at The Atlantic and author of the book An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden World Around Us (https://amzn.to/41vZ2Qa). People sure talk about productivity a lot. By all accounts, we all need to get more done in less time – that is the key to efficiency and success. Yet have you noticed that when you don’t get everything done you think you should, you feel guilty – which never feels good. Maybe what we need is to stop worrying about being productive and enjoy living life instead. And by doing that, you may be even more productive than ever! Here to explain how is Madeleine Dore, author of the book I Didn’t Do That Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt (https://amzn.to/3ILawYE). Food, drinks and candy at a movie theater are usually very expensive. In fact, I bet you have toyed with the idea of bringing your own snacks to save money. But is it right to do that? After all, they ask you not to. Listen as I discuss this interesting dileman. Source: David Callahan author of The Cheating Culture (https://amzn.to/3lYq1Ue) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at https://FactorMeals.com/something50off QUINCE: Indulge in affordable luxury! Go to https://Quince.com/sysk for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING SHOPIFY: Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk and upgrade your selling today! HERS: Hers is changing women's healthcare by providing access to GLP-1 weekly injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as oral medication kits. Start your free online visit today at https://forhers.com/sysk INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • Cool Things You Can Do With AI & Surprising Insight in Chance, Probability & Risk

    Cool Things You Can Do With AI & Surprising Insight in Chance, Probability & Risk
    Mar 6 2025
    There is a word you probably use that means something entirely different than what you think. In fact, it means the opposite of what you think. Yet, this opposite meaning has become so pervasive, even dictionaries now say that the wrong meaning is now okay. Listen and I will tell you what the word is and what it really means. https://www.jalopnik.com/dear-hollywood-please-knock-it-off-with-the-overdrive-5926885/ Artificial Intelligence can seem intimidating to some. Yet it is actually quite simple to use and it can do amazing things to make your life better. It can teach you a skill, plan your dinner, plan a trip, be a brainstorming partner and counsel you to help with a problem. These are just a few of the things you’ll discover how to do from listening to my guest, Celia Quillan. She is an expert in artificial intelligence and has been featured in Time, The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Today show. She is the creator of the popular TikTok and Instagram channel @SmartWorkAI and she is author of the book, AI for Life: 100+ Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence to Make Your Life Easier, More Productive…and More Fun! (https://amzn.to/3QGCYy0) We often use phrases like, “There’s a good chance…” or “It’s likely that….” But without knowing HOW good a chance or HOW likely something is, the phrases don’t mean much. To help get a true understanding of chance, probability and luck is David Spiegelhalter, emeritus professor of statistics at the University of Cambridge and author of the book The Art of Uncertainty: How to Navigate Chance, Ignorance, Risk and Luck (https://amzn.to/41sXdEu). You probably feel safe taking a shower in your own bathroom. But dangers are lurking – some you might never have thought of. Listen as I explain how to reduce the risk of taking a shower. https://www.menshealth.com/health/g19544438/shower-safety/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at https://FactorMeals.com/something50off QUINCE: Indulge in affordable luxury! Go to https://Quince.com/sysk for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING SHOPIFY: Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk and upgrade your selling today! HERS: Hers is changing women's healthcare by providing access to GLP-1 weekly injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as oral medication kits. Start your free online visit today at https://forhers.com/sysk INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • Digital Communication Done Right & Buy What You Love Without Going Broke

    Digital Communication Done Right & Buy What You Love Without Going Broke
    Mar 3 2025
    Beer should be served ice cold. Bottled beer is better than canned beer. These are just 2 incorrect assumptions people have about beer. This episode begins with a look at common beliefs about beer that just aren’t true – and what the real story is. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/61195/11-common-misconceptions-about-beer You have a lot of options when it comes to communicating with others. You can text, video chat, email, phone or speak face-to-face. What you may not realize or think about is that the method of communication you choose itself sends a message. Choose the wrong method and you send the wrong message. Here to discuss the fascinating research behind all this is Andrew Brodsky. He is a management professor at McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the book PING: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication (https://amzn.to/41h5fQH). Have you ever really examined what you spend your money on in say, the last 90 days? When you do, you just may learn some fascinating things about yourself. That is why it is one of several recommendations you will hear from my guest Jen Smith. She reveals how once you are clear on what is truly important to you, you can stop wasting money on things that don't matter and buy what you really love. Jen Smith is a personal finance expert and co-host of the Frugal Friends podcast (https://www.frugalfriendspodcast.com/) who has written for and been featured in Forbes, Money Magazine and Business Insider. She is co-author of the book, Buy What You Love Without Going Broke (https://amzn.to/41dBBM9). What is the best way to deal with a hostile boss? Perhaps using a little hostility in return. Listen as I reveal how a little passive-aggressive hostility may be the perfect way to manage that belligerent boss. https://news.osu.edu/news/2015/01/20/hostile-boss-study-finds-advantages-to-giving-it-right-back/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at https://FactorMeals.com/something50off QUINCE: Indulge in affordable luxury! Go to https://Quince.com/sysk for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING SHOPIFY: Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk and upgrade your selling today! HERS: Hers is changing women's healthcare by providing access to GLP-1 weekly injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as oral medication kits. Start your free online visit today at https://forhers.com/sysk INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    53 mins
  • How Your Mind Changes Over Time & The Upside of Uncertainty - SYSK Choice

    How Your Mind Changes Over Time & The Upside of Uncertainty - SYSK Choice
    Mar 1 2025
    The letters Rx are somehow related to drug stores. But why? What do those letters actually mean? You probably think they have to do with medication or prescriptions or something. But why Rx? What do those letters stand for. This episode begins with an explanation. https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/06/rx-mean-come/ You are SO not the person you once were. Nor are you the person you will one day be. That’s according to Paul Bloom, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale. Listen as he discusses what are most likely the happiest years of your life, why you are different from everyone else on the planet and other fascinating intel into how your mind makes you the person you are. Paul is author of the book Psych: The Story of the Human Mind (https://amzn.to/3k524d5). Your future is uncertain. And people generally don’t like uncertainty. That because the future may be full of opportunity, but it can also be full of danger and disappointment – and you don’t know which one is around the corner. However, there is another way to look at uncertainty which my guest Nathan Furr is here to reveal. Nathan is a professor and author of the book The Upside of Uncertainty (https://amzn.to/3SbJBZ6). Listen as he offers a different way to face the unknown that will minimize risk and amplify opportunity. Dio you know the difference between a road a street an avenue and a boulevard? For one thing, all streets are roads but not all roads are streets. Sound confusing? Listen and as I sort it all out. https://www.rd.com/article/difference-between-streets-roads-avenues/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at https://FactorMeals.com/something50off DELL: Anniversary savings await you for a limited time only at https://Dell.com/deals SHOPIFY: Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk and upgrade your selling today! HERS: Hers is changing women's healthcare by providing access to GLP-1 weekly injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as oral medication kits. Start your free online visit today at https://forhers.com/sysk INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • Why We’re Wired to Imitate Others & How to Have a Great Conversation

    Why We’re Wired to Imitate Others & How to Have a Great Conversation
    Feb 27 2025
    You probably think raw vegetables are healthier than cooked vegetables. Sometimes they are. But some common veggies get a nutrient boost from the right kind of heat. This episode begins with several of those vegetables and an explanation of how cooking makes them better for you. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/raw-veggies-are-healthier/ Humans are wired to imitate others like no other creature on earth. In fact, almost everything you do today is the result of imitating someone else at some point in your life. But wait! Aren’t we independent thinkers with intelligence and ability to think for ourselves? Yes, but according to my guest the primary way you learn everything is by copying others – from driving a car, writing a letter, eating a meal, everything you’ve learned how to do came from imitating others. Here to explain why this is important to understand is R. Alexander Bentley, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee and coauthor of the book, I'll Have What She's Having: Mapping Social Behavior (https://amzn.to/4kbT4NK). Your conversational skills are key to your success in every aspect of your life. People like people who speak well. Yet, I suspect no one ever really taught you how to converse. You just do it. Conversation is both an art and a science. And someone who studies it is my guest Alison Wood Brooks, Professor of Business Administration and Hellman Faculty Fellow at the Harvard Business School. She is author of the book TALK: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves (https://amzn.to/4bgzWtF). Listen as she reveals the anatomy of good conversation and what can often go wrong. One of the cool things about a snowfall is how quiet it is afterwards. And it’s not just quiet – it’s a different kind of quiet. Why is that? Listen as I reveal the science of the quiet after a new fallen snow. Source: Kathy Wollard author of How Come (https://amzn.to/3XfrMvN). PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at https://FactorMeals.com/something50off DELL: Anniversary savings await you for a limited time only at https://Dell.com/deals SHOPIFY: Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk and upgrade your selling today! HERS: Hers is changing women's healthcare by providing access to GLP-1 weekly injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as oral medication kits. Start your free online visit today at https://forhers.com/sysk INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • Alone Together: The Decline of Social Interaction & Is the Future in Nuclear?

    Alone Together: The Decline of Social Interaction & Is the Future in Nuclear?
    Feb 24 2025
    Did you know that Philadelphia Cream Cheese doesn’t come from Philadelphia? Or that marshmallows were originally medicine for kids? This episode begins by looking at some fascinating and unusual origins of food names. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tagged/health/at-home/odd-facts-7-iconic-products-164000529.html Despite the human need for social interaction, we keep shying away from it. People are less social than before and there are real consequences for that. Listen as we discuss why people are less connected, what the impact of that is and what we need to do to intervene and fix it. My guest is Jeffrey A. Hall is a professor in the Department of Communication Studies and the director of the Relationships and Technology Lab at the University of Kansas and co-author of the book ok The Social Biome: How Everyday Communication Connects and Shapes Us (https://amzn.to/417F1jc). When you hear someone talk about nuclear power – what do you think? Nuclear power has a bad image. People think it is unsafe – but is it really? A lot of environmentalists are jumping on the nuclear bandwagon. And the fact is there are almost 100 nuclear reactors in operation in the U.S. with no problem and France actually gets 70% of its power from nuclear. Listen as I discuss all of this with Marco Visscher, an award-winning journalist, who has written extensively about climate policy and clean technology and is author of the book, The Power of Nuclear (https://amzn.to/4b2MgxD). Why do people say umm, ahh and ya know? And have they always said them? Listen as I reveal how those “speech disfluencies” are likely only about 100 years old – and why they are so common now. Source: Michael Erard, author of UM... Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean (https://amzn.to/42VSGN4) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at https://FactorMeals.com/something50off DELL: Anniversary savings await you for a limited time only at https://Dell.com/deals SHOPIFY: Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk and upgrade your selling today! HERS: Hers is changing women's healthcare by providing access to GLP-1 weekly injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as oral medication kits. Start your free online visit today at https://forhers.com/sysk INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING right now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    54 mins