The Dark Side of Achievement & The Astonishing Science of the Sea-SYSK Choice
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Why are the numbers on a phone keypad arranged differently from a calculator?
Today on something you should know, the answers to three questions you've probably wondered about, about calculators, portholes, and time. Then, toxic achievement. It's when you define yourself by your success.
The messages perhaps that you got growing up were that you're only as good as your success. So when you're not successful, that's when you can really, really struggle. When we really couple our worth to our achievements, it makes us less resilient.
Also, one simple thing women could do to motivate any man. And a peek below the surface at what's going on in our oceans. And there's a lot going on.
I do think that we need to get away from this idea that the dominant thing we know about the ocean is that it's mysterious. You know, if you want mystery, look into space, it's empty. The ocean is doing so many interesting and beautiful things.
All this today on something you should know. A big thank you to today's sponsor, Vinted. I think most of us have what I call someday cloth. I'll wear that someday. That'll fit better someday. Someday I'll have a place to wear that. Meanwhile, it's been hanging in the closet for three years. Vinted offers another possibility. Sell it. Every day people can sell clothes they're no longer wearing and make some extra money. And they've made the process pretty painless. Take what you don't wear, list it on Vinted. Listing is quick and simple. And when an item sells, Vinted creates the prepaid shipping label for you. And importantly, there are no seller fees on vintage. So when you sell something, you keep everything you earn.
I like this whole idea because instead of clothes just taking up space, somebody else gets to wear. them and you get some money out of the deal. Your closet looks better too. I mean everybody wins, even the closet. So maybe it's time to stop waiting for someday. Download the Vinted app for free and start listing with no seller fees so you keep everything you earn. Something you should know.
Fascinating intel. The world's top experts. And practical advice you can use in your life. Today, something you should know with Mike Carruthers.
Hello, welcome to something you should know. We're gonna start today's episode with three questions. Three questions you may have wondered about, didn't know the answers, and now you'll have the answers. Number one, on a telephone keypad, the lowest numbers, one, two, and three, are across the top. On a calculator, they're at the bottom. Why are they different? Well, they each traveled down different evolutionary roads. The calculator descended from the old adding machine, which had lower numbers at the bottom. The touch tone telephone descended from the dial telephone, which had lower numbers at the top. Why are the windows on many ships round? They're portholes rather than windows. Actually, on many old wooden boats the windows were square, but when ships switched to metal hulls, that's when things changed.
When you cut a rectangle or a square into a piece of metal, the metal is subject to more fatigue at those corner points. Naval architects quickly learned that that round portholes eliminate the problem. And the third question, what time is it in the North Pole? And the answer is any time you want it to be. Theoretically all time zones converge at the North and South Poles, so there is technically no time. And that is something you should know. It's hard to argue with the concept of achievement. We are taught to achieve in school and at work. Achievement is good. It's how we get ahead. We judge our success by our achievements. But can achievement become toxic? Can we become so wrapped up in our achievements that they define us?
That may not be so good. And it seems to happen quite a bit. Joining me to talk about this is Jennifer Wallace. She is an award-winning journalist, social commentator, covering parenting and lifestyle trends. She used to work at Sixty Minutes, and she is a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. She's author of a book called Never Enough When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic and What We Can Do About It.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why are the numbers on a phone keypad arranged differently from a calculator?
0:02–13:48
2
How did the evolution of adding machines and dial phones shape keypad layouts?
13:48–15:53
3
Why do ships use round portholes instead of square windows?
15:53–18:04
4
What does it mean when we say “any time you want” at the North Pole?
18:04–19:26
5
When does achievement become toxic and how does it affect mental health?
19:26–23:35
6
What strategies can help us redefine success to feel good instead of burnt out?
23:35–31:45
7
How does the ocean work as a single, interconnected global system?
31:45–43:34
8
Why is sound more important than light for understanding ocean life?
43:34–45:44
Speakers
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