Why Accidents Happen & Where to Find Courage When You Need It
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Where does wisdom come from and when do you acquire it?
It is often said that we live in a fast-paced world, but there is one thing that you cannot speed up, and that is wisdom. Hi, and welcome to this episode of Something You Should Know. In middle age, something happens to your brain. According to imaging science, the mature brain is not inferior to a younger brain, it is just wired differently. As a result, it's capable of triggering a new form of intelligence that we're just not capable of when we're younger. In fact, when a mature brain is challenged, it begins to produce a type of intelligence that for thousands of years we have called wisdom. In other words, the brain is wired in middle age to start to produce wisdom and continues to do so in old age.
And no matter how smart you are, that wisdom will not come to you when you're younger. It just cannot. Put simply, as people age, they become wiser. Of course, it doesn't apply to everyone. Oscar Wilde once said, With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone. And that is something you should know. Doesn't it seem like our world is safer than it used to be? Cars are built safer. Playground equipment is safer. Bikers and skiers wear helmets when they didn't used to. Your stepladder has multiple warnings all over it. Safety seems to be a big concern. Still, accidents happen. And there is this perception, at least, that some people are more accident-prone than others. So what does the research say about our safety-conscious world? Are we safer than ever before?
When accidents happen, why do they happen? The answers might surprise you. Joining me is Steve Kasner. He is a research psychologist who studies the accident-prone mind. He is a NASA scientist who also flies jets and helicopters and rides motorcycles and skateboards. And he is still around. He's author of a book called Careful, A User's Guide to Our Injury-Prone Minds. Hi, Steve. Welcome to Something You Should Know. Thanks. Glad to be here. So are we safer than ever before? Because it seems like we're safer than ever before.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
Where does wisdom come from and when do you acquire it?
2:16–5:14
2
Are we truly safer today than in the past?
5:14–11:32
3
Why do accidents continue to increase despite technological advances?
11:32–14:53
4
How does smartphone usage contribute to accidents?
14:53–17:46
5
What are common household hazards leading to injuries?
17:46–28:29
6
Is there such a thing as being accident-prone?
28:29–33:21
7
Why are some individuals more prone to accidents than others?
33:21–50:47
Speakers
10 identifiedMore from Something You Should Know
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