Something You Should Know
Episodes
Clues That Reveal a Person’s Thoughts & Our Shipwreck Fascination - SYSK Choice
07 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is it true that opposites attract. After all you sometimes see couples that seem to prove the point. So just how common or rare is it for opposites t...
Why Most People Can’t Keep Secrets & Interesting Oddities of Language
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eye contact can be tricky. Too little and you look disinterested – too much and you look creepy. This episode begins with a few of the finer points ...
What Makes a Family Happy & What We Can Learn from the Dead
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While celebrities can sometimes pull it off, it can be almost impossible for regular folks to get a table at a busy restaurant without a reservation. ...
The Fascinating Story of Batteries & How Status Changes Culture - SYSK Choice
31 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hot dogs come in packages of ten. Hot dog buns come in packages of eight. Why? Is this some sort of marketing ploy or plot? What could possibly be the...
The Trouble With Cynics & How to Handle The Pressure to Perform
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Be careful what you say when someone pays you a compliment. This episode begins with some great advice on the importance of taking a compliment gracio...
Can Music Be Medicine? & Human Skills We Are Losing to Technology
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You may never have noticed it, but for many people – maybe you – a full moon can mess with your sleep and cause you to lose sleep. How does that h...
The Secret to Getting Things Done & The Brain Fog Fix - SYSK Choice
24 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone orders pizza at some point. So, everyone should that there is one size pizza that is a lousy deal almost every time. I begin this episode by ...
What Your Brain Does in an Emergency & Solitude Vs Loneliness
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are dogs color blind? Many people believe so, but they are not. They do see color but not the way we do. This episode begins with a look at what color...
The Good News About Feeling Sad & What You Never Knew About Reality TV?
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
So many things can affect the way food and drinks taste. This episode begins with a look at how just one element of the ambience in a room can alter p...
Don’t Eat Less, Eat Better & The Magic of Mystery - SYSK Choice
17 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Look around and you will likely see someone doing something on their cellphone. For many of us, cellphones are a necessity and a constant companion. ...
Buying Things That Really Make You Happy & Setting Clear Boundaries
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Does your signature reveal anything about you? Does it send a message to those who see it? I start this episode by sharing some insight into how other...
How to Read A Person's Behavior & The Science of Extremes
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s weird sometimes how you meet someone and hear their name is Lucy, for example and think – “Yeah, she kinda looks like a Lucy.” Is that re...
Why Humility is a Superpower & Celestial Wonders Explained - SYSK Choice
10 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever had a really vivid or even disturbing dream? This episode begins with a look at what often causes very strange and vivid dreams. https:/...
Easy Ways to Stop Wasting Food & Why Are There So Many Insects?
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When your phone or tablet or computer starts acting weird or gets glitchy, the conventional wisdom is to reboot. In other words, turn it off and on ag...
How Animals Really Communicate & Proven Ways to Make Meaningful Connections
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Should you get a second opinion? A lot of people faced with a medical diagnosis often wonder about that. Will they offend the original doctor if they ...
The Neuroscience of You & Making Sense of the Weather - SYSK Choice
03 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Don’t you hate it when you hear or think of a familiar song but can’t recall the title? This episode begins with a clever trick that will help ide...
How Light Seriously Impacts Your Health & What If You Had a Different Profession?
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are men more rational shoppers than women? Most definitely not. This episode begins by revealing how men are easily duped into thinking something is a...
The Interesting Science of Eating & The Amazing World of Rats
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it that mosquitoes seem to go after and bite some people more than others? This episode begins with an explanation of what does and doesn’t m...
The Downside of Positivity & Turn Back the Clock on Aging - SYSK Choice
27 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There is a lot of common summertime advice. For example, don’t go swimming for a half hour after you eat. Don’t scratch a bug bite. Don’t touch ...
Why Politeness is a Super Power & How to Ace Any Job Interview
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Will a medication work better if you believe and expect it to? This episode begins with some compelling evidence that having faith in a medical treatm...
Why Building Muscles Matters - The Latest Dream Research & Mental Health First-Aid
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of people don’t bother taking a summer vacation. What’s maybe more surprising is that many who do take a vacation spend some of the time doi...
“The Bystander Effect” & Modern Idioms Explained - SYSK Choice
20 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The consensus seems to be that drinking coffee has several excellent health benefits – and now there is another one you probably haven’t heard bef...
The Brighter Side of Dying & Words We Use Interchangeably – But Shouldn’t
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How much you like and enjoy a certain food is influenced by many things besides the food itself. The utensils, the color of the plate, etc. This episo...
Why You Might Need More Friends & How Your Imagination Works
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While “digital dementia” is not a real medical diagnosis, you still see it everywhere. People are so reliant on (and overloaded by) technology tha...
Why We Love Things & Your Guide to Deadly Risk - SYSK Choice
13 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is it safe to let your dog lick your face or eat off your plate? It pretty much depends on how clean your dog’s mouth is. This episode begins with a...
Great Stories of Extraordinary Success & Why You Should Care About Black Holes
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Your chances of winning the lottery are horrible. Still, a lot of people play. This episode starts by revealing a few things worth knowing about playi...
Why You Remember and Why You Forget & Unusual Origins of Great Inventions
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When you go out to eat, the restaurant wants you to spend money. Nothing wrong with that. That’s how they stay in business. Still, you should be awa...
How Our Brains Experience Taste & The Upside of Anger - SYSK Choice
06 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It makes sense that people cry when they are sad – but why do some of us cry when we are happy? This episode starts by examining how two opposite em...
Where Would We Be Without Alcohol & Good Reasons to Go Outside Right Now
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There’s nothing better than a really good laugh. What’s even better is, laughing offers some excellent health benefits too. I begin this episode b...
Why We Love to Push Buttons & Why We All Need to Play Games
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all have a sense of what romantic music is. But can that type of music really make you feel and act romantic? This episode begins with some interes...
US: Getting Past the You and Me Relationship & How Fragrance Works - SYSK Choice
29 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Getting car sick can really ruin a trip – for EVERYONE in the car! But maybe you’ve heard – there are now motion sickness glasses. Do they work...
How to Live Your Life with No Regrets & What Bad Words Do
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There’s more to making a great burger than meets the eye. This summertime episode begins with expert advice on preparing the perfect burger on the g...
How Your Refrigerator Changed Your Life & Why Are There Volcanoes?
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In an argument there are usually two things going on that make it so difficult. Listen as I begin this episode by explaining what those two important ...
How to Bounce Back From Tough Times & How to Beat the Surveillance Economy – SYSK Choice
22 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When dogs meet they often sniff each other. It appears we humans do the same thing (to other humans, not dogs). This episode begins with an explanatio...
Why Leadership is So Overrated & How Supply Chains Work or Don’t
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sunscreen has been around for a long time. Has it changed much? Are there advancements in “sunscreen technology”? As summer begins, I explore the ...
The Science of Sexual Attraction & What Does Your Job Mean to You?
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Of course, you know what a tank top is – but do you know why it is called a tank top? A tee-shirt looks like the letter T. But a tank top doesn’t ...
Why Compassion is a Wonder Drug & Essential Survival Advice - SYSK Choice
15 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all know sunscreen is important – but only if you cover all the places you need to cover. Interestingly, there are several spots people often mis...
How Safe Are You in Today’s World? & What Would You Change About Yourself?
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Whenever you see the equal sign, you know what it means. So how did these two little parallel lines come to mean - Is equal to? This episode begins wi...
A Brilliant Way to Be More Productive & Why We Have Skyscrapers
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
10% of the human population is left-handed but what about other animals? Do they have a preference for which paw, foot, fin or wing to use? And what a...
Is Luck a Real Thing? & How to Accept What You Can't Change - SYSK Choice
08 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Gasoline is expensive and we all need to make sure we are squeezing every mile out of every gallon. You have probably heard a lot of suggestions on ho...
What Are You Doing on Your Cellphone? & The Fascinating World of Paradoxes
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ever try to get your dog or cat to recognize themselves in the mirror? This episode begins with an explanation as to why the result is almost always d...
What You Do and Don’t Dream About & What Happens to You When You’re Alone
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
So many of us fantasize about being rich. Wouldn’t it be great to win the lottery or inherit a ton of money or be born into a wealthy family? Well i...
The Science of Evil & How the Bicycle Changed Our Lives - SYSK Choice
01 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why do they call it PLASTIC surgery? It seems like a weird word to use. What’s even weirder is that the term goes back a couple of centuries, even b...
An Easy Way to Make Good Friends & Housekeeping Hacks You Will Love
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The sound of crickets on a summer night can be quite pleasing. And the little critters making that sound have some interesting characteristics and abi...
Where Your Deep Desires Comes From & How Evolution Shaped You
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here is a problem about spaghetti that has stumped some of the brightest minds in science, including Nobel prize winning physicist Richard Feynman: Ho...
The Psychology of Personality & Why Argument Matters - SYSK Choice
25 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Even though we have celebrated Memorial Day for a long time, it wasn’t made an official national Holiday until 1971. And it wasn’t always called M...
Ozempic: Weight Loss Risks and Benefits and What We Miss About Analog
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Look at any can of cooking spray and it will say on the label that it has zero calories. How can that be? It can’t be. Listen as I explain how they ...
Why People Waste So Much & How Creative People-Create
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Whenever I fly, I see people on the plane who look like they are doing important work on their laptops. That may actually be a really bad idea because...
The Fascinating Evolution of Surgery & Asking Questions That Connect-SYSK Choice
18 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why do you suppose it is that dogs love to hang their heads out of a moving car window? What’s the thrill? More importantly, should you let your dog...
How a Room Can Change Your Behavior & Strange Stories from History
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Your call is very important to us.” That is just one of many phrases businesses use trying to convince us how customer-focused they are. Do these...
The 2 Keys to Your Happiness & Defying the Rules of English
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Even though people seem to enjoy dining out, many find the process frustrating and difficult. And the restaurant’s menu has a lot to do with it. Thi...
Why Your Knowledge of Relationships is Mostly Wrong & The Art of Saying No - SYSK Choice
11 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it you see people on the news every once in a while who claim to drink and smoke and eat a questionable diet – and still live to be 100 while...
How to Master Any Skill & The Strange World of Tattoos
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know what the most popular and least popular car colors are? What’s so interesting is that buying a car that is an unpopular color can actual...
The Strange Intelligence of Plants & Why Restaurants Seem So Expensive
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you ever feel down, anxious or get that sense of doom, you might want to take some Tylenol. You are probably wondering how in the world that could ...
Why Misperception is So Common & Animal Superpowers We Might Have - SYSK Choice
04 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It feels natural to hold a grudge when someone betrays you or upsets you. After all, you are the injured party, so you are entitled to hang on to that...
New Tech That Is Changing Your Life Now & The Best Way to Fail
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The season during which you were born may have an effect on your health. This episode begins by revealing a study from a few years ago that shows some...
3 Things to Fix Your Life & Finding Awe Everyday
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There is a good chance you have thought your cellphone was ringing or vibrating when it wasn’t. It seems weird and makes you wonder why it is such a...
Communication Secrets for Divided Times & The Anatomy of Anxiety - SYSK Choice
27 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While it may seem that life moves at a faster pace, we are the ones who set that pace. Many of us like to do things quickly but that doesn’t mean we...
How to Improve Your Luck & A Much Better Way to Die
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Just how much pesticides residue is on the produce you buy? Should you be concerned? Should you buy organic? Consumer Reports recently did an investig...
Improving Your Powers of Perception & How Pain Works
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone knows it is dangerous to talk on the phone while driving – but it seems like it shouldn’t be. After all you talk to people in the car whi...
How to Break Free of Being Stuck & Alternative Therapies That Work - SYSK Choice
20 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It matters who your friends are. This episode starts with some interesting Gallup research that shows how the people you hang out with affect who you...
The Changing Threat of Cyber Crime & The Search for Life in the Cosmos
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of people have autographs from someone famous. Could the one you have be worth anything? What makes an autograph valuable? How much do rare auto...
How Rituals Enrich Your Life & The Simple Science of Being Healthy
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Where do you do your best work and think your best thoughts? Probably not at your workplace. This episode begins with some expert advice on how to opt...
The Secrets to Being Influential & What We Learn From Grief - SYSK Choice
13 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If your freezer has an ice maker then your freezer has a heater. This episode begins with an explanation of why your ice maker needs a heater in the f...
Why We Like Superstitions & Science You Never Knew
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Apologizing is often difficult. Why though? It seems like doing the right thing and saying you’re sorry should make you feel great. Well, it may mak...
Human Biases That Shape Your Thinking & The Science of Elite Performers
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When you approach a table where you are going to sit with a group of people, which chair do you take? This episode begins with a strategy to choose th...
How Expectations Steer Your Life & The History of the World’s Most Favorite Food - SYSK Choice
06 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Well, this sucks… it turns out that nice people make less money than mean people. That hardly seems fair. This episode begins with an explanation of...
What the Government Knows About You & How to Break a Bad Habit
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The percentage of depressed people who smoke is higher than the general population. Way higher. When you dig a little deeper, it turns out there is an...
The Surprising Biology of Love & How to Keep More of Your Money
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When you go to Disneyland or Disney World, something happens in the parking lot when you get there and when you leave that is worth paying attention t...
How Aging Can Be Reversed & Science “Facts” That Aren’t True - SYSK Choice
30 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a food – a comfort food? Are you actually comforted by these foods? This episode begins by revealing why people crave certain comfort foo...
The Story of Jeff Bezos and Amazon & How to Be More Interesting
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Taking your shoes off before you enter a home is a thoughtful gesture and something many people have done for a long time. And it really is good idea...
Why You Need to Laugh More & Inside Multi-Level Marketing
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One huge important milestone in any relationship is when someone says, “I love you.” So how long does that take? Listen as I reveal how long it ta...
Is AI Eliminating Your Choice? & Tribology Explained (It’s Everywhere)
23 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every home has batteries sitting around in a drawer somewhere waiting to be used. This episode begins with some interesting advice about how to use an...
Make Your Dreams Work for You / How Food Affects Mood / Why We Need Stuff
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We all know that we need to drink a lot of water. But have you ever wondered why? This episode begins with exactly how drinking lots of water helps an...
The Real Reason for Anxiety & The Science of the Paranormal
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve probably heard this old rock & roll legend… that when Van Halen performed in concert, they used to ask for M&Ms in their dressing room but ...
Dangers of Collective Illusions & The Inadequacy of Language - SYSK Choice
16 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You have likely noticed that in meetings, there are often 1, 2 or 3 people who tend to dominate the meeting and eat up a lot of time. In fact, did you...
How to Decide to Stay or Leave & Songs That Changed Rock & Roll
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that going to get a hair cut can make you look years younger? And it apparently has absolutely nothing to do with the haircut at all. Lis...
The World of Government Secrets & The Problem with Productivity
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most offices have a coffee area and some spare coffee cups sitting around for anyone who needs one. This episode begins with an explanation for why yo...
Weird Human Behaviors Explained & Be Kind to Your Mouth -SYSK Choice
09 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Could drinking water make you smarter? Actually no one is really sure, but it does seem to be so. This episode begins by explaining how we know this i...
How to Better Deal with People & The Power of Profanity
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I’m sure you have been hit in the head. Maybe you fell and bumped it, or someone accidentally hit you or you got a baseball thrown at you – someth...
Embracing Optimism & How Algorithms Narrow Your Choices
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Distractions while driving can be dangerous. Good drivers know they need to minimize distractions. However, some things that are intended to deliberat...
How to Master Charisma & The Marvel of Modern Genetics - SYSK Choice
02 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A person’s first name can have a profound impact on their life. This episode begins as I describe how people instantly get preconceived ideas about ...
How to Keep Life Thrilling & How to Command A Conversation
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone loves getting flowers – but of course they don’t last very long. To make them last as long as possible, what works best, the flower food ...
What Colors Do To You & Recycling: Does It Really Help?
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why are there so many different shampoos? Does it really matter which one if all you want is clean hair? This episode begins by explaining which shamp...
The Benefits of Being Delusional & Our Evolution Challenges-SYSK Choice
24 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With all the advances in automobile technology, it seems they still haven’t solved the problem of that terrible thumping noise that happens when you...
What Is Good Mental Health? & The Weird Thing About Memory
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are the things in your kitchen laid out efficiently? We often place kitchen items randomly – or wherever they fit. This episode begins with a quick ...
Everyday Health Hacks & A New Approach to Conflict
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When you drink something and start choking, people often say, “Oh it must’ve gone down the wrong pipe.” This episode begins by explaining what ...
Your Incredible Sense of Smell & Overcoming Burn Out - SYSK Choice
17 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Gotta big decision to make? Before you make it, you might want to wash your hands first. This episode begins with the explanation for why it is such a...
Why You Eat When You’re Not Hungry & Predictions and Coincidences
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The concept of body language is based on the idea that what you do with certain body parts sends a message to other people. This apparently holds tru...
Should You Work for Yourself? & The Science of Creativity
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kissing has a lot of benefits you likely never knew. And it appears that the more you kiss – the more the benefits. This episode begins with severa...
Your Mysterious Immune System & Effective Feedback Secrets - SYSK Choice
10 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It is usually very difficult to talk your way out of getting a traffic ticket. Usually, the police are just doing their job and part of their job is t...
The Magic of Telling a Good Story & The Strange Rules of Copyrights
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When you put a child in a car seat, you may be doing something wrong that could put your child in danger – particularly in the winter. And it has to...
The Mystery of Twins & What NOT to Do With Your Money
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Supposedly, women are attracted to men who can make them laugh. Is that really true? And if it is, why? This episode begins with an explanation. Sourc...
A Foolproof Way to Declutter & A History of Timekeeping - SYSK Choice
03 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You may have heard the advice to not allow your gas tank to get too low before refueling. Is that really necessary? What’s the harm if you let it go...
How Everything Affects Everything Else & Is Big Tech Out of Control?
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Human touch can certainly feel good, but does it actually have lasting biological effects? This episode begins with a look at how the body responds to...
Why Humans Love Robots & The Power of Confidence
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a job interview, there is one question you are likely to be asked that many people are not prepared to answer. I begin this episode by revealing wh...
How to Instantly Stop Arguments & The High Five Habit - SYSK Choice
27 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every mom knows, when a child (or an adult for that matter) gets a small cut, you put a little antibiotic ointment on to prevent infection. But maybe...
What Is Culture? & The Problem with Fitness
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is a newborn baby more likely to resemble mom or dad – or is it a toss-up? This episode begins by explaining why a baby is more likely to look like ...
How You Recognize Faces & The Way to Think More Clearly
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How your food tastes depends on a lot of things that have nothing to do with the food itself. I begin this episode by revealing how things such as the...
Why Suffering is Essential & What Free Speech Really Is: SYSK Choice
20 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As everyone who is a garlic lover or knows a garlic lover knows, garlic can make your breath stink. This episode begins with some easy and effective s...