#99 How Our Minds Heal Our Bodies: Jo Marchant

April 19, 2017 Richard Davies

Have you ever felt a surge of adrenaline after almost getting into an accident? Salivated at the sight of a sour lemon? Felt turned on by your partner’s voice? If so, says scientific journalist Jo Marchant, you’ve experienced how the workings of the mind can affect your body.

In this episode, we look at the mind's potential to ease pain, reduce anxiety and even cut the risk of infection, heart disease, and other serious medical ailments. Jo discusses how the latest findings in mind-body research: How hypnotherapy, mindfulness techniques, Virtual Reality, and social connections can play important roles in healing and prevention.

More than one in three Americans have turned to alternative medicine. But do homeopathy, acupuncture and other therapies actually work? What does science say about the use of placebos in medicine?

"I believe very strongly in an evidence-based approach that we have to investigate things in a scientific way," Jo tells us in this episode. "On the other hand, I also started to feel that science has a bit of a blind spot when it comes to the role of the mind in health."

Jo Marchant discusses the findings of her New York Times best-selling book "Cure: A Journey Into The Science of Mind Over Body."

#98 You're More Powerful Than You Think: Eric Liu

April 12, 2017 Richard Davies

If you're disillusioned, depressed or downright furious at the state of politics today, this episode is for you.

Eric Liu, founder, and CEO of Citizen University, says that you're more powerful than you think. We discuss the stories, strategies, and ideas raised in his timely new book, "You're More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen"

#9 Fix It Shorts Productivity: Charles Duhigg's Top 4 Tips

April 5, 2017 Richard Davies

This episode highlights four key productivity fixes from New York Times Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Duhigg. His most recent book is "Smarter, Faster, Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and In Business." Charles is also the author of "The Power of Habit."

Using cutting-edge science, reporting and real-life stories, Charles explains why being productive isn't just about daily habits, routines and lists.

#93 Emily Esfahani Smith: The Power of Meaning

March 8, 2017 Richard Davies

Are you happy? If not, perhaps you’re asking yourself the wrong question.

Our culture is obsessed with happiness - a right that’s enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. But living a life of meaning, instead of the pursuit of happiness, may bring much deeper, longer-lasting satisfaction, says our guest, Emily Esfahani Smith, author of "The Power of Meaning Crafting a Life That Matters.

#8 Fix It Shorts. Immigrants: Great for the Economy!

March 1, 2017 Richard Davies

When did the arguments for free trade and the benefits of immigration go out of fashion?

Why is the case for scaling back the power of the financial industry under attack by the Trump administration?

#91 Geoffrey Colon: Pay-to-Play: A Menace to Society?

February 23, 2017 Richard Davies

Do you know where your information is coming from? Shadowy forces are at work to influence what we think, how we behave, and where we spend our money.

They're part of the explosion in pay-to-play. From bots and branded content to political-influence peddlers’, advertisers and even sports programs in public schools, pay-to-play is a growing influence in our lives.

Critics of pay-to-play say that instead of "We the people,” the online world is controlled by "We the wealthiest people.”

Geoffrey Colon, an expert on marketing, tech and how to get people's attention, is our guest. A communications designer at Microsoft, Geoffrey is the author of "Disruptive Marketing - What Growth Hackers, Data Punks and Other Hybrid Thinkers Can Teach Us About Navigating the New Normal." He's the co-host with Cheryl Metzger of the popular podcast, "Disruptive FM." We learn more about the threat from fake news and hate sites alt-right bots to our democracy. Geoffrey guides through some of the recent dizzying changes in the online landscape.

#90 David Greenberg: President Trump and The History of Spin

February 15, 2017 Richard Davies

Does Donald Trump lie more than previous presidents? In the history of political spin, how does the Trump administration stack up?

Presidents have always used spin and propaganda to skirt the truth, but the Trump administration has made it especially hard for citizens to remain informed. The easiest example of this was when Kellyanne Conway, the Counselor to the President, used the term “alternative facts” to defend a false statement by the White House Press Secretary.

In this episode we look at how Presidential propaganda, messaging or spin has changed over the decades.

David Greenberg is our guest and the author of "Republic of Spin - An Inside History of the American Presidency.” David argues that Teddy Roosevelt was responsible for the birth of modern Presidential spin more than one hundred years ago.

#88 The New Brooklyn: Bringing Cities Back: Kay Hymowitz

February 1, 2017 Richard Davies

In his inaugural address, Donald Trump gave a grim description of American cities, speaking of "carnage" and "rusted out factories.” But the reality is far different in many urban centers.

Our guest is Kay Hymowitz of The Manhattan Institute, author of "The New Brooklyn: What It Takes To Bring a City Back."

#86 Farai Chideya: Re-think Your Career. Find a New Job

January 18, 2017 Richard Davies

Have you spent your life switching careers, changing jobs and titles? So has former NPR host, professor, and journalist Farai Chideya. It’s the new normal, and it’s called the episodic career.

Our guest is a well-known journalist, professor, author, and former NPR host, Farai Chideya, author of “The Episodic Career”.

#85 Why We Are Fooled by Con Artists: Maria Konnikova

January 11, 2017 Richard Davies

Have you ever been the victim of a con artist? Very often we fall for cons ourselves without being aware of it.

We speak with journalist and psychologist Maria Konnikova, a regular contributor to The New Yorker magazine and best-selling author of “The Confidence Game:" Through storytelling and science, she explains the mind of the con artist and what makes the rest of us so susceptible.

#83 Best Moments of 2016

December 29, 2016 Richard Davies

Alan Dershowitz on Trump; what an Islamic fundamentalist learned in an Egyptian jail; plus a tenured professor explained why she quit her job—trigger warning ahead.

#82 Lessons from the World's Best Schools: Lucy Crehan

December 21, 2016 Richard Davies

What we can learn from the best education systems in the world? A lot.

We learn about PISA - The Program for International Student Assessment - and why this international test on math, science and reading has disturbing results for U.S. schools.

We interviewed British teacher Lucy Crehan, author of the breakthrough book, "Cleverlands", who went on a remarkable journey to Finland, Asia and Canada, to study the world’s best schools. We find out why a simple question from a student in her science class, “Miss, why do we sneeze?" sent Lucy on a two-year quest to learn how to improve schools.

#81 Rana Foroohar: Wall Street's Giant Threat to the Economy

December 14, 2016 Richard Davies

More than eight years after the financial meltdown, we still have a lot to learn, says our guest, CNN global economic analyst Rana Foroohar.

"The rise of finance has actually kind of eaten the rest of the economy," Rana tells this in this "Fix It" episode. "Finance controls the rest of industry. Finance has become the tail that wags the dog." At the same time, the financial industry remains at risk for another hugely destructive collapse.