#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."

#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.

#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.

#89 Shearly Markowicz: Online Dating:Why It Works

February 8, 2017 Richard Davies

Valentine’s Day is almost here, so we invited Dating Ring CEO Shearly Markowicz to talk about the company and give advice how to find love online. Dating Ring first came to fame when it was profiled by the Gimlet podcast, "StartUp” season 2.

#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.

#84 Smart Solutions for The New Year

January 5, 2017 Richard Davies

Fresh thinking for the New Year: In 2016 we were exposed to a dazzling range of smart, practical ideas from our podcast guests - from climate change and money matters, healthcare reform, to making room for strangers in our lives.

#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.