1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,680 Speaker 1: Guess what will what's that go? So you know, I've 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: been obsessed with life hats forever and it all goes 3 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 1: back to this Wired article I read back in two 4 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: thousand and six. It was about this TV show in 5 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: Japan called The Edo Family Dinner Table, and the whole 6 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: show was just full of ridiculous little tips, like if 7 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: you don't have someone to water your plants when you're away, 8 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: just set them on a water soaked diaper and apparently 9 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: apparently the plant slowly absorbs the water over vacation. Or 10 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: if you want to turbocharge your sled, you can spray 11 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: some nonstick PAM under the sled. But my favorite thing 12 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: from it is how to immediately become more flexible. I 13 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: can't wait, and so, so what's the trick here? Well, 14 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: if you can't touch your toes, instead of just leaning over, 15 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: if you take both arms and point them out at 16 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: ninety degrees to one side, and then you slowly windmill 17 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: them around all the way to your toes, you can 18 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: actually get closer to touching your toes. It's incredible. I 19 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: kind of thought this one was gonna involve PAM as well, 20 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: like under your feet, so you just slipped out into 21 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: a split. That would be great too, But since it's 22 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: a new year, we thought what better way to embrace 23 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: our best selves than trick and cheat our way to results. 24 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: So that's what today's show is all about. Let's dig 25 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: in aither podcast listeners, Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm 26 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: Will Pearson and as always I'm joined by my good 27 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: friend Man Guesh Ticketer and sitting behind that soundproof glass 28 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: running the audio equipment from a handcrafted Nordic tractor. That's impressive. 29 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: I guess he's getting his skiing in while he does this. 30 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: That's our friend and producer Tristan McNeil. Now today we're 31 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: ringing in two thousand eighteen with a look at some 32 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: unusual ways to better your life in the year ahead. 33 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: So we're gonna check out some fun life hacks like 34 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: you know, how to beat an ice cream headache. Will 35 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: also get a bit more ambitious with ideas like how 36 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: to be a better sner, or how to cram a 37 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: year's worth of trash into a single Mason jar, and 38 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: of course, to start the second year of ptg off Right, 39 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: We've also got a ridiculous quiz lined up as well. 40 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: So who's playing today Mango. Yeah. Today, we're gonna have 41 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: a very special guest, my wife, Lizzie Jacobs. She's been 42 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: producing a fun new show for American public media called 43 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: Mash Up Americans. But she also hates whenever I talk 44 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: about life hacks, so we'll give her a little quiz 45 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: about him. All right, So to get us started, I 46 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: thought we should acknowledge the inspiration for today's show, which 47 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 1: is the age old practice of making New Year's resolutions. 48 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: That's something humans have done for thousands of years, going 49 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: all the way back to ancient Rome, when Julius Caesar 50 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: rejiggered the calendar and named January one the starting point 51 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: for each new year, and sees her name the first 52 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,679 Speaker 1: month in honor of the two face god Janice, who 53 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,239 Speaker 1: was believed to look both backwards at the previous year 54 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: and boards into the future. So by offering sacrifices and 55 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: making promises to be good, ancient Romans hoped to win 56 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: janice favor in the year ahead. Right, So fast forward 57 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: a few millennia to today, and every January, a little 58 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,679 Speaker 1: over half the population pledges to lose weight, or quit smoking, 59 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: or I don't know, spend more time outdoors. All in 60 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 1: the hopes of making the new year better than the 61 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 1: last one. And you know, this last for about a 62 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: month or so until our old habits kicked back and 63 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: and we're right back to where we started. Yeah, I 64 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: guess without the threat of you know, Janice looming over us, 65 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 1: maybe people's resolve isn't what it used to be. Then 66 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: is blaming on Janice? But everything on Janice, according to 67 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: the University of Scranton, where the people who make resolutions 68 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: fail to keep them. And of course I'm guilty of 69 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: this every year when I claim I'm going to write 70 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: my friends more or finish my novel which is tentatively 71 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 1: titled How to Write Your Friends More. But the main 72 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: reason for that low success rate is that we set 73 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: ourselves up for failure by choosing goals that we're already 74 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: bad achieving. Yeah, you know, it's weird because we tend 75 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: to go for things that we've already tried and failed at, 76 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: you know, during the past year or so, whether that's 77 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: going to the gym more often or eating better whatever 78 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: it might be. Right, And so the science actually shows 79 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: us that we get a sense of satisfaction just from 80 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: the idea of accomplishing a difficult goal, which is why 81 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: so many people like making resolutions. In the moment, we 82 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: feel good about saying that we're gonna lose weight this year, 83 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: and we predict that will still feel that way in 84 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: the future. But then when it's actually time to follow through, 85 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: that initial happy feeling is faded, and suddenly the prospect 86 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,119 Speaker 1: of running three miles a day or whatever it doesn't 87 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 1: sound like fun anymore. Well, I'm glad you say that, 88 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: because this actually brings us to our first life act, 89 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 1: because there just might be a way to make ourselves 90 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,840 Speaker 1: think more concretely about the future. And this comes from 91 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: the research of how Hirshfield, who's a marketing professor at 92 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: u c l A School of Management. So they're using 93 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: fm r I scans and they discovered that people process 94 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: information about their future selves in a different part of 95 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: the brain than the one that deals with their thoughts 96 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: about their presence self. And here's the crazy thing is 97 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,040 Speaker 1: that this part of the brain that's associated with future 98 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: selves is actually the same one that's connected to thoughts 99 00:04:56,240 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: about strangers. Wait, so are we actually thinking or seeing 100 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: our future selves as strangers? I mean, we kind of are, actually, 101 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 1: But but this is where things get interesting because there 102 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: was a different study and Hirshfield was looking at students 103 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: and having them examined digitally age pictures of themselves. An 104 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: amazingly test show that this helped the students develop more 105 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 1: empathy for their future selves. Isn't that kind of strange? 106 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 1: And so when this happened, they were less likely to 107 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 1: procrastinate on things like studying for exams. And so apparently, 108 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: if we can make our future sells feel less like strangers, 109 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: we can actually use that motivation to better accomplish goals 110 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: in the present. That's so bizarre, And I thought you 111 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: were going to tell us just to make more manageable 112 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: goals like this, yere A'm gonna learn to make an 113 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: omelet or something, but you should, though, you should learn 114 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 1: to make someday. But you're saying if you want to 115 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:47,159 Speaker 1: keep your New Year's resolution and just get in touch 116 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: with your future self, right, which I mean, I guess 117 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: it's actually pretty easy now with us like old define 118 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: an aging booth or whatever. Yeah, you can get super 119 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: old and seconds. It's pretty neat. But you know, as 120 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: we mentioned, one of the most common resolutions people make 121 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: is to exercise more often. I know, when we were 122 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: in college, you always would say, I'm gonna start lifting 123 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: weights on Monday, but then you can just go play basketball, 124 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: and then it was Tuesday and you'd have to wait 125 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: until the next Monday. I know, the basketball is so 126 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 1: much more fun. Well, if if you want a better 127 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: shot at enjoying that workout, Actually, here's another hack, and 128 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: it's it's a quick science tip that says, just smile 129 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: and seriously, like the whole thing comes from this long 130 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: standing belief among some athletes that smiling while exercising makes 131 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: the workout feel easier and it turns out there right. 132 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: So there's a study done earlier this year and researchers 133 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: from Ireland and Wales teamed up to see if a 134 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: group of recreational runners performed better while smiling or scowling. 135 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: And the whole smile factor was downplayed to the runners, 136 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 1: you know, just so it didn't skew the outcome of 137 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 1: the test, and so they were only told that the 138 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:54,359 Speaker 1: experiment would test factors relating to quote running economy, which is, 139 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 1: you know, how much oxygen someone uses to run at 140 00:06:57,360 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: a given speech, So you can almost think of it 141 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: like all economy, like how much gas do you need 142 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,719 Speaker 1: to get somewhere. So first, the researchers measured the runners 143 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: under normal circumstances. They weren't given any special instructions or 144 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: any techniques. They just had to run on a treadmill 145 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: until they were exhausted. Then, on a different day, each 146 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: of the runners undertook a series of four six minute runs, 147 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: using a different approach each time, some including smiling or 148 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: frowning continuously through the run. And I mean, it seems 149 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: like you're telegraphing this like that, the smiling runners outpaced 150 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: the frown ears. Well, not across the board. I mean, 151 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: a few of the volunteers actually did best while frowning, 152 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 1: and the researchers suggested that this might have been because 153 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: those frowns were like their game faces, you know that 154 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: game face you get on when every time we're about 155 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 1: to start a podcast, and that may be helped their 156 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: you know, determination to perform well. But the most economical 157 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: results came when the runners smiled, and so the group's 158 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: running economy was as much as two point seven eight 159 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: percent higher during the smiling runs than it was during 160 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: the others. That's crazy, So do we have any idea 161 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: why that is? Well, according to the lead researcher, the 162 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: smiling likely helped prompt this reduction and muscular tension. Now 163 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: there's one catch to this, because the smiling has to 164 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: be sincere, you can't fake it, So most of the 165 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: runners smiles became more unnatural the longer the session went on, 166 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: trying to run six minutes with a sincere smile on 167 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: your face. So if you want to boost your performance 168 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: while running, it's best to smile sincerely mango. In fact, 169 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: one researcher suggests that you save your smile from near 170 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: the end of the race and then use it in 171 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 1: thirty second burst. You know, so you don't wear out 172 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: that sincerity. I love that you can just pocket into 173 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,560 Speaker 1: sincerity and then pull it small, InCor plan. There's nothing 174 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:49,959 Speaker 1: more sincere than planning out your thirty second smiles. It's 175 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 1: all over my Google calendars. Here's one for any listener 176 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: who wants to be a better performer but doesn't actually 177 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: want to break a sweat. So the next time you're 178 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 1: at a karaoke bar and you need to hit a 179 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 1: high note in your soulful rendition of I don't know 180 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: my heart will go on, just try lifting a potted 181 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: plant over your head as you sing. So if people 182 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 1: don't look ridiculous enough doing karaoke, you know you might 183 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: you might want to add a fern to the mix. 184 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: I guess here, Well, it doesn't have to be a plant. 185 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: But lifting something heavy above your head actually can help 186 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: you hit high notes in the higher registers. And this 187 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: is one of those old chestnuts I learned at mental flaws. 188 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,200 Speaker 1: But basically that weight makes your muscles tense up, which 189 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,439 Speaker 1: in turn forces your larynx to stretch a little and 190 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: that will actually help you land the high notes and 191 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: impress all the people who would have otherwise thought you foolish. 192 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:39,480 Speaker 1: All right, well I will, I'll keep that one in mind. Mega. So, 193 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: staying on the subject to sound, did you know that 194 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: our left and right ears are actually each equipped to 195 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: hear different kinds of sound. So our right ears are 196 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:50,959 Speaker 1: better suited for deciphering speech patterns, while our left ears 197 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,560 Speaker 1: are better with musical qualities like pitch or timber or loudness. 198 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: You know what. I've read a little bit about this, 199 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:58,680 Speaker 1: and I might be mixing up the sides here, but 200 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: isn't the idea that the right ear is paired with 201 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: the left hemisphere of the brain, which is the side 202 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: that's better at processing verbal information. Right, Yeah, you're completely right. 203 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 1: So weirdly, the same kind of right ear preference shows 204 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: up another species. I was reading about this earlier, and 205 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:18,199 Speaker 1: it's common for rats and dogs and also sea lions. 206 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 1: But one really cool thing I found out is that, uh, 207 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:23,319 Speaker 1: even apart from its left brain connection, our right ear 208 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: is also physically better for hearing speech. So what do 209 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 1: you mean by that? So this comes from this joint 210 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: research effort from u c l A and the University 211 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: of Arizona. But when you hear a sound, the tiny 212 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 1: cells in your ear expand and contract to amplify the vibrations, 213 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:41,680 Speaker 1: and then inside these inner hair cells convert the vibrations 214 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,199 Speaker 1: and send them to the brain. And that's simplistic, but 215 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:46,319 Speaker 1: that's kind of how your ear works. But the team 216 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 1: measured the hearing of three thousand newborns using two different 217 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:52,559 Speaker 1: kinds of sound, and they looked at these rapid clicks 218 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: like those found in speech, and then sustained tones like 219 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:58,440 Speaker 1: those found in music. And the results showed that the 220 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: left ear actually gave extra amplification for tones like music, 221 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 1: while the right ear did the same thing for sounds 222 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,200 Speaker 1: like speech. So the weird thing is that your auditory 223 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 1: processing really begins with the ear itself, and that's before 224 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: your brain gets involved. And if you want to be 225 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 1: a better listener, all you have to do is make 226 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: sure you're using the correct ear for whatever you're trying 227 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: to hear. That is pretty neat, and I guess helpful 228 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,199 Speaker 1: when you're at a cocktail party to know which side 229 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: of your face you need to really lean in with. 230 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: I always think about which side of the pace got 231 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: lean this side of my face and really hard here. 232 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: But it actually reminds me of something else that that 233 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 1: we're a little too quick to attribute to our brains, 234 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 1: and that's the all too familiar pain of brain freeze. 235 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:38,200 Speaker 1: So I think I know where you're going with this, 236 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 1: and this is an amazing trick. I not only use 237 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: this all the time, but I've taught my kids this. 238 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: But in the words of Kanye, I'm gonna let you finish. 239 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 1: Thanks Kanye. Al Right, So, as I was saying, most 240 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: people go along with the brain freeze name and assume 241 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: the pain is in their brain, which is why you 242 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 1: know we instinctively grab our heads or start rubbing our 243 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: temples when we scarf down ice cream or or during 244 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,479 Speaker 1: something really cold, but there actually aren't any pain receptors 245 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: in the brain at all. Instead, scientists think the pain 246 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:07,439 Speaker 1: is due to these spasms brought on by the quick 247 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: cooling of blood vessels in the back of the throat. 248 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 1: So the next time you need to relieve that brain freeze, 249 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: you can drink something warm or just place your tongue 250 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,480 Speaker 1: against the roof of your mouth and that helps warm 251 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:19,599 Speaker 1: up those blood vessels and gets the brain freeze to 252 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: go away. Yeah, so that's the trick, I know, Just 253 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 1: shove your tongue against the roof of your mouth and 254 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 1: that headache just melts away. But um, this isn't something 255 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna tell my kids. But there's also another way 256 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: to lesten that pain, and that's to use swear words. 257 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: I love how we're talking about resolutions for two thousand 258 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:36,319 Speaker 1: and eighteen, and a good one maybe to get your 259 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: your kids to swear more. Yeah, I mean they're already 260 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 1: from New York's right, But this is a real thing. 261 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: So according to a study at Keel University, people who 262 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 1: curse freely can endure pain almost fifty longer than those 263 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 1: who watch their language. Yeah, and and the researchers had 264 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,559 Speaker 1: sixty volunteers stick their hand into tub of freezing water 265 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 1: for as long as they could while repeating their favorite 266 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:00,199 Speaker 1: swear word. Then they repeated the experiment, but they got 267 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:03,559 Speaker 1: to use a benign word instead, and shockingly, the volunteer, 268 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 1: as you swore, endured nearly two minutes of pain, while 269 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: those who use the benign words or something like eggplant 270 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:11,840 Speaker 1: over and over and over, they lasted just a minute 271 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: and fifteen seconds. That is wild, and that's a huge difference. 272 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: So do researchers know why cursing, you know, lessons to pain? Yeah, 273 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: they're not exactly sure, but their best guess is that 274 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 1: the swearing helps us downplay the threat in order to 275 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: overcome it. But the curious part is that the curses 276 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: kind of have to mean something. So, just like your 277 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:33,319 Speaker 1: smile earlier, if you want to lessen your pain by swearing, 278 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 1: you have to limit your casual curses. And as the 279 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:39,200 Speaker 1: researcher put it, swearing his emotional language. But if you 280 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: overuse it, it loses its emotional attachment. Well, all things 281 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: in moderation, I guess, all right, Well, before we get 282 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: into more life facts, why don't we take a quick 283 00:13:47,400 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 1: break if you're listening to Part Time Genius and we're 284 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 1: talking about some quirky ideas to make life a little 285 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:07,679 Speaker 1: bit easier. So mago I mentioned this upfront that we 286 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,199 Speaker 1: would cover some life as that may be a bit 287 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: more ambitious than using dental floss to slice up a 288 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: cake or some of the other really silly things you 289 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,319 Speaker 1: find if you're looking online for life hacks. But I 290 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: almost love the dumb and useless life hacks as much 291 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: as the good one. Like there was this one that said, uh, 292 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 1: never forget where you park your car in a parking lot, 293 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: just tie helium balloon to the antenna. That's good and 294 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 1: I love that, like it just assumes that you always 295 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: have freshly filled helium balloons up course, of course, And 296 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 1: there was this other one where where you turn your 297 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: hoodie around so the hoodie parts in front of you 298 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: and it's considered an accessible snack pocket. So the picture 299 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: I had this like fresh popcorn in the hood in 300 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: front of this coder so that he could just borrow 301 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 1: his face in the popcorn whenever he needed to bite. 302 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 1: And that was also he didn't have to move his hands. 303 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: It's so dumb. I could totally see that being marketed 304 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,640 Speaker 1: toward coders, that's pretty sure, although I will say that 305 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 1: those kind of life hacks do kind of give life 306 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: hacks a bad name, especially when you compare them to 307 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: things that are really useful. You know, like how hand 308 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: sanitizer gets tree sap off your hands, which he's actually 309 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 1: pretty useful when you're bringing in Christmas trees or getting 310 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 1: rid of them, and otherwise you kind of have to 311 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 1: sit there for like fifteen minutes just hands in scalding water. 312 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: Hate the stickiness of tree sticks. Can't stand sticky at all, 313 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: and much less tree sap, so it drives me crazy. 314 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: And then there was that trash hack that you told 315 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: me about that that I think also fits the bill here. 316 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 1: Do you want to talk us through that one? Definitely? 317 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: And so this one is related to this zero waste 318 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 1: lifestyle movement that's really big right now, and it's basically 319 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: an effort to reduce the insane amount of trash that 320 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: we produce on an individual level. And to give you 321 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 1: an idea of why this might be necessary, consider the 322 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: fact that the average American produces about four point five 323 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: pounds of trash each day, which is over six hundred 324 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: pounds per year. Ah, that is a ton of trash. 325 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 1: Actually literally, that is almost a ton of trash that 326 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: every single person produces. It's crazy. So obviously, with a 327 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: population as large as ours, that kind of trash production 328 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: adds up fast. So here's a clever way to reduce 329 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 1: your role in the problem. Stuff in entire year's worth 330 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: of your garbage into a single Mason jar. Yeah. I 331 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: mean it might sound crazy, but that's what Lauren Singer did, 332 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: and it completely changed the way she looks at trash. Well, 333 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: if Lauren Singer did it. Who is Lauren Singer. She's 334 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: a graduate from n y USE Environmental Science program, and 335 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 1: she runs this blog about sustainability called Trash Is for Tossers. 336 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: And a few years ago, a Singer got impressed because 337 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 1: she realized that her interest in living sustainably hadn't extended 338 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,120 Speaker 1: past the classroom. And as she put it, I've got 339 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: this quote here. One day I went home after class 340 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 1: and opened my fridge to make dinner, and I realized 341 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 1: that every single thing I had in there was packaged 342 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: in plastic. So she made this decision to go plastic 343 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 1: free and started making other changes in the life to 344 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: live a less wasteful life, and so that's where the 345 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 1: mason jar comes in. Yeah, that that was kind of 346 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: her way of keeping crack with the small amounts of 347 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 1: waste that she just couldn't shake because like, even though 348 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: she's sworn off buying I don't know, package goods and 349 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:06,159 Speaker 1: and plastic and whatever, there's still some random bits of 350 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: paper and plastic that can't be recycled or composted. So 351 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:11,360 Speaker 1: if you think about like fruit often comes with these 352 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: little stickers, or the bits of plastic used to connect 353 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:17,200 Speaker 1: the price tag deer clothing, all of that's unavoidable waste 354 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 1: and that goes into her trustees sixteen ounce mason jar. Wow. 355 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 1: But so she crams a full year's worth of garbage 356 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 1: into just one jar. How is that possible? She's actually 357 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 1: even more efficient than that. So Singer claims to have 358 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:32,440 Speaker 1: used the same jar for four years straight way. Yeah, 359 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: and if that's true, it means she's personally saved over 360 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 1: six thousand pounds of trash from heading to a landfill. 361 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: I think she's hiding her trash somewhere, but that is 362 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: incredible if this is true. But it also sounds like 363 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 1: one of those resolutions that's too hard to achieve. So 364 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: on the blog or anywhere else that this singer have 365 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: any tips for people who are just starting to consider 366 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:52,520 Speaker 1: how to cut down their trash or yeah, she she's 367 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: got a whole process later out. So she suggests people 368 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: start by getting to know their trash, kind of like 369 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 1: what she did by looking at her fridge and examining 370 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: that she had too much plastic packaging. But once you've 371 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,439 Speaker 1: identified what kind of trash you produced the most of, 372 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:07,199 Speaker 1: you can start looking for solutions and ways to reduce it. 373 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:09,920 Speaker 1: So if you think about the fact that like you're 374 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: throwing out a lot of wasted food, you can start 375 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,119 Speaker 1: composting or or maybe change the way you grocery shops 376 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: so you're doing it more often but buying less each time, 377 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:20,680 Speaker 1: and that way you don't end up with all this 378 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 1: excess food you can't use. But then the next step 379 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 1: is to make smarter daily choices. And this is just 380 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,439 Speaker 1: little stuff like bringing reusable bags or coffee mugs with 381 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 1: you when you're on about, or you know, refusing plastic 382 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: straws when you get offered them. But Singer's biggest advice 383 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:39,159 Speaker 1: is to transition to a d I Y approach, and 384 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:40,919 Speaker 1: this is the one we'll all get held up on. 385 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 1: But it's things like making your own cleaning products using 386 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,640 Speaker 1: apple cider vinegar, or baking soda or using citrus juice. 387 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: For that, Wow, I mean that is interesting. And for 388 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: me making your own cleaning products, that does feel like 389 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: a big hurdle to getting a percent there, So I'm 390 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: just not gonna try it all. But I mean, honestly, 391 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 1: I do admire the commitment. One thing I do find 392 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 1: appealing about singers single jar approaches just how much it 393 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: limits her options because only allowing yourself such a tiny 394 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: space for trash, it really restricts your choices, you know, 395 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 1: for what you can consume exactly Like you might look 396 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,280 Speaker 1: at a box of oreos that look delicious, but you 397 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:19,199 Speaker 1: quickly realize how much less work you have to do 398 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 1: by eating an apple. Yeah, and that's another tip for 399 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 1: improving your lifestyle, and that is to limit your options. 400 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:28,440 Speaker 1: It sounds counterintuitive, but when it comes to choice, less 401 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: is actually better, at least according to Shena iron gar And. 402 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:35,760 Speaker 1: She's a psychologist at Columbia University, and she studies this 403 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: paradox of choice. She says that the greater choice can 404 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:41,360 Speaker 1: be a problem because of the added strain. It puts 405 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 1: on your ability to process the information. You know, so 406 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:47,200 Speaker 1: think of all the time you spend weighing your different options, 407 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: not to mention the fact that more choices also means 408 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 1: a higher chance of making a mistake and maybe even 409 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,159 Speaker 1: passing up on a better option. So I mean, I 410 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 1: like the idea, but what's alternative just settling for good enough? Actually, yeah, 411 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:02,560 Speaker 1: that that is the solution. And Sina conducted a few 412 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:05,639 Speaker 1: experiments to test her theories about choice, and she found 413 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: that people got more pleasure from choosing a chocolate from 414 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,479 Speaker 1: an assortment of five than when they choose from thirty. 415 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: And when I think about that specific example, actually get 416 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: it because it is kind of stressful when you're trying 417 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: to choose from that thing of thirty and you're looking 418 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:20,440 Speaker 1: through the guide and you're like this one with peanut 419 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: butter or not. But that the idea is that if 420 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,399 Speaker 1: you know, if someone didn't make the absolute best choice, 421 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,119 Speaker 1: they'll still be happier in the long run, because you know, 422 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,119 Speaker 1: they didn't suck all the fun out of the experience 423 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: through all this endless deliberation in the process. That's uh, 424 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 1: that's a really funny because I I think about things 425 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:38,160 Speaker 1: like video stores and one of the reasons I love 426 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: browsing in them as a kid, or libraries too, is 427 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,679 Speaker 1: that because you have this entire world and you have 428 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:46,359 Speaker 1: to walk out with only one or two choices, like, 429 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:49,400 Speaker 1: there's so much pressure to pick well, but then there's 430 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: the fun in choosing that and deliberating. But I mean, 431 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 1: I guess it's paralyzing if that's what every decision is like. 432 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: If I always had to choose from three thousand chocolates 433 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 1: to pick from, I'd probably avoid. But speaking of choice, 434 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 1: there's one that I didn't even know I had, and 435 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: that's which direction you're ceiling fans spins in. I don't 436 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: know how I've gone so long without hearing about this, 437 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 1: but apparently most ceiling fans have a two settings for 438 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: your blade rotation, and that's clockwise or counterclockwise. I honestly 439 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 1: don't think I've ever heard that either. So does the 440 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 1: direction actually make a difference, Yeah, it does. So it 441 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 1: turns out that we should be changing our fans with 442 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 1: the seasons, just like we do with our clocks. And 443 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 1: in the summer, ceiling fans has been counterclockwise to produce 444 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:33,560 Speaker 1: a breeze from the air they forced downwards, and then 445 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: in the winter the fans should be switched to its 446 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 1: clockwise setting, and that way the warm air that's risen 447 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: to the ceiling gets pushed down from the side of 448 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,120 Speaker 1: the room and more warm air will be drawn upwards. 449 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 1: That's pretty interesting. Yeah, all right, so we've covered a 450 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: few tips for making home life a little more enjoyable. 451 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 1: And now I think we should think about work life. 452 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 1: What do you say? Yeah, and for it. But before 453 00:21:54,080 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 1: we get started, let's take a quiz. Okay, it's quiz 454 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 1: time and we've got Lizzie Jacobs in the studio today. Now, 455 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: Lizzie is the producer of Mash Up Americans. She also 456 00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: has an Emmy, a Peabody, and a couple of best 457 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,639 Speaker 1: sellers to her name from her work at Story Corps. 458 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: But that's not even her most impressive work. I think 459 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 1: you could say her biggest prize is being married to 460 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,520 Speaker 1: Magda and she's here to play a very important life 461 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,159 Speaker 1: hex quiz. So welcome, Lizzie. Thanks, I'm so glad to 462 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:33,960 Speaker 1: be here. Now, before we put you to the test 463 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 1: that why, why don't you take a minute to tell 464 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:38,360 Speaker 1: us about your new show, mash Up Americans. Yeah, absolutely so. 465 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: The Mash Up Americans is a show um hosted by 466 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: two first generation Americans, Amy and Rebecca, and they just 467 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,920 Speaker 1: we like to talk and to and celebrate some of 468 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 1: the most exciting mash ups in America today, and those 469 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 1: are people who are first generation American, who are in 470 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:58,440 Speaker 1: mixed uh cultural couples, are from mixed cultural families, and 471 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: just really about being at the inner ste action of 472 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 1: culture where that is a very exciting place to be. So, Lizzie, 473 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: I'm around your work a lot, so I know a 474 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 1: little bit about this. But do you want to talk 475 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,159 Speaker 1: about some of the fun interviews you've been doing recently. Yeah, no, 476 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 1: We've We've gotten to talk to a lot of exciting people. Um. 477 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,440 Speaker 1: One of the really fun interviews was with Randall park 478 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 1: Um from Fresh off the Boat. He's just so charming 479 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,720 Speaker 1: and he had this kim chi recipe that came to 480 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: him from um, I can't remember his name, but a 481 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:27,600 Speaker 1: Jewish comedian and then he was like, but he's Korean, 482 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:29,359 Speaker 1: so then he had to make it his out and 483 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: all this anyway, he was just like a totally lovely person. 484 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:35,119 Speaker 1: That was really fun. And then we had Dj Rika 485 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:38,879 Speaker 1: on talking about twenty years of Basement Bonga. Um, and 486 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 1: that was super exciting um to talk with the woman 487 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 1: who began at all about you know, the whole twenty years. Yeah, 488 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 1: Basement Bonga was this huge event in New York City 489 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: where all sorts of celebrities would come to do yeah, 490 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:56,959 Speaker 1: and it was the longest running ever night like nightclub night, 491 00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 1: twenty years. The only time they didn't open was after 492 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:03,119 Speaker 1: Hurricane Sandy because they literally there was no electricity. But 493 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:05,200 Speaker 1: other than that they were open well, you know, first 494 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:08,119 Speaker 1: Thursday of the month every every month. And even though 495 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:09,680 Speaker 1: I lived in New York for twelve years, I never 496 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: went to it because I'm totally a nightlife low life, 497 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 1: so I didn't never made it out, but I was 498 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: excited to talk about it afterwards. That's pretty cool. What 499 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: an interesting project, and no surprise, because you're always working 500 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:25,919 Speaker 1: on interesting projects. But I have to be honest, the 501 00:24:26,040 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 1: reason that we brought you on today is because Mango 502 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 1: says you shutter every time he says the words life hacks. 503 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: Is this true? And if so, why do you hate 504 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:40,640 Speaker 1: them so much? I'm shuddering actively right now. I hate 505 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:43,679 Speaker 1: the word life hack, So I'm okay with like hacking, right, 506 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: computer hacking, fine goods, you know, important to the world. 507 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: Uh ikia hacks. I like that because there's a lot 508 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:51,800 Speaker 1: of good things you can do with those flat you know, 509 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 1: flat pack boxes of furniture to make. But life hacks 510 00:24:56,359 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: just always to me, seemed to reduce to some thing 511 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,879 Speaker 1: that some young dude just figured out and thinks he 512 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: figured out, even though grandma's have been doing it forever. 513 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:09,399 Speaker 1: You know. It's just like I actually thought there was 514 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 1: a life hack the other day about how to make 515 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 1: tacos from tortillas. It's like, life hack, you can take 516 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 1: tortillas and make tacos. It's like, yes, you can, because 517 00:25:20,119 --> 00:25:23,199 Speaker 1: that's what they're made of. Like it was just a thing, 518 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:26,440 Speaker 1: you know, or life heck, you know, try to separate 519 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:28,640 Speaker 1: your laundry before you do it's like, yeah, your mom 520 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 1: did that, you just didn't attention. So I find it 521 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:35,199 Speaker 1: to be kind of this like columbassy or you know, 522 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:39,680 Speaker 1: sort of like dutification of culture that bothers me. I 523 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: don't know. Mango has got some pretty good ones. He 524 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:43,680 Speaker 1: had one the other day that if you feel you're 525 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,600 Speaker 1: spending too much time sitting at your desk, if you've 526 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 1: eaten a banana that day, put it in your chair 527 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,360 Speaker 1: and then you won't feel like sitting down. I thought 528 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 1: it was pretty good. I thought you're gonna say the 529 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 1: banana it's smell so bad you had to get up 530 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:58,200 Speaker 1: and go to the trash can at least once. But 531 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: now that that could be, and that's another like, Wow, 532 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:04,560 Speaker 1: you're good. I probably I'm probably bitter about them because 533 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:06,639 Speaker 1: I should just have a career as a life hack artist. 534 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:09,920 Speaker 1: Well it's a good thing, because I think we're about 535 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: to put you to the test on these what what 536 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: what game are you playing with, Lizzie Mango. It's called 537 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 1: real advice from history or nonsense life hacks. We just 538 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: made up perfect all right. So we're going to read 539 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: a statement to you, and all you have to do 540 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: is tell us whether it's actual advice from history or 541 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:27,680 Speaker 1: a nonsense life hack we just made up. You ready 542 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: for these? I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Okay, 543 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:33,479 Speaker 1: here is number one. If you need to take a 544 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:35,720 Speaker 1: pie out of the oven, but don't have an oven 545 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 1: mid handy, just use a metal dust pan to scoop 546 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:42,119 Speaker 1: up the pineton and keep it from over baking. This 547 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:44,640 Speaker 1: real or something we made up, I have to Can 548 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 1: I ask a clarifying question here? No? Okay, so I'm 549 00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:53,720 Speaker 1: just good answer. I'm gonna say that's real. Yeah, it's real. 550 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:56,359 Speaker 1: This came from sixty years ago and it works. But 551 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 1: as household Hacker points out, you have to use a 552 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:03,360 Speaker 1: metal dust pan and not a plastic one, right because 553 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 1: everyone has a metal dustpan, handy, and everyone wants to 554 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,760 Speaker 1: be sticking their dust pan in the oven. That is 555 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:13,560 Speaker 1: just pie right right? All right, Well, she's one for one. 556 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:16,399 Speaker 1: Here we go number two. To deal with shards of 557 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:19,879 Speaker 1: broken glass that you might not see while sweeping, spread 558 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,080 Speaker 1: a little cracked corn on your floor and invite a 559 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:24,720 Speaker 1: chicken or two into the house. Within a half hour, 560 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 1: a hungry hen will eat both the seed and the glass, 561 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,840 Speaker 1: leaving a polished floor you can walk barefoot on. No, 562 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:37,120 Speaker 1: that's a nonsense, that's nonsense. Yeah, you know what, it's 563 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:39,800 Speaker 1: kind of not fair because Lizzie's used to your bowl 564 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 1: man go to say this is she was able to 565 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:44,560 Speaker 1: read through that one. Okay too for two. Let's see 566 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 1: how you do on number three to keep a beach 567 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:50,440 Speaker 1: umbrella standing upright in the sand? Stack five the ten 568 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:52,919 Speaker 1: bagels on top of one another on the ground and 569 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,719 Speaker 1: insert the umbrella poll through the bagels to give the 570 00:27:55,720 --> 00:28:01,800 Speaker 1: base of the pole extra weight. That's a tough one. Um, 571 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: I'm gonna say it's nonsense. Yeah, it's nonsense. We made up. 572 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: I was keeping my fingers crossed. Yes, it is nonsense. 573 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:16,240 Speaker 1: Okay too. Left. Number four. If you're doing work around 574 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 1: the house, use an old potato as a pincushion to 575 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 1: hold your nails, screws and totally. That's that's real. That's real. Supposedly, 576 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 1: an old potato is a handy way to carry around 577 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 1: your nails and screws without misplacing them on the floor 578 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 1: and stepping on them. Yeah, and you always have an 579 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: old potato, so perfect, all right. Last one, let's see 580 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: if you can get a perfect score. Number five. An 581 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:41,760 Speaker 1: easy trick for slicing tough bread with a dull knife 582 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: is to heat up a knife, so you just submerge 583 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: it in boiling water. Then watch how easily it cuts 584 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,239 Speaker 1: through the loaf. Is this real or something we made up? 585 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give that a real That sounds real to me. Yeah, 586 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 1: it's real. Advice and gives moto is actually recommended. This 587 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 1: trick for slicing perfect cuts of cake as well. Oh 588 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: so so mango. I think Lizzie may have as this one. 589 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 1: How did she do? Yeah, she went five for five, 590 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 1: which entitles her to a certificate of genius, which we'll 591 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:10,000 Speaker 1: put up on the fridge and I will use every day. 592 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:15,360 Speaker 1: I can't wait to share so many more lifects with 593 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 1: the listeners. I hope you'll all check out mash Up Americans. 594 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:34,800 Speaker 1: But thanks again for joining us, Lizzie. Welcome back to 595 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 1: part time Genius. Okay, so we'll what's your idea for 596 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:41,200 Speaker 1: making the workplace a little more bearable? All right? Two words? 597 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 1: Coffee naps. Well you heard it here first, folks. Coffee 598 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: and naps will make work easier apparently. No, no, no, 599 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,600 Speaker 1: I didn't say coffee and naps. I say coffee naps. 600 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 1: And this sounds crazy because we tend to think of 601 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 1: caffeine as a way to stay awake, But if you 602 00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,680 Speaker 1: drink some coffee right before you take a quick nap, 603 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 1: you can actually maximize your brains alertness. So I hate 604 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 1: this idea already because I love both coffee and napping 605 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,040 Speaker 1: and I wouldn't want to mix those experiences. I mean, 606 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 1: to me, it's like when Costanza on Seinfeld tried to 607 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:16,000 Speaker 1: add sandwiches to and TV to his love making and 608 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 1: it screwed everything up. But my kid cousin actually mentioned 609 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: this to me, and uh that all his friends are 610 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,200 Speaker 1: actually doing in college. So I wonder why is this 611 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 1: work all? Right? So, the way caffeine works is by 612 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,720 Speaker 1: clogging up receptors in your brain that are typically filled 613 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: by a molecule called a denazine. The basically, brain activity 614 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:37,400 Speaker 1: produces a denazine and when enough of it builds up, 615 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: it fills the gaps in the receptors and it creates 616 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 1: this feeling of tiredness or fatigue. So the caffeine takes 617 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 1: the place of the adnazine, which leaves your feeling wired 618 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 1: rather than tired. Right, But it doesn't muscle out the 619 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,960 Speaker 1: adnazine or anything like that. Instead, what happens is the 620 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:56,720 Speaker 1: caffeine competes for the empty spots in these receptors. Keffne 621 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 1: claims some of the spots and a denazine gets the others, 622 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 1: and that why no amount of caffeine can stave off 623 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:06,960 Speaker 1: sleepiness completely. And eventually the adnazine filled receptors they will 624 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 1: take their toll at some point. That's interesting it's almost 625 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 1: like filling seats on a roller coaster or something. But 626 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 1: why are coffee naps the way around that problem? Well, 627 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 1: so sleep is the body's way of clearing out a denazine, 628 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: and generally it takes about twenty minutes for caffeine to 629 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 1: work its way through the bloodstream to the brain. So 630 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 1: if you down some coffee and then immediately take a 631 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:29,240 Speaker 1: twenty minute nap, by the time the caffeine hits your brain, 632 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:32,760 Speaker 1: it'll have less a denazine to compete with. Then when 633 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 1: you wake up, you'll feel way more alert than if 634 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,400 Speaker 1: you just had some coffee or just taken a nap. 635 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: That's pretty ingenious. So I'll have to fight off my 636 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,760 Speaker 1: knee jerk reaction and try this sometime soon. So we've 637 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:46,160 Speaker 1: established that coffee naps can help you get through the day. 638 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:48,240 Speaker 1: But what else have you got? Well, no matter what 639 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 1: kind of job you have, there's a good chance you 640 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:52,520 Speaker 1: wish it paid a little bit more than it does. 641 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 1: And we can't help you na have a big rays 642 00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 1: or anything like that. But I do have a tip 643 00:31:57,160 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: for how to save some of the money you've already made. 644 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:02,800 Speaker 1: It's a pretty simple one. Don't shop on your smartphone 645 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:06,760 Speaker 1: but it's always with you and that's part of the problem. So, 646 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:09,120 Speaker 1: according to some research from Dr Yean Zoo of the 647 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:12,080 Speaker 1: University of British Columbia, people take a different approach to 648 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:14,240 Speaker 1: shopping on a touch screen device than they do on 649 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 1: a laptop or a desktop. She breaks down the distinction 650 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:19,520 Speaker 1: this way. She says, the touch screen has an easy 651 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:23,080 Speaker 1: to use interface that puts you into an experiential thinking style. 652 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:26,680 Speaker 1: When you're in an experiential thinking mode, you crave excitement, 653 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:30,000 Speaker 1: a different kind of experience. When you're on the desktop 654 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 1: with all the work emails, that interface puts you in 655 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 1: a rational thinking style. While you're in a rational thinking style, 656 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 1: when you assess a product, you know you look for 657 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:43,000 Speaker 1: something with functionality and specific uses. So we're more likely 658 00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 1: to make frivlesus impulse buys on a smartphone and practical 659 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 1: purchases on the PC pretty much. And and Zoo conducted 660 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 1: an experiment where students were offered the same collection of 661 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:55,160 Speaker 1: products on an iPod touch and then on a desktop PC, 662 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 1: and in both cases, students went for the more indulgent 663 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 1: items on the iPod and more practical items on the PC. 664 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,800 Speaker 1: Isn't that wild? That's crazy? But apparently there's just something 665 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 1: fun about the touch screen interface that encourages us to 666 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 1: opt for more hedonistic purchases like movie tickets or pizza delivery. 667 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,200 Speaker 1: So if you're trying to save some cash, delete that 668 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,280 Speaker 1: Amazon app and step away from your smartphone. That's so funny, 669 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 1: because like, we don't use things like seamless on our desktop, 670 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:23,360 Speaker 1: but we do use them on our phone. And I've 671 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 1: had at ours and so we probably order more from it. 672 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:28,239 Speaker 1: But I would say, like, if the mere thought of, 673 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 1: you know, separating yourself from your iPhone gives you separation anxiety, 674 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: actually have one last money saving life act that I 675 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 1: want to share as an alternative, And it's really good 676 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:40,000 Speaker 1: because if you do it right, you can turn one 677 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:43,520 Speaker 1: first class airplane ticket into an entire year's worth of 678 00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 1: free meals, one ticket into an entire year's worth of 679 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 1: free meals, or this black magic of which you see mango. 680 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:54,680 Speaker 1: It's super simple and one I admire for its ingenuity, 681 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 1: but also think it's a little shameful and we'll never 682 00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:00,239 Speaker 1: use because I'd be way too embarrassed about it. Right, 683 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:02,920 Speaker 1: So what is it here? You goes, So, first, buy 684 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: yourself a fully refundable first class ticket on your favorite 685 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:08,920 Speaker 1: airline and the destination doesn't matter at all because you're 686 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,240 Speaker 1: not actually going anywhere. Then, once you have your ticket, 687 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 1: proceed directly to the swankiest v I p airport lounge 688 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 1: you can find and stuff yourself with free food to 689 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:20,920 Speaker 1: your heart's content, and then prior to your departure you 690 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:23,279 Speaker 1: can probably guess what's coming. You exchange your ticket for 691 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:24,919 Speaker 1: a later day and come back and do the whole 692 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:28,759 Speaker 1: thing over and over. That is downright diabolical. And also 693 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:31,680 Speaker 1: there's no way this could ever work, so it already 694 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:35,120 Speaker 1: has some genius in China used this exact ploy a 695 00:34:35,160 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 1: few years ago and he was able to pull it 696 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:39,680 Speaker 1: off without a hitch over three hundred times that year. 697 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:43,359 Speaker 1: No way three That is crazy. And the airline never 698 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:46,760 Speaker 1: got suspicious of the same dude changing his itinerary hundreds 699 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,560 Speaker 1: of times without ever taking a flight. Well, obviously, like 700 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:52,880 Speaker 1: that's eventually why he stopped. But uh, you want to 701 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:55,560 Speaker 1: know the best part, Like, since he was just exploiting 702 00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:58,440 Speaker 1: a loophole and not actually breaking any rules, they couldn't 703 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:01,320 Speaker 1: do anything but ask and pull it to stop. Wow, 704 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:03,920 Speaker 1: And so so did he stop? Yeah? I mean he 705 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:06,399 Speaker 1: recognized that the jig was finally up, but he still 706 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 1: had one less hand to play. He returned his ticket 707 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:12,319 Speaker 1: for a full refund. Oh my gosh, well played by 708 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:14,239 Speaker 1: this dude. And I know it's gonna be tough to 709 00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 1: top that one, but I still have a few life 710 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:18,839 Speaker 1: hacks I'm itching to try. Well, now's your chance, because 711 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:20,759 Speaker 1: it's time to celebrate the new year with the very 712 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:31,840 Speaker 1: first fact off of two. What luck. So you know, 713 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:34,160 Speaker 1: when a light bulb goes out, you can shake it 714 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:36,279 Speaker 1: and hear a little rattle and you know it's dead. 715 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:39,400 Speaker 1: I didn't realize there's a similar test for batteries. Like 716 00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:41,719 Speaker 1: if you drop a battery on the floor and it bounces, 717 00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:45,520 Speaker 1: it means it isn't fresh. Older dead batteries bounced, while 718 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:48,919 Speaker 1: newer ones just thud. Oh that's weird. That's pretty cool, 719 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:50,920 Speaker 1: all right. Well, if you're in a storm and the 720 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:53,640 Speaker 1: electricity goes out, do you know what works as a 721 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:57,880 Speaker 1: tiny candle? Crayola crayons. Now, your your kids may not 722 00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:00,399 Speaker 1: love this, but you can actually burn them one by 723 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,720 Speaker 1: one to give yourself some light. And according to life hacker, 724 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:09,160 Speaker 1: they'll last you fifteen to thirty minutes each. So this 725 00:36:09,239 --> 00:36:11,080 Speaker 1: is such a stupid life hack, but I love it 726 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:13,880 Speaker 1: because I hate getting my hand sticky or like frosting 727 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:16,440 Speaker 1: on my face. But if you have to eat a cupcake, 728 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:18,839 Speaker 1: take a knife and cut the bottom off and then 729 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:20,560 Speaker 1: press it to the top to turn it into a 730 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:24,719 Speaker 1: little cupcake sandwich. You're a great nickname for somebody. We 731 00:36:24,719 --> 00:36:28,680 Speaker 1: need to decide who to call little cupcake Sandwich. Alright, Well, 732 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:31,520 Speaker 1: if you hate crying while cutting onions, you can try 733 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:34,960 Speaker 1: this trick. You just freeze them for fifteen minutes before 734 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:38,480 Speaker 1: you start slicing. Oh that's awesome. So I've actually tried 735 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 1: so many tricks for cutting onions, from like wearing onion 736 00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:43,600 Speaker 1: goggles to wedging some bread in front of your like 737 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 1: top lip, and none of it works. So I can't 738 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:49,279 Speaker 1: wait to try this. But if you're drilling something into 739 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:52,200 Speaker 1: a wall, holding an open envelope under, the screw actually 740 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 1: catches all the wall particles, so you don't have to 741 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:56,960 Speaker 1: sweep up after all. Right, Well, if you want to 742 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:59,600 Speaker 1: boil a lot of hard boiled eggs but you don't 743 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:02,279 Speaker 1: have a hot that's large enough, you just put them 744 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:05,040 Speaker 1: in the oven in a muffin tin. You bake them 745 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 1: for thirty minutes at three and fifty degrees. You can 746 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:10,279 Speaker 1: actually do twenty four of these at a time and 747 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:13,480 Speaker 1: not have to worry about water boiling over. Oh I 748 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:16,120 Speaker 1: like that. So I know you've got a lot of 749 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:18,880 Speaker 1: sensitive documents on hand. And if you ever need a 750 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:22,000 Speaker 1: shredder but don't have access to a shredder, writer Lisa 751 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:25,000 Speaker 1: kada Yama suggests stuffing them into a stalking and then 752 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:27,680 Speaker 1: running them in a washing machine. And no one should 753 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:31,040 Speaker 1: be able to read your embarrassing love letters after Wow, 754 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:32,719 Speaker 1: you've really got to want to get rid of some 755 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:35,439 Speaker 1: letters to be willing to do that. That's good though, Well, 756 00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:38,239 Speaker 1: you know we both love dumb life hacks, and not 757 00:37:38,239 --> 00:37:40,080 Speaker 1: not that you're washing machine one was that was a 758 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:42,400 Speaker 1: very reasonable one. But I've got one that may be 759 00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:45,120 Speaker 1: the dumbest. Then it comes from Gizmoto. So if you're 760 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 1: tired of fighting for a handrail to hold onto in 761 00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:49,880 Speaker 1: the subway, or you just don't want to deal with 762 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:51,839 Speaker 1: all those germs, as you know, I don't really like 763 00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:54,960 Speaker 1: dealing with them, just bring a toilet plunger on the 764 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:56,880 Speaker 1: subway with you. All you have to do is you 765 00:37:56,920 --> 00:37:59,080 Speaker 1: plunge it up to the ceiling of the train and 766 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:01,439 Speaker 1: you hold onto the handle. You don't have to fight 767 00:38:01,560 --> 00:38:04,279 Speaker 1: anyone for space. It's such a brilliant idea, and I 768 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:08,160 Speaker 1: have no idea why I haven't thought of this. I 769 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 1: love the idea of people commuting with their plungers just 770 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 1: because they're like scared of germs instead of I don't know, 771 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:17,960 Speaker 1: like carrying hand sanitizer, no plunger. But I do think 772 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,200 Speaker 1: you win today's edition. I thought so. I knew that 773 00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:22,359 Speaker 1: one was gonna take the crown. Well that's it for 774 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:25,160 Speaker 1: today's episode. Now, I know there are so many life 775 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:28,000 Speaker 1: facts that we didn't mention today, so we'd love to 776 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:30,120 Speaker 1: hear those from you guys. Feel free to email us 777 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:32,880 Speaker 1: part Time Genius at how stuff Works dot com. You 778 00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:36,279 Speaker 1: can always call us on our seven fact hotline one 779 00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:39,239 Speaker 1: eight four four pt Genius, or hit us up on 780 00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:55,839 Speaker 1: Facebook or Twitter. Thanks so much for listening. Thanks again 781 00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:58,080 Speaker 1: for listening. Part Time Genius is a production of How 782 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:00,919 Speaker 1: Stuff Works and wouldn't be possible without several brilliant people 783 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:03,880 Speaker 1: who do the important things we couldn't even begin to understand. 784 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:06,799 Speaker 1: Tristan McNeil does the editing thing. Noel Brown made the 785 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:09,480 Speaker 1: theme song and does the MIXI mixy sound thing. Jerry 786 00:39:09,560 --> 00:39:12,360 Speaker 1: Rowland does the exact producer thing. Gay Blues Yer is 787 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:15,120 Speaker 1: our lead researcher, with support from the Research Army including 788 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:18,000 Speaker 1: Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve. Jeff 789 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:20,200 Speaker 1: Cook gets the show to your ears. Good job, Eves. 790 00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:22,320 Speaker 1: If you like what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, 791 00:39:22,360 --> 00:39:24,239 Speaker 1: and if you really really like what you've heard, maybe 792 00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:26,400 Speaker 1: you could leave a good review for us. Did we 793 00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:28,080 Speaker 1: forget Jason? Jason who