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I’ve decided, after 13 years, to bring the show to a close. Time to move on to other things. It’s been great, I’ve learned so much and I wanted to thank all of my listeners! Take care. - Michael

Do you like to bungee jump? Perhaps you’re into parachuting or wing suit flying? If so, you’re probably a “high sensation seeker”. In this fascinating interview with Dr. Kenneth Carter, author of the new book “Buzz!”, we talk about what kind of personality a sensation seeker has and what it’s like to be in a relationship with someone like this. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

Music researchers analyzed over 700 top Billboard songs (which included examining over 80,000 chords) and they determined that the “Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da” is the most appealing song ever written. How in the world, you might ask, did they choose that (some would say annoying) song?! Let’s find out how two key ingredients - surprise and uncertainty - combine to create songs that you really like to hear over and over. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

In movies and TV, women are understandably tired of playing roles like the “Wife” or the “Girlfriend”. Nowadays we’re seeing more women in film and TV but has their role in the production really changed all that much? That’s what the “Bechdel test” is all about.  It’s not a test per se but rather a few questions to help you determine whether the women in that movie, TV show, play, or book are characters with agency, or are just there to fill out the background for what the male characters do. In this episode I talk with Bard professor Wendy Urban-Mead about this Bechdel test and what it says about Shakespeare’s plays and a play that she’s appearing in called “The Women”, a play featuring 35 female characters – and no males. Does it pass the Bechdel test? Resources Bechdel test MISUSE AND ABUSE OF THE BECHDEL TEST ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

Have you ever heard someone say that they don’t think that women can be funny? I have to admit that I didn’t hear that until recently, so I looked at some of the research on gender and perceptions of humor. I think you’ll be surprised. In this episode I summarize some of that research and I give you four jokes and a handy way to remember jokes. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

Another violent act in America. Another man who committed it. Why Is it that men in our society are the ones who usually carry out violent acts? Is it how we bring up boys? Or is there another influence - genes. I was lucky enough to get professor Steve Stewart-Williams, author of the book The Ape That Understood the Universe, so come back to the show and share more about the evolutionary Psychology perspective on this complex issue. And by the way, you can use the promo code APE20 to purchase this book at Cambridge University Press at a 20 percent discount. You’re going to find this discussion very interesting. Buy the book here at a discount! ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

Why do some conspiracy theories seem to have so much evidence to support them? Well, that’s because if you look hard enough at any event, and you don’t have any particular theory before you start looking, you’re eventually going to find something. And you’ll probably think that thing is AMAZING. This is what careful thinkers and researchers have to learn: if you’re going to find something truly amazing, you have to make your predictions FIRST. In this episode I talk about how we can be fooled by conspiracies. I also discuss the idea of self-distancing. Here’s a way to look at things that went wrong in your life and by getting a little distance you can learn valuable lessons and feel less badly about them.   ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

Have you seen the musical The Fantasticks? Not only does it have wonderful music but it also has pearls of wisdom.  Oh yea, and gender issues. In this episode I talk about the psychology inside this great show. I also talk about how you know when something you read online is probably true (hint: if what you read is boring then it's probably true) and other ways to judge the value of psychological research. And finally, it looks like we might have been wrong in prior research: rich people are probably also happier than you (surprise!). ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

In this episode I talk about whether there really is a bible code, anti-vaccination beliefs and whether jellybeans cause acne. It's all part of how we humans love to find patterns in the world and the amount of wiggle room we're willing to give ourselves to find them. Too often we make the Look Elsewhere error. And not just of everyday folk do this - scientists can as well. We've got to be more careful in our thinking if we're going to find relationships that really do exist in the world - and then make important decisions based on our findings. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

Most of us have heard of Anton Mesmer and Jean Charcot. They were some of the first to dabble in the "mind cure" using hypnosis and the power of suggestion. But what role did syphilis play in the development of psychology? You'd be surprised. Join me and authors Dr. Allan Ropper and Brian David Burrell as we discuss their new book called "How the Brain Lost Its Mind".   ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

There are too many knee-jerk, brief (and incorrect) explanations for why the US is experiencing such a rise in hatred and violence. Claiming that violent perpetrators are "mentally ill" is wrong.  We have research and we understand the dangerous path that some young men get involved in and which ultimately leads them to violence. The right answers are more subtle, but we do know them and we do know what to do about them. We take another look at Significance Quest theory. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

I haven't talked about sleep problems yet here on the Psych Files so I brought in the perfect person to talk to us about sleep and insomnia. Dr. Shelby Harris has written the Woman's Guide to Overcoming Insomnia and I learned a lot about how Cognitive Behavioral therapy is applied to this specific problem. Dr. Harris also has some tips you'll want to hear to help you get a better night's sleep. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

I'll bet you're like me and you enjoyed the Disney musical Beauty and the Beast. As wonderful a story it is, let's take a moment just to acknowledge that there are some themes in the show that are, well, not so nice. I’ll take a look at this show from an angle of toxic masculinity in the Gaston character and possibly co-dependency in the relationship between Belle and the Beast. I promise - it'll still be fun. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

Have you ever wondered if you're really being true to some inner person of yours? Wondered if there isn't someone else inside that you that you're supposed to be actualizing? Guess what? Maybe not. What is authenticity anyway? That's what we'll explore in this episode, along with a discussion of some of the doubts being cast on the famous Stanford Prison Study by Philip Zimbardo. Maybe it's actually not time to updater the textbooks after all. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

In the last episode I talked about the potential downside to having most of our digital assistants speak to us using a female voice. "Q" - will give us an option. Here's my interview with Emil Rasmussen, who will give you some of the background behind Q and his hopes for the future of Q. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

Why do our digital assistants such as Alexa, Google Home, Siri and Cortana have "feminized" voices and what are the effects of this trend? That's what I explore in this episode. Are there negative effects of using female voices in the devices we talk to and who talk to us? Are there alternatives? Turns out there is an alternative - a "genderless" voice. What does that sound like? Tune in to find out as we explore gender roles, expectations and equality. I’d Blush If I Could We tested bots like Siri and Alexa to see who would stand up to sexual harassment Why Siri and Alexa Weren’t Built to Smack Down Harassment Hey Siri, stop perpetuating sexist stereotypes, UN says Is it time for Alexa and Siri to have a “MeToo moment”? Female voice assistants fuel damaging gender stereotypes, says a UN study My WIX site and online learning experience in which I re-create the experiment conducted by Loftus and Palmer on eyewitness testimony. The reason digital assistants acquiesce to harassment isn’t just sexism or gender inequality in the tech world, as disturbing and prevalent as those may be. No, the explanation lies elsewhere, I believe. These machines are meant to manipulate their users into staying connected to their devices, and that focus on manipulation must be laser-like. To clearly state that harassment toward digital assistants is unacceptable would mean having some standard, some line that can’t be crossed. And one line leads to another, and soon you’re distracted—the user is distracted—from selling/buying merchandise, collecting/sharing data, and allowing a device to become ensconced in their life. The moral standard most compatible with engagement is absolute freedom of expression, the standard of having no standards.  – Noam Cohen, “Why Siri and Alexa Weren’t Built to Smack Down Harassment”---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

It's ingrained in western society that people should find work they really enjoy - work that fulfills a passion. If you're lucky enough to have found work you're passionate about you ought to know that there is a dark side. People who know that you're doing the work because you love it might just take advantage of that. In this interview with researchers Troy Campbell and Steven Shepard discuss their research showing that when people know your work is your passion, there are a variety of ways they might take advantage of you. Let's find out how. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

In this episode I cover a few interesting topics. First, have you ever "blanked out" in front of an audience? I recently did and I was determined to find out why this happened. I found some answers in a great book called Stop Talking, Start Influencing. Also I'll tell you about the memorization strategies I used in a recent play I was in, and we'll finish up with a snippet from an interview with Clive Thompson, author of Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World and he'll tell us how some coders tried to automate parts of their love life. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

Do you have your own little “tricks”? That is, ways of doing things that are faster than how you used to do them? Well, congratulations, you’re something of an efficiency expert. And if you can picture an assembly line of people putting products together, then you’ve seen one way of increasing productivity. But some of us are really, really obsessed with efficiency and often those people are computer programmers. Some of them, as you’ll hear from Clive Thompson (author of “Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World”) have even developed ways to make their love lives more efficient! Sounds impossible but I think you’ll enjoy hearing what some coders are up to. Why are they obsessed with efficiency? Do they score highly on Conscientiousness in the Big Five personality score? Would Frederick Taylor - founder of scientific management - feel a kindred spirit in them? Let’s find out. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens

Why is it okay - in some cultures - to jaywalk, while in others you could get arrested for jaywalking? Why was marijuana was sold - legally - for years in the streets of Amsterdam when it is only now become legal in the US? The reason: some cultures are what author Michele Gelfand calls "loose" and others are "tight". Here's my first episode on cross-cultural psychology and I think you're going to really enjoy listening to professor Gelfand to find out how our culture's norms shape our attitudes and behavior. ---------------   Want to master the tricks to a great memory?   As you know, I’m a huge fan of mnemonics and how useful they can be, so I’ve brought all of my episodes on this topic together, as well as created brand new episodes, to put together a course on how to use memory techniques to improve your memory.   Whether you use the info to improve grades on your next exam, improve your ability to remember names (my personal pet peeve) or if you just want to learn more about how memory works, I believe you’re going to find this course really interesting. There are even episodes on how to recall those great jokes you keep forgetting.   Check it out here. http://bit.ly/hippos-llamas-aliens