Moonwalk
Houston, we have a podcast. Welcome to the show on how to moonwalk your life. Think interdimensional roller coaster, but for your mind. We take big adventures and even bigger ideas, from science, to explore the ordinary – from how to be a better thinker to (most important) how to be better human being. Whether scientists or provocateurs, discover the wrinkles in everyday life. Uncover more at moonwalkpodcast.com.
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Announcing: How to Take Notes at the Speed of Light
09/02/2020
Announcing: How to Take Notes at the Speed of Light
First off, hey.
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The Future of Moonwalk
01/13/2019
The Future of Moonwalk
The future of Moonwalk, and where I'm going next. Join the email list, where I'll post new projects, updates, and book recommendations, all at The Facts Special thanks to Kevin Sanji, Jarrod Sport, Justine Brumm, Vysali Soundararajan, Armi Legge, Justin Sheppard, and - last but not least - you. Thanks for listening.
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The Superpower: Can You Have Good Taste?
08/09/2018
The Superpower: Can You Have Good Taste?
"But he listened to it and he says, 'That's good shit, dad!'" - Paul Rozin There's a deep, subjective feeling inside us. And it's the feeling that you know what tastes good, you know what movies are terrible, and you know that your grandfather's esoteric opinions on classical operas are actually spot-on. But in a world filled with varying subjective preferences (as well as people who enjoy eating pickles whole), there is an idea that won't die. It's the idea that someone can have "good taste". The idea that your taste can be better than my taste. On this episode, we investigate: - Does that idea make sense? - Is is possible to improve your taste systematically? - What are the components of someone who has good taste, and someone who doesn't? - And how subjective is taste in a world with clear preferences? The Facts Moonwalk is hosted, written, and produced by Mohnish Soundararajan. Episode was co-hosted by Kevin Sanji. Feedback is by Jarrod Sport, Justine Brumm, and Kevin Sanji. Special thanks to Anna Leonard and Paul Rozin. Sign up for the for exclusive updates and book recommendations. Music is by and
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The Rational Spy: How Incentives Screw with Everything
04/15/2018
The Rational Spy: How Incentives Screw with Everything
"Worst case scenario, the spy gets killed" - Benedetta Lerva If you hire a spy, a lot can happen. They can get caught. They can get tortured with endless roundhouse kicks to the face. And worst case scenario: they can die. So if you had to risk someone’s life to spy for your country, would you do it? And, more importantly, what does this teach us about what it means to be a better person? An economist helps us figure it out. The Facts Moonwalk is hosted, written, and produced by Mohnish Soundararajan. Episode was co-hosted by Kevin Sanji. Feedback is by Vysali Soundararajan. Special thanks to Benedetta Lerva. The research: , and the Sign up for the for exclusive updates and book recommendations. Music is by , , and .
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The Rational Spy: How Incentives Screw with Everything
04/15/2018
The Rational Spy: How Incentives Screw with Everything
If you hire a spy, a lot can happen. They can get caught. They can get tortured with endless roundhouse kicks to the face. And worst case scenario: they can die. So if you had to risk someone’s life to spy for your country, would you do it? And, more importantly, what does this teach us about what it means to be a better person? An economist helps us figure it out. The Facts Moonwalk is hosted, written, and produced by Mohnish Soundararajan. Episode was co-hosted by Kevin Sanji. Feedback is by Vysali Soundararajan. Special thanks to Benedetta Lerva. The research: , and the Sign up for the for exclusive updates and book recommendations. Music is by , , and .
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Gordie Goes to Hell: Turning Disadvantages into Advantages
12/10/2017
Gordie Goes to Hell: Turning Disadvantages into Advantages
There's a woman who buys a ticket. She gets in a plane, and passes all these little cultures of hills and cars and highways, and then - 2,000 miles later - realizes that the man whom she gave birth to and bought diapers in bulk for, is actually a complete shit show. On this episode, we talk about the shit show, and dive into a question that’s older than Nietzsche himself: can disadvantages be turned into advantages? Is that completely wrong? And if it’s true, why does the research give a different pictu
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The Revisionist Strikes Back
07/28/2017
The Revisionist Strikes Back
I'm in a bar, and I tell Kevin a story about an African village. But the story I tell is the lovely, made-for-television version of what happened. The real story is worse. Much worse. On this episode, we uncover the secret of sharp thinkers. ### Moonwalk is hosted, written, and produced by Mohnish Soundararajan. Episode was co-hosted and co-written by Kevin Sanji. Feedback by Jarrod Sport and Justine Brumm. A special thanks to Christian Hempelmann. A quick note: No podcast next month. I’ll be traveling for 40 days, and we have some great material cued up. We’re off next month, but can’t wait to get back on the horse. Special thanks to Christain Hempelmann - . Go to and sign up for the email list. Music is by Podington Bear.
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The Dog Who Had a Seizure / The Hidden Side of Your First Impression
06/29/2017
The Dog Who Had a Seizure / The Hidden Side of Your First Impression
There's a hidden side to your first impression that you forgot. It's the secret that you forget - routinely - everyday when you slip on your carefully chosen off-color khakis, you spritz on your favorite cologne, and you spill orange soda all over your face. Now, it's time to remember. ### Moonwalk is produced and hosted by . It's co-hosted by Kevin Sanji. Editing direction was by Jarrod Sport and Kevin Sanji. Feedback is by Justine Brumm. Music is by . Special thanks to Eliza, Mario, and Sam! Eliza is a WNYC Producer over at and . Go to for more, and sign up for the email list for exclusive updates. They are awesome.
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Post Grad Blues / Fill the Hole in Your Soul with Learning
06/01/2017
Post Grad Blues / Fill the Hole in Your Soul with Learning
"...And then the dread sets in - that immeasurable depression and blackness of your future that you have no bearing of what it's going to hold" - Devyn Tammons After you do the song and dance, put on the goofy outfit, and grab your diploma cover - graduation's over. But then the void hits. You have too much time. Boredom sets in. That excitement you had - it's gone. You start asking what the meaning of life is, and negotiate whether or not you can find it between the melted cheese of a ham sandwich. You are losing your mind. But, thankfully - as you spiral into a deep and deafening madness - there is something you can do. On this episode, we talk about that something, how to do it, and why it's so, so important. ### Moonwalk is produced and hosted by . It's co-hosted by Kevin Sanji. Feedback is by Justine Brumm. Music is by . Special thanks to and Alec! New essays can be found at For more episodes, go to
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Playing God / Bending the Mind
05/04/2017
Playing God / Bending the Mind
"And they say the exact same thing. They say, 'there's no way this is real...this can't be real', even though we're here and we're living it" - Finn If you talked to other people, they’d say they made friends with the wrong person. That they did something they shouldn’t have. That, if given the chance, they should take it back, retrace their steps, and stop what they did. But they wouldn’t say that. We sit down with them - and a psychological anthropologist - to figure out why, and what it says about the human mind. ### The Facts Moonwalk is produced and hosted by . It's co-hosted by Kevin Sanji. This episode was edited by Jarrod Sport and Kevin Sanji. Feedback is by Justine Brumm. Music is by . Special thanks to Jonce and Finn. Huge thanks to You can find more research and fun stuff at New essays can be found at
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An Update!
04/19/2017
An Update!
This isn't a episode of Moonwalk. If you're on the email list, you already got this update. But if not - well then - here's the update: - The first is a big change: we're now releasing one podcast a month, and I'm releasing one written piece a month. In total, that's two pieces of content, but instead of both of them being podcasts, one of them will be written. - This gives us more time for better stories, better science, and better productions (content that can rival the best in the business) - This is a good strategy to save my sanity. - Also, writing is awesome, and I'm excited to get back into it. Get psyched every other Tuesday night (or, for people who love sleep, Wednesday morning). And of course, thanks for listening. We're pumped. Find the essays and new content all at and
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Love at First Hundredth Sight / A Counterintuitive Approach to Learning
04/05/2017
Love at First Hundredth Sight / A Counterintuitive Approach to Learning
"Mohnish is about to lose his mind" - Kevin Sanji Per Se is the 3rd most expensive restaurant in the world. Marisa Negro - a pastry chef - works at the 3-star Michelin restaurant (12 hour days are a minimum). Ever since she could remember, she loved cooking. But when she was 19, she fell in love. And - surprisingly - that story is much different than what happened with cooking. Weirder still, it brings us to something else: the secret to falling in love with learning. On this episode, we cover: - How to fall in love with learning a skill - Are you born to be good? - The counterintuitive secret to rapid skill acquisition - How did Marisa first fall in love? And more, all on this episode. The Facts Moonwalk is produced and hosted by . It's co-hosted by Kevin Sanji, and this episode was edited by Jarrod Sport, Kevin Sanji, and Justine Brumm. Music is by and . Special thanks to Marisa, Airis and Lucas. Check out . Lucas Sin runs . You can find more research and fun stuff at
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The Church of Mise en Place / Organize Your Life Like a Chef
03/15/2017
The Church of Mise en Place / Organize Your Life Like a Chef
"I don't know how to describe it...it was a traumatic experience" - Airis Johnson There's a church, right in the culinary underbelly, that no one knows about. It makes you work faster, work easier, and work better. It has no God, and it's followers wear chef whites, dice onions, and produce culinary experiences that would you make your grandfather's face explode right off. We wanted to know more - so, we got a few chefs who've worked at Michelin star restaurants to talk: - What is Mise en Place? - What are the basics of organization? - How do you prep your day-to-day? - When you have no time, everything's on fire, and you have no idea what to do - what do you do? And more all on this episode. The Facts Moonwalk is produced and hosted by . It's co-hosted by Kevin Sanji, and this episode was edited by Jarrod Sport and Justine Brumm. Music is by . Feedback is by Justine Brumm. Special thanks to Kevin MacLeod for "In the Hall of the Mountain King" and Kenzie Vaness, for the clip "Cooking in the Kitchen" Special thanks to Airis and Sandy. Check out , and Sandy's . Lucas Sin runs . Special thanks to Dan Charnas for his book Work Clean, which inspired this piece. You can find more research and fun stuff at
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Death by a Thousand Distractions / Your Mind is Slipping
02/22/2017
Death by a Thousand Distractions / Your Mind is Slipping
"I heard this story of this guy, and he was rushed to the emergency room because he was having heart palpitations...because he was watching too much porn" - greyrocks1 Your mind is slipping. We've been conditioned to check our phones every 20 minutes, grapple with an inability to read essays longer than two paragraphs, and then scroll through our Twitter feeds at 2AM in the morning while crying softly in our sleep. But on the internet, there's people who are fighting back. So, a few days ago I reached out. I waited, waited, and then - two usernames responded: thunderbolt-zhu and greyrocks1. I have no idea who they are. But they said they wanted to talk. On this episode, we cover: - Who is thunderbolt-zhu and greyrocks1? - Why our minds are slipping, and how we can stop it - The real cognitive consequences of the internet, our phones, and technology - Why was the man in the retail store bleeding? - Strategies to rebuild your attention and focus And more, all on this episode. The Facts Moonwalk is produced and hosted by . It's co-hosted by Kevin Sanji, and this episode was edited by Jarrod Sport and Justine Brumm. Music is by . Feedback is by Jarrod Sport, Kevin Sanji, and Justine Brumm. Special thanks to Nick and Conrad. Check out and check out their blog, . Special thanks to my sister, Vysali, and a huge thanks to the researchers who helped bring the science alive. Thanks to for his book, . You can find more research and fun stuff at
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From Hawaii with Love / I'm Afraid of Showing Interest
02/08/2017
From Hawaii with Love / I'm Afraid of Showing Interest
"No - No. What the fuck is up with the texts?" - Karen Lee Poter On December 24th, we got an email: "I'm very attractive in certain social groups, but I'm afraid of showing interest. I'm afraid of coming off as a creeper. On the bright side, I'm seen as very safe ;}" For this Q&A, we sit down with Karen Lee Poter and use everything in our toolbox from evolutionary psychology to Kevin's love life, to solve this guy's crisis. A throwback to our earlier seasons, we strip away the bells and whistles, and cover: - How to effectively show romantic interest in someone, without coming off as the weirdest person on the planet - How to build confidence and - if you can swing it - meta-confidence - How to ask someone out, if you're terrified of doing so - The crucial difference between narrowcasting and broadcasting The Facts Moonwalk is produced and hosted by . It's co-hosted by Kevin Sanji, and edited by Jarrod Sport. Music is by . Feedback is by Jarrod Sport, Kevin Sanji, and Justine Brumm. Our main guest is Karen Lee Poter - listen to her podcast, , and you can find her at the Special thanks to Alec, Jenn, and Mohi. Big thanks to the anonymous Aladdin. You can find more research and fun stuff at
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Camento / Searching for Self-Awareness
01/25/2017
Camento / Searching for Self-Awareness
"It's sort of like someone else is doing an autopsy on your dead body, but you're looking at it through a TV screen and you're completely confused what's going on." - Mohnish Soundararajan Imagine a grand experiment. Two men set foot to reconstruct your past - as accurately as they can. They talked to everyone you've ever cared for, looked at, talked to, yelled at, peed on, and washed a dish for. But the story keeps changing. And in the process, they shatter everything you ever knew about your memory, your self-awareness, and - lucky you - your sense of self. And what if - we actually did this. Featuring special guest Cam Poter, this episode deconstructs not just Cam's narrative identity, but the search for self-awareness, and covers: - The most technically challenging and time-consuming podcast we've ever done - Specific, actionable steps to get a better sense of self-awareness, so you don't take the one, precious life your parents paid so much money for and absolutely screw it up - The differences in memory between a diverse, dynamic social circle, and yourself - How we piece together our narrative past - and how wrong we get it And more, all on this episode. The Facts Moonwalk is produced and hosted by . It's co-hosted by Kevin Sanji, and edited by Jarrod Sport. Music is by . Feedback is by Jarrod Sport, Kevin Sanji, and Justine Brumm. Our main guest is Cameron Poter - listen to his podcast, . Special thanks to Scott Breen - if you want to learn about sustainability, check out his podcast . Also, you can find special guest Karen Lee Poter on Youtube at the Special thanks to Jeremy Poter, David Goese, and Leesa Hapsel. You can find more research and fun stuff at .
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Introducing Moonwalk
01/12/2017
Introducing Moonwalk
It's not just a new season or a new episode - we're getting a new name. And this time, we're not messing around. Unless we're messing around. Then, technically, I guess we'd be messing around. Moonwalk premieres January 24th, 2017. Produced by . Music is by .
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Burning Hot and Fast at 22 / Untangling Your Career (Season 3, Episode 5)
01/04/2017
Burning Hot and Fast at 22 / Untangling Your Career (Season 3, Episode 5)
"People are really looking for reasons to say no, Mohnish. That's the thing." - Ted Gonder Mohnish has done well for himself. Thanks to his mother's credit card, he hasn't managed to die of starvation. He's worked with interesting authors, fast-paced startups, and - most importantly - he has a girlfriend. But if he stops there - he's screwed. As of January 1st, 2017, he doesn't have a job. He's a full-time student - so he doesn't need one. But in 6 months, that'll change. And when you're 22, and time is running out - how do you answer the hardest question: what do I do with the rest of my life? More to the point: is that even the right question to ask? On this episode, special guests Josh Indig (AI research and serial entrepreneur) and Ted Gonder (Moneythink, Obama's Advisory Council) share their insights to wrestle, untangle, and reframe why careers (as well as their own) are just so incredibly tricky. On this episode, we cover: - If you're 22 and have no skills, what should you do? - How badly will Ted roast Mohnish on the phone? - Instead of asking "what should I do with my life?", what should you do instead? - Will Josh start an AI overthrow and doom humanity? (Short answer: No) And more, all on this episode. P.S. For research and book recommendations, go to ### Production Team and Special Credits: Host and Producer: Special Guests: Ted Gonder and Feedback: Jarrod Sport and Intro Music: Movie Clips: The Social Network (2010), and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
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Q&A: How Do I Know If I Have The Right Group of Friends?
12/21/2016
Q&A: How Do I Know If I Have The Right Group of Friends?
Note: This December, we're taking a bit of a break. It's Christmas, we want to see our family's faces, and hey - we need some time to recharge and reorient the direction of this podcast. Here's a short, rough episode - we'll be back to regular programming soon. ### Finding the right friends is harder than trying to ice skate in the Olympics blindfolded. But - the key word is "right". Because anyone can make friends. You can go out on the street, meet a store clerk, and become friends in 30 seconds. The key is: are the friends you have, even the right ones for you? On this episode, we cover one thing: How do you know if the friends you have are ones you should keep? (And, should or should you not get new ones?) For more, go to
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Q & A: How Do I Know If I Have The Right Group of Friends?
12/21/2016
Q & A: How Do I Know If I Have The Right Group of Friends?
Note: This December, we're taking a bit of a break. It's Christmas, we want to see our family's faces, and hey - we need some time to recharge and reorient the direction of this podcast. Here's a short, rough episode - we'll be back to regular programming soon. ### Finding the right friends is harder than trying to ice skate in the Olympics blindfolded. But - the key word is "right". Because anyone can make friends. You can go out on the street, meet a store clerk, and become friends in 30 seconds. The key is: are the friends you have, even the right ones for you? On this episode, we cover one thing: How do you know if the friends you have are ones you should keep? (And, should or should you not get new ones?) For more, go to
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Inside High School / A Bonus Audio Essay
12/07/2016
Inside High School / A Bonus Audio Essay
"We all have stories that we tell ourselves about what our lives are - and those stories are always wrong" - Shawn Coyle Going to high school is kind of like cutting an onion: you have to do it, but you're probably going to cry. In this audio essay, I talk about why that's true. Before we get to that though, here's the deal: We're off this week and we'll return to regular programming in 2 weeks. The bright side: this is a bonus episode. It's rough and it's a bit of an experiment...but I think you'll dig the change of pace. (If you're new to the podcast, don't start here, but if you're a fan, stick around.) The piece that I read in this episode, I wrote 2 years ago (so, basically 10,000 years ago). Here's what's covered: - What was high school really like for most people? - What is the emotional reality of high school? - Defining the bullshit: the status, fake work, fake friends, and the stories we believed about ourselves when we were 16 and incredibly stupid - A story about me, a car, and concrete, and why it mattered For more, go to .
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Inside High School / A Bonus Audio Essay
12/07/2016
Inside High School / A Bonus Audio Essay
"We all have stories that we tell ourselves about what our lives are - and those stories are always wrong" - Shawn Coyle Going to high school is kind of like cutting an onion: you have to do it, but you're probably going to cry. In this audio essay, I talk about why that's true. Before we get to that though, here's the deal: We're off this week and we'll return to regular programming in 2 weeks. The bright side: this is a bonus episode. It's rough and it's a bit of an experiment...but I think you'll dig the change of pace. (If you're new to the podcast, don't start here, but if you're a fan, stick around.) The piece that I read in this episode, I wrote 2 years ago (so, basically 10,000 years ago). Here's what's covered: - What was high school really like for most people? - What is the emotional reality of high school? - Defining the bullshit: the status, fake work, fake friends, and the stories we believed about ourselves when we were 16 and incredibly stupid - A story about me, a car, and concrete, and why it mattered For more, go to .
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Inside High School - A Bonus Audio Essay
12/07/2016
Inside High School - A Bonus Audio Essay
"We all have stories that we tell ourselves about what our lives are - and those stories are always wrong" - Shawn Coyle Going to high school is kind of like cutting an onion: you have to do it, but you're probably going to cry. In this audio essay, I talk about why that's true. Before we get to that though, here's the deal: We're off this week and we'll return to regular programming in 2 weeks. The bright side: this is a bonus episode. It's rough and it's a bit of an experiment...but I think you'll dig the change of pace. (If you're new to the podcast, don't start here, but if you're a fan, stick around.) The piece that I read in this episode, I wrote 2 years ago (so, basically 10,000 years ago). Here's what's covered: - What was high school really like for most people? - What is the emotional reality of high school? - Defining the bullshit: the status, fake work, fake friends, and the stories we believed about ourselves when we were 16 and incredibly stupid - A story about me, a car, and concrete, and why it mattered For more, go to .
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The Danger Zone / How Top Gun Can Reinvent Your Career (Season 3, Episode 4)
11/23/2016
The Danger Zone / How Top Gun Can Reinvent Your Career (Season 3, Episode 4)
"Once you pull that handle....there's no turning back" - Dave "Bio" Baranek In 1969, the United States established an elite school for the top one percent of it's pilots. The Navy calls it Fighter Weapons school. The flyers? They call it Top Gun. And if you don't know what Top Gun is, know that Tom Cruise just called, and he wants me to tell you he's extremely disappointed. But, here's the point: by extrapolating strategies from Top Gun, you can become amazing at what you do. And - it's backed up by research. On this episode, the guys and special guest Dave "Bio" Baranek (Top Gun Instructor, RIO, and author) cover: - Whether you're an engineer, a doctor, a computer scientist, a lawyer, a marketer, or an entrepreneur - how do you break the sound barrier in your own career and blow past your peers? - What's it like to meet Tom Cruise? - Is it fun to crash in an F-14 and get waterboarded? (Hint: No.) - Technically speaking, can you get on the highway to the danger zone? For more on this episode, Production and Special Credits Dave "Bio" Baranek - Special Guest, Photo Credit - Host, Producer, Editor, Sound Design, Research Jarrod Sport - Producer, Editor, Research, Feedback Kevin Sanji - Co-Host - Intro Music Justine Brumm - Feedback Movie Clips are from the film "Top Gun (1986)" Important Influences - Anders Ericsson, Cal Newport
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The Most Interesting Woman in the World / Being Remarkable (Season 3, Episode 3)
11/09/2016
The Most Interesting Woman in the World / Being Remarkable (Season 3, Episode 3)
"Some people go to sleep and have God appear in their dreams. I just looked her up" - Sudev Namboodiri Remarkable. If you didn't pass 5th grade, you have no idea what that word means. But, when something's remarkable - you know it when you see it. On this episode, we talk to the founders of a fake religion and then, one of TIME's People of the Year to uncover how to transform your working life by being remarkable. Plus: - How do you become the most interesting woman in the world? - What happens when you meet strangers on the internet? - What are the inner-mechanics of being remarkable and how can you use them to your advantage? - How do you build the foundation for a deep, focused career? - What happened to Pardis Sabeti in 2015 that really, really sucked? For more material on this episode, go to Production and Special Credits Special Guests: Pardis Sabeti, Sudev, Amanda, and Paca Host, Producer, Sound Design, Research: Co-Host: Kevin Sanji Feedback: Kevin Sanji and Justine Brumm Special Music: Intro Music:
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How to Break Into the White House / Engineer Your Own Luck (Season 3, Episode 2)
10/26/2016
How to Break Into the White House / Engineer Your Own Luck (Season 3, Episode 2)
"We can curse all we want, but this is the most explicit thing that's ever been said on our podcast" - Mohnish Soundararajan, to Ted Gonder While your friend Jen is working at the White House, you're on the couch eating Ramen at 4 o' clock in the morning and you can barely feel your face. Jen - you figure - must be lucky. But what if you could reverse engineer the moments that would come to define you? And what if you could break into the White House while doing it? The guys cover: - The weirdest thing about 5 Silicon Valley billionaires. - Is it possible to go from unlucky to lucky? - How do you engineer random chance in your life? Is it even possible? - What is "bulk, positive, randomness"? For more on this episode, go to Production and Special Credits Host, Research, Production, Sound Design, Editing: Co-Host and Editing: Kevin Sanji Feedback: Jarrod Sport, Kevin Sanji, Justine Brumm, Vysali Soundararajan Intro Music:
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The Gloomy Prospect / The Hidden Sources of Bad Behavior (Season 3, Episode 1)
10/12/2016
The Gloomy Prospect / The Hidden Sources of Bad Behavior (Season 3, Episode 1)
"You see this cute little vial here? It's crack - rock cocaine - the most addictive form. You think it's the glamor drug of the 80's? Well, that's the point of this friendly little reminder. It can kill you." - Clint Eastwood Humans are bad. We're ridiculous. And we act in complex ways that I honestly have no idea how to describe. From Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign to the reality of teaching low-income students, we figure out: Why is changing and understanding human behavior so hard? To boot: What's the best way to change human behavior in a hopeless situation? We cover: - Did the "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign work? - What are the hidden sources of bad behavior? - How does complex, emergent behavior work? - What is the Gloomy Prospect? - Why is the learning-to-see model so effective at causing good behaviors? And more, all on this episode. For more, go to Production and Credits Host, Research, Sound Design, Editing: Co-Host: Kevin Sanji Feedback: Jarrod Sport, Kevin Sanji, and Justine Brumm Intro Music: Special Thanks: Eric Turkheimer, for the idea of "The Gloomy Prospect"
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Season 3 Teaser
09/27/2016
Season 3 Teaser
"Do you know what it's like to be a Top Gun pilot? What about a violin player?" - Mohnish Soundararajan, Host Season 3 is coming soon - the wait ends October 11th. We'll be releasing twice a month (so that's every other Tuesday) in exchange for more people, better stories, better research, better production, and stupider jokes. It's about to get nutty. See you in 2 weeks.
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Can Hard Work and Experience Make You Worse? or Steve Faloon's Memory #28
09/20/2016
Can Hard Work and Experience Make You Worse? or Steve Faloon's Memory #28
"That's a whole 'nother chips n' guac" - Kevin Sanji, co-host Hard work and experience can make you worse at what you do. This sounds absolutely bat-nut insane and it sounds wrong - but it's not. I'll take you back to the 70's, the early 1900's, and back to the present to a modern-day Japanese pushup champion to uncover why we get worse with hard work and experience (and, of course, what to do instead). In this episode, we cover: - Why Steve Faloon's short-term memory mattered - The nature of hard work and experience over a long period of time - How to become an expert at what you do - The key to expert performance - at anything Huge thanks to Anders Ericsson's book Peak - which inspired this. For more info, go to . P.S. We got an email list. - get bonus content, get your mind blown every Tuesday, and get your questions answered. Production and Credits Host, Producer, Sound Design, and Editing: Huge thanks to Ander Ericsson and Robert Pool for all the research covered in Co-Host: Kevin Sanji Feedback: Jarrod Sport, Kevin Sanji, Justine Brumm Intro Music: Attribution:
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Be a Better Storyteller, or The Pizza Man #27
09/13/2016
Be a Better Storyteller, or The Pizza Man #27
"Keep the doors locked. Don't go outside. Keep the windows shut. Just be a little bit cautious - we'll have a squad car patrolling the area all night. We'll try to make contact with Pizzaland and see if we can get some information on this guy" - Woman, to Kevin Sanji You don't want to tell bad stories because telling bad stories makes you feel bad ("Brad, I'm finally encountering the idea that loneliness is my only end-goal"). So here's what's going to happen next: We're going to get Kevin to tell a story about a pizza delivery gone wrong. And then we're going to break the story down step-by-step, uncover the mechanics of storytelling, and get you telling better stories. We cover: - What happened after Kevin ordered pizza? - Who is the "Pizza Man"? - Why does the order of events matter? - A simple process (using observation and deliberate practice) to improve your storytelling performance If you want to go deeper than the podcast, go to Production and Credits Special Guest: Kevin Sanji Host, Producer, Research, Sound Design, Editing: Co-Host: Kevin Sanji Feedback: , Vysali Soundararajan, Justine Brumm, Kevin Sanji Intro Music:
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