
scienceFeb 27, 202548:52pending
Why We’re Wired to Imitate Others & How to Have a Great Conversation
About this episode
You probably think raw vegetables are healthier than cooked vegetables. Sometimes they are. But some common veggies get a nutrient boost from the right kind of heat. This episode begins with several of those vegetables and an explanation of how cooking makes them better for you. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/raw-veggies-are-healthier/
Humans are wired to imitate others like no other creature on earth. In fact, almost everything you do today is the result of imitating someone else at some point in your life. But wait! Aren’t we independent thinkers with intelligence and ability to think for ourselves? Yes, but according to my guest the primary way you learn everything is by copying others – from driving a car, writing a letter, eating a meal, everything you’ve learned how to do came from imitating others. Here to explain why this is important to understand is R. Alexander Bentley, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee and coauthor of the book, I'll Have What She's Having: Mapping Social Behavior (https://amzn.to/4kbT4NK).
Your conversational skills are key to your success in every aspect of your life. People like people who speak well. Yet, I suspect no one ever really taught you how to converse. You just do it. Conversation is both an art and a science. And someone who studies it is my guest Alison Wood Brooks, Professor of Business Administration and Hellman Faculty Fellow at the Harvard Business School. She is author of the book TALK: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves (https://amzn.to/4bgzWtF). Listen as she reveals the anatomy of good conversation and what can often go wrong.
One of the cool things about a snowfall is how quiet it is afterwards. And it’s not just quiet – it’s a different kind of quiet. Why is that? Listen as I reveal the science of the quiet after a new fallen snow. Source: Kathy Wollard author of How Come (https://amzn.to/3XfrMvN).
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!!
FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at https://FactorMeals.com/something50off
DELL: Anniversary savings await you for a limited time only at https://Dell.com/deals
SHOPIFY: Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk and upgrade your selling today!
HERS: Hers is changing women's healthcare by providing access to GLP-1 weekly injections with the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as oral medication kits. Start your free online visit today at https://forhers.com/sysk
INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING right now!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Get every episode summarized
Each time Something You Should Know publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Something You Should Know

SYSK TRENDING - Curious Quirks of the Human Brain
Something You Should Know
Sep 15, 202623:25queued

A Smarter Way to Make Big Life Changes & The Strange Rise of the House Cat
Something You Should Know
Sep 14, 202649:29completed

The Secret Life of Gases & Why We Get Hooked - SYSK Choice
Something You Should Know
Sep 12, 202649:46completed

The Bizarre World of Product Testing & Understanding Highly Sensitive People
Something You Should Know
Sep 10, 202648:08completed