Habits and Behavior Change
221 episodes
#6116: Why Noise Makes You Snap at Your Kid
The drill stops, but the anger doesn't. What Glass and Singer found about noise, control, and the tantrum two hours later.
#5930: The World's Greatest Drunk Foods
From Dublin's spice bag to Seoul's chimaek, a tour of the dishes nations eat at 2 a.m. — and the science of why alcohol makes us hungry.
#5879: Why Experts Don't Follow Their Own Advice
Doctors eat worse, dentists drink more soda, and physicians skip the screenings they prescribe. The data behind the "do as I say" gap.
#5863: What Shabbat Does to Your Brain That Sleep Can't
Shabbat's real power isn't sleep — it's psychological detachment. And the data says a vacation day doesn't do the same thing.
#5856: ADHD Is Not One Thing: What the Data Says
Same diagnosis, same medication, completely different struggles. What the research says about why adult ADHD varies so much.
#5854: Why Quiet Weekends Make the Jackhammer Worse
Daniel's Jerusalem construction site goes silent on Saturdays — and that's exactly why Sunday's jackhammer hits so hard. The neuroscience of habitu...
#5834: Dead Man's Switches: Alerts vs. Final Notices
Same mechanism, opposite goals: hardware that fires in two seconds when you fall, and services that wait sixty days to confirm you're gone.
#5810: Standoffs, Anchors, and the Outlet Behind the Whiteboard
A missing whiteboard, a metal-stud surprise, and the thread mismatch that turns one fastener into two.
#5807: Why a Closing Door Upsets a 15-Month-Old
A happy toddler, a parent in the room, and a door swings shut. What's actually behind that reaction?
#5763: 500 Days in a Cave: How We Lose Track of Time
Beatriz Flamini spent 500 days underground and thought less time had passed. What isolation science reveals about how we perceive time.
#5762: Why 8 PM Bedtime Feels Wrong for Night Owls
A night-owl dad asks if 8 PM bedtime is "for old people" — and the circadian science on wake maintenance zones says his instinct is right.
#5750: Neurodesign: Building for the Human Nervous System
What if a building could restore your attention instead of draining it? Inside the emerging field of neuroarchitecture.
#5690: Kaizen and the Cult of Productivity
Two-thirds of people rank productivity above health, money, and happiness. What happens when the bar you're chasing never stops moving?
#5689: What Actually Makes People Stick With Things
The science of perseverance is stranger than the posters — and it's not about willpower.
#5682: Boredom, the DMN, and the Shower Thought
Boredom doesn't make you creative — but the idle mind does. What the research actually says about rest, busyness, and ideas.
#5672: Flow or Hyperfocus? What Daniel's Busker Problem Reveals
A 15-month-old, a street busker, and the ADHD brain science that separates flow from hyperfocus — and why the switch costs so much.
#5667: Can Your Kid Inherit the Way You Sleep?
A dad noticed his toddler sleeps with one arm raised — just like him. Is that genes, imitation, or a story we tell ourselves?
#5641: Burnout: When Rest Stops Working
Burnout isn't in the DSM, but Sweden made it a diagnosis. What the research says about a fatigue that sleep can't fix.
#5618: When Quitting TV Isn't a Decision
Daniel never chose to give up TV — the move did it for him. What happens when habits break by accident instead of willpower?
#5597: Protein, ADHD, and the Breakfast You Skip
A protein breakfast has a clean dopamine story and costs a dollar. Fish oil outsells it anyway. Here's what the evidence actually says.
#5585: The Lighthouse Keeper and the Serbian Cabin
A YouTube video from rural Serbia broke one listener's whole model of what a hermit is. Turns out the anchorite image is a thousand years out of date.
#5578: Resilience Isn't a Muscle — What the Research Actually Shows
Two-thirds of people bounce back from major trauma by default. So why does "build resilience like a muscle" miss the point?
#5551: Why Learning Makes Us Happier at Any Age
The credential isn't what makes learning feel good — choosing it is. What the research says about self-directed learning, aging, and hard times.
#5543: Why Clutter Overwhelms the ADHD Brain
Four hidden taxes clutter levies on your brain — and why the same messy room lands so differently on ADHD.