Cognitive Biases
197 episodes · Page 4 of 9
#4262: The Belt Principle: Eliminating Micro-Interruptions for Deep Focus
How a tactical belt with MOLLE pouches reveals the hidden cost of tiny interruptions — and what that means for knowledge work.
#4254: How to Vanish at a Picnic
A playbook for revealing nothing about yourself over four hours of casual conversation — without seeming weird.
#4253: How Alcohol Quietly Rewires Fear Memories
The surprising neuroscience of why a drink can silence fear — and how that opens a door to better treatments.
#4145: Does Getting Things Done Actually Work?
Stress-testing David Allen’s GTD claims against real cognitive science. Does writing things down really free your brain?
#4133: Can a Narcissistic CEO Be Diagnosed?
When Wall Street rewards what the DSM calls pathological, what are we actually diagnosing?
#4118: When Thoughts Feel Like Facts: Ego-Syntonic Thinking Explained
Why some people can't see their own catastrophic thoughts as distortions — and what that means for therapy.
#4117: Understanding Egosyntonic: Why Explanations Fail with Personality Disorders
What if the person you're trying to reach literally can't see their own behavior? One word explains why.
#4089: When Preparation Becomes a Trap
A tenant faces eviction after asking for roof repairs. Why preparation can backfire.
#4064: When Bloating Hijacks Your Brain
Why bloating can cause spelling errors and brain fog, especially with ADHD — and how to break the loop.
#4048: Can You Learn Reveille in 8 Weeks?
Why the bugle still matters, and how fast a motivated adult can actually learn to play Reveille.
#4046: Why People Type in All Caps (It's Not Always Anger)
Three very different groups use all caps — and misreading their intent costs us real trust.
#4045: Playing Dumb on Purpose: Strategic Incompetence
Playing dumb to win against landlords and powerful people? It's a real psychological strategy with a name.
#4029: The Lost Art of People-Watching
What happens in your brain when you stop participating and start observing — and why it feels like rebellion.
#4021: Emotional Contagion on Moving Day
Why you absorb movers' stress even when you've done everything right — and what to do about it.
#3971: Growing Up With a Cruel Parent's Worldview
How to unlearn a worldview where everyone is secretly hostile — installed before you had tools to question it.
#3925: Surviving Tailgaters: What Your Brain Does Wrong
Why your brain makes tailgating worse — and what actually works when headlights fill your mirror on a dark road.
#3923: Why Jerusalem Traffic Feels More Dangerous Than It Is
Why a confident Irish driver feels paralyzed behind the wheel in Jerusalem — and what the brain is actually doing.
#3897: The Mover's Paradox: Social Jiu-Jitsu for Urban Stealth
How to be invisible to security but unapproachable to everyone else using three layers of social engineering.
#3872: What Everyone Gets Wrong About Fear of Heights
Are some people born without fear of heights? The surprising science behind acrophobia and the high-altitude workers of Jerusalem.
#3826: What Your Humor Style Reveals About Your Brain
Why two people can watch the same clip and hear totally different things — one a joke, the other an insult.
#3820: What Feral Children Reveal About Human Brains
The tragic natural experiments that reveal how language and social bonds shape the human brain.
#3813: What Actually Predicts a Prodigy at 12 Months?
Early talking, reading, and memory don't predict genius. Here's what the data actually shows.
#3719: The 39-Millisecond Judgment: Resting Face Explained
Why a still photo can make anyone look hostile, and what sloths teach us about facial misreading.
#3716: The Linguistic Netherland: When No Language Is Native
What happens when your native language fades but you never fully master a new one? Linguists call it "semi-speaker" status.