Have you ever noticed that many cold and flu remedies contain little more than honey and water? Have you ever gone to the doctor feeling ill and felt significantly better almost straight away? The placebo effect is a long observed phenomenon in medicine, but the same expectation effect also impacts most other areas of life.

If you read five-star reviews before visiting a restaurant, it primes you for a great experience. If you’re watching a film that everyone you know loves, you’re also far more likely to react positively to it. My guest on this week’s podcast is an expert in the effect of expectation.

Listen and learn:

• Why the placebo-pain connection is so strong
• How “open label” placebos can be just as effective
• The lesser-known nocebo effect and its risks
• How to ethically leverage the expectation effect in your life

Links

David’s Site

ABOUT OUR GUEST

David Robson is a science writer who explores the human brain, body, and behavior. He graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in mathematics. He wrote extensively about misinformation during the COVID pandemic and mental health. He is the author of The Intelligence Trap, and his newest book, The Expectation Effect. 

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There’s a saying: “If you want a new idea, read a history book.” That might be true 95 percent of the time, but for the remaining five percent of the time, particularly when looking for problem-solving techniques, the solution might demand a completely new approach. Lateral thinking is the idea of entering from the side door, flipping the problem on its head, and spitballing completely new solutions. On this week’s podcast, we discuss how to apply this technique to your life.

Listen and learn:

• Why innovation seems to have reached a lull
• How to break free from your siloed information feed
• What if everything you assumed was wrong or misguided?
• What if the solution to your current problems was easy, obvious, and simple?

Links

Paul’s Site

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Paul Sloane is a UK-based author, speaker, and consultant, specializing in innovation and creative thinking. He has written several books on these topics, including: Lateral Thinking Puzzlers, The Leader's Guide to Lateral Thinking Skills, and De Bono's Thinking Course.

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An estimated 15 to 20 percent of the population will suffer from tinnitus at some point in their lives and hearing loss affects an even greater number. Yet so few of us take action and seek out medical help. With tremendous breakthroughs in both diagnostics and treatment, there has never been a better time than now to get your auditory health in order. On this week’s podcast, we meet an audiologist who can help. 

Listen and learn:

• Why tinnitus can be your brain trying to turn up the volume to hear better
• How infection, stress, and even emotional distress can manifest as tinnitus
• How virtual reality might offer solutions for balance and vertigo
• The considerations and cost of hearing aids 

Links

New York Hearing Doctors

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr. Craig Kasper is the Managing Director of NYHD (New York Hearing Doctors). He specializes in disorders of the vestibular system, hearing loss and tinnitus. He’s been a leading voice in public education and hearing/balance for over 25 years and has been featured regularly in national media.

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Modern health trackers collect an amazing quantity of data daily, but most of it is descriptive, not actionable. Maybe your smart watch tells you that your sleep quality is poor, but do you know how to fix it? Maybe you learn your HRV is low, but how do you improve? All the information in the world means nothing if you don’t have a plan of how to adapt and grow from it. On this week’s podcast, discover how Dr. Erik Korem used qualified self-data in high performance sports and now uses it to help average people like you and me. 

Listen and learn:

• Why respecting your circadian clock is crucial for good health
• How belonging to a faith community (of any type) correlates with remarkably positive health outcomes
• Why stress is a gateway to growth
• Why allostatic load is an important, often-overlooked health consideration 

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr. Eric Korem is the founder and CEO of AIM7, a company that specializes in sleep and stress resilience. He has a background in working with professional sports teams, Olympic athletes, and government agencies. 

Learn more at

ErikKorem.com

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