Have you ever held a pet up to a mirror and wondered why they don’t seem to recognize themselves? Humans usually figure it out very young, but most animals never do. Yet a surprising handful of species appear capable of recognizing their own reflection—a clue that scientists use to explore one of the most fascinating questions in biology: self-awareness. https://www.livescience.com/4272-elephant-awareness-mirrors-humans.html
Smartphones have become the villains of modern life. We blame them for distraction, anxiety, shortened attention spans, poor sleep, and endless scrolling. But is the phone itself really the problem? Or are some activities on our phones far more harmful than others? Dr. Faye Begeti, a neurologist, neuroscientist, and researcher at Oxford University Hospitals, says we’ve been focusing on the wrong question. In our conversation, she explains what the latest research reveals about how smartphones affect the brain, why some forms of phone use can actually be beneficial, and how to build healthier digital habits without throwing your device into a lake. She is author of The Phone Fix: The Brain-Focused Guide to Building Healthy Digital Habits and Breaking Bad Ones (https://amzn.to/3yJUhIM).
Paradoxes have a way of making your brain stop and say, “Wait a minute…” If someone says, “I always lie,” are they telling the truth? If not, then maybe they are. These strange logical puzzles have fascinated philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists for centuries because they expose flaws in how we think and force us to see the world from a different perspective. George Szpiro, journalist, mathematician, and author of Perplexing Paradoxes: Unraveling Enigmas in the World Around Us (https://amzn.to/4aEASGo), joins me to explore some of the most fascinating paradoxes ever conceived and explain why wrestling with impossible questions can actually make you a better thinker.
Learning to juggle might seem like little more than a party trick. But researchers have discovered that mastering this surprisingly challenging skill can create measurable changes in the brain. In fact, a few days of practice may do more for your mind than you would ever expect. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016114055.htm
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RESOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:
Source for the story about mirrors: https://www.livescience.com/4272-elephant-awareness-mirrors-humans.html
Amazon link for Faye Begeti’s book, The Phone Fix: https://amzn.to/4v0w0Xi
Amazon link for George Szpiro’s book, Perplexing Paradoxes: https://amzn.to/3PYWER2
Source for the story about juggling: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016114055.htm
