Explore every episode of the podcast That Popular Podcast

It’s happened to all of us and it’s so embarrassing.  But should it be?  Are you good at faces, or names, or neither?

Why does that guy always seem to be angry?  Why is she convinced that everyone is out to get her?  Are they right?  If not, why don’t they learn and change?

What is it?  We have the answer!  We had it all along in our genes, in fact, and science has revealed what makes some of our DNA turn on and off based on what is happening in our lives.  Are you focusing on what’s most important?  Is society moving in the right direction so we can all the meaning and feel most fulfilled?

Everyone wants to get another drink, except you.  But you get one anyway.  Why?  Do you always follow others, or are you the one others follow?  How much of your behavior, preferences, choices every day are your own, and how many are because you are following others?

In the first 10 minutes of two people meeting for the first time, we can predict whether people will become best friends vs. somewhat friendly vs. rarely interact again.  What do you do when you meet someone new?  How easy is it for you to turn a new acquaintanceship into a very close friendship?

Ooh, it’s cringe!  But you definitely know someone who does this.  And they have no idea that they are self-sabotaging their own relationship!

We are frustrated, scared, and also exhausted.  Is it ok to avoid the news for a while?  How is the way we talk about the news with our friends maybe making things worse?  Let’s talk about when to read, and how we talk about the news.  

New research says that screen use could be changing the size, structure, thickness of kids’ brains.  What will happen to the generation of kids who grew up heavy on screens but light on regulations designed to protect them?   Let’s talk about a few very new results and what they may mean for kids, schools, and now young adults too -- especially in the US.

Are some people better looking than they think?  How does their attractiveness change their own behavior?  Are hot people actually more socially competent than others?  How old are we when we first start noticing attractiveness?  

What’s the last thing someone said to you to be mean?  Their aggression tells us more about them than it does about you.  What are the types of aggression and are there more bullies now than ever before?  

Obesity, driving accidents, immunity, depression, grades, temper, brain growth – it’s all predicted by how much and how well you sleep!  But most of us are doing the exact wrong thing just before we fall asleep.  

Social interactions always involve at least two people.  So how come some people consistently say that a problem is 100% only one person’s fault?  Let’s dissect how both the communicator and the listener play a role and share at least some mutual responsibility when we have social disagreements.

Where is your phone right now?  Is it always nearby?  What is your level of “digital stress.”  In a world without communication boundaries anymore, how much do you (and your kids) feel like you have to stay attached to your phone?

Which crowd were you in when you were in high school?  Are you still in that crowd now?  How do these crowds develop and what do they tell us about who we are?

Ever notice that two people in the exact same situation may notice totally different things, or have a completely different take on what just happened?  There’s a reason why and it usually tells us a lot about who we are.  

Are fulfilling relationships the point of life?  Do they have to be relationships with humans?  In a very short time, a very large proportion of kids (and adults!) are having relationships with AI bots that often pretend to be human, but are they offering what we need to replace human relationships?

Where do they find these people and is it weird that they become so emotionally attached so quickly?  What is friendship, how do we define it, and how do your friendships measure up?