Alexandra Horowitz - The mysteries of human perception. In this episode we speak with author and cognitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz on what it means to be attentive. In her most recent book, On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes, Alexandra shows us how to see the spectacle of the ordinary. In this book, Alexandra goes on a series of eleven walks with experts on a diverse range of subjects, including an urban sociologist, the well-known artist Maira Kalman, a geologist, a physician, and a sound designer. She also walks with a child and a dog to see the world as they perceive it. What they see, how they see it, and why most of us do not see the same things reveal the startling power of human attention and the cognitive aspects of what it means to be an expert observer.  Alexandra Horowitz teaches psychology, canine cognition, and creative nonfiction writing at Barnard College, Columbia University. She earned her PhD in Cognitive Science at the University of California at San Diego, and has studied the cognition of humans, rhinoceros, bonobos, and dogs. For seventeen years she shared her home with an unwitting research subject, Pumpernickel, a wonderful mixed breed. Now her Dog Cognition Lab studies the behavior of owned dogs to keep discovering what they see, smell, and know. "The problem is we are not focusing that well anymore on the things we deem important. There is too much distraction at once." - Alexandra Horowitz Quotes from Alexandra:  What we learn in this episode: What is attention? What does it mean to be attentive? How individuals view the world and their environment differently. Why do we feel so disconnected from strangers? How does the human animal respond to cognitive overload? Resources: On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes http://insideofadog.com/author.php https://psychology.barnard.edu/profiles/alexandra-horowitz Twitter: @DogUmwelt -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been called “the great destroyer” and “the evil.” The Pentagon refers to it as “the pervasive menace.” It destroys cars, fells bridges, sinks ships, sparks house fires, and nearly brought down the Statue of Liberty. Rust costs America more than $400 billion per year—more than all other natural disasters combined. Journalist Jonathan Waldman traveled from Key West, Florida, to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to meet the colorful and often reclusive people who are fighting our mightiest and unlikeliest enemy. He went into an abandoned steelworks with a brave artist, and then he nearly gets kicked out of Ball Corporation’s Can School. Across the Arctic, he followed a massive high-tech robot that hunts for rust in the Alaska pipeline. On a Florida film set he meets the Defense Department’s rust ambassador, who reveals that the navy’s number one foe isn’t a foreign country but oxidation itself. Through all of these adventures, Jonathan (Jonny) uncovered more about the destructive nature of rust and the implications on our society than anyone ever has, and in this episode we ask him all about it! His newest book is titled, Rust: The Longest War. Jonathan has written for Outside, The Washington Post, The New York Times, McSweeney’s, and the Utne Reader, and also worked as a forklift driver, arborist, summer-camp director, sticker salesman, climbing instructor, and cook. Before landing in the book world, he put in time at a newspaper, a website, a magazine, a radio show, a TV production company, and a couple science museums. He studied writing at Dartmouth and Boston University’s Knight Center for Science Journalism. "We need to re-engineer engineering. Engineers are busy fixing all of the problems we don't have, but they're ignoring all of these problems we do have." - Jonathan Waldman Quotes from Jonathan:  What we learn in this episode: Why is a soda can the most engineered object on earth? What are the dangers of plastics and why are they used in almost everything? Why is rust one of the most costly items in our national defense budget? Resources: Rust: The Longest War jonnywaldman.com -- This episode is brought to you by: Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time Management. We all need it. We all could be better at it. Personally, I need to be much better at it. When we recognize that we could be better at something, in Smart People Podcast fashion, we reach out to leaders in the field. This week we discuss time management with Lee Cockerell. Lee is the former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World Resort. During his time at Disney, Lee led a team of 40,000 Cast Members (employees) and was responsible for the operations of 20 resort hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a shopping & entertainment village, and the ESPN sports and recreation complex. Lee's book, Time Management Magic: How To Get More Done Every Day And Move From Surviving To Thriving, walks you through how to organize your schedule and how to get things done. Want to learn from Lee on Thrive15? Use our link for a free 30 day trial! Quotes from Lee:  What we learn in this episode: How Disney created their magic What it means to run Disney from top How to organize your schedule and prioritize Resources: Time Management Magic: How To Get More Done Every Day And Move From Surviving To Thriving  http://www.leecockerell.com/ Twitter: @LeeCockerell -- This episode is brought to you by: Future Advisor: Let new technology give you complete clarity on all of your investments and a plan to meet your goals sooner - Go to www.futureadvisor.com/smartpeople for your 3 month free premium portfolio management service. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Davinci Virtual: Davinci Virtual offers friendly live receptionist services, killer business addresses and fully loaded meeting spaces – anywhere you need themGet a risk-free trial right now at davincivirtual.com/SMART and make it happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Korb - The most common psychological disorder in America. It affects more than 1 in 10 Americans and is the cause of more than half of the suicides committed each year. More people suffer from this disorder than coronary heart disease, cancer, and HIV/AIDS...combined. It strains our healthcare system as we seek out treatments and cures. It affects every aspect of life and can leave sufferers feeling alone, isolated, misunderstood, and helpless. It is depression. Depression is the most common mental disorder in the United States. Its prevalence is often masked by the fact that sufferers don't always talk about it with family and friends. Further, there is prejudice against depression as a disorder, with some people even feeling that it isn't a real condition. Depression can feel like a downward spiral, pulling you into a vortex of sadness, fatigue, and apathy. But there are ways to cope and recover. Depression is one of the most treatable of psychiatric illnesses. In our episode this week we speak with Neuroscientist Alex Korb, PhD. Alex is the author of the book The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time. Alex Korb, PhD, is a neuroscientist who has studied the brain for over fifteen years, starting with an undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Brown University. He received his PhD in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he wrote his dissertation and numerous scientific articles on depression. He is currently a postdoctoral neuroscience researcher at UCLA in the department of psychiatry. Outside of the lab, he is a scientific consultant for the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, and is head coach of the UCLA Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team. He has a wealth of experience in yoga and mindfulness, physical fitness, and even stand-up comedy. "The emotions that we experience are all in contrast to each other. The more capable you are of experiencing despair, the more you can experience joy." - Alex Korb Quotes from Alex:  What we learn in this episode: What are some of the proven methods of improving depression? Why does anxiety and depression still exist? How have we not "evolved past" these types of destructive tendencies, behaviors, and characteristics? Does "shock therapy" work as an effective treatment for depression? What exactly is the nervous system? And is it possible to strengthen the nervous system? Resources: The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time facebook.com/prefrontalblog http://alexkorbphd.com/ Twitter: @prefrontalblog -- This episode is brought to you by: Future Advisor: Let new technology give you complete clarity on all of your investments and a plan to meet your goals sooner - Go to www.futureadvisor.com/smartpeople for your 3 month free premium portfolio management service. WealthFront: The automated investment service that makes it easy to invest your money the right way. Visit wealthfront.com/smartpeople to to get your first $10,000 managed for free. Davinci Virtual: Davinci Virtual offers friendly live receptionist services, killer business addresses and fully loaded meeting spaces – anywhere you need themGet a risk-free trial right now at davincivirtual.com/SMART and make it happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clay Clark - Entrepreneur of the Year. For many of us, starting a business is the only thing that feels right. The idea of a cubicle, a demanding boss, and a 9-5 schedule is downright depressing. We feel as though we were born to do things our way, to make our own path, and to build our own future. If this sounds like you, you don't want to miss this episode! This week we speak with Clay Clark, Founder of Thrive15.com. Thrive15 is the world’s premier online education platform that helps entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and “in-trepreneurs” (entrepreneurial-minded people who work within an organization) learn how to start or grow a successful business. Thrivers have unlimited access to the ever-growing, entertaining, and gamified library of 15-minute training courses taught by millionaires and everyday entrepreneurial success stories. Clay is also an author, consultant, speaker, and disc jockey... yeah, that's right. Clay Clark is the former "U.S. SBA Entrepreneur of the Year" who has been described by the folks at Yahoo as the "Jim Carey of Entrepreneurship." He was "Metro Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year" at the age of 20 and the "U.S. Chamber National Blue Ribbon Quality Award Winner" at the age of 27. As the result of his tireless tenacity and honey badger work ethic, he's been able to found or co-found several successful companies including: DJ Connection, Elephant in the Room Men's Grooming Lounge, Thrive15.com, etc. while finding the time to co-produce five children. Clay once ran for mayor and lost.  "No matter what job you have right now, you need to do the following three things: over deliver, build your network, and learn." - Clay Clark Quotes from Clay:  What we learn in this episode: What does Clay mean when he says we all hit 'jack-assery' at approximately 21 years old? Who should consider being an entrepreneur? What are Clay's keys to success? Resources: www.thrive15.com http://www.makeyourlifeepic.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Michael Gazzaniga - Left Brain vs. Right Brain. We often hear that if we're creative we must be "right-brained" but if we're logical we must be "left-brained". Science tells us that each hemisphere controls certain cognitive functions, so it only makes sense that there is a dominant side that gives us our tendencies - but is it true? Are we either "left-brained" or "right brained"? Or better yet, what happens when you disconnect the two regions from each other entirely? For over 40 years, our guest this week has been studying patients who have had their left and right brain disconnected via surgery, and he is here to set the record straight.  Michael Gazzaniga, is one of the leading researchers in cognitive neuroscience and is the worlds top expert on split-brain research. Michael is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the author of Tales from Both Sides of the Brain: A Life in Neuroscience. He received a Ph.D. in psychobiology from the California Institute of Technology, where he worked under the guidance of Roger Sperry, with primary responsibility for initiating human split-brain research. In his subsequent work he has made important advances in our understanding of functional lateralization in the brain and how the cerebral hemispheres communicate with one another. Gazzaniga founded the Centers for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of California, Davis and at Dartmouth College, the Neuroscience Institute, and the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, of which he is the Editor-in-Chief Emeritus. Gazzaniga was a member of U.S. President George W. Bush's Council on Bioethics. He was also the Director of the Law and Neuroscience Project, a project to study the intersection of law and neuroscience. "The brain is built for us all to make decisions to achieve goals." - Michael Gazzaniga Quotes from Michael:  What we learn in this episode: Is there such things as left brain and right brain people? Why can our brain function fairly normally when it is essentially cut in half? What is split brain research? What happens when our brain is split in the middle (split brain surgery), disconnecting the left and right hemisphere? Resources: Tales from Both Sides of the Brain: A Life in Neuroscience http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Gazzaniga -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Future Advisor: Let new technology give you complete clarity on all of your investments and a plan to meet your goals sooner - Go to www.futureadvisor.com/smartpeople for your 3 month free premium portfolio management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Roeder - Social media is for real. To be honest, I wasn't a believer. I think social media often times just adds to the noise. But after speaking with our guest this week, I realized that what I think doesn't really matter. Social media is here and it's a necessity for any business these days. Even more importantly is the specific way you interact on social media, what you share, how you share it, and what your strategy is. Love it or hate it, it's time to step up your social media game. This week we interview entrepreneur and social media expert, Laura Roeder.  Laura is a social media marketing expert who teaches small businesses how to become well-known and claim their brands online. She is the creator of LKR Social Media Marketer and Creating Fame, and is also the author ofFacebook Fame: The Facebook Marketing Bible For The Small Business. In 2011, Laura Roeder was honored at The White House as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs under the age of 30. "You're probably not going to have new information tomorrow that you don't have today - so just get started. You don't have any assurances it's going to turn out well, but you have to keep moving forward." - Laura Roeder Quotes from Laura:  What we learn in this episode: Laura makes Chris a believer in social media - why? How to get over the fear of being "too young" in business and entrepreneurship. Some great tidbits on social media Resources: Edgar Social Media Tool lkrsocialmedia.com Facebook Fame: The Facebook Marketing Bible For The Small Business @LKR -- This episode is brought to you by: SmartThings: Go to http://www.smartthings.com/smartpeople to get 10% off a Home Security Kit or Solution Kit with promo code: SMARTPEOPLE Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edward Humes - Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash. Have you ever thought about how much trash you create? Honestly, have you ever stopped to consider how many trash bags you go through, how many trips to the curb you take, or how much food you throw out? Probably not...most of us don't. But the sad truth is the average American produces 102 tons of garbage across a lifetime and $50 billion in squandered riches are rolled to the curb each year! Although we have become extremely efficient with keeping trash out of site, unfortunately that has kept it out of mind, and it's creating a massive problem. This week we speak with Pulitzer Prize-Winning author, Edward Humes about trash - what's in it, how much we pay for it, how we create so much, what's wrong with it all and how we fix it. Edward's amazing book, Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash, is raising awareness of trash consumption and is sparking nationwide action. Edward Humes is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and non-fiction writer. He received the Pulitzer Prize for specialized reporting for investingative stories he wrote about the US military for the Orange County Register. He is the author of 13 nonfiction books, and a contributing writer for Sierra Magazine, California Lawyer and Los Angeles magazine, among other publications. He is married to journalist and author Donna Wares and lives in Southern California. "There is a reason we call it waste - you are throwing stuff away that has value. You are wasting it." - Edward Humes Quotes from Edward:  What we learn in this episode: Why did Walmart choose to make reducing waste a top priority throughout the company and what were the effects? Germany and Austria send only 1% of the their trash to landfills, while America sends nearly 70%! What happened when MIT students place tracking devices in random articles of trash throughout Seattle? The results are shocking. What is the story of our garbage? Where does it come from and where does it go? Resources: Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash http://www.edwardhumes.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Garbology -- This episode is brought to you by: Igloo: Go to igloosoftware.com/smartpeople to use Igloo for free with up to 10 of your favorite coworkers or customers! Future Advisor: Let new technology give you complete clarity on all of your investments and a plan to meet your goals sooner - Go to www.futureadvisor.com/smartpeople for your 3 month free premium portfolio management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Technology is revolutionizing the way we work and live, and we can accomplish more in an hour than previous generations could in a week - but it comes at a price. Many of us are overwhelmed and exhausted, stressed out by the numerous demands on our time. We work 12 hour days, eat food on the run, get less sleep, and yet somehow we often don't feel like we got anything accomplished. And for these reasons, the subject of productivity has developed a cult-like following. People want to hack this and quick-fix that. But how do we achieve truly extraordinary productivity?  Join us this week as we tackle the topic of productivity with Kory Kogon. Kory is FranklinCovey’s Global Practice Leader for Productivity focusing her research and content development around time management, project management, and communication skills. She is one of the authors of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity. Kory has been featured on Inc.com and on its “Productivity Playbook” online series, Fast Company.com, Forbes.com, and in Investor’s Business Daily. She has also appeared on NBC’s TODAY with Hoda Kotb and Billy Bush. Utah Magazine honored Kory as one of the “Top 30 Business Women to Watch” in Utah. In 2012 Kory earned a Certificate of NeuroLeadership Foundations from the NeuroLeadership Institute, of which she is an ongoing member. "Time management, project management, and communication skills are the three core competencies in the 21st century for knowledge workers." - Kory Kogon Quotes from Kory:  What we learn in this episode: How to tackle your overloaded email inbox How does the modern employee disengage from work when they are always accessible? How to be more productive The thinking brain vs. the reactive brain Resources: The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity www.thefivechoicesbook.com www.thefivechoices.com http://franklincoveyspeakersbureau.com/speakers/kory-kogon.php -- This episode is brought to you by: SmartThings: Go to http://www.smartthings.com/smartpeople to get 10% off a Home Security Kit or Solution Kit with promo code: SMARTPEOPLE Lynda.com: Do something good for yourself in 2015 and sign up for a FREE 10-day trial to Lynda.com by visiting Lynda.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Markus Kramer - What's in a luxury brand? In this episode we are uncovering the secrets of the world of luxury. For example, how did Apple become the most recognized brand in the world? Why were high heels originally designed for men? And why would anyone EVER pay $5,000,000 for a watch? Learn how luxury brands are able to charge such a premium, and how you can use these same principals to build your business or your own personal brand. Our guest this week is luxury brand expert, Markus Kramer. Markus specializes in helping brands and businesses grow stronger. He advises Boards, Executives and Operational Teams as well as Private Equity and Growth Funds on all aspects of strategic positioning, growth through active brand management, marketing, communication and retail development. Among other things, Markus is known for helping Aston Martin (Global Marketing Director) and Harley-Davidson (Marketing Director EMEA) build, scale and deliver their fascinating brands to more people in more places around the world. Markus is Swiss at heart, an architect by training and holds degrees in Marketing & Brand Management, International Project Management from the University of California in Berkeley (USA) and an MBA from the SAID Business School at the University of Oxford (UK). Markus is fluent in five languages and lives with his wife and three young children on the shores of lake Zurich in Switzerland. "Luxury is a demonstration of social power." - Markus Kramer Quotes from Markus:  What we learn in this episode: What does it mean to be a brand? What defines a luxury brand? Why men invented and wore high heels. How do you improve your brand or the brand of your business? Resources: http://www.markuskramer.net/ http://brandaffairs.com/ -- This episode is brought to you by: SmartThings: Go to http://www.smartthings.com/smartpeople to get 10% off a Home Security Kit or Solution Kit with promo code: SMARTPEOPLE Future Advisor: Let new technology give you complete clarity on all of your investments and a plan to meet your goals sooner - Go to www.futureadvisor.com/smartpeople for your 3 month free premium portfolio management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices