Smart People Podcast

Few people have had a better perspective on the rise of the "technology revolution" than our guest this week, Kevin Kelly. As a young hippie backpacking his way around the world, Kevin aspired to make art and to learn about the world. By his own admission, he disliked most technologies, especially the computer - which was a large, clunky, useless machine. However, when he snuck his way into one of the earliest groups to try out the internet, he realized that the world was about to change in a big way and he wanted a front row ticket. Soon after, in 1993 Kevin co-founded Wired Magazine and they have been predicting the future ever since. Kevin is the author of the new book, Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities.  Kevin Kelly is Senior Maverick at Wired magazine. He co-founded Wired in 1993, and served as its Executive Editor from its inception until 1999. He has just completed a book for Viking/Penguin publishers called "What Technology Wants," due out in the Fall 2010. He is also editor and publisher of the Cool Tools website, which gets half a million unique visitors per month. From 1984-1990 Kelly was publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review, a journal of unorthodox technical news. He co-founded the ongoing Hackers' Conference, and was involved with the launch of the WELL, a pioneering online service started in 1985. He authored the best-selling New Rules for the New Economy and the classic book on decentralized emergent systems, Out of Control. "I remember saying to myself that I'll just pretend that I'm a millionaire. I'll just pretend that I have the money that I need and I'll act as if money is not the constraint, but other things are." - Kevin Kelly Quotes from Kevin:  What we learn in this episode: How to live like a creative. How did Wired magazine get started? How does mastery play a role in passion? What does the future of information look like? Resources: Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities www.kk.org Twitter: @kevin2kelly -- 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

Tiffani Lennon - Are women better? Although we like to think that we are an equal opportunity economy, the glass ceiling still very much exists.  As a matter of fact, in 2011, women ran only 12 of the Fortune 500 companies. So how does this impact our ability to compete in a global environment? If women aren't given an equal chance to succeed, aren't we missing out on half of the talented people in the country? As a matter of fact, it's worse than that. According to our guest this week, the data shows that women are outperforming men across the board - and it's time we recognize them for it. This week we speak with Tiffani Lennon, author of the new book, Recognizing Women's Leadership: Strategies and Best Practices for Employing Excellence. Recently named a finalist for the Denver Business Journal Power Book's Power List Award, Tiffani Lennon has shown leadership, program innovation, subject matter expertise, and an entrepreneurial spirit that drives her involvement in academia and business. During the past 10 years, Tiffani has engaged in roles focused in the areas of business and economic development, strategic planning, outreach and engagement, acquisition, policy and legislative analysis and continuous performance improvement. Tiffani attended the University of London’s Birkbeck College of Law and completed an LL.M. degree in International Economic Law and Development. Complementing her already-impressive academic credentials, her strengths as a consultant sit on a solid foundation of education including a Master’s degree, a Juris Doctor, and now, an LL.M. degree. s. "In most of our modern history we have valued and favored that which is masculine." - Tiffani Lennon Quotes from Tiffani:  What we learn in this episode: What does the "glass ceiling" look like today? What is the talent gap? How do we hire talent, regardless of the sex? Resources: Recognizing Women's Leadership: Strategies and Best Practices for Employing Excellence https://portfolio.du.edu/TLENNON -- This episode is brought to you by: Shari's Berries: Go to Shari's Berries Get an amazing Valentine’s Day deal: Giant, juicy, freshly dipped strawberries – starting at $19.99! Or double the berries for $10 more! 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

Just as polio loomed over the 1950s, and AIDS stalked the 1980s and ’90s, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) haunts us in the early years of the twenty-first century. Over a decade into the United States’ “global war on terror,” PTSD afflicts as many as 30 percent of the conflict’s veterans. But the disorder’s reach extends far beyond the armed forces. In total, some twenty-seven million Americans are believed to be PTSD survivors. Yet to many of us, the disorder remains shrouded in mystery, secrecy, and shame. This week we speak with David Morris, former Marine turned war correspondent. While on assignment, David's humvee was hit by an IED (improvised explosive device) and his life was forever changed.  In this episode we discuss America's hunger for violence, the effect of war movies on our nation (specifically we discuss the newest blockbuster - American Sniper), the truth about PTSD, and much more.  David is the author of the brand new best-selling book, The Evil Hours: A Biography of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  David Morris is a former Marine infantry officer. He worked in Iraq from 2004 to 2007 as a reporter for Salon and the Virginia Quarterly Review. His story “The Big Suck: Notes from the Jarhead Underground” was originally published in VQR and was included in The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2007. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Slate, The Daily Beast, The Los Angeles Times and elsewhere. In 2008 Morris was awarded a creative nonfiction fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as residencies at The MacDowell Colony and the Norman Mailer Writers Colony in Provincetown, Massachusetts.  "The only people who don't think that America has an empire are Americans." - David Morris Quotes from David:  What we learn in this episode: What is the mental and physical toll that war takes on a soldier? How are war movies distorting our feelings towards war and violence? What should the average person understand about post-traumatic stress disorder? Resources: The Evil Hours: A Biography of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder www.theevilhours.com New York Times Article by David Morris -- This episode is brought to you by: Shari's Berries: Go to Shari's Berries Get an amazing Valentine’s Day deal: Giant, juicy, freshly dipped strawberries – starting at $19.99! Or double the berries for $10 more! 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. Need suggestions? Try these:  Getting things done - Lynda.com Breaking out of a rut - Lynda.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erica Peitler - How to Lead. The simple truth is that how you lead is the precursor to what you can achieve, yet it is often underestimated or dismissed. The need to leverage the talents of those around you is a defining trait of the successful. But what is the best way to lead? And how can you manage the various personalities of people you work with on a daily basis? This week we talk to leadership expert, consultant, and coach Erica Peitler as she tells us how to lead in a way that inspires others to be the best version of themselves. Erica is the author of Leadership Rigor: Breakthrough Performance and Productivity - Leading Yourself, Teams and Organizations. Erica Peitler is a Leadership Performance Coach who courageously partners with individuals, teams and organizations who want to realize their visions of success by transforming their leadership potential into visible, on the ground, breakthrough leadership performance! A corporate healthcare executive with over 20 years of leadership experience running large operational divisions, brands/portfolios, board level strategic growth initiatives and global R&D organizations, Erica has been selected throughout her professional career to lead, grow, create and transform business, teams and organizations. In 2007, Erica founded her own coaching and consulting firm so that she could share her breakthrough leadership insights, models/frameworks and skill building approaches with highly motivated organizations and leaders looking to make a real and meaningful difference in their work through leadership. "There are two things we have to be great at as leaders: communication and relationships." - Erica Peitler Quotes from Erica: What we learn in this episode: How can a leader utilize better communication skills? What language is necessary? Why you are a leader and don't even know it. Why leaders need to understand various personalities. What is the most common barrier most executives face? Resources: Leadership Rigor: Breakthrough Performance and Productivity - Leading Yourself, Teams and Organizations http://ericapeitler.com/ @EricaPeitler -- 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Birss - How to be creative. Creativity is surrounded by such mystique. It seemed so magical to the ancient Greeks that they attributed the moment of inspiration to muses rather than people. And in our modern work environment, regardless of your job title you are continually being asked to come up with creative solutions to new, complex problems. That's why it's important to understand that there is such thing as the creative process, and there's also a way to get it wrong. This week on the show, we interview creativity expert Dave Birss, and we ask him to teach us how to maximize our creativity in order to succeed in this constantly evolving economic landscape. Dave is the author of the bestselling book, A User Guide to the Creative Mind: Understanding Where Ideas Come From and Helping You Have More of Them. He is also a former VP at one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, a sought after speaker and consultant, and he's recently launched a brand new web series called DayBeforeTomorrow.tv. **The Kindle version of his book is currently $1.50 for a short period of time - don't miss out!** "I want to be the most interesting person in the old-folks home. I want to have more interesting stories than any of the other wrinkly old 'gits' around me." - Dave Birss Quotes from Dave Birss:  What we learn in this episode: How to multitask What is "Western Creativity" and why Dave believes we need to look at it differently. How do you enhance creativity in yourself and in a team? What is the first part of the creative process? Resources: A User Guide to the Creative Mind: Understanding Where Ideas Come From and Helping You Have More of Them DayBeforeTomorrow.tv Dave's Personal Website Alcohol and Creativity....what? Check this out. @davebirss Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Smart People Podcast we are helping you get lucky... wait a second. Richard Wiseman bring us a groundbreaking new scientific study of the phenomenon of luck and the ways we can bring good luck into our lives. What is luck? A psychic gift or a question of intelligence? And what is it that lucky people have that unlucky people lack? Psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman put luck under a scientific microscope for the very first time in his book, The Luck Factor: Changing your Luck, Changing your Life, The Four Essential Principals , examining the different ways in which lucky and unlucky people think and behave. After three years of intensive interviews and experiments with over 400 volunteers, Wiseman arrived at an astonishing conclusion: Luck is something that can be learned. It is available to anyone willing to pay attention to the Four Essential Principles: Creating Chance Opportunities Thinking Lucky Feeling Lucky Denying Fate This and other topics covered in our interview this week with Richard.  Richard Wiseman began his working life as a professional magician and currently holds Britain’s only Professorship in the Public Understanding of Psychology (University of Hertfordshire).  He researches the psychology of luck, change, perception and deception, and his work has been published in leading academic journals. Richard has written several bestselling books (including The Luck Factor, Quirkology, and 59 Seconds) and has delivered keynote addresses to organisations across the world (including The Swiss Economic Forum, Google and Amazon). He was listed in the Independent On Sunday’s top 100 people who make Britain a better place to live, and has acted as a creative consultant to Derren Brown, The MythBusters, and Heston Blumenthal. Richard is the most followed British psychologist on Twitter, his YouTube channel has received over 300 million views, and one Scientific American columnist described him as  ‘….the most interesting and innovative experimental psychologist in the world today’. "The concept of luck is very straightforward.  Some people notice opportunities and others don't." - Richard Wiseman Quotes from Richard Wiseman:  What we learn in this episode: What is the best way to brainstorm? How do you increase your luck? Do lucky people know if and why they are lucky? Resources: The Luck Factor https://www.youtube.com/user/Quirkology http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, the hosts of the show look back on 2014 by putting together clips from their favorite episodes of the past year.  From free diving and philanthropy, to physics and education, we covered a lot of ground last year on Smart People Podcast, and this episode is your highlight reel. Enjoy and Happy New Year! Chris's favorite episodes of 2014: Episode 151 - Roger Hamilton Episode 139 - Gerald Chertavian Episode 155 - Josh Shenk Episode 150 - James Nestor Episode 157 - Collis Ta'eed Episode 168 - Peter Buffett Episode 149 - Simon Sinek Jon's favorite episodes of 2014: Episode 132 - Corinne Woods Episode 133 - Michio Kaku Episode 161 - Ed Hess Episode 137 - Tony Stubblebine Episode 135 - Andrew Yang Episode 130 - Carmine Gallo Episode 136 - Kevin Roose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Lee Esty - Conquering Concussion. What do Henry VIII, Mary Todd Lincoln, Howard Hughes, and Elvis Presley have in common? They suffered traumatic brain injuries that had a significant impact on their lives, and perhaps the course of history. Concussions are a hot topic these days, specifically due to the recent findings of the impact of head injuries on professional football players.  However, many don't realize that concussions and other traumatic brain injuries (TBI's) affect many people and can have a lifelong effect on ones health. In fact, the recent surge in combat veterans incurring TBI's during combat has led to a lot of new research and a much better understanding of exactly what is going on during and after suffering a head injury.  This week on the show we interview Dr. Mary Lee Esty, president of the Brain Wellness and Biofeedback Center of Washington and author of the new book, Conquering Concussion: Healing TBI Symptoms With Neurofeedback and Without Drugs. Dr. Esty is a social worker with a doctorate in health psychology. She is a recognized Senior Fellow in Biofeedback and EEG Biofeedback with the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance. She also has published peer-reviewed research on traumatic brain injury starting with an NIH-funded study published in 2001 in The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, and a 2012 study with Iraq/Afghanistan veterans with TBI and PTSD in The Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences. Over the past 19 years Dr. Esty has treated more than 2,000 clients with a wide variety of conditions. Current research includes a study with the military medical school evaluating the efficacy of Neurofeedback on TBI and PTSD.  "A concussion depends upon acceleration and sudden deceleration.  When this happens the brain gets tossed around in the skull, because it floats." - Mary Lee Esty Quotes from Mary Lee Esty:  What we learn in this episode: What occupation is the most likely to incur a traumatic brain injury (and it's not sports!) What is neurofeedback and how can it be used to treat concussions? A better understanding of sub-concussions What are common symptoms of concussion? Resources: Conquering Concussion: Healing TBI Symptoms With Neurofeedback and Without Drugs http://www.brainwellnessandbiofeedback.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane Harris - Cyber warfare is the greatest threat to national security. @War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex "Readers will squirm as they learn how every communications enterprise (Google, AT&T, Verizon, Facebook) cooperates with the national security establishment. Harris delivers a convincing account of the terrible cyber-disasters that loom, and the intrusive nature of the fight to prevent them." -Publishers Weekly The United States military currently views cyberspace as the “fifth domain” of warfare (alongside land, air, sea, and space), and the Department of Defense, the National Security Agency, and the CIA all field teams of hackers who can, and do, launch computer virus strikes against enemy targets. In fact, U.S. hackers were crucial to our victory in Iraq. In this episode of Smart People Podcast, author and journalist Shane Harris takes us to the front lines of America’s new cyber war as we discuss his newest book, @War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex.  As recent revelations have shown, government agencies are joining with tech giants like Google and Facebook to collect vast amounts of information. The military has also formed a new alliance with tech and finance companies to patrol cyberspace, and Harris offers a deeper glimpse into this partnership than we have ever seen before. Finally, Harris explains what the new cyber security regime means for all of us, who spend our daily lives bound to the Internet — and are vulnerable to its dangers. Shane Harris is a Sr. Intelligence and National Security Correspondent for The Daily Beast and an ASU Future of War Fellow at the New America Foundation. Prior to joining The Daily Beast, Shane was a senior writer at Foreign Policy magazine. He has also written for Washingtonian Magazine, the National Journal and Government Executive Magazine. Shane is the 2010 winner of the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense. He has been a finalist four times for the Livingston Awards for Young Journalists, which honor the best reporters in America under 35. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a B.A. in Politics in 1998. "China is taking thousands and thousands of hackers working around the clock and trying to break into as many corporations and government agencies in the US as they possibly can." - Shane Harris Quotes from Shane Harris:  What we learn in this episode: What are the origins of the military internet complex? What was the beginning of cyber warfare?  What kind of data is the government allowed to gather and what protection do citizens have? What information are the Chinese targeting when they hack into corporate networks? Resources: @War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex http://shaneharris.com/ The Daily Beast Twitter @shaneharris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are smart drugs? Can you supplement your way to genius? These are primary burning questions I was anxious to ask my guest this week, Dr. Andrew Hill.  You see, Dr. Hill received his PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from UCLA in 2012, studying how attention operates in the brain. He is also the director of the Alternatives Brain Institute, where they help clients look at their brain function as well as examine how their mind works, and work with them to build strengths and resources, flexibility, and better performance. Sounds pretty rad. But the kicker is this. Dr. Hill is the lead Neuroscientist for a new startup called truBrain, a company with a mission to help optimize your productivity and efficiency without relying on excess caffeine or prescription medication. They are creating a new type of energy drink! One devoid of the useless sugars, caffeine, and wasted crap and they are replacing it with .... nootropics.  Little drink packages that remind me very much of the old school kool-aid packages.  And in these packages there is a promise of mental clarity, calm energy, productivity, memory increase, and more! Could it be true? If so, someone needs to alert all of the college kids who are popping way too many adderalls.   Well - let's find out! Can these supplements make you amazing, smarter, better, faster? "Nootropics are analogous to vigilance promoting drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin. The difference is nootropics aren't used to remediate a specific problem, they are used to enhance existing cognition." -Dr. Hill Quotes from Andrew Hill:  What we learn in this episode: What's the best drug to take if you just want to feel happy all the time? (Please note, we do not recommend this option). Does neurofeedback work? And when is it useful? Can you diagnose ADHD with neurofeedback? How useful are smart drugs? Do they really work? Resources: trubrain.com/smartpeople www.alternativesbh.com -- Episode Special! Our friends at truBRAIN are offering $20 off of a $50 trial kit. Use the offer code smart20 or use our link: trubrain.com/smartpeople Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices