In today’s episode, our guest, Dr. Jonah Berger, a Wharton School professor, best-selling author, and world-renowned expert on word of mouth, and consumer behavior…discusses with Jason and Peter, how his cutting-edge research, revealed the six types of words that can increase your impact… in every area of your life!

These are the “magic words” that salespeople use to convince clients to buy, customer service reps use to increase satisfaction, lawyers use to persuade juries, and you can use, to motivate people do things they otherwise wouldn’t do! 

And by the end of this episode, you’ll understand how, by simply altering your words, you can increase your persuasiveness…by 30%!!!    Really, no Really!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• The 6-types of Magic Words.
• Why Dr. Berger decided to study the power of words.
• The astounding difference between “helping” and “being a helper.”
• Why appealing to our identity is more persuasive than asking for an action.
• The power of evoking certainty.
• Revealing the science of contagion.
• Using language to intentionally manipulate – is that a good or bad thing?
• The difference between “should” vs “could” in motivating creative problem solving.
• What really happens when we ask people for advice.
• What’s the difference between saying a movie, “was good” as opposed to “is good”?
• Googleheim: What were the first ever words?

***

FOLLOW DR BERGER:

Website: jonahberger.com

X: @j1berger

***

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Humans may be sent on a scientific round trip to Mars, potentially as early as 2035. Beyond the technical challenges, the big question is whether human beings would be capable of dealing with the long period of isolation and loneliness necessary to make the journey.

Anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, emotional dysregulation, weakened immune system and even hallucinations and delusions are just some of the effects of isolation; not exactly great traits when sending people to a distant planet. That’s why scientists all over the globe have begun researching isolation in some of the most remote places on Earth.

Dr. Beth Healey is not only one of those scientists…she’s also a research guinea pig who’s studying the effects of extreme isolation in Antarctica at the spaceflight research center ‘Concordia”, otherwise known as ‘White Mars’. Jason and Peter spoke with Dr. Healey about which human traits are best suited for handling long periods of isolation, how she personally deals with isolation and, how befriending a volleyball, like Tom Hanks did in the movie Cast Away… is an actual phenomenon. Really, no Really!

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Who chooses to join an extreme isolation study?
• The personality traits that successful candidates possess.
• 3rd Quarter Syndrome and its effect on male and female participants.
• Dr. Healey discusses the traits, qualifications and abilities that made her a successful White Mars candidate.
• The psychological challenges of isolation.
• What happens to interpersonal relationships with friends and family back home?
• Wilson the volleyball from the Tom Hank’s film “Cast Away” is a real phenomenon.
• Why someone in Antarctica maliciously hid Dr Healey’s gloves? Really???
• GoogleHEIM: We found her glove!

***

FOLLOW BETH:

Website – BethHealey.com

Instagram - @BethAHealey

X - @Bethahealey

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In this episode, actor, producer, author, and screenwriter, Jaleel White, discusses his instant fame playing Steve Urkel and how he dealt with the hostility it caused within his new TV family. He also explains the effect an all-white writing staff had on the all-black cast, and his feelings about Seinfeld and what the sitcom meant to 90’s kids of color. Jaleel also reveals why Family Matters could never exist again, and what happened when a studio boss told him to conceal the man-bulge in an aging Urkel’s pants. Really, no Really!

Jaleel is the winner of 3 NAACP Image Awards and has starred in Big Fat Liar, Sonic the Hedgehog, Grown Ups, and Scooby Doo. Most recently he can be seen on Game Show Network’s “Flip Side” and he will soon be seen on Disney’s, “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew”.

His memoir, “Growing Up Urkel” was released on November 19th of this year.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Jaleel was supposed to play Rudy on the Cosby Show.
• The moment he realized this one-off role had become a sensation!
• The hostility between Jaleel and his on-set family.
• How Jaleel coped with meteoric stardom.
• The unlikely reward Jaleel’s dad promised that motivated Jaleel into creating Urkel.
• Family Matters’ all white writer’s room and the effect it had on the all-black cast.
• Jaleel’s belief on why many child actors were exploited by predators.
• Seinfeld and what it meant to 90’s kids of color.
• What happened to Jaleel when Family Matters was cancelled.
• Wait, Jaleel has a marijuana company?
• What is “Just a Minute with Jaleel White”?
• The surprising book adaptation Jaleel is fighting to produce.
• Google-HEIM: Where did the word “Nerd” come from?

***

FOLLOW JALEEL:

Website: jaleelwhite.com

Instagram: @jaleelwhite

X: @jaleelwhite

Facebook: @jaleelwhite

BOOK: “Growing Up Urkel”

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As of November 2024, recreational cannabis is legal in 24 states and it’s available medically or decriminalized in an additional 20. Clearly, the floodgates have opened, and the normalization of marijuana’s positive efficacy has taken hold. But what do we really know about the effects of pot?

Is there science-based evidence demonstrating what happens after long-term consumption? Is it true that teen emergency room visits are up, suicides and psychotic episodes are up, and schizophrenia is perhaps caused by cannabis? These became very personal questions when Peter realized he had become addicted to cannabis during the pandemic and struggled to stop.

Dr. Bertha Madras, the Director of the Laboratory of Addiction Neurobiology at McLean Hospital, professor of psychobiology at Harvard Medical School and one of nation’s leading experts on marijuana provided answers to all of Jason and Peter’s questions. And if you smoke pot or know someone who does… you may be surprised and shocked by what you’re about to find out. Really, no Really!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• With unprecedented THC levels, marijuana is way more addictive than you think.
• Has cannabis’ use as a pain reliever been oversold?
• Marijuana vs alcohol, the negatives will surprise you.
• Everything in your legally dispensed cannabis you didn’t know about.
• Signs someone you know may be addicted.
• The disturbing connections between schizophrenia and pot.
• Are there definitive studies proving marijuana’s medicinal value?
• The difference between smoking cannabis and edibles.
• Jason’s pot allergy.
• Has the legalization of cannabis set the stage for psychedelics?
• Google-heim: Other legal things we do that are REALLY bad for us!

***

FOLLOW DR. MADRAS:

X: @madras_bertha

***

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What do a bouncer for The Rolling Stones, Elvis, The Wu-Tang Clan and Willie Nelson…an Emergency Veterinarian who had a show on Animal Planet…a People Magazine most available bachelor, and a professional stand-up comedian all have in common? This episode’s guest! Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald is every one of those things… Really, no really!

As a veterinarian, Kevin has assisted in 10 animal expeditions to Antarctica, Mongolia and Manitoba all focused on conservation. He was featured on Emergency Vets and E-Vet Interns for over 11 years on Animal Planet. As an established stand-up comedian, he has opened for Bob Hope, Jeff Foxworthy, George Lopez and Joan Rivers!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• How a mild-mannered kid from Denver bounced for the Stones, Elvis, The Who, Bob Marley, Willie Nelson, Wu-Tang Clan, and even Billy Graham!
• The surprising and effective tricks professional bouncers use to dissuade you from rushing a stage.
• A professional bouncer’s take on the Will Smith slap and how it could have been prevented!
• Kevin reveals Mick Jagger’s little-known and heartwarming, pre-concert ritual.
• The wise words from Keith Richards that transformed Kevin into a veterinarian.
• How Kevin’s 24-hour veterinary practice became a hit Animal Planet show.
• Kevin’s unforgettable encounter with the Crocodile Hunter Steve Erwin 2-weeks before his death.
• Ferrari delivery man, hospital morgue worker: Jason & Peter share some of their oddest jobs.
• What Jason stole from the set and the Seinfeld wardrobe mystery!
• Do we define ourselves by our occupation? What does that mean?

***

FOLLOW KEVIN:

Website: drkevinfitzgerald.com

YouTube: @kevinfitzgerald2456

Facebook: @kevin.t.fitzgerald.1

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Is self-help real or nonsense? Jason and Peter have always been skeptical of the ability for self-help books and seminars to impact and improve a person’s life…they even delved into the comedic aspects of the self-help world with their 2001 ABC sitcom “Bob Patterson.”

So, when they discovered that Judd Apatow…uber successful screenwriter, producer, noted comedian, author and director of a myriad of cultural-defining comedies such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, This is 40, Funny People, Trainwreck and The King of Staten Island was a bit obsessed with the self-help genre… they needed to find out why!

They discuss Judd’s journey to self-help, his unique Ayahuasca experience, and why he writes his comedies as dramas! Really,no Really!!!

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Is self-help real or nonsense?
• How Judd’s parent’s constant fighting enabled him to become a good producer & comedian.
• That one-time Judd took the hallucinogen Ayahuasca in exotic Studio City, CA…
• His comedic choices have become more geriatric as he’s grown older.
• Was he afraid of being cancelled when returning to stand-up?
• The time high-school aged Judd asked Seinfeld to do a SECOND interview!
• Jason and Judd explore how they both came to the entertainment world.
• GoogleHEIM: David shares his Cable Guy faux pas!

***

FOLLOW JUDD:

Website: juddapatow.com

Instagram: @JuddApatow

Buy Tickets: www.juddapatow.com/events

***

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To be successful in business you need to be tough, unrelenting, ruthless…a shark, right? That’s why one of the most successful shows about business is called, “Shark Tank”! But is there a kinder way to dominate the corporate world?

Daniel Lubetzky created his self-made-multi-billions with one overriding agenda – to foster connection, understanding and most importantly, to promote kindness between people who are in conflict. Best known as the founder of KIND Snacks…in this episode he discusses how he almost made a $200 million dollar mistake, what it took to make Kind a successful brand, and his many charitable businesses, where his focus is empowering people to work across social divides, and to create real and lasting relationships.

AND…this kind man, is also the newest member of NBC’s, Shark Tank. Really no really!

***

• IN THIS EPISODE:
• How a billionaire deals with time management…and…ADHD!
• The mistakes that were integral to Danny’s immense success.
• KIND Bars unexpected power to unleash kindness.
• How a soon-to-be billionaire learned when to trust his instincts (and when not to).
• Promoting understanding by dismantling the “us vs. them” and “oppressor/victim” frameworks.
• What attracted a do-gooder to become a Shark?
• What makes a Shark Tank idea investable? HINT: It’s not the product.
• If divisive messages flourish on Mainstream Media, social media and in politics…how do you create a positive message that cuts through?
• Hate and anger fuel online engagement …can humor trump those emotions?
• The one thing Jason disagrees with Daniel on.
• GoogleHEIM: Inspiring and easy ways to spread kindness!

***

FOLLOW DANIEL:

Website: daniellubetzky.com

Instagram: @DanielLubetzky

YouTube: @DanielLubetzkyOfficial

TikTok: @DanielLubetzky

X: @DanielLubetzky  

Facebook: Daniel Lubetzky

Builders Movement

***

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A violent undiagnosed aneurysm should have killed Sebastian Junger, a war reporter, a best-selling author, and an Academy Award winning documentarian. Junger came as close as anyone we know to dying, but he returned from the abyss and reveals what it was like.

For years Jason and Peter have heard about so-called NDE’s – near-death experiences where the clinically dead - miraculously resuscitated - come back to life with eerily familiar stories. Whether it’s long-dead relatives speaking to them from the afterlife, or encountering an enormous tunnel, illuminated by a brilliant, welcoming light…. are these stories evidence of a “Great Beyond”, or simply wild spasms of a dying brain? After Junger’s NDE, he launched an investigation and uncovered a possible third answer that may expand our understanding of the universe itself. Really, no really.

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

• The visions he saw that changed his conception of the universe.
• Who encouraged him toward the void?
• What causes similar near-death experiences… God or spasms of a dying brain?
• Panpsychism: A scientific explanation of a possible and universal post-life existence.
• Anxiety, derealization & depression, why Sebastian Junger doubted he was alive.
• He was an atheist…now?
• Jason and Peter share their out of body experiences.
• Googleheim: Other things we just can’t know.

*** 

FOLLOW SEBASTIAN:

His latest book: In My Time of Dying: How I came face to face with the idea of an afterlife

Website: SebastianJunger.com

Instagram: @SebastianJungerOfficial

X: @sebastianjunger

Facebook: @SebastianJunger

***

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There is a growing phenomenon in the world of extreme fighting you might not be aware of. Of course there’s boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts… but for people who want something more dangerous, more brutal…a sport that affords an opportunity to hit…or be hit with a sword, a mace, or even a battle axe - there’s now…Medieval Fighting! Really, no really!

Jason and Peter wondered why seemingly average Joes would spend thousands of dollars on armor and 14th century weaponry and travel the globe for an opportunity to fight in this brutal way. So, they turned to Simon Rohrich, a multiple world champion and expert in Medieval Fighting.

By day, Simon is an Arizona based inventor and technology consultant… but his other persona is, Baron Josef Donnerbauch, who is proficient in staff, axe and longsword armored combat, close quarters fighting, and grappling. He discusses the growing appeal of Medieval Fighting, how it may help war veterans suffering from PTSD, and what it felt like to have a large axe imbedded in his skull!

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

• What exactly is Medieval Fighting and what are the rules?
• Rumors of infiltration by the Russian mob.
• Prize money?
• How protective is the hardened steel armor?
• That time an axe ended up lodged in Simon’s skull.
• What draws someone to this sport? Spoiler Alert: Trauma awaits ye!
• How this sport may help war veterans dealing with PTSD.
• Who’s tougher… Jason or Peter (The analysis might surprise you)
• GoogleHEIM: Medieval myths debunked!

***

FOLLOW SIMON:

Website: simonrohrich.com

Instagram: @SimonRohrich

YouTube: @axemaster

X: @SimonRinventor

***

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In 2020 "keto" was the most Googled food-related topic in the world. More than 23 million Americans have been on the ketogenic diet, yet many of the foods on the keto diet have been linked to heart disease, stroke, and other illnesses. So…is the ketogenic diet harming us or leading us to a healthy, buttery, red meat “promised land”? In this episode we attempt to get the answer. Really, no really!

Jason and to a lesser extent Peter have struggled with weight their entire lives. Jason can personally attest to his individual success/fail ratio on a multitude of diets AND his previous flirtation with the keto diet… which left him weighing less but with kidney stones and gout!

Dr. Ken Berry, a board-certified family physician, speaker and author based near Nashville, Tennessee whose focus is on the chronic diseases caused by the Standard American Diet and Lifestyle joins Jason and Peter to explain the benefits and to discuss the potential issues with the keto diet and its relationship to type 2 Diabetes, chronic inflammation, dementia and …keto crotch!

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why keto may be the diet for almost everybody.
• Can the Keto diet help: obesity – hypertension - metabolic syndrome - fatty liver - heart disease – hypertension - type 1 or 2 diabetes - pre-diabetes?
• Bad breath? Keto flu? Odorless flatulence?
• Who shouldn’t try the keto diet.
• Eggs every day?
• Is veganism unhealthy?
• What happens when a carnivore dieter eats cake?
• Calories don’t matter. Really?
• Ozempic, Wegovy – enemies or part of the healing process?
• Keto cookies, keto supplements, keto bread, keto shakes – STAY AWAY!!!!
• Google-heim: Is Keto Crotch real…we investigate!

***

FOLLOW DR. BERRY:

Instagram: @KenDBerry.md

YouTube: @KenDBerrymd

Facebook @KenDBerry.md

***

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Many industries, including toy and game makers, are increasingly depending on crowdsourcing for fresh ideas and to help decide what products to make. Outsourcing creativity to the masses can offer valuable feedback… but that data can also be misinterpreted, misunderstood or provide just-plain-bogus ideas.

The annual toy business in the United States is a $100 billion-dollar industry. It’s by far the biggest toy market in the world, but apparently the “titans of toys” are out of ideas. So now, their attitude about creating new “stuff” has shifted to an attitude of – you know what - you do it!  Really, no really!

To breakdown the inner workings of today’s toy and game world, Jason and Peter turned to an old friend, David Fuhrer who has created and licensed more than 300 toys, games, and household products, generating retail sales of over $1 billion dollars. These include iconic products such as Nerf Vortex Football, Aqua Doodle, Twisty Petz, Guitar Hero Air Guitar, Bounce Around Tigger, Hershey’s S’mores Maker, and more. AND…he’s also the Guinness World Record holder for being the fastest backwards talker. Really, no Really.

***

IN THIS EPISODE:

• 24 toy companies rejected one of the best-selling toys!
• How does an idea become a product, solve an everyday problem or innovate a classic?
• In 2024 is it possible to successfully pitch a Beanie Baby-like idea?
• The billion-dollar idea for a Tailor Swift product.
• The surprising new trends in toys and games.
• Why physical games and puzzles have made a comeback.
• How do crowd sourced ideas pay off for the idea creators?
• How David’s “backward talking” launched a career.
• We challenged David to translate classic Seinfeld lines…backwards.
• The deadliest toys ever put on the market!
• Googleheim: Test your toy knowledge!

***

FOLLOW DAVID:

X: @funanuf123

***

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