Best of SYSK Volume 3

Eye contact can be tricky. Too little can make you seem bored or distracted. Too much can get uncomfortable fast. So what is the right amount? This episode begins with some fascinating research on eye...

5 Sep 48min

Want to significantly improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep? There is one surprisingly simple thing you can do during the day that may actually help you sleep better that night. And no,...

3 Sep 49min

Processed food has gotten a pretty terrible reputation. We’re warned to avoid foods with long ingredient lists, mysterious additives and chemical names we can’t pronounce. “Ultra-processed” has practi...

1 Sep 23min

Ever notice that the trip home often seems shorter than the trip there—even when the distance and travel time are exactly the same? It happens so often that researchers have given it a name: the “retu...

31 Aug 50min

You probably know that light, noise, temperature and stress can all interfere with your sleep. But what about the moon? Strange as it sounds, some research suggests people really do sleep differently ...

29 Aug 49min

If you have a goal you really want to accomplish, when you start may matter more than you think. January 1st gets all the attention, but there are other dates and occasions that can give you a surpris...

27 Aug 46min

It seems like paying attention should be easy. Yet for many of us, it has become one of the hardest things to do. We start reading an article and suddenly we're checking email. We pick up our phone to...

25 Aug 24min

Have you ever caught yourself saying, "It smells like rain"? It turns out that distinctive scent is very real—and it's not your imagination. Scientists know exactly where it comes from, why some peopl...

24 Aug 50min