The You Project

It might not sound like a fun episode, but it was. Gillespo and I explore the reason why cancer rates among young people are on the climb, the impact that high sugar and low nutrition food can have on things like cognitive function and certain neurological conditions, finding healthy sauces that don't contain seed oils (good luck), the difference in lifespan over the last two hundred years, and lots more. Oh yeah, we also test Tiff's real-time research skills and let's just say that she had a mixed bag of results (lol). Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener...

This could go well or not, but you don’t know if you don’t have a go, so I’ve decided to do a teaching series (of sorts) where, once a week or so, I will drop a solo ep. into the TYP mix. Not so much an inspiration or entertainment offering, as it is a sharing of science, coaching and let’s be honest, me thinking out loud about stuff that fascinates me and drives me to understand more about the human experience. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is happiness anyway? Is my version of happiness the same as yours? Can we consciously create it, or is it an unintentional byproduct of doing certain things and being a certain way? Can it be a permanent state, or is it transient? Is it a single thing or is it a combination of things? Is happiness a good goal? Is it about what’s happening around me, in my external world, or is it about what’s happening within me, in my internal world? Is it about the intersection of both worlds? Will two people in the same stat...

Dr. Sam Casey (PhD.) and I were having a fine chat on this episode about trauma informed therapy, overcoming stagnation, the challenges of parenting (for both parent and child) and then somehow, we fell into a version of a coaching session with Dr. Sam - all about how she can get more bang for her buck in the gym. Yes, two very divergent topics indeed. She stepped into the Client role and I put on my Exercise Science hat and we went on a quest to produce better results with her workouts. This was fun. Enjoy.

See...

When people ask me what I do for a job, I often say “I help people change”, which I know is a very broad and vague answer, but it’s also pretty true. People ask me “change what?” and I say everything from choices, actions, behaviours, outcomes, career, lifestyle, mindset, health and even, identity. But how helpful am I, how effective am I as a coach, speaker and writer, and behind the razzle-dazzle of personal development and motivational hyperbole, what is our actual capacity for lasting transformation? This was a fun chat with Bobby and Tiff. Enjoy.

See omnyst...

Gillespo is back and this time we talk about the alarming rise of violence and other crimes in a culture where people seem to have less impulse control than ever before. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Bill Sullivan is back at TYP and this was a fascinating conversation about brand-new research suggesting that there is another component to depression, other than just brain chemistry. Knowing that about a third of people suffering with depression don’t respond positively to SSRI’s and the like, for some people, this new scientific insight and awareness might be life changing. This is definitely an episode where I learned as much as you will. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tai Chi-loving, rural-living, tech-obsessed, fifty-year-old-man-child-geek is back, supported by the host-with-the-most (issues), and the strangely muscular, inspirational and let's be honest, periodically (often?) hangry, Tiff. I won't go into specifics but we took yet another deep dive into a broad range of fascinating topics and issues. As we do. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our favourite neurological surgeon - turned regenerative (not degenerative) medicine specialist - Dr Jeff Gross - is back at TYP and we go deep on GLP-1s (specifically, Retatrutide), anti-ageing, recognising pseudo science, the hysteria and damage caused by the Covid years, the origin story of Jeff’s medical career and his subsequent shift away from traditional medicine, putting down the medical ‘Kool Aid’, the rise and evolution of anti-ageing and we talk about his personal health regime and protocol. Which by the way, is fascinating and extensive. Enjoy. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It dawned on me that three years down the track, I still didn’t really understand how David Gillespie ‘works’. I’ve known him for years but we’ve never actually met in person, and so I’ve never really chatted with him ‘about’ him - so to speak. Turns out, he’s fascinating. This was a very different conversation to our typical episodes, but it’s honestly one of my favourites. Maybe top three all time. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I actually loved this conversation with Tiff. It started out with about ten minutes of silliness (albeit scientifically insightful), but then we had a fascinating chat about emotional regulation, self-awareness, understanding the feelings that drive our choices and behaviours, and we finished off with a deep but valuable discussion about navigating grief.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode Dr Lillian Nejad and I [and Tiff] took a deep dive into the idea of reading people and whether or not it's an actual skill that can be trained, developed and mastered, or whether it's just a social construct, and a story that we tell ourselves about some perceived social and psychological superpower. Along the way we talk about micro expressions, body language, understanding emotions, context, circumstances, environment and a few more scientific-sounding things like theory of mind, metacognition, meta-perception, nonverbal communication, impression formation, social perception, social intelligence and situational awareness. I think this is a...

I was recently on the Performance Intelligence podcast with the fabulous Andrew May, so this episode is not so much on original TYP, but rather a co-share - a conversation I had with Andrew a week or two back. To be honest, there may be some repetition from previous podcasts you’ve heard from me (can’t really remember), but it’s always interesting being the interviewee not the interviewer. Enjoy.

andrewmay.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hearing is the physiological process of detecting sound. It’s passive. If your ears work and sound waves reach them, you hear. Listening on the other hand, is the cognitive and psychological process of paying attention to, interpreting, understanding, evaluating, and responding to what you hear. It’s active and intentional. In this episode, Bobby, Tiff and myself talk about the science of being a good listener. I love this chat because it’s relevant and helpful for all of us, and a superpower for those of us wanting to excel in communication. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listen...

I loved this conversation with highly renowned American psychologist, Professor Barry Schwartz. I still have to pinch myself sometimes with the quality of guests that join me for a chat, brilliant people from all over the world. As per the title, we chatted about the gap between wisdom and intelligence - knowing things and how effectively we use that knowledge. We talk about the decisions that we make, big and small, and also the decisions that we don't make, that we could and should. We talk about all the places that echo chambers dominate and thrive in Religion, Science...

Patrick’s back for another chat on TYP and as always, we had fun. This time we talk about the increasing number of people using AI to make themselves look younger, more muscular and in general, more aesthetically pleasing (in their mind anyway). We chat about people falling in love with AI, which of course - and not surprisingly - ended in a discussion around sex bots. Yuck. We spoke about the idea of transhumanism - people becoming a fusion of biology and technology - and the potential consequences of this pursuit. Scientists using wool as a material to he...

The title is an expression that came out of David Gillespie‘s mouth mid conversation. For him, an unretrievable faux pas and for me, near the very top of my all-time funny moments on a podcast. We covered quite a range of topics in this chat, but maybe the most interesting is David’s claim that the science does not support salt’s bad reputation. In fact, quite the opposite. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Of course I’m fascinated with communication, it’s literally my job. Becoming an effective, if not elite communicator, has been a lifelong goal. Clearly, I’m not there yet. In this fun conversation, Bobby and I share a few stories, unpack some of the science around effective communication and share our personal thoughts about what does and doesn’t work. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tiff, Scott and myself sit down to discuss the ins-and-outs (pun intended), of new relationships. This is very much a conversation (focused mostly on their relatively new status) and is in no way, intended to be any kind of relationship advice or coaching. In fact, you might learn what not to do. LOL. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The very handsome, clever, charismatic and charming Dr. Cam is back at TYP Central, and this time we talk about how to live, not just longer, but how to live well - for longer. Fit, strong, healthy, functional, and full of energy. We discuss the eight factors that we believe move the needle the most in the health span equation. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Among many other things, Chris Rhyss Edwards and I discuss the real-world reality of living our best life, self-optimisation, self-awareness, understand how 'we' work (individually), identifying weakness and flaws, and building an existence based around who and how we want to be, and what we want to achieve. **Chris Rhyss is an Australian army veteran, acclaimed author, and innovative researcher dedicated to sparking transformative dialogue and pioneering technological solutions. With a rich background that spans a decade of military service, influential writing, and breakthrough achievements in health-tech, Chris explores the dynamic intersection of human resilience, emerging technologies, mental health...

My weird little brother from another mother (Bobby) is back at TYP Central and this time, we talk about the things that AI can’t do and probably won’t be able to do in the future. In a time where there is so much uncertainty and fear about the role technology will play in the future and the impact it will have on humanity, do we really need to hit the panic button or will we be okay?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know those movies that leave you feeling a bit sad, a bit inspired, a bit emotionally exhausted and a bit hopeful? Well, this podcast with the inspiring Katrina Umback is one of those movies. Well, a podcast equivalent, anyway. I could tell you more but I don’t want to ruin it for any of you. It’s definitely one of my favourite conversations this year. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The always fabulous and fascinating Dr Bill Sullivan is back at TYP Central and this time we speak about the world of scientific research, reason and funding, who makes great science communicators and why, fake science and conspiracy theories, Dr. Bill’s biggest discoveries as a researcher, a dangerous parasite that currently finds a biological home in 30 to 50% of the global population (what!!), and lots more. Enjoy. Or panic. Lol.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Sam Casey is back at TYP Central and even as a non-parent I found this conversation fascinating for a bunch of reasons. We talk about the multitude of challenges in parenting and the impact that our own habits, patterns, actions, rituals, communication and personal weirdness can have on our kids, even without us knowing or trying.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patrick's back at TYP and this time we talk about removing micro plastics from our water, why our Smart Watch might be contributing to our anxiety, the use of Al in psychiatry, the pros and cons of charging your electric car, the VR experiment where scientists change people's brain by giving them virtual wings, brain stimulating contact lenses that reduce depression, and lots more. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fabulous Bobby is back at TYP dropping a few bombs, sharing the knowledge and sharing the love. This time we continue the conversation trying to understand the human experience, how others work and perhaps more importantly, how we work.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some old dude (Socrates) told the world a coupla thousand years ago (400ish BC) that "the begging of wisdom is to know thyself", so it's clear that the whole - trying to figure out who the-fuck we are, and why the-fuck we are the way we are - is not a new human endeavour. This time on TYP, the very brilliant, charming and accomplished Professor Beau Lotto and the mildly-competent me, continue the exploration. Beau is an American neuroscientist, author, entrepreneur and keynote speaker best known for his work on perception, uncertainty, creativity and human behaviour. He's a visiting...

Eggs sure have taken a beating over the years (see what I did there?). This is a fun one with Gillespo (the nutritional kill joy) where we unpack the BS surrounding the 'healthy' heart tick, the more current 'health star rating system', and lots more.Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been a rough week on Planet Harps, as I’m sure it has (is) for many of you. This might be a self-indulgent download or it might be a different TYP conversation that helps a few of you.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The You Project, we explore one of the most misunderstood human emotions: fear. In a culture obsessed with "fearlessness," we often treat fear like a flaw, weakness or personal failure. But what if fear isn't the enemy at all? What if it's actually an important and protective part of the intelligence of being human?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This time around, Tiff has a humble brag about her double bodyweight deadlift, Bobby unpacks the firsthand experience of living with Tourette's, we talk about the aversion some women still have to strength training and why, we discuss where we each sit on the introvert-extrovert scale, I talk about my one-off panic attack, the challenge of training with an ageing body gets a mention and the idea of keeping our brain in shape - if not, improving - over fifty, and lots more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many cults don't look like cults, and many cult members would never consider themselves to be members. Most people think cults happen somewhere else... to other people. But cult-like dynamics can emerge almost anywhere humans gather around identity, certainty, emotion and power. In this episode, I explore the psychology of cults, coercive control groups and modern tribalism - from religion and politics to wellness culture, online communities and self-help movements. Why do intelligent people get pulled into unhealthy systems? How does manipulation happen gradually? And why are humans so vulnerable to certainty, belonging and charismatic leadership?

See...

Dr. Sam is back and this time we chat about the impact of parents arguing in front of their kids, whether boredom is necessarily a bad thing, thoughts about toddlers and screens, the idea that the risk of tech-addiction is 'dose dependent', why letting kids experience a degree of risk, discomfort and uncertainty to build confidence, resilience and adaptability is okay, psychological safety vs. psychological flexibility and lots more. **Dr Sam Casey is a Registered Play Therapist, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, has a PhD in Psychology and has spent over twenty years working with children and families. She's...

The TYP Circus led by Patrick and Tiff is back in town with all its irreverence, misinformation, exaggeration and a sprinkling of legitimate information. Strangely, some people like this fortnightly extravaganza the most.
Weird. Anyway, this time we talk about perv glasses (with cameras), the comeback of records, CD's and DVD's, a new material that 'self-repairs', new cars with actual knobs and buttons, medical self-diagnosing with Al, humanoid robots working as ground handlers at airports, switching from plastic to hemp and lots more.

Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you noticed how 'bendy' time is? Well, seems to be? I call this "the perceptual juxtaposition of time." Why does an hour of something that sucks feel like a f**king month but an awesome two-week holiday simply 'goes too fast?' In this solo episode, I explore the practical objective reality of time (a constant), how fast or slow it 'feels' to us (a subjective experience) and why (and how) this happens. A bit of psychology, a smattering of neurobiology and some general conversational meandering. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The thinking behind the title is revealed during this convo when Gillespo makes a never-heard-before verbal stumble - and I couldn't have been happier (lol). Among the general Tiff-Dave-Craig chit-chat, we manage to talk about how Australia is now the second-highest consumer of methamphetamine (meth) in the world, what's driving it, how it happened and what we might do about it. FYI, last year Aussies consumed 523 million doses of meth at a cost of $11 billion!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm a big note writer. It's how my mind and my process works. It's a theoretical starting point that might turn into something bigger. Like a book. Or podcast. Or workshop. Or post. Or keynote (address). Or project. I'm always having a lightbulb that needs to get out of my head, onto a screen and into a document ASAP. I have literally thousands of notes, ideas, questions, themes and concepts stored in my computer. They are single sentences or questions. They are paragraphs. They are unpolished. They are freestyle me. They are philosophical. Sciencey. Personal. Practical. Weird. They are...

Addiction comes in many forms, expresses itself in various ways, impacts the lives of millions (billions?) of people, and comes at a huge mental, emotional, social, financial and real world (living life) cost. In this TYP chat, Mick Hall (and Tiff) and I open the door on the thinking, emotion, behaviour and chaos (internal and external) that underlies this global problem. Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the middle of the ambition, the grind, the hustle and the quest for success, can we also experience a level of contentment? At the same time? Can the drive to succeed in the future and over the long term, co-exist with an underlying calm and contentment in the moment? Or do ambition and drive need to be fuelled by a degree of insecurity, dissatisfaction and anxiety? Bobby and I opened this door and many others in this instalment of TYP.

Enjoy.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.