Do Plants Think? & Why Dining Out Feels So Expensive - SYSK Choice

Do Plants Think? & Why Dining Out Feels So Expensive - SYSK Choice

Author: Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media May 2, 2026 Duration: 51:18
If you ever feel a wave of anxiety or that vague sense of dread, your first instinct probably isn’t to reach for a pain reliever. But there’s evidence that something you already have in your medicine cabinet may affect more than just physical pain—and the reason why is surprisingly unexpected. https://www.livescience.com/28770-tylenol-eases-existential-dread.html Plants don’t have brains—so how could they possibly be intelligent? Yet research suggests plants can sense threats, communicate with each other, and even change their behavior in ways that seem surprisingly strategic. Zoë Schlanger, award-winning writer for The Atlantic and author of The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth (https://amzn.to/4deE12f), explores this hidden world and explains how plants may be far more responsive and complex than we ever imagined. Dining out often comes with sticker shock. Between rising menu prices, service charges, and tipping, a simple meal can add up quickly. But what’s actually driving those costs? And why do some insiders argue that restaurants may still be underpriced? Andrew Friedman takes us behind the scenes of the restaurant industry and reveals the complex economics, labor, and logistics that shape the price of what ends up on your plate. He is author of the book The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (https://amzn.to/3xWJjiE). Let out a good sigh—it might do more than you think. People all over the world sigh, often without realizing it, and it plays a role in both how we communicate and how our bodies function. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-babble/201304/why-do-we-sigh PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS POCKET HOSE: For a limited time, when you purchase a new Pocket Hose Ballistic, you'll get a FREE 360 degree rotating pocket pivot and a FREE thumb drive nozzle! Just text SYSK to 64000 RULA: Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high-quality therapy that’s actually covered by insurance. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Rula.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started. QUINCE: Refresh your wardrobe with Quince! Go to ⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! SHOPIFY: See less carts go abandoned with Shopify and their Shop Pay button! Sign up for your $1 per month trail and start selling today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ PLANET VISIONARIES : We love the Planet Visionaries podcast! In partnership with The Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. Listen or watch on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you are listening to this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curiosity is a powerful engine, and Something You Should Know is built on the idea that a single conversation can shift your perspective in a meaningful way. Host Mike Carruthers, through OmniCast Media, sits down with researchers, authors, and practitioners across a surprisingly wide spectrum-from neuroscience and health to social dynamics and personal finance. The aim isn't just to accumulate facts, but to uncover practical wisdom you can apply directly. You might hear a psychologist explain the simple habit that strengthens relationships, followed by an economist demystifying how to build lasting wealth, and then a physiologist breaking down the real science behind effective fitness. This podcast operates on the belief that improvement is multifaceted; a tip for saving time can be as valuable as understanding a new scientific discovery. Each episode is a self-contained dive into a topic that could very well change your approach to your career, your health, or your daily routine. The tone is conversational and grounded, focusing on actionable takeaways rather than abstract theory. By weaving together insights from the fields of science, education, and self-improvement, the show provides a toolkit for navigating life's complexities. It’s the kind of listening that leaves you with something concrete-a strategy, a new understanding, or a piece of advice that resonates long after the episode ends.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Something You Should Know
Podcast Episodes
Could You Live on Another Planet? & Why Vet Bills Are So High [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:15
No one enjoys being in a bad mood. But it turns out that feeling a little down may actually put your brain in a surprisingly useful state. In fact, certain kinds of thinking and decision-making may improve when you’re fe…
SYSK TRENDING - A Practical Way to Approach Anxiety [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:47
Anxiety has become incredibly common. Many people feel constantly on edge—worried about work, relationships, money, the future, or simply the pace of modern life. The usual advice focuses on calming down, reducing stress…
The Serious Problems with AI & Why Humans Drink Alcohol [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:28
Junk mail seems like a relic of another era. Physical ads showing up in your mailbox feel easy to ignore in a world dominated by digital marketing. Yet companies still spend billions sending those mailers every year. Why…
SYSK TRENDING - How Memory Really Works [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:32
Memory feels dependable — we rely on it to tell the story of our lives. But the truth is, memory behaves in some surprisingly strange ways. For one thing, your brain forgets far more than it remembers, and that’s not a f…
How Real Optimists Think & Butter Secrets Most People Miss [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:21
When was the last time you sighed? Probably not that long ago. We tend to think of sighing as something we do when we’re frustrated, tired, or relieved. But scientists have discovered that sighing plays a much deeper rol…
Are You Revealing Too Much or Not Enough? & How We Absorb Technology [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:31
How you think about getting older might be more powerful than you realize. Scientists have uncovered an unexpected connection between people’s beliefs about aging and what happens to them as the years go by. https://pubm…
SYSK TRENDING - A Better Approach to Decision Making [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:24
We spend a surprising amount of mental energy agonizing over decisions that ultimately don’t matter very much — what to order at a restaurant, which email to answer first, or which option might be “slightly better.” Mean…