The Bizarre World of Product Testing & Understanding Highly Sensitive People

The Bizarre World of Product Testing & Understanding Highly Sensitive People

Author: Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media September 10, 2026 Duration: 48:08
When the power goes out, how long will food in your refrigerator and freezer stay safe? And how bad is it to open the door and check? Consumer Reports has some useful answers that could save you from throwing out perfectly good food—or eating something you shouldn’t. https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/emergency-preparedness/what-to-feed-your-family-when-the-power-is-out-a4425760304/ Before you trust an airplane, a child’s toy or just about anything else, it has probably been subjected to some serious testing—and some of those tests get wonderfully weird. Engineers have fired chickens into jet engines and enlisted real bears to test bear-proof containers. Alex Davies takes us inside this strange, mostly invisible world of product testing. He is a senior editor at Amazon and author of Kobuk the Destroyer: And Other Tales from the Wild, Unseen World of Test Engineering (https://amzn.to/3UR4YEg). You may not consider yourself especially sensitive—but chances are you know someone who feels things more intensely than others. Criticism can really sting, rejection can linger, and an offhand remark can hit surprisingly hard. Why are some people wired this way, and is it something they need to change? Psychiatrist Dr. Sasha Hamdani explains the science of sensitivity, rejection and resilience. She is author of Too Sensitive: Rejection, Resilience, and the Science of Feeling Deeply (https://amzn.to/4c9bgFn). When you are suspicious that someone is lying to you, watching them for clues may be counterproductive. Those commonly believed visual giveaways are often inaccurate. But there is another way to help confirm whether someone is lying that can be much more accurate and it easy to do. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/may/14/hidden-secret-to-spotting-a-liar-voice-inflections PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS TREES.COM: Right now, https://Trees.com have great deals on planting essentials, up to half off on select plants. And listeners to our show get 20% OFF their purchase when using the promo code SYSK at checkout. MONARCH: Write your own money story with Monarch! Use promo code SYSK at ⁠https://Monarch.com⁠ to get your 1st year of Monarch Core half off at just $50 VINTED: Ready to clean out your closet and make some extra money?Download the Vinted app for free and start listing! With no seller fees, you keep every dollar you earn and for a limited time, enjoy free shipping in the US on Vinted. WAYFAIR: Ready to upgrade your home for way less? Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Wayfair.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now to shop all things home and get your space ready for less.  QUINCE: Find your next Fall favorites at Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! DELL: Built for those who want better. The Dell XPS, built for you! INDEED: Get a $75 Sponsored Job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/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: 50

Something You Should Know
Podcast Episodes
SYSK TRENDING - Are The Added Ingredients In Food All That Bad? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:23
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 practically become another…
How to Get Better Healthcare & The Strange Ways Weather Affects You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:44
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 “return trip effect.” And…
SYSK TRENDING - How to Improve Your Focus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:04
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 do one thing and, t…
Inside Amazon's Empire & How Social Media Is Rewriting Your Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:10
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 people notice it more tha…
The Psychology of Infidelity & How to Improve Your Executive Function [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:48
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to lose their hearing gradually while insisting they hear just fine? It turns out this isn't simply denial or stubbornness. The way hearing fades can fool the brain into believ…
SYSK TRENDING - Understanding Physical Intelligence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:26
Most of us think of intelligence as something that happens entirely in the brain. But there's another kind of intelligence that lives in your body. It's what allows you to ride a bicycle years after your last ride, catch…