How Do We Fix It?

For Jim and Richard "How Do We Fix It? has been a great big learning experience. From how to switch careers to the search for meaning and the importance of speaking to strangers, our guests have proposed many smart, practical solutions. And they've also challenged conventional wisdom.Our podcast invites listeners to get into their discomfort zone as a way of being more receptive to change.  Jim starts this show revealing what he learned from David McRaney, host of "You Are Not So Smart," - a podcast about psychology.  David told us about our deep attachment to confirmation bias - where most of us try to confirm our views, rather than challenging ourselves with an opposing hypothesis.  As someone who admits he knows little about science, Richard says he has learned about the scientific method from several guests, including Ainissa Ramirez and Michael Shermer. In the lab, scientists routinely test and try to disprove a theory before they embrace it as fact.Some Fix It episodes were ahead of the curve. John Gable, Joan Blades, Geoff Colon and other guests raised the alarm about filter bubbles and online information silos well before Mark Zuckerberg and other Silicon Valley executives voiced their concerns.Last year, Megan McArdle, a columnist at Bloomberg View, spoke to us about the tangled problems of fixing Obamacare months before before President Trump and House Republicans realized how hard it be to "repeal and replace" without a massive fight. We also heard from Steve Hilton, former personal advisor to British Prime Minister David Cameron.  He made the pro-European case for Brexit in a surprising and enlightened way.Richard tells Jim: "I've learned a lot from you," declaring himself to be a "thorough convert" to Jim's conviction that we romanticize the past and catastrophize the present. Richard has also come over to Jim's view that the challenge to free speech on college campuses is a much more serious problem than many believe.Now on to the next 100 shows. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Mai 201713min

Our guest is Louis Hyman, author of the provocative New York Times editorial, "The Myth of Main Street." Louis is a Cornell University History Professor and the Director of the Institute for Workplace Studies. Nostalgia for the economy's "good old days" has great appeal for many Americans.For the right, past decades bring back memories of Ronald Reagan, traditional cultural values and U.S. dominance in global affairs. For the left, post-war America was a time of stronger unions and less income inequality.But "Make America Great Again" and other appeals to nostalgia come at a high price. Going back to a past with trade barriers, price controls and lower productivity would damage the living standards of many households they're designed to protect.Want to hear what solutions Louis Hyman suggested? Visit out website: howdowefixit.me Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26 Apr 201725min

Have you ever felt a surge of adrenaline after a bike ride, working in the back yard or going to the gym? Salivated at the sight of a sour lemon? Felt turned on by your partner’s voice? If so, says scientific journalist Jo Marchant, you’ve experienced how the workings of the mind can affect your body.In this episode we look at the mind's potential to ease pain, reduce anxiety and even cut the risk of infection, heart disease and other serious medical ailments. Jo discusses how the latest findings in mind-body research: How hypnotherapy, mindfulness techniques, Virtual Reality and social connections can play important roles in healing and prevention.More than one in three Americans have turned to alternative medicine. But do homeopathy, acupuncture and other therapies actually work? What does science say about the use of placebos in medicine?"I believe very strongly in an evidence- based approach that we have to investigate things in a scientific way," Jo tells us in this episode. "On the other hand I also started to feel that science has a bit of blind spot when it comes to the role of the mind in health."Jo Marchant discusses the findings of her New York Times best-selling book "Cure: A Journey Into The Science of Mind Over Body." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19 Apr 201723min

If you're disillusioned, depressed or downright furious at the state of politics today, this episode is for you.Eric Liu, founder and CEO of Citizen University, says that you're more powerful than you think. We discuss the stories, strategies and ideas raised in his timely new book.The key to fighting back successfully is to have a strategy and know how to read and write power,” but most people have no understanding of power and how to use it.  Political illiteracy is one reason we feel so powerless. “I think the reality of American life, right now, is that so many people have neither the motivation nor the ability to read or write power,” Eric tells us. “They lapse into this “House of Cards” or dark conspiratorial vision that all politics are like "Scandal,” and out of that are born people like Donald Trump as President.” Look for solutions and links to useful sites at our website, howdowefixit.me. Please rate and review our shows at iTunes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Apr 201726min

This episode highlights four key productivity fixes from New York Times Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Duhigg. His most recent book is "Smarter, Faster, Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and In Business." Charles is also the author of "The Power of Habit."Using cutting-edge science, reporting and real-life stories, Charles explains why being productive isn't just about daily habits, routines and lists.  "Keeping your eye on that thing that matters most to you is the secret to success," Charles tells us. "We need a mental model: a story we tell ourselves about how we expect our day to unfold."Look for solutions and links to useful sites at our website, howdowefixit.me. Please rate and review our shows at iTunes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Apr 201712min

How can we save good jobs?In part one (Episode #95); we talked to Peter Cappelli, of the Wharton School, about the threat of robots and automation to our workforce. In part 2 Peter explained why this threat is misplaced and he had suggested solutions for the US workforce.Look for solutions and links to useful sites at our website, howdowefixit.me. Please rate and review our shows at iTunes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 Mar 201724min

Here's one less thing to worry about: robots are not going to take your job.Despite the dire predictions of analysts, workplace experts and the government, the impact of robotics and automation on employment may be hugely overstated.Professor Peter Cappelli, the Director of the Center for Human Resources at the Wharton School is our guest. He has written for The Atlantic, The New Yorker Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes Magazine. Peter was recently named one of the “Most Influential Thinkers of the Decade,” by HR Magazine. In this episode Peter explains why we should challenge conventional wisdom about the impact of automation. For more information visit our website http://www.howdowefixit.me/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Mar 201719min

The news media is under fierce attack from President Trump; White House Strategist, Steve Bannon; and many other critics.While many claims against the press are overblown, now is a good time to look at arguments for constructive change. We decided to re-air our interview with New York Times journalist David Bornstein, co-founder of SolutionsJournalismNetwork.orgDavid says that solutions journalism focuses on what works now as potential solutions. Using the best available evidence, solutions journalism delves deep into the how-to’s of problem solving, often structuring stories as puzzles or mysteries that investigate problems. One recent example: Initiatives that show success in reducing the dropout rate in public schools. Reporters looked at how these programs work. What are successful school systems doing differently that result in better outcomes? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 Mar 201723min