Learn about the first private passenger going to space, thanks to SpaceX; a trick for setting goals that you can actually stick to; and myths about running that we’ll bust so you can run with some peace of mind. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: SpaceX Has Identified the First Private Passenger to Go to Space Use Bright-Line Rules to Establish — and Achieve — Your Goals 3 Myths You Probably Believe About Running Please tell us about yourself and help us improve the show by taking our listener survey! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/curiosity-listener-survey If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron! Learn about these topics and more onCuriosity.com, and download our5-star app for Android and iOS. Then, join the conversation onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram. Plus: Amazon smart speaker users, enable ourAlexa Flash Briefing to learn something new in just a few minutes every day!
Learn about the first private passenger going to space, thanks to SpaceX; a trick for setting goals that you can actually stick to; and myths about running that we’ll bust so you can run with some peace of mind.
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:
Please tell us about yourself and help us improve the show by taking our listener survey! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/curiosity-listener-survey
If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron!
Learn about these topics and more on Curiosity.com, and download our 5-star app for Android and iOS. Then, join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Plus: Amazon smart speaker users, enable our Alexa Flash Briefing to learn something new in just a few minutes every day!
Full episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/spacexs-first-private-passenger-in-space-running-myths-busted-and-bright-line-rule-goal-setting
CODY GOUGH: Hi. We've got the latest and greatest from curiosity.com to help you get smarter in just a few minutes. I'm Cody Gough.
And I'm Ashley Hamer. Today, you'll learn about the first private passenger going to space, a trick for setting goals that you can actually stick to, and myths about running that will bust so that you can run with some peace of mind.
CODY GOUGH: Let's satisfy some curiosity.
ASHLEY HAMER: SpaceX has identified the first private passenger to go to space in 2023, and we've got the scoop.
CODY GOUGH: I'm surprised you're this excited because it's not you.
ASHLEY HAMER: Oh, I actually don't want to go to space.
CODY GOUGH: Wait, really?
ASHLEY HAMER: Yeah, I'd be too scared.
CODY GOUGH: Oh. I do.
ASHLEY HAMER: Like, I'm gradually becoming less scared of the idea, but I still-- you could die. Like literally everyone could die. I don't want to start this with like a downer, but that is always on my mind.
CODY GOUGH: OK. So it's dangerous, but sometimes the most worthwhile things in life are dangerous.
ASHLEY HAMER: Sure. Absolutely, and I'm so happy that there are people who believe that who are going to go to space in my stead.
CODY GOUGH: All right. That's fine.
ASHLEY HAMER: Well, anyway, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced Monday that the first private citizen to travel beyond low Earth orbit will be Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa.
He won't be the first Japanese astronaut to fly into space, but he will make history as being the first to go around the moon. The mission is slated for 2023 but going to space is kind of expensive and complicated, so it might not happen until the late 2020s, if at all.
So why him? Maezawa is an e-commerce giant, but he's also an art collector. The plan is to send up a whole team of artists, including a film director, a painter, a musician, and a fashion designer.
Their mission, to loop around the moon to gain inspiration from the view below. I can think of worse missions to go on. Maezawa has already launched a website called #DearMoon to talk about the mission.
On the website, he asks what would have happened if creators like Pablo Picasso or John Lennon had seen the moon and Earth from space. SpaceX promises to get the artists there using the BFR or Big Falcon Rocket. That's the one that sent a car-driving astronaut mannequin to space earlier this year.
According to Elon Musk, the SpaceX Moonshot could cost between $2 and $10 billion. So obviously, the people who will be paying for a ticket are rich. We'll keep an eye on the growing list and keep you posted when we see new names on the mission list.
CODY GOUGH: I think if Pablo Picasso had seen Earth from space, he would have just drawn a square. I mean, am I wrong?
ASHLEY HAMER: A bit. But it would have been a really inspired square.
CODY GOUGH: Really inspired. That's not fair. Picasso is a genius. All right, listener, think about it if you've ever set a goal for yourself that sounded like this. I'm going to try to eat better.
How'd that go for you? Chances are, it didn't go super well, and there's a reason for that. Fortunately, we've got a trick for setting better goals and sticking to them. Do you ever set vague goals like these, Ashley?
ASHLEY HAMER: I really try to keep my goals specific, like really try to.
CODY GOUGH: That's a good. I need to do a better job of this, and this is really helpful.
ASHLEY HAMER: That was a pretty vague goal that you just laid out. Try to do a better job.
CODY GOUGH: I mean, you're not wrong. I will try to do a better job of this once a week.
[LAUGHTER]
How's that?
ASHLEY HAMER: You're getting there.
CODY GOUGH: All right. This trick comes from the legal world. You know when TV shows and movies when police officers arrest someone and recite the whole, you have the right to remain silent deal?
Those are your Miranda Rights. They're named after a trial in the '60s when a man named Ernesto Miranda was arrested, and a messy trial turned into a Supreme Court case, Miranda v. Arizona.
Miranda won the case, and that's when it became mandatory for police officers to recite the Miranda Rights to a person they're arresting. This gets rid of any ambiguity in the law, and it establishes very clear boundaries about what can and cannot be used in court.
And in a legal context, that's called a bright-line rule. It's defined as an objective rule that resolves a legal issue in a straightforward, predictable manner, and you can use a bright-line rule to set goals you can stick to.
Remember the, I'm going to try to eat better goal? Well, what does better mean? Not exactly very specific. Now how about, I'm going to eat two servings of vegetables every day, or I'm only going to eat ice cream once a week?
It's the difference between a hope and a plan. Author and behavior psychology blogger James Clear says these rules give you a new identity. You're not even making decisions anymore. This is the new you. Bright-line rules also leave you with less decision fatigue.
Without bright lines, you have to decide whether a situation fits your standards every time you're in line for ice cream, for example. Once you get tiny day-to-day decisions out of your head, you're giving yourself the motivation to tackle bigger issues. It's just pretty great all around.
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ASHLEY HAMER: Starting an exercise routine can be intimidating, and it turns out that applies even to running. I mean, you'd think that running is just about putting on shoes and going out your door, but there's all sorts of stuff that everybody tells you about how you should and shouldn't run and what you should and shouldn't buy. It's kind of a lot.
CODY GOUGH: So how much do you really need to know, Ashley? You're a two-time Boston Marathon runner, so you probably kind of know what you're doing.
ASHLEY HAMER: Well, honestly, from everything that I know, do what feels the best. I think that's the end of it. I think that's the big rule to follow. If it feels unnatural, don't do it.
CODY GOUGH: I sure hope science backs this up.
ASHLEY HAMER: Well, let's find out. Today, we're going to look at the actual science of running and bust three myths that might be stopping you from enjoying it. First, let's look at the myth that you must take small, quick steps.
Like I said, in reality, if it feels good, keep doing it. Simple as that. That's based on the results of a study from last year by a pair of running experts and BYU professors. They were looking into what's called overstriding.
That's when your foot reaches too far in front of your body and supposedly increases the shock when it hits the ground, which could raise your risk of injury. But the study showed that your body naturally adapts to a healthy stride rate that works for you.
As for the part of the myth about taking quick steps, that comes from running coach Jack Daniels. He made some comments about runners at the 1984 Olympics that suggested that you should run at a certain stride rate or cadence, but his observations were taken out of context. Not to mention, he was talking about Olympians who are not your average runner.
Here's myth number two. You must strike the ground with the front of your foot. Nope. A few studies have shown that people who strike with their heel first are more at risk of injury, but a recent paper published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science found that changing your strike pattern doesn't help. Again, the way you run naturally is the best way for you.
The third and final myth is that you should buy shoes that match your pronation style. This is my favorite myth to debunk because I feel like not everyone knows this. The idea is that everybody's feet land slightly differently, and you need to wear shoes to match your particular style.
But a 2011 study found that giving pronators stability shoes and neutral runners neutral shoes can actually increase their risk of injury. I'll say that again. Giving you shoes that match your pronation style could increase your risk of injury.
CODY GOUGH: It's like this bothers you or something.
ASHLEY HAMER: It really does. Danish researchers confirmed in another study that the shoes least likely to cause injury were the most comfortable ones. Once again, listen to your body. It's smarter than you think.
CODY GOUGH: So buy comfortable shoes and run the way you run.
ASHLEY HAMER: Exactly. Your body knows what it's doing.
CODY GOUGH: Read about today's stories and more on curiosity.com. You can also find links to listen to our daily shows and our email newsletter. If you're not a subscriber, then you should go to curiosity.com/email to sign up. We promise our emails are awesome. And, of course, you can opt-out any time.
ASHLEY HAMER: One more time. That's curiosity.com/email. Join us again tomorrow for the Curiosity Daily and learn something new in just a few minutes. I'm Ashley Hamer.
CODY GOUGH: And I'm Cody Gough.
ASHLEY HAMER: Stay curious.
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NARRATOR: On the Westwood One Podcast Network.