Best Trader Joe S Podcasts (2025)

1
Why some see liberals as the undemocratic ones: A talk about democracy and polarization with Elizabeth Doll 1:22:54

1M ago1:22:54

1:22:54

Many Americans think Trump is harming democracy; they see him as acting undemocratically in various ways. At the same time, Republicans and Trump supporters can view Democrats/liberals as themselves acting in highly undemocratic ways: as embracing various beliefs and actions that violate the spirit of democracy. I talk to Elizabeth Doll, who has wo…

1
On hypnosis and mind control: separating fact from fiction | with Martin S. Taylor 1:02:55

2M ago1:02:55

1:02:55

A talk about hypnosis and mind control with Martin S. Taylor, a well known British hypnotist (hypnotism.co.uk). Martin is known for his stage hypnosis act but also for educating people about hypnosis and removing the illusions and mystique surrounding it. There are some people who make astounding claims that they can control and manipulate people u…

1
What happened to Keith Olbermann? A review of his insulting and incendiary behaviors 1:18:55

3M ago1:18:55

1:18:55

In March of 2024, the newsman and sports commentator Keith Olbermann tweeted that the “Supreme Court had betrayed democracy” and called for it to be “dissolved.” This was the second time he’d called for the Supreme Court to be dissolved: he did that also in 2022. This is a review of some of Olbermann’s more unreasonable and incendiary behavior over…

1
Mirror selfies, duck faces, and party pics: On signals we send with dating app profiles 52:45

3M ago52:45

52:45

I talk to Dr. Jess Snitko, who has researched online dating and other online communication, about the signals and messages we send, intentionally and unintentionally, with dating app profiles and pictures. Jess earned her Ph.D. in Media, Technology, and Society from Purdue University in 2020. Topics discussed: Factors in pictures and profiles that …

1
Is the left-right spectrum an illusion that harms us? A talk with Hyrum Lewis 53:35

4M ago53:35

53:35

What if I told you the left-right political spectrum was an illusion? What if I told you there is no “left” or “right”? My guest is Hyrum Lewis, co-author of The Myth of Left and Right: How the Political Spectrum Misleads and Harms America. They argue that we’ve embraced a simplistic, faulty idea of an essential “left/liberalism” and an essential “…

1
Does Trader Joe's pressure its employees to talk to customers? 23:26

4M ago23:26

23:26

Every time I go in Trader Joe's, the checkout person asks me a question of some sort. I used to think everyone there was just happy and friendly, but then I heard reports that it was more of a rule or strong encouragement that employees talk to customers. I read conflicting reports about this online and wanted to talk to someone who'd worked at Tra…

1
The charlatan Chase Hughes promoted by popular shows “Diary of a CEO," Patrick Bet-David, more 53:23

4M ago53:23

53:23

The fraud Chase Hughes, whose major lies and unethical behaviors I’ve examined in past episodes, continues to succeed in getting popular podcasts with large audiences to interview him. Chase recently appeared on the podcast The Diary of a CEO with host Steven Bartlett; he also appeared on Patrick Bet-David’s podcast (PBD podcast). He's also been on…

1
The polarization of Elon Musk: His high-contempt approach to political disagreement 18:24

4M ago18:24

18:24

In June of 2024, I got an op-ed published in TheHill.com about Elon Musk's polarization -- specifically his affective polarization, which refers to how people perceive and treat their political opponents. Like many in our highly polarized, righteously angry society across the polical spectrum, Elon Musk treats the "other side" with much contempt an…

1
Explanations for those 3 famous UFO videos from 2017 19:09

4M ago19:09

19:09

Brian Dunning, creator of the podcast Skeptoid, made a documentary that brings a skeptical, analytical eye to the recent UFO craze – including those three famous UFO videos released by the Pentagon that got a whole lot of attention in a 2017 New York Times article. His documentary has the tongue-in-cheek title “The UFO Movie They Don’t Want You To …

1
Reading faces: A dumb 1960s book on reading physical facial traits 1:17:00

5M ago1:17:00

1:17:00

I thought it'd be interesting to read a very dumb book from 1969 called "Face Reading: A Guide to How the Human Face Reveals Personality, Sexuality, Intelligence, Character, and More." It's about finding meaning in people's physical facial characteristics; not about reading emotions or expressions. To be clear: this is a very bad book with no sense…

1
I interrogate an 8-year-old about her belief in Santa, Easter Bunny, and more 8:24

5M ago8:24

8:24

I interrogate an 8-year-old about her belief in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and other magical creatures. Learn more and sign up for a premium subscription at PeopleWhoReadPeople.com.By Zachary Elwood

1
To avoid destruction, we must recognize we're in a self-reinforcing cycle of conflict 7:13

6M ago7:13

7:13

A piece I wrote for my Defusing American Anger Substack (learn more at www.american-anger.com). It’s my attempt to persuade Americans why they should see it as vitally important to work on reducing political toxicity, even as they may have various fears and grievances and anger about their political opponents. If you have skepticism about the ideas…

1
Many take Trump's words out of context: How this relates to toxic polarization 25:12

7M ago25:12

25:12

In a recent Fox News interview, Trump was asked whether he thought there would be chaos and violence if he won the election, and his response included mentioning that, if necessary, the National Guard or other military might be needed. Many framed this response as indicating that Trump would go after his political opponents and those who opposed hi…

1
Analyzing behavior of Peter Todd, who's accused of being Bitcoin's creator | Jeremy Clark 49:16

7M ago49:16

49:16

In the documentary Money Electric, filmmaker Cullen Hoback put forth the theory that developer Peter Todd was Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin. In this episode, I talk to cryptocurrency expert Jeremy Clark (pulpspy.com) about this theory, with a focus on the language and behavior of Peter Todd. We discuss: the 2010 forum post by …

1
Scammer on Nextdoor gets my personal info: Tips for spotting online marketplace scam tells 13:50

7M ago13:50

13:50

On the Nextdoor app, a fake account succeeded in getting some personal info from me before I realized they were a scammer. I discuss how that scam went down, share an audio call I had with the scammer, and give some tips for spotting online scammer behaviors and traits. These tips are focused on online marketplace scams but should be applicable for…

1
What’s the problem with the Myers-Briggs personality test?, with Randy Stein 39:28

8M ago39:28

39:28

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test is used by many organizations and consultants, but it's been criticized by many as pseudo-science that's unhelpful, and even harmful. I talk to Randy Stein, who has researched the Myers Briggs and personality tests in general. Topics discussed include: the reasons people object to the Myers Br…

1
Some useful and reliable poker tells: A talk with Zach Elwood 31:24

8M ago31:24

31:24

This episode includes part of a poker tells webinar that I, Zach Elwood, did with Terry Wood, owner of PokerRailbird.com. I'm the author of three respected books on poker tells, including Exploiting Poker Tells and Verbal Poker Tells. My first book, Reading Poker Tells, has been translated into eight languages. You can learn more about my poker tel…

1
Chase Hughes, NLP, & hypnosis: Putting a top-secret military spin on old NLP ideas 1:14:12

8M ago1:14:12

1:14:12

This is my third episode about Chase Hughes, the self-titled “#1 expert in behavior and influence.” My first episode about him examined his early deceptions and exaggerations, and his involvement in pick-up artistry and vitamin supplement sales. In this one, I talk about how Chase’s work relates to Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and NLP-related…

1
We’re MASSIVELY overstating our political violence problem — and that’s dangerous! | Sean Westwood 36:26

8M ago36:26

36:26

Many surveys and headlines have claimed there's a large percentage of Americans who support political violence. Some estimates have been around 25% – and some have gone as high as 40%! This is very scary; it ramps up fears of a violent and chaotic American future, and even fears of a civil war. But political polarization researchers like my guest S…

1
Angry Chase Hughes’ fans lash out after his many lies are revealed 26:33

8M ago26:33

26:33

This is a follow up to my last episode, in which I shared information about the many lies of Chase Hughes, the self-described “#1 expert in behavior and influence.” Some of the fans of Chase Hughes and the show he’s on, The Behavior Panel, responded in angry, unreasonable ways, personally insulting me and downplaying the significance of Chase’s man…

1
The lies of Chase Hughes, the "#1 expert in behavior" and Behavior Panel member 1:04:12

9M ago1:04:12

1:04:12

An examination of the deceptive and strange background of Chase Hughes, who refers to himself as the “#1 expert in behavior and influence.” A popular YouTube show that he’s on, the Behavioral Panel, gets millions of views. Dr. Phil has called him the “best on the globe.” But Chase’s career is built on a foundation of lies and exaggerations — not on…

1
I don't believe in astrology but I talked to an astrologer 1:00:18

9M ago1:00:18

1:00:18

I talk to a professional astrologist named Ophira Edut. I myself don't believe in astrology but I was interested in asking her questions I've wanted to ask about astrology, and about belief in astrology. Topics include: why she believes in astrology, how her beliefs in that relate to other beliefs (like Reiki or other metaphysical ideas), people's …

1
Faux behavior expert Jack Brown analyzes Trump's behavior at press conference 15:19

9M ago15:19

15:19

I talk again about fake behavior expert Jack Brown, whose pseudoscientific behavior analysis work I devoted a past episode to. Brown got some recent attention in a Raw Story article for an analysis he wrote about how Trump's body language at a press conference showed that Trump was lying. Topics discussed include: the silliness of Brown's work and …

1
A sad cry for help from failed podcast host and author Zachary Elwood 7:11

9M ago7:11

7:11

Apologies for the sad clickbait-y title. I'll be okay. I was trying to be a little funny. This is just some updates on things I've been working on and how you might help me if you'd like to do so. Or apart from helping me, you might like learning some details about how my books and podcast have been doing (spoiler alert: not great). Learn more and …

1
How magicians misdirect attention and manipulate audiences, with Anthony Barnhart 1:00:13

10M ago1:00:13

1:00:13

Psychologist and magician Anthony Barnhart discusses some behaviors magicians use to misdirect attention and manipulate an audience. Other topics include: the role blinking can play in misdirection; magic acts that claim to use psychology and behavior-manipulation to achieve their feats (e.g., Derren Brown); neuro-linguistic programming (NLP); a ma…

1
Tackling objections to reducing political polarization 1:05:38

10M ago1:05:38

1:05:38

Media bias specialist Vanessa Otero, founder of Ad Fontes Media, talks to me (Zach Elwood) about my books aimed at reducing toxic political polarization in America. Topics discussed include: common objections to and skepticism about this work (for example, views that those working on depolarization are "helping the bad guys"; why overcoming objecti…

1
How small changes in language patterns can influence us, with Liz Stokoe 54:44

10M ago54:44

54:44

I talk with Liz Stokoe, who studies conversation analysis (CA) and who's the author of the book "Talk: The Science of Conversation." Stokoe studies how language choices can impact us and change our behavior, often without us being aware of that. Topics include: the more surprising and interesting things Stokoe has found in her work; the popularity …

1
Why are lie detectors used if they don't work?, with Leonard Saxe 48:12

10M ago48:12

48:12

A talk with psychologist Leonard Saxe, who is known for, amongst other things, his research into lie detectors (also known as polygraphs). Topics discussed include: why polygraphs and other forms of deception detection are unreliable; the use of polygraphs as a tool to extract information and confessions; the Richard Ames case, which involved a hig…

1
Examining indicators that a video showing harassment was staged 22:39

11M ago22:39

22:39

This episode examines a video from 2020 that seemed to show a black person being harassed by a racist white woman. The video was shared by the celebrity gossip personality Perez Hilton, and was then picked up by several low-quality news sites, like RawStory.com and DailyDot.com. But the video was staged; it was done as a joke, for reasons unknown. …

1
The awe and horror of existence: a talk with psychologist Kirk Schneider 57:01

11M ago57:01

57:01

A reshare of a 2022 talk I had with existential psychologist Kirk Schneider. We talk about existential psychology and the power of being able to better understand and recognize the core anxieties we all have about existence, such as our fear of death, meaninglessness, isolation, and freedom. Other topics: how existence can be awe-inspiring but also…

1
The strangeness of life and existential psychology 19:48

11M ago19:48

19:48

Thoughts about how an awareness of life's strangeness might impact us, both positively and negatively, and how that might relate to existential psychology concepts. Topics include: how an awareness of life's strangeness might be seen to be a core existential stressor (like the fear of death, or fear of isolation); how this might relate to religious…

1
Psychology in waiting tables and running a restaurant, with Robin Dibble 58:32

12M ago58:32

58:32

A talk with Robin Dibble, an experienced Albuquerque-area service industry professional who’s worked in every aspect of the business, from waiting tables, to cooking, to managing restaurants and night clubs. Topics include: psychological strategies servers use to get more tips; how menu design can affect what people order; reading customer satisfac…

1
Two former congresspeople, a Democrat and a Republican, discuss toxic polarization 1:02:17

1y ago1:02:17

1:02:17

I talk to former members of the House of Representatives Luke Messer (Republican) and Elizabeth Esty (Democrat). We talk about: political polarization; their experiences being in congress during such a highly polarized period of time; their ideas for reducing toxic polarization, and more. Learn more and sign up for a premium subscription at PeopleW…

1
The complexity and ambiguity of aphantasia and other inner experiences, with Russell Hurlburt 58:43

1y ago58:43

58:43

A talk with Russell Hurlburt, who’s researched inner experience for more than five decades. He is the author of 6 books and many articles on the topic of mental experience. Topics discussed include: The difficulty of describing inner experience; the ambiguities in the classification of “aphantasia” (reporting no visual qualities in one’s thought pr…

1
How a bus driver predicts the behavior of drivers and passengers, with Brendan Bartholomew 39:03

1y ago39:03

39:03

Learn more and sign up for a premium subscription at PeopleWhoReadPeople.com.By Zachary Elwood

1
To reduce polarization, is it optimal to work on systemic change or cultural change?, with David Foster 51:31

1y ago51:31

51:31

A talk with David Foster, who writes about polarization and media at knowthesystem.org and is the author of "Moderates of the World Unite!: Reworking the Political Media Complex." Topics discussed include: the optimal approach for reducing toxic political polarization (cultural change vs systemic changes); defining the word 'moderate' and examining…

1
Do simplistic ideas of power (e.g., oppressed/oppressor framings) reduce empathy? with Elizaveta Friesem 1:04:13

1y ago1:04:13

1:04:13

Elizaveta Friesem writes about media and about social power (i.e., the power people exert over other people). I first interviewed her about media and polarization in 2021 about her book "Media Is Us." Topics we discuss here include: Michel Foucault’s ideas about power (often referenced in liberal academic world); the oppressed/oppressor framework (…

1
What's life like when you don't believe in free will?, with physicist Daniel Whiteson 55:52

1y ago55:52

55:52

A talk with Daniel Whiteson, a professor of physics and astronomy, about free will, with a focus on what the effects in one's life are when one doesn't believe in free will. Topics discussed: Our thoughts on why we think free will is unlikely to exist; psychological and emotional aspects of living without a belief in free will; the anxiety and even…

1
News media tends to deepen our divides. Does Isaac Saul have a solution? 29:47

1y ago29:47

29:47

A talk with journalist Isaac Saul, founder of Tangle News (readtangle.com), which shares takes from across the political spectrum. I think Tangle is doing amazing work. I think the more Americans there are who read Tangle, the less toxically polarized we'll be. Topics we discuss include: aspects of Tangle News that make it depolarizing and anger-re…

1
The allure of deciphering behavior, with Rounders screenwriter Brian Koppelman 51:08

1y ago51:08

51:08

A talk with screenwriter/producer Brian Koppelman, known for many TV and film projects, including the poker movie Rounders, the show Billions, and the series Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber. Topics discussed: how he decided to create Rounders; poker tells in Rounders; the excitement of reading people and their behaviors; the difficulty of reading…

1
How a pro poker player makes use of poker tells, with Dara O'Kearney 1:04:43

1+ y ago1:04:43

1:04:43

A talk with professional poker player Dara O’Kearney about poker tells (aka, physical and verbal behaviors in poker). Dara is the co-host of the popular poker podcast The Chip Race and the author of several books, including GTO Poker Simplified. We talk about: the importance of poker tells compared to strategy; how Dara’s views on tells have change…

1
Tips on interrogating people for information and confessions, with David Zulawski 1:13:10

1+ y ago1:13:10

1:13:10

A reshare of a talk with David Zulawski from 2018. Zulawksi is an expert in interrogation and interview techniques and the cofounder of Wicklander Zulawski and Associates. Topics discussed include: Why is the non-confrontational, rapport-focused technique he recommends the best one? Why is it important to downplay the significance of a crime? Why i…

1
Reading behavior and motivations in the Robbi Jade Lew poker hand, with Yakov Hirsch 0:42

1+ y ago0:42

0:42

A talk with professional poker player Yakov Hirsch about the well known high-stakes poker situation where amateur Robbi Jade Lew was accused of cheating by professional player Garrett Adelstein. We give our takes on the hand, and the overall situation, and we talk about Robbi's possible motivations and thought processes during this hand, and about …

1
Understanding Trump and his voters' animosity towards the media, with Yakov Hirsch 42:03

1+ y ago42:03

42:03

A talk about trying to understand Trump's anger at the American media and how that relates to American polarization. This is from a talk I had with Yakov Hirsch in late November 2023. Other topics discussed include: Trump-Russia media coverage; Americans' polarized views of Trump; the importance of trying to understand even those people we perceive…

1
The exaggeration of antisemitism, and the importance of understanding the "other side," with Yakov Hirsch 41:16

1+ y ago41:16

41:16

Another talk with Yakov Hirsch, who writes about the Middle East conflict and about "Hasbara culture": what he sees as the tendency of some Israel-defending people to be overly antagonistic and us-vs-them in their thinking (for example, unfairly framing criticism of Israel as "antisemitic"). If you haven't heard the first talk, I recommend that one…

1
Why do some people want to watch the world burn?, with Kevin Arceneaux 56:40

1+ y ago56:40

56:40

A talk with Kevin Arceneaux, whose research found that a surprising number of people (around 40%) either agreed with or did not disagree with statements like “When I think about our political and social institutions, I cannot help thinking 'just let them all burn'?” In their paper, they called this a "need for chaos." We talk about what the study e…

1
Reading "tells" in football, baseball, and other sports, with Jon Hoefling 28:39

1+ y ago28:39

28:39

A talk with Jon Michael Hoefling, a sports analyst, about reading behavioral tells and indicators in football, baseball, tennis, and other sports. We focus on a 2021 story that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a tell: how he positioned his foot before a play was a strong indicator of whether he'd run or pass. We also talk about reading tells and …

1
Dealing with debilitating anxiety, with Scott Stossel 1:02:03

1+ y ago1:02:03

1:02:03

A talk with Scott Stossel, author of "My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind." Scott is also national editor of The Atlantic. Scott's book is a history of the condition and treatment of anxiety, and also a personal history in which Scott talks honestly about his struggles with debilitating anxiety. I talk to Scott ab…

1
Electrodermal activity is what lie detectors measure, but what is it?, with Christopher Moyer 1:10:27

1+ y ago1:10:27

1:10:27

I talk with psychologist Christopher Moyer about electrodermal activity (EDA), also known as galvanic skin response (GSR), which is what lie detectors measure. Topics discussed include: What are spikes in electrodermal activity actually telling us? We talk about its use in lie detectors. We talk about lowerings in skin conductance and what that ind…

1
Dogs' and cats' interactions with humans, with Daniel Mills 1:11:12

1+ y ago1:11:12

1:11:12

Animal behavior researcher Daniel Mills talks about various aspects of the human-pet relationship, with a focus on his research. Topics include: dogs' abilities to read human emotions and how they do that; the effects of pets on our mental health; animals' ability to perceive images on a TV screen; the differences between the human and animal mind;…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Trader Joe S Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen