The Last Show with David Cooper

David's top stories: Man convicted of posing as flight attendant to score over 120 free flights [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-convicted-posing-flight-attendant-score-120-free-flights-rcna212579]; and Don't be alarmed, but hitting the snooze button is unhealthy [https://torontosun.com/health/diet-fitness/dont-be-alarmed-but-hitting-snooze-button-unhealthy-doc]. Professor Peter Karl Jonason [http://www.peterjonason.com/] explains that one's dissatisfaction with their own height predicts jealousy and competitiveness [https://www.psypost.org/peoples-dissatisfaction-with-their-height-predicts-jealousy-and-competitiveness-new-study-finds/]. (Thanks for picking this topic, producer Dani.) Journalist and novelist Sam Graham-Felsen [https://www.samgf.com/] asks where have all the deep male friendships gone [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/25/magazine/male-friendships.html]? Dr. Brian Fisher [https://www.fisherlab.org/] – Curator of entomology at The California Academy of Sciences [https://www.calacademy.org/] – discusses the amazing (and war-like) nature of ants with David. Mechanical engineer Dr. Debora Lyn Porter [https://me.ucmerced.edu/content/debora-lyn-porter] shares how mushrooms' microscopic filaments provide a blueprint for better materials [https://techxplore.com/news/2025-06-mushrooms-microscopic-filaments-blueprint-materials.html]. Foreign correspondent Tony Five [https://x.com/realTonyFive] and David chat about spooky Friday the 13th and superstitions. Professor of leadership Dr. Laurie Barclay [https://www.uoguelph.ca/lang/people/laurie-barclay] reveals why bystanders defend bad behavior at work – even when they know it’s wrong [https://theconversation.com/why-bystanders-defend-bad-behaviour-at-work-even-when-they-know-its-wrong-257941]. Segments: * (00:00) Introduction * (02:29) Fake flight attendant * (05:26) Snooze button no good * (09:59) Prof. Peter Karl Jonason * (19:59) Sam Graham-Felsen * (29:59) Dr. Brian Fisher pt. 1 * (39:49) Dr. Brian Fisher pt. 2 * (49:49) Dr. Debora Lyn Porter * (59:49) Tony Five * (1:09:49) Dr. Laurie Barclay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

David's top stories: DoorDash driver arrested at customer's house with gun after demanding a tip [https://www.wcax.com/2025/06/06/doordash-driver-arrested-customers-house-with-gun-after-demanding-cash-tip-police-say/]; and Scientists in the UK create the world's smallest violin [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp92pr5pr48o]. Dr. Sandra Peter⁠ [https://www.sydney.edu.au/business/about/our-people/academic-staff/sandra-peter.html] and Dr. Kai Riemer⁠ [https://www.sydney.edu.au/business/about/our-people/academic-staff/kai-riemer.html] at the University of Sydney Business School discuss the cognitive revolution that AI may cause and how it could lead to mediocrity and conformity [https://theconversation.com/is-ai-sparking-a-cognitive-revolution-that-will-lead-to-mediocrity-and-conformity-256940]. Associate professor of marketing Dr. Ghalia Shamayleh [https://faculty.essec.edu/en/cv/shamayleh-ghalia/] shares her study showing adorable animal content truly makes the internet more positive [https://phys.org/news/2025-06-adorable-animal-content-internet-positive.html]. On It's Time For Technology Time, Carmi Levy⁠ [https://bsky.app/profile/carmilevy.bsky.social] covers stories: Apple's AI takes back seat to design, iPad revamp at WWDC event [https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3313792/apples-ai-takes-back-seat-design-ipad-revamp-wwdc-event]; and Disney, Universal sue image creator Midjourney for copyright infringement [https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-universal-sue-image-creator-midjourney-copyright-infringement-2025-06-11/]. German politician Julien Ferrat explains why he's stripping naked and is calling upon open-minded citizens to join him on a swingers trip to France [https://nypost.com/2025/06/10/world-news/german-politician-calls-on-open-minded-citizens-to-join-him-on-swingers-trip-in-france/]. Foreign correspondent Tony Five [https://x.com/realTonyFive] and David discuss kopi luwak coffee [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_luwak]. Leadership and organizational psychology professor Dr. Anthony Silard [https://x.com/anthonysilard] chats about how narcissistic CEOs are more likely to fake emotions when they feel lonely [https://www.psypost.org/narcissistic-ceos-are-more-likely-to-fake-emotions-when-they-feel-lonely-study-finds/]. Segments: * (00:00) Introduction * (02:13) DoorDasher brandishes over tip * (05:36) World's smallest violin * (09:59) Dr. Sandra Peter & Dr. Kai Riemer * (19:59) Dr. Ghalia Shamayleh * (29:59) Carmi Levy pt. 1 * (39:49) Carmi Levy pt. 2 * (49:49) Julien Ferrat * (59:49) Tony Five * (1:09:49) Dr. Anthony Silard * (1:19:06) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

It's News You Can't Use and foreign correspondent ⁠Tony Five⁠ [https://x.com/realTonyFive] reports on breaking news: a fight outside his home. Cognitive neuroscience professor Dr. Steve Fleming [https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/28069-steve-fleming] explains that anxious-depressed individuals underestimate themselves even when they're right [https://www.psypost.org/anxious-depressed-individuals-underestimate-themselves-even-when-theyre-right/]. Scott Berman of Sky Cave Retreats [https://www.skycaveretreats.com/] shares how days-long "dark retreats" are the newest spiritual conquest for tech elites [https://www.wired.com/story/days-long-dark-retreats-are-the-newest-spiritual-conquest-for-tech-elites/]. On Pet Talk, veterinarian ⁠Dr. Cliff Redford⁠ [https://drcliff.ca/cliff-redford/] helps Tony Five with his dog's anal gland problem. After, Cliff covers topics: Why people resemble their dogs [https://phys.org/news/2025-06-people-resemble-dogs.html]; and How pets suffer from allergies [https://phys.org/news/2025-06-dogs-cats-allergies-ways-furry.html]. Psychologist Dr. Alexandra Cobzeanu reveals that young adults who experience ghosting are more likely to ghost others [https://www.psypost.org/young-adults-who-experienced-ghosting-are-more-likely-to-ghost-others/]. On Therapy Thursdays on a Wednesday, ⁠Gary Direnfeld⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/GaryDirenfeldSocialWorker/] and David discuss various contradictory advice parents receive. Segments: * (00:00) Introduction * (01:54) Tony Five * (09:59) Dr. Steve Fleming * (19:59) Scott Berman * (29:59) Dr. Cliff Redford & Tony Five * (39:49) Dr. Cliff Redford * (49:49) Dr. Alexandra Cobzeanu * (59:49) Gary Direnfeld pt. 1 * (1:09:49) Gary Direnfeld pt. 2 * (1:19:06) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

David's top stories: The FAA are finally replacing Windows 95 and floppy disks in air traffic control systems [https://www.techspot.com/news/108229-faa-finally-replacing-floppy-disks-windows-95-air.html]; and Lawyer steps up to claim cash thrown out in trash [https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2025/06/07/top-lawyer-steps-up-to-claim-12-million-baht-thrown-out-in-trash-says-he-kept-it-at-his-condo-for-safety/]. Caitlin Green⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/caitlingreeen/], media personality and co-host of The Jan Arden Podcast⁠ [https://www.jannardenpod.com/] joins the show for Pop Cultured, Like Fungus and the two chat about a badly behaved mother-in-law described on Reddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/JUSTNOMIL/comments/1l370b6/mil_really_makes_me_not_want_to_have_kids/]. Foreign correspondent Tony Five [https://x.com/realTonyFive] ponders class and why people would think less of those with less. Linguistics lecturer Dr. Ella Jeffries [https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/JEFFR03800/Ella-Jeffries] shares how kids start associating accents with intelligence surprisingly early [https://www.psypost.org/kids-start-associating-accents-with-intelligence-surprisingly-early/]. On Conspiracy Corner, Nathan Radke and David discuss the history of UFOs sightings and the pentagon disinformation that fueled America's UFO mythology [https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/ufo-us-disinformation-45376f7e?reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink]. (⁠Check out Nathan's podcast here⁠ [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-uncover-up-conspiracy-cast/id1316684637].) Christian Stepien from The National UFO Reporting Center [https://nuforc.org/] explains how to report strange sightings, and then has a "spirited debate" with a skeptical David about the plausible explanations for unexplained phenomenon. Segments: * (00:00) Introduction * (01:30) FAA replacing Windows 95 * (05:17) Lawyer claims trash cash * (09:59) Caitlin Green * (19:59) Tony Five * (29:59) Dr. Ella Jeffries * (39:59) Nathan Radke pt. 1 * (49:49) Nathan Radke pt. 2 * (59:49) Christian Stepien pt. 1 * (1:09:49) Christian Stepien pt. 2 * (1:19:06) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

David and foreign correspondent Tony Five [https://x.com/realTonyFive] open the show by following up with caller Gillian from London – not that London – and our hosts discuss the wedding gift they bought for her. David describes the role of a "bug guy." Comedian Natasha Vinik [https://www.natashavinik.com/] shares her take on dating men who have the queen on their money [https://www.instagram.com/p/DKny-44JbEC/]. David and Tony take umbrage. Psychology professor Dr. Michael Poulin [https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/psychology/faculty/faculty-directory/poulin.html] explains that mindfulness boosts generosity, but only for group-oriented individuals [https://www.psypost.org/mindfulness-boosts-generosity-only-for-group-oriented-individuals/]. Therapist Laurel Roberts-Meese [https://www.laureltherapy.net/laurel-roberts-meese] and David decide whether or not someone is the a-hole for refusing to go to their in-laws for the holidays [https://www.someecards.com/lifestyle/aita/refusing-in-laws-christmas-my-family/]. Psychologist Dr. Kristin Laurin [https://psych.ubc.ca/profile/kristin-laurin/] reveals why we trust people who grew up with less [https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2025/05/why-we-trust-people]. TV host Noah Cappe [https://www.instagram.com/noahcappe/] joins the show for Noah vs. The Unknown [https://www.instagram.com/noahvstheunknown] and spiritedly debates various conspiracies concerning the moon. Segments: * (00:00) Introduction * (01:28) Tony Five & Caller Gillian * (09:59) Tony Five * (19:59) Natasha Vinik & Tony Five * (29:59) Dr. Michael Poulin * (39:49) Laurel Roberts-Meese * (49:49) Dr. Kristin Laurin * (59:49) Noah Cappe pt. 1 * (1:09:49) Noah Cappe pt. 2 * (01:19:35) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]