AI Ads: Look Good, Perform Poorly

The Power of Puffery in Ads

Marketing researcher ⁠Michael Thomas⁠ [https://business.missouri.edu/directory/thomas] outlines ⁠the power of puffery on consumer behavior⁠ [https://phys.org/news/2026-06-charming-reveals-power-puffery-consumer.html]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Fantasizing About Someone Else During Sex

Human sexuality researcher ⁠Aki Gormezano⁠ [https://www.unbc.ca/people/gormezano-dr-aki] reports that ⁠fantasizing about someone else during sex is common and doesn't necessarily signal relationship trouble⁠ [https://www.psypost.org/fantasizing-about-someone-else-during-sex-is-common-and-doesnt-necessarily-signal-relationship-trouble/]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

FULL EPISODE: Sounds You Feel, But Can't Hear - June 9, 2026

Professor of psychology Rodney Schmaltz [https://www.rodneyschmaltz.com/] explains how low frequency sounds you can't hear can spike your cortisol levels, offering a biological reason for sudden creepy feelings [https://www.psypost.org/new-research-indicates-sounds-you-cant-hear-can-spike-your-cortisol-levels-offering-a-biological-reason-for-sudden-creepy-feelings/]. Marketing researcher Michael Thomas [https://business.missouri.edu/directory/thomas] outlines the power of puffery on consumer behavior [https://phys.org/news/2026-06-charming-reveals-power-puffery-consumer.html]. AI researcher Sofia Hafner [https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/profiles/franziska-sofia-hafner/] discusses how training AI chatbots to be warm and empathetic makes them less factually accurate [https://www.psypost.org/training-ai-chatbots-to-be-warm-and-empathetic-makes-them-less-factually-accurate/]. Psychology professor Jennifer Vonk [https://www.jennifervonk.com/] shares details of her study linking parental indulgence to psychopathic and narcissistic traits in adulthood [https://www.psypost.org/new-study-links-parental-indulgence-to-psychopathic-and-narcissistic-traits-in-adulthood/]. Anatomy professor Dr. Benedicta Quaye Mensah [https://research.lancaster-university.uk/en/persons/benedicta-quaye/] discusses how the skin condition vitiligo remains misunderstood, despite affecting around 1 in 100 people worldwide [https://theconversation.com/vitiligo-affects-around-1-in-100-people-worldwide-yet-the-skin-condition-remains-misunderstood-282451]. Bioethics professor Kerry Bowman [https://www.yorku.ca/dighr/person/kerry-bowman/] weighs in on whether it's morally wrong to use AI to communicate without disclosing it [https://phys.org/news/2026-06-people-ai-communicate-disclosing-morally.html]. Human sexuality researcher Aki Gormezano [https://www.unbc.ca/people/gormezano-dr-aki] reports that fantasizing about someone else during sex is common and doesn't necessarily signal relationship trouble [https://www.psypost.org/fantasizing-about-someone-else-during-sex-is-common-and-doesnt-necessarily-signal-relationship-trouble/]. Segments: * (00:00) Introduction * (01:16) Rodney Schmaltz * (10:00) Michael Thomas * (20:00) Sofia Hafner * (30:00) Jennifer Vonk * (39:50) Dr. Benedicta Quaye Mensah * (49:50) Kerry Bowman * (59:50) Aki Gormezano pt. 1 * (1:09:50) Aki Gormezano pt. 2 * (1:19:03) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Why People Listen to True Crime

Communication researcher ⁠Sofia Rhea⁠ [https://communication.ucdavis.edu/people/sofia-rhea] explains that ⁠most people listen to true crime podcasts to learn, but that people with dark personality traits have different motives⁠ [https://www.psypost.org/most-people-listen-to-true-crime-podcasts-to-learn-but-dark-personality-traits-drive-different-motives/]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Formula That Explains Your Dining Habits

Computer science researcher ⁠Brian Christian⁠ [https://brianchristian.org/bio-contact/] outlines ⁠how a Richard Feynman formula could explain your dining habits in a new city⁠ [https://phys.org/news/2026-06-richard-feynman-formula-dining-habits.html]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]