Self Proclaimed Intellectuals

spi_square [https://i0.wp.com/www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/spi_square.png?resize=940%2C940&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/spi_square.png?ssl=1Sometimes, we all just like to sit back and listen to a story.Maybe something romantic, or action-packed, or fun. A good story can come in many forms, and make the audience feel a broad range of different emotions. But, this being Self-Proclaimed Intellectuals, we threw all that to the wind, and instead opted for three short stories that will have you questioning the nature of your existence and the universe that we occupy. Or maybe it’s just me, talking to myself… https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/spi_20-Tales-Of-Intellect.mp3 [https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/spi_20-Tales-Of-Intellect.mp3] The stories we read today can be found in the show notes. Take the time to read over the originals at the links provided below! We’re celebrating 20 full episodes this week, and we still don’t have a visible rating in iTunes! If you haven’t done so yet, please go rate us; we even accept bad ratings as long as you give us some feedback on what you like to hear! Of course, you can subscribe at any of the following sites: * iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 [http://ow.ly/A00i9] * Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt [http://ow.ly/A00jt] * Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA [http://ow.ly/A00AA] * RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G [http://ow.ly/A018G] * Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace Or wherever podcasts are had! ---------------------------------------- Show Notes * The Egg [http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html], by Andy Weir * I Don’t Know, Timmy, Being God is a Big Responsibility [http://qntm.org/responsibility], by Sam Hughes * The Last Question [http://www.physics.princeton.edu/ph115/LQ.pdf], by Isaac Asimov

spi_square [https://i0.wp.com/www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/spi_square.png?resize=940%2C940&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/spi_square.png?ssl=1 What do Body Mass Index, the English measurement system, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average have in common? They’re all living fossils, masterfully preserved in our culture for… well… no discernible reason. If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “That’s the way we’ve always done it,” and rolled your eyes, then this episode is for you! SPI #19 — Outdated talks about three different things that just won’t go away in spite of better options being available for each of them. Want to stand in defense of these things we called out today? Want to join in on the bashing? Email us your feedback at podcast@selfproclaimedintellectuals.com [podcast@selfproclaimedintellectuals.com]. https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/spi_19-Outdated.mp3 [https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/spi_19-Outdated.mp3] ---------------------------------------- We have a special request for you this week! If you’d like to hear our show on public radio, email into KMUW, Wichita’s local NPR affiliate. Let them know you’d like to hear SPI on air! Email info@kmuw.org [info@kmuw.org]! If you haven’t already, go rate us and subscribe at your podcast provider of choice: * iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 [http://ow.ly/A00i9] * Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt [http://ow.ly/A00jt] * Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA [http://ow.ly/A00AA] * RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G [http://ow.ly/A018G] * Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace

spi_square [https://i0.wp.com/www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/spi_square.png?resize=940%2C940&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/spi_square.png?ssl=1 This week, we’ve got an episode for you that once again pushes far beyond the boundaries of political correctness (yay!). It’s an episode we recorded a long time ago and saved for a rainy day while we’re preparing even more awesome content for you next time. Okay, enough tease, what’s the episode today? Licenses. But not just licenses to drive, or own a restaurant, or hunt. Licenses to vote and reproduce. What are the pros and cons? Should we institute these licenses? Would things be better, or worse? We’ll talk about it today, and we’d love to hear your thoughts too. Comment below or hit us up at podcast@selfproclaimedintellectuals.com [podcast@selfproclaimedintellectuals.com]! https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/spi_mini_2-License-to-Cast.mp3 [https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/spi_mini_2-License-to-Cast.mp3] ---------------------------------------- Go rate us and subscribe at any of the following hosts: * iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 [http://ow.ly/A00i9] * Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt [http://ow.ly/A00jt] * Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA [http://ow.ly/A00AA] * RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G [http://ow.ly/A018G] * Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace

spi_square [https://i0.wp.com/www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/spi_square.png?resize=940%2C940&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/spi_square.png?ssl=1   Oh boy, do we ever have a good one for you today… You’ve probably heard the stereotype that Asians are better at math. Turns out, it’s actually a quantifiable fact. But it isn’t necessarily because American schools are terrible or because young American kids just don’t care. No, it goes much, much deeper than that. In fact, part of the reason is the very language that you’re reading this blurb in. Today’s episode is all about linguistic relativity — the idea that your language can not only change how you communicate, but actually how you perceive the world and interact with it. Give it a listen. https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/spi_18-Why-Asians-Are-Better-At-Math-and-Why-You-Cant-Save-Money.mp3 [https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/spi_18-Why-Asians-Are-Better-At-Math-and-Why-You-Cant-Save-Money.mp3] Like hearing our stuff? Subscribe at one of the following places to get new episodes a.s.a.p! And wherever you get it, rate us and leave us some feedback. We wanna feel special too. * iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 [http://ow.ly/A00i9] * Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt [http://ow.ly/A00jt] * Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA [http://ow.ly/A00AA] * RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G [http://ow.ly/A018G] * Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace ---------------------------------------- Show Notes: * Big shoutout to Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers for inspiring the idea and giving us much of the content on Asian mathematics. Get Outliers on Amazon [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316017930/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316017930&linkCode=as2&tag=tlancoa-20&linkId=H6XI5EYSJ44TJ33P]. It’s a fantastic read. * Here also is Keith Chen’s study on how language affects savings rates and healthcare choices [http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty/keith.chen/papers/LanguageWorkingPaper.pdf]. And here’s the graph we were talking about as a summary: 2015-07-05_Scandinavian_Savings [https://i0.wp.com/www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/2015-07-05_Scandinavian_Savings.png?resize=636%2C375&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/2015-07-05_Scandinavian_Savings.png?ssl=1 * And finally, if you’ve somehow made it through school without reading 1984, you owe it to yourself to get caught up. Get it on Amazon here [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451524934/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0451524934&linkCode=as2&tag=tlancoa-20&linkId=TADRV52HC4GZCBXZ].

spi_square [https://i0.wp.com/www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/spi_square.png?resize=940%2C940&ssl=1]https://i0.wp.com/www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/spi_square.png?ssl=1 Well, here we are at Episode #17. This week’s show is a bit more introspective; we’re talking about what coaching is and whether we should get ourselves a coach to improve our performance in various aspects of life. As promised, here’s a list of some of our favorite podcasts (in no particular order) and what they’re about: * The Dave Ramsey Show: Dave answers all sorts of personal finance questions and teaches his method for getting out of debt and building wealth slowly. * Stuff You Should Know: Our heroes Josh and Chuck tackle a wide array of interesting topics from how landfills work to how internet censorship works. It’s a great, lighthearted variety show with some knowledge and humor intermingled. * Your Move by Andy Stanley: Andy Stanley is the pastor of Northpoint Church, and teaches some of the most practical and applicable sermons you’ll ever hear. Their church aims to be a “church that un-churched people want to attend,” so give them a try even if you’re not a religious person! * Planet Money: The Planet Money team talks about all sorts of economic issues; but don’t worry, it’s far from a bore! They wind intriguing stories and make financial concepts easy for anybody to understand. * The Dinner Party Download: DPD is a high-culture variety show that gives you interesting historical tales (with a themed cocktail to match), interviews, and more. Try it if you want to feel a little more cultured and prepared for your next dinner outing. * TED Radio Hour: This show takes TED talks and ties them together in ways that more fully flesh out the concepts than any of the individual bits. It tells a much more coherent picture and is great for learning and thought-provoking ideas. * RadioLab: RadioLab tells grand tales about odd historical events in super interesting and unique ways. Highly worth it for good stories and history. * Freakonomics: Dubner and Levitt offer a different perspective on many issues, as diverse as crime, economics, and more. They always keep it interesting and guarantee that you’ll learn something almost by accident through the cool stuff. And for those of you interested in thumbing through the pages of some great books, here’s a link to Travis’ recommended reading for personal development [http://travislane.com/recommended-reading/]. Enjoy! https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/spi_17-Put-Me-in-Coach.mp3 [https://www.selfproclaimedintellectuals.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/spi_17-Put-Me-in-Coach.mp3] Head to iTunes and rate us! Subscribe for more at any of the following places: * iTunes: http://ow.ly/A00i9 [http://ow.ly/A00i9] * Stitcher: http://ow.ly/A00jt [http://ow.ly/A00jt] * Blubrry: http://ow.ly/A00AA [http://ow.ly/A00AA] * RSS: http://ow.ly/A018G [http://ow.ly/A018G] * Windows 7/8 and Zune Marketplace