Flying Taxis, Health Benefits of Altruism, Learning a Foreign Language

Important conversations and encouraging words to help you make every day a great one. Creativity Vs "The Cave" (00:00) The light bulb of great ideas is powered by the environment around us. J.K Rowling was inspired by the Latin language when she came up with wizard spells for Harry Potter. Christopher Sholes modeled his typewriter after a piano. And the Xerox ‘Star’ laid the foundation for Apple’s ‘Mac.’ Eliot Peper says that when life calls for creative problem solving, it’s easy to retreat behind our four walls, whether that be within the safety of our own homes or within our own heads. But, he says that our best work happens when we break out of our shells. Mr. Peper is the author of Bandwidth, Cumulus, Neon Fever Dream, True Blue, and The Uncommon Series. Empathy Vs Sympathy (15:10) Ganel-Lyn is a motivational speaker and author who shares her passion with other that will empower them to live life with more joy. Today she joins Lisa to discuss the differences between empathy and sympathy, and how to develop both. Flying Taxis (49:32) Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a flying taxi to work, or to a concert downtown? Bell Helicopter is one of the largest manufacturers of commercial and military vertical takeoff aircraft. The company is currently working on its first air taxi prototype. They are also collaborating with the ridesharing company Uber. Robert Vaughn is one of the mechanical engineers working on Bell’s new Innovation Team for the Air Taxi. Mr. Vaughn has been on engineering teams for the 767 jetliner, F35 fighter jet, and the H1 helicopter. He joins us today to talk about this exciting new future of transportation. Health Benefits of Altruism (1:05:48) Service has actual, real-life, health benefits. One of our student producers, Bella Vaughn, talked with Dr. Frank Martela about how living an altruistic life can improve our physical and mental well-being. Dr. Martela is a researcher who specializes in the psychology and philosophy of well-being and meaning in life. He is currently based at the Aalto University in Finland. Learning a Foreign Language (1:24:02) Is it worth the effort to learn a foreign language if we can just download the Google Translate app on our phone when we need a translation? Dr. Daniel Everett says yes, it’s worth it, because language learning has significant benefits that will change our lives. Dr. Everett is the Trustee Professor of Cognitive Sciences at Bentley University in Massachusetts. His latest book is called How Language Began. You can learn more about him on his website.