The Brain Mechanics

Episode 48: Out to See From iPhones to ceramic skull implants, technology is constantly evolving, but are we humans? Dr. Conover and Bryce pick a part this question and give us a glimpse into the complexities of the human mind and evolution. 3:38- Why do politicians act like savages on social media? 9:03- Does our biology alter our perspective? 17:10- What is the job of a psychologist/therapist? 20:40- Has reality been replaced by symbols? 22:30- Does our higher education system fall short? 32:09- What is the dueling doctor phenomenon and why does it matter? 40:54- Do comparisons better an individual?

Episode 49: At the Crack of Dawn Recalling encounters with crack to what makes humans crack, Dr. Conover and Bryce talk about human differences, human motivations, as well as the role of fear in our lives. 2:36- Do you have any stories about crack? 6:34- What’s more important being a hard worker or being talented? 13:00- How are athletes different from the average man? 17:45- How does connecting with someone tell you about their view of the world? 20:00- How do you measure a good idea? 23:00- What drives fear and is it conscious? 34:42- What is science’s role supposed to be?

Episode 50: Interactions with the World What do we notice when we are out in different settings, around different people, and around new thoughts? Keep listening to Dr. Conover and Bryce discuss the power of human interaction through topics like communication, human complexity, and categorization. 1:16- Do humans live in a bubble? 4:16- Why are universities so fascinating? 6:33- How much of an impact does Neuropsychology have? 9:14- How does a human deal with complexity? 16:37- What drives our interactions in our day to day lives? 21:00- Are humans constantly categorized and categorizing their lives? 27:30- What are the future plans for SoCal NPG and Conover+Brown?

Dr. Conover and Bryce discuss human behavior and the dichotomy between perceptions and reality. Keep listening to find out about how expectations versus realities play out in business and personal spheres. 2:26- How do you master the Long Game? 14:33- What is the future for Socal NPG? 19:11- How does the psyche operate? 25:55- How to navigate different personalities? 36:18- Does my mentality even make a difference? 39:44- Am I even Human? 45:32- Are strong leaders in touch with emotions?

We all have a dream job. Some of us end up with them, while some of us don’t. Keep listening to Dr. Conover and Bryce dissect the various reasons why you hate your job and the things you can do to change that. 2:23- What should I do because I hate my job? 5:50- What does my manager/supervisor expect of me? 12:04- Does my mentality make a difference? 20:49- How do I remain level-headed and mature at the job I hate? 28:50- How do I just “be” in this world? 35:08-Why do I hate my job and what can I do?

What does Russia, fake news, and late-night tweets conjure up for you? If you guessed Donald Trump, you’re right! Listen to Dr. Conover and Bryce delve into the nuances of Trump as they tie in education, society, and our world today. 2:48- What is Donald Trump doing? 16:06- Why is the nation so divided when it comes to Trump? 20:03- Why do we give great value to college degrees? 24:39- Can change exist in our political climate today

Humans are a combination of nature and nurture. From why we do what we do to what holds us back, keep listening to Dr. Conover and Bryce discuss the complex interaction between our surroundings and ourselves. 3:43- Do adults hinder instead of aid kids in their growth? 10:37- Why are celebrities’ famous? 19:54- Why are we so media and consumer driven? 25:21- Why am I not self-driven? 27:56- How do I combat depression? 30:02-Why are we obsessed with science? 36:20-Why do we not harness psychology?

The definition of work is changing due to globalization and advances in technology. Dr. Conover and Bryce breakdown characteristics, success, and individuality and how they intertwine with your personal, as well as professional life. 3:27- What is a vacation for you? 10:31- What are the best predictors for academic performance and success? 19:30- What’s wrong with being different? 24:35- How can we improve our schools? 31:14- Why do we distort information and how can we change that? 43:25- Why do we refuse to make change?

Fielding a question from a student, Dr. Conover and Bryce talk about why some people just seem to want you to fail and what can be done to maneuver around them. Keeping listening to hear some tips on how to create work cultures that diminish the affects of negative forces and keep employees coming back for more.

Who is at fault when it comes to the shortcomings of education. Tune in to Dr. Conover and Bryce as they discuss this and much more.

Dr. Conover and Bryce discuss people interactions, ethical behavior at work, and how one can navigate tricky situations.

Dr. Conover and Bryce discuss the 'self', how to ground it, and how it interfaces with the environment.

Episode 37 - Debut Episode of TBM Season 3! Thanks for all your support over the last year and a half! As of April 21, 2017, TBM has over 15,000 plays. So awesome! Dr. Conover and Bryce are back, this time discussing how people can "travel through time" by updating their mentality. When you actively seek out experiences to learn today, you shorten the distance to tomorrow's benefits. Check out the whole episode!

Episode 36: Life's Essential Skills We were extremely happy to have a listener reach out to Bryce via Facebook with a litany of questions and excitement to boot. Moments like these are what we at The Brain Mechanics hope for: enthusiastic learners hungry for self- and career-improvement. 3:28: What are life's most essential skills 15: 28: Is the pursuit of knowledge a self-imposed purpose, or is it logical to do so?

Episode 35 delves into the art of listening... Active listening has been a huge concept in teaching and management conversations for the last few decades; however, it is still a skill that escapes many. For many, it seems that the default setting in conversation is to listen only enough to respond, react, rebuke, or reply; the model of listening we endorse is one that attempts to understand. The urge to reply in conversation usually undermines the purpose of communicating. Rather, we should engage in conversation for the sole purpose of expanding our consciousness; that is, we should engage in conversations to learn about other interpretations, add to our skill sets, or build an eventual response strategy. The idea is that in the moment, the objective should be an increase in knowledge.

Episode 34 jumps into some of the complications of job design, description, and hiring. It is super important for hiring managers at companies small, medium, or large, to understand what exactly their strategy needs from the workforce. Poorly designed tasks lead to poor job fit, which inevitably leads to stress, absenteeism, poor morale, and HR interventions.

After a 4 month Soundcloud hiatus, The Brain Mechanics are finally back to their roots. You can find the video version of TBM on Livestream! Check out Dr. Conover and Bryce discuss how to spot patterns in life and capitalize them, as well as practical insight for the modern manager.

Part 1 of our series on The Future of Economies from the psychological perspective.

With things heating up at The integrated Learning Annex, Dr. Conover and Bryce discuss ideas that can create better tomorrows -- through the evolution of mentality.

Dr. Conover and Bryce field questions from students at Millikan High School, but per the usual, the episode evolves into a spirited talk bridging philosophy, psychology, and management. 1. How do you get someone to listen to your ideas? (00:43) 2. What is college like? (7:11) 3. Being Fearless (18:00) 4. Authentic talk is not cheap. Creating accountability. (19:38) 5. Everything works out just fine in the end. (23:49) 6. Can you control your emotionality? (28:20) 7. Active Listening (29:40) 8. Everything we do and are is about maximizing our own behavior. (32:30) 9. Rules are there to guide dynamics, not things. (38:45) 10. Rules require instructions. Instructions also require other instructions. (43:45) 11. Predictability reigns supreme in society. (50:46) 12. Roles and human activity (54:00)