Cell phones, commercials, social media - wherever you are, whatever you're doing - something else is trying to get your attention.
On today’s show an author and motorcycle mechanic on why not everything can be engaging. And how overcoming boredom and mastering focus are essential skills in the age of distractibility.
Then, a segment composed almost entirely of our own distractions here at Word of Mouth - for our monthly installment of Overheard - a curated collection of online ephemera that's just about guaranteed to get you to Google while you listen.
Listen to the full show:
The World Beyond Your Head
In his book, The World Beyond Your Head, Matthew Crawford ponders distraction in the 21st century, and ways to reclaim our focus. In addition to being an author, Crawford is a senior fellow at the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, and a master motorcycle mechanic. The book is now out in paperback.
The Memory Palace - Family Snapshot
In the early days of the space program, hot shot pilots were recruited to become astronauts. Families watched in awe as husbands and fathers and brothers rocketed towards the moon in tiny little capsules. Nate Dimeo from the podcast The Memory Palace brings us the story of one of those astronauts and his family.
You can listen to this story again at: thememorypalace.us
Overheard - June
It's time for our monthly installment of Overheard - where the staff shares bits of lost sound available for anybody to listen to online. We taped this last week while Virginia was here - also in the studio were Producers Molly Donahue, Maureen McMurray, Logan Shannon - and the newest addition to our team, Jimmy Gutierrez.
You can learn more about our picks here: Overheard - June
Economic Disparity and Friendships
You can choose your friends but you can't choose your family, or so the saying goes. So if given the opportunity, would you choose to spend less time with your family? A new study published in the Journal of Social Psychology and Personality Science looks into whether income can predict the frequency and type of social interactions.
Emily Bianchi is co-author of the study and Assistant Professor of Organization and Management at Emory University.
Related: "Why Richer People Spend More Time with Their Friends"
