The Upgrade by Lifehacker

This week we're talking about personality tests. You know: those tests that ask you personal questions about your philosophy of life or your behavior or your ethics, and then tell you what kind of person you are. How much do they really reveal? And what does our desire to take them say about us? We'll be talking with a good friend of The Upgrade—and our first repeat guest—#1 New York Times best-selling author Gretchen Rubin...

Dr. Robert Lustig joins us in the studio to talk about his new book, “The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains.” Dr. Lustig is a pediatric endocrinologist who is also author of the book “Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease.” He talks to us about how corporate interests have worked to keep us addicted to pleasure—and how our addictions have robbed us of happiness...

This week we’re talking about bullshit: what it is, how to detect it, and how to call it out. First, staff writer Nick Douglas joins us for a rousing game of “Two Truths and a Lie.” Then we talk to Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West, professors at the University of Washington who teach a course called Calling Bullshit. Finally, Alice talks about why we're so susceptible to bullshit with staff writer Beth Skwarecki, who writes the Bullshit Resistance School column on Lifehacker...

This is a recast of the week Charles Duhigg joined us to discuss the science of productivity. He's a Pulitzer-winning reporter for the New York Times and best-selling author, most recently of Smarter Faster Better, which plumbs the science of productivity. He talks with us about how you can motivate yourself to do horrible things like answer email, why some pilots crash planes when things go wrong and others don't, and why you want at least two women on any team you're on...

This week we're talking about microdosing: the use of relatively low doses of psychedelics, like LSD and psilocybin mushroom,  to improve mood, focus and productivity in daily life. We spoke with author Ayelet Waldman, whose monthlong experiment with microdosing pulled her out of suicidal depression; psychedelics advocate Paul Austin; and psychologist Dr. Ingmar Gorman, who specializes in "psychedelic psychotherapy" and substance use treatment. See Privacy Policy at https://art19...

We're talking about personal hygiene with professional clean person Jolie Kerr. Jolie’s been a cleaning expert for Esquire, Deadspin and The Hairpin, and she’s the author of the New York Times bestselling book, My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag . . . and Other Things You Can’t Ask Martha. Starting this week, she’ll be writing a column for Lifehacker's parenting vertical, Offspring, on how to be a clean parent...

This week Cleo Stiller, host of Fusion TV's "Sex Right Now," joins us to talk about how porn is affecting our sex lives, what happens when men get menstrual cramps, and to introduce us to a Fitbit for your penis. We also talk to sex therapist Sari Cooper about how to keep intimacy alive in long-term relationships. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The entire Lifehacker staff convened in New York City and gathered in the studio this week to answer etiquette questions sent in by our readers. Want to know how often you should acknowledge a coworker in the office hallway? How to politely exit a conversation? Or how to tell a spouse that he’s a bit of a mansplainer? Lucky for you, we have all the answers. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Alan Alda and The Moth’s Catherine Burns join us to talk about storytelling...

We spoke with Steve Casner, author of the book CAREFUL: A User’s Guide to Our Injury-Prone Minds. Steve is a research psychologist with NASA who studies how and why we get hurt in our everyday activities: whether we’re chopping vegetables, climbing ladders, or just walking down the street. We found out how we can stay safe without hiding in bed all day—and why we should embrace our bad attitudes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19...