
Something You Should Know
The Surprising History and Psychology of Board Games & Cracking the Fitness Code
22 May 2025
Do happy couples have more sex or does having more sex make couples happy? This episode begins with some surprising insight into that question. https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2015/may/more-sex-does-not-lead-to-happiness.html There is something about board games. Chess, checkers, backgammon, Monopoly, Parcheesi – we like to play board games. What’s fascinating is people all over the world love board games and have for centuries. Why is there this universal appeal? What do these games do for us? Here to offer up the answers and explanations is Tim Clare, an award winning writer and author of the book Across the Board: How Games Make Us Human (https://amzn.to/4kmAZvo). Everyone knows exercise is important. Still, a lot of people shy away from it. What is it that turns some people off while other people truly enjoy it? Is there a way to motivate people to exercise more beyond just telling them, “Exercise is good for you”? Can people who hate exercise learn to love it? How much exercise is enough to make a difference? Here to explore all of this is Katy Bowman who is the author of 11 books and a frequent speaker on the topic of movement and exercise. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, and Good Housekeeping and she has been on The Joe Rogan Experience, The Today Show and now she is here. Her latest book is I Know I Should Exercise, But...: 44 Reasons We Don't Move and How to Get Over Them (https://amzn.to/4dmWdHs). Do you have a calling? A passion? Not everyone does – or at least not everyone knows what it is. Listen as I reveal some questions you can ask yourself that might help you uncover what you are really called to do with your life. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/passion/201505/6-signs-that-a-passion-or-calling-is-true PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at https://MintMobile.com/something ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at https://FactorMeals.com/something50off TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure! Go to https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to https://Quince.com/sysk for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING right now! DELL: The power of Dell AI with Intel inside is transforming the world of pro sports! For the players and the fans who are there for every game. See how Dell Technologies with Intel inside can help find your advantage, and power your wins at https://Dell.com/Wins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Full Episode
I'm Amy Nicholson, the film critic for the LA Times. And I'm Paul Scheer, an actor, writer, and director. You might know me from The League, Veep, or my non-eligible for Academy Award role in Twisters. We come together to host Unspooled, a podcast where we talk about good movies, critical hits.
Fan favorites, must-sees, and in case you missed them. We're talking Parasite to Home Alone. From Grease to the Dark Knight. So if you love movies like we do, come along on our cinematic adventure. Listen to Unspooled wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to hit the follow button.
Today on Something You Should Know, does having more sex make couples happy, or do happy couples just have more sex? Then, why humans love board games, chess, checkers, Monopoly. And what happened to Backgammon? It used to be hot, then not.
Yeah, Backgammon went through this renaissance where it became really cool, where like the Rolling Stones were playing. But then you go to somewhere like Syria or Iraq or Turkey, and this is a game that has never gone away.
Also, how to figure out your life's calling. And exercise. We all know it's good for us, so why do so many people not do it?
What we tend to do is say, it's really good for you. Well, no, it's really, really good for you. Here's more evidence. It's really, really, really good for you. It being good for you is not enough to motivate. Finding another way in to harness motivation is really key.
All this today on Something You Should Know.
Do you love Disney? Then you are going to love our hit podcast, Disney Countdown. I'm Megan, the Magical Millennial. And I'm the Dapper Danielle. On every episode of our fun and family-friendly show, we count down our top 10 lists of all things Disney. There is nothing we don't cover.
We are famous for rabbit holes, Disney-themed games, and fun facts you didn't know you needed, but you definitely need in your life. So if you're looking for a healthy dose of Disney magic, check out Disney Countdown wherever you get your podcasts.
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