From shelf life to shelf appeal, Jessica Wynn explores the science and psychology of food packaging on this week's Skeptical Sunday!

• Food packaging evolved from natural containers (shells, leaves) to complex materials, fundamentally changing how we store and consume food. The industrial revolution particularly accelerated this evolution.
• Modern food packaging is heavily regulated, with strict requirements for nutritional labeling, ingredients lists, and safety standards. The FDA didn't mandate standardized nutrition facts panels until 1990.
• Package design psychology significantly influences consumer behavior — colors (red/yellow stimulate appetite), placement, and imagery affect purchasing decisions within 90 seconds of viewing.
• Smart packaging technology is emerging, with developments like RFID tracking and nanosensors that can detect food freshness, contamination, and proper storage conditions.
• Consumers can make a positive impact on this industry by supporting companies using sustainable packaging alternatives and staying informed about packaging innovations — this helps drive industry change while maintaining food safety and convenience.
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!
• Connect with Jessica Wynn at Instagram and Threads, and subscribe to her newsletter: Between the Lines!

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1082

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Co-parenting with a narcissistic ex in prison wasn't part of the plan. Now he wants phone calls with your son. What could go wrong? This is Feedback Friday!

And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in!

• You're co-parenting with your ex who is currently in prison for multiple crimes including drugs, guns, and stolen property. Your young son misses his dad and wants phone calls, but you're concerned about your ex's narcissistic tendencies and potential for retaliation. How do you protect both your son's heart and your safety?
• You've been a loyal employee for 11 years, but after your company was acquired, you discovered new hires are making significantly more than you. With a recent acquisition of an Indian company making everyone nervous about job security, how do you advocate for fair pay without rocking the boat?
• Your nephew's friend fell victim to a devastating online scam involving compromising photos, leading to tragic consequences. As these scams targeting young people become more prevalent, what can parents and communities do to prevent similar tragedies?
• Your fiancée bought a house without your input, following her parents' wishes rather than your shared plans. Now she wants to live alone first and might not give you space for your belongings. Is this just about the house, or is there something deeper going on?
• Recommendation of the Week: Portuguese Reggae Music
• You're torn between joining the Marine Corps and pursuing graduate studies in Milan, Italy. Having experienced both the military culture and European life, you're struggling to choose between duty and adventure. Which path leads to your authentic self?
• Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com!
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.
• Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1081

Technology is rewiring our brains and relationships. Dr. Alok Kanojia explains how modern conveniences make us less resilient and what we can do about it!

• Technology and apps have become like an invasive species — our brains haven't evolved to handle them properly, leading to increased anxiety, depression, and difficulty forming relationships.
• Cultural conditioning that only validates male anger while dismissing other emotions results in psychological difficulties and destructive behaviors.
• The proliferation of convenience apps and services is diminishing our natural resilience and problem-solving abilities.
• Many young people struggle with purpose because external pressures and technology have drowned out their internal signals and emotional awareness.
• The good news is these issues can be addressed through intentional work on social skills, emotional awareness, and reducing technology dependence. Studies show even small interventions like watching educational content can improve mental health outcomes by ~10%, and more structured programs can show significant improvement in just three or four months.
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1080

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From beached whales to human heart disease, noise pollution is worse than we thought. Jessica Wynn sounds the alarm here on Skeptical Sunday!

• Noise pollution is significantly more harmful than commonly recognized, contributing to approximately 48,000 new cases of heart disease in Europe annually and ranking second only to air pollution as the most harmful environmental exposure to public health.
• The impact on wildlife is severe — noise pollution disrupts animal communication, breeding patterns, and navigation, particularly affecting marine life. For example, increased shipping noise has led to whale beachings and is threatening species like the Narwhal with extinction.
• Noise pollution disproportionately affects low-income communities, who often live near flight paths, highways, and factories, with limited options for relocation despite the serious health impacts.
• The US has largely abandoned federal noise control efforts since 1981 when the Reagan administration defunded the Office of Noise Abatement and Control, leaving communities without comprehensive protection against harmful noise levels.
• There are several effective ways individuals and communities can take action against noise pollution: supporting local noise ordinances, using quieter electric alternatives to gas-powered equipment, incorporating sound barriers in construction projects, and being mindful of our own noise contributions. Small changes in our daily habits can help create quieter, healthier environments for everyone.
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!
• Connect with Jessica Wynn and subscribe to her newsletter: Between the Lines!

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1079

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And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

Sign...

The love of your life's drinking keeps derailing your plans. When does supporting become enabling and love become liability? Welcome to Feedback Friday!

And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in!

• We have an update on the listener from episode 1066 whose boyfriend's ex accused him of molesting her son and his own children!
• You're in what feels like a dream relationship with a partner who showers you with affection, but they're struggling with alcoholism and financial dependency. You've invested in a second home banking on their renovation skills, but their sobriety keeps wavering. How do you balance love with responsibility?
• You're an entry-level kitchen designer dreaming of working at a full-service residential design firm. You want to reach out to prospective companies to learn what skills you need to develop, but crafting that perfect networking message feels daunting. How do you make that first impression count?
• At age 44, you're still grappling with the pain of your father leaving when you were 12 after getting another woman pregnant. While you love your dad and half-brother, you harbor deep resentment toward his new wife. Can old wounds ever truly heal?
• Your college roommate's boyfriend is moving into your building, and his behavior has always concerned you — from uncomfortable PDA to concerning power dynamics. Additionally, your friend has shared some troubling details about their relationship. How do you protect your friend while respecting boundaries?
• Recommendation of the Week: Inflatable Hot Tub
• For 40 years, you've crafted creative, personalized Christmas ornament cards that tell your family's annual story. While many cherish this tradition, some never acknowledge receiving them. Should you keep investing time and emotion into reaching out to an unresponsive void?
• Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com!
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.
• Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi.

Full show...

Want to write a great screenplay? Little Miss Sunshine writer Michael Arndt shares secrets from Pixar, Hollywood, and a decade of script doctoring!

• Success in screenwriting often requires extreme persistence and resilience — Michael Arndt wrote 10 screenplays over 10 years before selling Little Miss Sunshine, and even then did about 100 drafts of that script before it was ready.
• The best stories often create a "tilted universe" where the protagonist is a response to or antidote to the negative values of their world (like Robin Hood emerging in response to an unjust system, or The Dude's laid-back nature contrasting with an aggressive world in The Big Lebowski).
• Audience feedback is crucial but challenging to balance — as Michael quotes Billy Wilder: "Individually they're idiots, but collectively they're a genius." You have to respect audience intelligence while still maintaining your creative vision.
• Great endings often work by creating a false binary (win/lose) and then revealing a surprising third option that exceeds audience expectations — like in Little Miss Sunshine where Olive neither wins nor loses but creates something entirely unexpected.
• Anyone can improve their storytelling by studying great stories and breaking them down systematically — Michael's own journey shows that storytelling is a craft that can be learned through careful analysis, practice, and continual refinement of understanding how stories work. His video essays on screenwriting (available on YouTube) offer concrete tools for developing these skills.
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1077

If you love listening to this show as much as we love making it, would you please peruse and reply to our Membership Survey here?

And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!

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Is a $2,000 bottle of wine really better than a $20 one? Pieter Colpaert decants the truth about pricing, perception, and epic fraud on Skeptical Sunday!

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by producer, multimedia journalist, and wine enthusiast Pieter Colpaert!

• Wine fraud is surprisingly common in the fine wine market — experts estimate that as much as 20% of fine wines could be counterfeit, especially among rare and expensive bottles. The largest case involved Rudy Kurniawan, who sold approximately $550 million worth of counterfeit wines.
• Wine pricing is influenced by multiple factors beyond quality, including scarcity, vineyard age, production methods, aging time, and marketing. However, studies show that beyond $50-100, you're often paying for reputation and rarity rather than significantly better quality.
• Scientific studies have shown that even wine experts struggle to consistently identify or rate expensive wines in blind tastings. At one Wine Spectator event, 54 experts couldn't reliably distinguish between wines ranging from $1.65 to $150 per bottle.
• The psychology of wine pricing has a strong effect on perception — research shows that people's brains actually respond more positively to wine when they believe it's expensive, even if it's the exact same wine. This is called the "price-quality heuristic."
• The good news is that excellent wines can be found in the $20-30 range. By exploring different regions, grape varieties, and styles without fixating on price, you can discover fantastic wines that suit your personal taste while staying within a reasonable budget. Trust your own preferences over marketing and pricing signals.
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!
• Connect with Pieter at his website, Instagram, and Twitter!

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1076

If you love listening to this show as much as we love making it, would you please peruse and reply to our Membership Survey here?

Your 4-year-old convinced her 6-year-old brother to touch her inappropriately. Normal exploration or red flag for deeper issues? Welcome to Feedback Friday!

And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com. Now let's dive in!

• You discovered your six-year-old son and four-year-old daughter engaged in concerning intimate behavior while you were away, with your daughter initiating and using manipulation tactics that seem beyond her years. What could this mean for their development, and what steps should you take? [Special thanks to licensed professional counselor and Sibling Sexual Abuse author Brad Watts for helping us with this one!]
• On episode 985, we heard from a listener whose mother endured years of torture from an abusive partner who kept getting released due to New York's bail reform laws, leading to a horrific incident — but is there another perspective worth considering about these controversial reforms? What do the data actually show? [Thanks to former Pittsburgh public defender Dan Eichinger for sharing his perspective!]
• Your brother, once successful, now lives in your mom's old apartment after losing everything to corporate fraud. He's struggling with depression while caring for his autistic son, and seems to reject all help. How can you reach someone who keeps pushing away lifelines?
• Your 50-person company has terrible internal communication, leaving you constantly having to chase down work and information. You've improved your own communication skills, but the company hasn't changed. Should you keep pushing for better or accept the status quo?
• Recommendation of the Week: Chimp Crazy
• Growing up in Zimbabwe with parents who constantly fight, shame others, and display toxic behaviors, you're worried about repeating their patterns. You want to cut ties once financially independent, but can you truly break free from their influence?
• Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com!
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger and Instagram at @jordanharbinger.
• Connect...