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 [ SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW - PODCAST ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=399)

#  What Algorithms Really Know About You & The Awesome Power of Doing Nothing

August 25 2025

Written by Michael Carruthers.

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What if starting your meal with a mediocre appetizer could actually make the main course taste better? In this surprising opening segment, we dive into the psychology of taste and explore clever, [science-backed tricks](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3139067/) to make your food taste better — using your brain, not just your palate. [⁠⁠](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3139067/)

We’re all being influenced by algorithms every day — from what we watch and buy to what we believe. But what exactly is an algorithm, how does it work, and can you fight back against its invisible influence? Math professor and author Noah Giansiracusa breaks it all down and shares practical ways to take back control from the algorithms quietly shaping your life. Noah is an associate professor of mathematics at Bentley University whose work has appeared in Scientific American, Time, Wired, Slate, and the Washington Post. He is author of the book [⁠Robin Hood Math: Take Control of the Algorithms That Run Your Life.⁠](https://amzn.to/3U66fnt))

Hard work gets all the glory — but rest may be just as essential. Neuroscientist Joseph Jebelli reveals how letting your brain idle can improve creativity, memory, and emotional health. Joseph is the author of the book [⁠The Brain at Rest. ⁠](https://amzn.to/458OlWb)This conversation might just convince you that doing nothing is actually one of the healthiest things you can do.

Think you lose most of your body heat through your head? Believe urine is sterile? Think again. In this quick and eye-opening segment, we bust some of the most common — and most stubborn — [myths about your body](https://mail.citywatchla.com/%E2%81%A0https:/www.menshealth.com/health/a19547125/lies-about-your-body/?cid=isynd_PV_0615) that many people still believe.

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##  Featured CityWatch Stories

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### [They Said It Made No Sense. Then They Voted Yes.](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33278:they-said-it-made-no-sense-then-they-voted-yes&catid=327)

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### [Trump World. From Assassination Abroad to Chaos at Home](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33277:trump-world-from-assassination-abroad-to-chaos-at-home&catid=395)

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MY THOUGHTS - Gov. Gavin Newsom is about to decide whether California should take another extraordinary gamble with fed…

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### [As California Debated Sharing Data On Drivers, Homeland Security Subpoenaed 17 Million Records](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33308:as-california-debated-sharing-data-on-drivers-homeland-security-subpoenaed-17-million-records&catid=425)

TECHNOLOGY - California lawmakers wrestled with a difficult question earlier this summer: Could the state safely share…

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### [Karen Bass Just Sent L.A. Businesses a Dangerous Message: Follow the Rules or Don’t](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33276:karen-bass-just-sent-l-a-businesses-a-dangerous-message-follow-the-rules-or-dont&catid=312)

THE BOTTOM LINE - Street vendors deserve a realistic path to legalization. But when City Hall weakens enforcement while…

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##  [ SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW - PODCAST ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=399)

### [The Extraordinary Benefits of Watching Sports](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32974:the-extraordinary-benefits-of-watching-sports&catid=399)

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### [When Maps Go Wrong &amp; The Science of Everyday Courage](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31850:when-maps-go-wrong-the-science-of-everyday-courage&catid=399)

### [Strange Secrets of the Human Body and Why Your Brain Requires Friends](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31849:strange-secrets-of-the-human-body-and-why-your-brain-requires-friends&catid=399)

### [The Secret Languages We All Speak &amp; Amazing Changes in Nature You Never Knew](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31848:the-secret-languages-we-all-speak-amazing-changes-in-nature-you-never-knew&catid=399)
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