AEE 2361: Increase Your Lifespan and Listen Today

Summary

Podcast Summary: All Ears English Podcast - Episode 2361: "Increase Your Lifespan and Listen Today"

Introduction

In Episode 2361 of the All Ears English Podcast, hosts Lindsay McMahon and Michelle Kaplan delve into the versatile usage of the word "lifespan." Aimed at intermediate to advanced English learners, the episode explores whether "lifespan" applies solely to living beings or extends to objects and ideas. Released on February 20, 2025, this episode offers rich discussions, practical examples, and engaging insights to enhance listeners' understanding and usage of the term.

Listener Question: Understanding "Lifespan"

The episode kicks off with Michelle presenting a listener’s question:

"Does lifespan apply only to living things or can it be used for objects or ideas, too?" (04:28)

This question sets the stage for an in-depth exploration of the word, encouraging listeners to consider its broader applications beyond its conventional use.

Discussion on "Lifespan"

Lindsay and Michelle engage in a thoughtful discussion about the applicability of "lifespan." They initially ponder whether it can describe objects or ideas, ultimately concluding that while "lifespan" is primarily used for living beings and objects, its application to ideas feels unnatural.

• Usage with Objects: Lindsay shares a personal anecdote about her older Toyota 4Runner, highlighting that objects can indeed have a lifespan.

  "The amount of time in which it's functional, that you're still driving it." (05:32)

• Usage with Ideas: Both hosts agree that using "lifespan" for ideas or trends is uncommon and may sound forced. Instead, they suggest alternatives like "duration" or "life cycle" for such contexts.

Global Life Expectancy Insights

Shifting the focus to life expectancy, Lindsay and Michelle discuss global statistics, noting that the United States ranks low in life expectancy compared to countries like Hong Kong and Japan.

"The top one is Hong Kong, followed by Japan and Korea." (15:07)

They attribute higher life expectancies in these countries to factors such as diet and physical activity:

"I have a feeling it's a combination between what you eat and how often you move." (15:33)

This segment underscores the influence of lifestyle choices on longevity, offering listeners a broader perspective on the factors contributing to a longer lifespan.

Personal Habits to Increase Lifespan

The conversation transitions to personal habits that can enhance lifespan. Both hosts share their strategies:

• Michelle’s Habits:

  • Increasing exercise
  • Reducing plastic use by switching to stainless steel containers
  • Focusing on a healthier diet with fewer chemicals and more vegetables

  "I'm considering really what I put in my body... eating less meat, more vegetables." (08:43)

• Lindsay’s Habits:

  • Emphasizing anti-inflammatory foods like omega-3s, cherries, and strong polyphenols
  • Avoiding processed foods and dyes

  "I'm all about inflammation. Anti-inflammatory stuff like omega threes and cherries." (09:27)

These discussions highlight practical steps listeners can take to potentially increase their own lifespans, blending personal anecdotes with actionable advice.

Vocabulary Alternatives: Duration, Life Cycle, and Life Expectancy

To enrich listeners' vocabulary, Lindsay and Michelle explore synonyms and related terms:

• Duration: Primarily used for objects, not people.

  "The duration of your clothes..." (12:15)

• Life Cycle: Refers to the stages something goes through, ideal for describing processes rather than duration.

  "We will learn about the life cycle of a butterfly." (13:16)

• Life Expectancy: Typically associated with living beings, especially humans, but can occasionally describe objects.

  "The life expectancy of a phone is probably about four years." (14:03)

Role Play Segment: Applying "Lifespan" in Context

To illustrate the practical usage of these terms, Lindsay and Michelle engage in a playful role play where Lindsay acts as a customer inquiring about a couch's longevity.

Lindsay: "So how long do these couches typically last?" (18:06)
Michelle: "The duration is based on how they are treated... The life expectancy is about 5 years if you aren't careful, and 20 years if you are." (18:19)

This segment not only reinforces the vocabulary lessons but also demonstrates how to seamlessly integrate new words into everyday conversations.

Poll Results: Americans and Bulk Buying

The hosts share results from a Spotify poll related to bulk buying, specifically focusing on Costco:

"Yes was 52%, and no is 47%." (17:53)

This near-even split reveals varying attitudes towards bulk buying among listeners, adding a cultural dimension to the discussion on lifespan and consumption habits.

Takeaways and Conclusion

In wrapping up, Lindsay emphasizes the diversity of the topic and encourages listeners to experiment with the discussed terms in their daily conversations:

"Just try to dive into trying one of the ways we talked about today and try it out." (20:46)

Michelle echoes the sentiment, thanking listeners for their questions and fostering a community of learning and connection.

Notable Quotes

1. Lindsay on Object Lifespan:

   "The amount of time in which it's functional, that you're still driving it." (05:32)

2. Michelle on Personal Habits:

   "I'm considering really what I put in my body... eating less meat, more vegetables." (08:43)

3. Lindsay on Global Life Expectancy:

   "The top one is Hong Kong, followed by Japan and Korea." (15:07)

4. Michelle on Exercise and Diet:

   "I'm all about inflammation. Anti-inflammatory stuff like omega threes and cherries." (09:27)

Conclusion

Episode 2361 of the All Ears English Podcast offers a comprehensive exploration of the word "lifespan," extending its understanding beyond traditional boundaries. Through engaging dialogues, practical examples, and personal insights, Lindsay and Michelle provide listeners with valuable knowledge to enhance their English proficiency and cultural awareness. Whether discussing global life expectancy, personal health habits, or the nuanced usage of related vocabulary, this episode serves as a robust resource for English learners aiming to connect through language, not perfection.

Transcript

[A]

This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2361. Increase your lifespan and listen today. Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa. To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward/app.

[B]

In today's episode, a listener asks us about the word lifesp and how it can be used today. Get multiple scenarios to use this word and similar ones in English. Plus which country has the longest life expectancy. Find out today. Are you ready to feel more confident this year when you speak English? Stop bouncing around from resource to resource and focus on a clear study plan to get results. If you have just 15 to 20 minutes per day, three or four days a week, you can move from B1 English fluency to B2 using our course in 90 days. Let's do it together. Save $99 on our course bonus bundle, but the offer expires February 23rd at midnight. Go to allearsenglish.com B1. That's allearsenglish.com LetterB1.

[A]

Hello, Michelle. How's it going today?

[B]

I'm good, Lindsay, I have a question for you.

[A]

All right, I'm ready.

[B]

What would you say is a typical lifespan of a car?

[A]

It really depends on what car you have, Michelle. I mean, we have a, an old Toyota and at this point we're gonna drive her. She's a, she's a female. And we're gonna, we're gonna take her all the way to 300, 000 miles. That's what we've said. And that she and she. So, yeah, it's an old Toyota 4Runner, oh, 2005 or 2006. So that. But that's the best I think you can really expect.

[B]

It's funny if you can get attached.

[A]

To your car, right? You can. I guess so, yeah, you can. Are you attached to your car?

[B]

No, my car needs to be cleaned. I was, yeah, but, but I'm not attached to it yet. But I remember very specifically when we got rid of, we had, you know, one of those station wagons when I was a kid. I remember when my, my mom was going to, she was going to drop that car off and she was gonna get her new car. And I remember it was. It was sad when she was like. We were all kind of sad.

[A]

Totally. I think it's. It's a. It's a thing when you're a kid because you associate your car with all. With family trips, memories, your parents. A lot of times. Yeah. Kids do. I. I also got attached to our family cars.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's sort of a weird thing, but yeah. Why are we getting into. What? Why did you ask me about the lifespan of a car? Are we getting, oh, no mechanical knowledge today or what?

[B]

No. God, no. Today we are going to be answering a listener question about the word lifespan. So this. We're gonna focus on part of this listener's question today about the word lifespan. But before we do that, guys, remember to hit follow wherever you listen to Allers English, so you never miss anything from us.

[A]

Yeah, guys, hit that follow button. You know, we're in the new year now. It's time to really kind of hunker down and get a great habit of listening to English five days a week with Allers English. So if you believe in connection, not perfection, then come along with us. Right. And hit that follow button. Good stuff. Right? And send us your question. Right, Michelle? Because we love it when we can base our episodes on listener questions.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Actually, we're just talking about how we've gotten some really good questions recently. Oh, Lindsay, do you want me to read the question this time?

[A]

That'd be great. Michelle, could you do that for us?

[B]

Okay. So, unfortunately, I don't think that I have the name of this listener, but the it said. Greetings. I really enjoy listening to your podcast. It's been so helpful for improving my English. Does lifespan apply only to living things or can it be used for objects or ideas, too? Thank you so much for your help. Looking forward to your next episode. Thank you so much. And it looks like this person gave us a five star review, Lindsay. I don't know.

[A]

Beautiful.

[B]

If you can find. If you know their name.

[A]

Yeah, I don't know their name, but thank you to the listener. We love good questions. You can leave your question in your review wherever you listen or you can send your question over to support allearsenglish.com those are great ways to get your question into our queue and make sure it's a specific question, right?

[B]

Yes. Okay. So thank you so much, Lindsay. So what did I ask you first? Lindsay? We were talking about a car, right? Is a car a living thing?

[A]

Well, it's not. Although I made it sound like it is.

[B]

Right.

[A]

By giving it a gender and. But sometimes we do that. That's another story for another day. But yeah, you. It's not a living thing, but it could have, it does have a lifespan, meaning the amount of time in which it's. It's functional, that you're still driving it.

[B]

Right, right, right, exactly. So it is interesting that we can use lifespan about living or non living things.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So, but this listener asked also about objects or ideas. So. Yeah, ideas. I don't really think so. To me it's more about living things or objects. What do you think?

[A]

Yeah, I, I really don't think I would say that for an idea having a lifespan. I would say maybe like a trend could have kind of a lifespan. A trend like a way of thinking, a wave of thinking. Maybe you could say that movement had a lifespan. Would you say that?

[B]

Maybe. It doesn't feel very natural to me.

[A]

Natural? Yeah, yeah. There's other words that we could use for ideas that would be better, I think.

[B]

Right. I'm thinking about. Well, would you say it about maybe a trend like, oh, the lifespan of the skinny jeans trend or something like that? I don't know. Still it feels.

[A]

Yeah. I mean it doesn't feel 100% natural, but I think if you said it, people would, would get it.

[B]

No, right. Yeah, exactly, exactly. Yeah. So to me the word, you know, lifespan can sound actually a little bit scientific. Right. Because it's really about the time something lasts. Right. So the focus is on time. So let's do some examples. Lindsay, you want to do the first one?

[A]

Yes. The average lifespan of a dog is 10 to 13 years, which is way too short when I think about that. I think Kiefer's halfway through his life. He's middle aged. Oh my gosh.

[B]

I know, I know. I was just, I just saw something about them. Try trying to make animal dogs live longer. Did you see? I don't know.

[A]

I see that.

[B]

I swear I saw something. I don't know, maybe I had a dream about it. I don't know. Interesting. All right, here we go. The lifespan of the carpets we sell is about 20 years.

[A]

Nice. Or you should exercise, sleep and eat healthy if you want to increase your lifespan. So, yeah, we haven't mentioned this yet, but the, the major way that this is used is actually about the human body, a life, someone's life. Like how long are you going to live your lifespan?

[B]

Yeah, right.

[A]

Average lifespan of, you know, like, of, for example, women tends to be longer than men in general. I think across the World. And then lifespan can also vary based on where you're from, what country you live in.

[B]

Right, Exactly. Yep. So. Or here's another one. Make sure. Back to cars. Make sure you get regular oil changes or in order to maintain the lifespan of the car.

[A]

Yes. Nice. Yeah. So let's talk about what we do to try to increase our lifespan. Interesting. Michelle, anything that comes to mind for you in terms of daily habits? Habits or activities?

[B]

I'm. I've been trying to exercise more. I've recently picked it up again. That's important I think now I don't know if you are into this but now I've been really considering what I eat and the amount of plastic that, that I use. I was having a lot of plastic water bottles.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I mean I've been starting to become more aware of. I think this is happening to a lot of people. I know they're starting to think about plastic they used. I just bought new stainless steel containers for my kids snacks. And so I would say that's something I'm starting to consider also I think about, you know, I do like the idea of eating fewer chemicals. So I'm considering really, I'm starting to consider really what I put in my body and. Yeah, yeah. Maybe eating less meat, more vegetables. So I would say that that's been my focus more so recently. And then it's also about what you don't do. Right. You know, don't.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Like I don't, I don't smoke. I, you know, certain things like that. So.

[A]

For sure.

[B]

Yeah. What about you?

[A]

Well, I think there's just a lot more research coming out now about nutrition and ultra processed foods and I try to, I, I'm all about inflammation. Anti inflammatory stuff like you know, the food that can bring down your inflammation in your body. Right. Like omega threes and cherries and fruits and like strong polyphenols, that kind of thing. I really nerd out on this stuff, Michelle. I really do.

[B]

Me too. Recently I've been getting into it. I don't know, maybe it's just something.

[A]

That happens and it's a trend right now. I think people are talking a lot. We're really raising the consciousness especially around processed foods.

[B]

It's true. And also dyes. That's a new thing.

[A]

Oh yeah. Interesting. Right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

If you have to put dye and like food coloring into your food, something's probably wrong. Right.

[B]

I think that, I think wasn't one of the red dyes was just banned. It's gonna be. Yeah, yeah. That was big news. So yeah. Anyway, interesting. Trying to increase our lifespans. Yeah.

[A]

So I think the main way we use the word lifespan, you know, probably 60 of the time, it is about, you know, the human life. Right. Broadly about human beings and then, you know, in different parts of the world and, you know, ages and genders and that kind of thing. Yeah.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

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[B]

All right, well, we're gonna explore some similar ideas. So the first one is duration. So this is more used for objects, right? I wouldn't talk about a person's dur.

[A]

That would be very weird. It makes. It makes it feel too objectified. The person. Right. Yeah. So you can increase the duration of your clothes by washing them according to the instructions on the tag. Yeah. The duration of your clothes. Interesting. I've never used that for clothes, but I guess you could. Yeah.

[B]

Am I making that up? I mean. I mean, you.

[A]

Duration. Yeah, sure. Yeah. I don't.

[B]

How. How long your clothes. I mean, Lindsay, I think we've talked about this. You and neither you or I really wash our laundry correctly. Is that right?

[A]

Oh, no, no, no. Never. Never. I just don't have the time or the energy to separate my wides and My darks. And I often wash my jeans. But you're not supposed to. I know. Yeah, I commit all that. Next one is life cycle. So slightly more about the actual circle of life. Like the Lion King. We love. Shout out to the Lion King.

[B]

We love it.

[A]

It's a good one. The life cycle of something. This kind of talks about changes that things go through throughout their life too. Right. The light. So lifespan is about amount of time. Life cycle is about stages usually.

[B]

So today we will learn about the life cycle of a butterfly.

[A]

Exactly. Yeah. Perfect. What else, Michelle?

[B]

Life expectancy. So again, these are similar words. They're not, you know, ide words in the same vein, but they're not exactly the same life expectancy. So that's how long something will live. Now, would you use life expectancy for an object?

[A]

Would you use life expectancy for an object? No, probably not. I feel like you have to be alive, don't you think?

[B]

I think, you know, more commonly that's how you would use it. But I do think that you, like, for example, the life expectancy of a phone is probably about four years, but it may not work that well even before then. I feel like that sounds. Do you think that sounds natural or not?

[A]

Or a little life expectant? It feels a little weird to me because when I think about. Again, when I think about life expectancy, I think about like human beings. You know what I mean? Kind of, yeah. How long someone will live, but. So I would generally advise to stay more around thing, you know, around humans. But this actually leads me to a more interesting question, Michelle. Oh, life expectancy around the world countries.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Ooh. Do you know how low the US Is?

[B]

We're pretty low, aren't we? We're low.

[A]

We're very low. So I'm looking at one, one source and I want to encourage our listeners to go and research this. But I had heard this before based on this Source. World Worldometers do info. It looks like we're number 48. Ooh, very low. Who takes the cake?

[B]

Japan, Hong Kong.

[A]

The top. The top. This must be something about the diet in Asia. So number one, Hong Kong. Two, Jap Korea for French Polynesia. Very interesting. So I would love to know what our listeners think about, you know, what determines lifespan? Like, what's the secret of being at the top of this chart? What do you think it is, Michelle?

[B]

I. I think it might be what you eat. What do you think?

[A]

Yeah, well, I have a feeling it's a combination between what you eat and how often you move.

[B]

Yeah. Yep.

[A]

Yeah, because I, I remember when I lived in Japan and again on this chart, Japan is number two. And I would want to valid against other charts, but I remember how much I moved just walking to the train all the time. Y. I didn't really drive trains. Cover the whole country is just amazing. The amount of walking I did. So I want to hear from our listeners on that. Michelle, maybe we could do a followup on this idea of lifespan across the world.

[B]

It's so important. Yeah, yeah, that would be interesting. Okay, I'm going to look into that. Lifespan around the world. So, Lindsay, here's, here's another question. Well, what's the longest time you think you've had a piece of technology and what is it?

[A]

Wow, that's a great question. Well, I actually had my last computer for quite a while. I had it for about five years and I just got a brand new one, but.

[B]

Yeah, you did get a new one. Congrats.

[A]

Yeah, Shout out to Dell. It lasted me a long time. So the lifespan of that computer. Yeah, I guess you could say lifespan of a computer. I think that makes sense to me. Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

[B]

Yeah. All right, guys, so now we are going to share results from a poll we did on Spotify. Guys, we've been doing these really fun polls on Spotify and this was from episode 2337 of Allers English. This was called why do Americans Love Bulk Buying? So if you haven't, well, and maybe, hey, also connected to lifespan, what you're eating. Right.

[A]

This might be connected to why we're number 48.

[B]

That's hilarious. I was not thinking about it at all that way, but yes. So head on over and listen to that episode. But what was the question on the poll for that?

[A]

Yeah, the question was, you know, is Costco a big connection topic in your culture? So not necessarily. Are you a Costco shopper? But is it a connection topic? Do you talk about it? Are there jokes about Costco? Are there, you know, shared. Is there shared enthusiasm around the Costco idea? Right. Yes or no? So it was, it was an interesting even split, Michelle. Yes, yes was 52%. And no is 47 interesting.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, very interesting. Some, some Costco fans and some Costco.

[A]

Fans, more than I actually thought. But it is a global concept now for sure. Should we go into a quick role play before we finish?

[B]

Let's do it. Here we go. So I am a salesman and you are looking for a new couch.

[A]

All right, here we go. All right. So how long do these couches typically last?

[B]

Well, the duration is based on how they are treated. So you definitely want to use the cleaner every six months.

[A]

Oh, so that increases the lifespan.

[B]

Oh, for sure. The life Expectancy is about 5 years if you aren't careful, and 20 years if you are.

[A]

Whoa. What a difference.

[B]

Yeah. In the life cycle of a couch, the length of time really depends on how much you rough it up.

[A]

Interesting. Good to know. Good to know. I didn't know that I had to use a special cleaner for my couch.

[B]

Geez. Yeah, I, I, that, yeah, I'm learning a lot here.

[A]

All right. The goal, though, is to be. Not be on the couch too much. Right. So I can be above higher than 48 on the list.

[B]

Exactly. So many connections we're making in this episode.

[A]

Yeah, for sure. All right, let's break this down. So you said, well, the duration is based on how they are treated. Right. So the duration of the, like, how long the couch will last is based on how it's treated. Okay.

[B]

Yep. And then you. I said, use the cleaner every six months, and you said, so that increases the lifespan.

[A]

Perfect. And then you said, oh, for sure. The life Expectancy is about 5 years if you aren't careful, and 20 years if you are.

[B]

And then I said, yeah. And the life cycle of a couch, the length of time really depends on how much you rough it up. So again, we. This is extreme, Right. We're not going to use all of these in once. However, you know, another point is, is it's kind of silly, right. The life cycle of the couch. This is, to me, a point of having some fun with the language. Right. We don't to say the life cycle of a couch. Obviously, the couch isn't living. It doesn't have, you know, we don't think of it as a butterfly or, you know, but it's not going to get married one day and like, you know, have like, typical life cycle moments. But sometimes we do things. We've talked about this before. Personifying objects.

[A]

Objects. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. So. So this can happen. So. Right, Yeah.

[A]

I mean, or, or like how I put a gender on my car. Right at the top of the episode, we do Persona. Maybe it's time to revisit that topic on All Ears English, Michelle. Of personifying objects. Come back to that. We did an episode a long time ago that would be kind of cool to come back to, don't you think?

[B]

Right, yeah, absolutely, I do think so.

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And we're gonna have a good poll. Maybe the poll today will be related to the lifespan around the world. Life expectancy around the world. We're going to ask some kind of question over to Spotify and participate in the poll, guys. All right. Good stuff. And don't forget to hit follow on all ears English.

[B]

Yes, absolutely. What's the takeaway for today? What do you think?

[A]

Well, I mean, this is such a diverse topic. You can talk about anything from how long people live around the world to how long certain items will live or survive or last. Right. So just try to dive into trying one of the ways we talked about today and try it out. Just try it out, right? Absolutely.

[B]

All right. Well, this was a lot of fun. Thank you to our listener for that question. We love them. Please continue to send us your very good questions.

[A]

All right, Michelle, take care.

[B]

Bye bye.

[A]

Thanks for listening. To all ears, English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz, go to allearsenglish.com or forward/fluencyscore. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.