Something You Should Know

Episode: Deadly Risks You Overlook & Why We Treat Pets Like People

Host: Mike Carruthers
Guests: Dr. Tom Frieden, Justin Gregg
Date: October 2, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode tackles two central themes: the overlooked health risks most likely to shorten our lives—and practical, science-backed strategies to avoid them; and a fascinating look at anthropomorphism: why we treat our pets and inanimate objects as people. Host Mike Carruthers first interviews Dr. Tom Frieden, former CDC director, about what science truly tells us regarding longevity, followed by a conversation with animal cognition researcher Justin Gregg on the deep human tendency to attribute human traits to non-human things, especially pets.

Segment 1: The Deadly Risks You Overlook with Dr. Tom Frieden

Author: The Formula for Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives, Including Your Own
Timestamps: 03:22–27:55

Main Theme

Dr. Frieden urges listeners to look past generic health advice and focus on specific, proven actions known to significantly extend healthy life and reduce risk of disease and dementia.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Good Posture and Health (03:22–05:54)

  • Standing up straight improves mood, confidence, memory, and energy.
  • Poor posture harms both body and mind.
  • "Research has shown that good posture is linked to increased confidence, better memory, more energy and a myriad of physical benefits." (04:07, Mike Carruthers)

• The #1 Overlooked Risk: High Blood Pressure (07:02)

  • "The thing that is most likely to kill you, that you probably don't think about enough, is your blood pressure." (07:02, Dr. Frieden)
  • Hypertension causes most heart attacks and strokes globally—about 11 million deaths per year.
  • Many deaths are preventable with simple interventions.

• Practical Life Hack: Use Potassium-Enriched Salt (08:23)

  • Dr. Frieden recommends replacing regular table salt with a low-sodium, potassium-enriched salt for almost everyone (except those with kidney disease).
  • "That simple measure has been proven in a really rigorous study to reduce people's risk of a heart attack, a stroke, or dying from a heart attack or stroke by 10 to 15%." (09:21, Dr. Frieden)
  • The key is potassium:sodium ratio; most people consume triple the sodium of potassium.

• Cancer Risk & Prevention (11:26)

  • After cardiovascular disease, cancer is the next major killer.
  • Avoid tobacco—still the #1 preventable cause of death.
  • Alcohol increases certain cancer risks in a linear fashion; "there's no safe level of drinking." (12:13, Dr. Frieden)
  • Physical activity not only reduces the risk of getting cancer but also lowers recurrence and mortality for those with cancer.
    • "Physical activity not only reduces the risk that you'll get cancer, but... you're likely to live longer, be less likely to have a recurrence... and be less likely to get a second cancer." (14:11, Dr. Frieden)

• Physical Activity: The Closest Thing to a Wonder Drug (13:43)

  • Even four 30-minute walks a week can deliver major health benefits.
  • Benefits extend to reduced risk of depression, arthritis, dementia, and improved sleep.

• Body Weight and Obesity (18:01)

  • "I don't think we really understand what's driving [the obesity epidemic]." (18:01, Dr. Frieden)
  • Environment—not lack of willpower or laziness—is likely the main factor.
  • Sugary drinks are the biggest contributor to increased U.S. calorie intake.
  • Physical activity improves health even without weight loss.

• The Critical Role of Sleep (19:28)

  • Sleep helps eliminate brain toxins; improves mood and productivity; lowers high blood pressure.
  • "If you can get... at least seven hours, seven to nine hours sleep, you're much more likely to thrive." (20:13, Dr. Frieden)
  • Cool, dark rooms and regular schedules help.

• Gut Health & Diet Additions (20:47)

  • More fiber, healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, fish, soy), and reducing processed meats/sugary drinks contribute to both longevity and brain health.

• Dementia Prevention: Surprising Findings (21:28–24:10)

  • Measures that lower dementia risk: protecting hearing and vision, sleep, vaccines (possible link with shingles vaccine).
  • "Regular and full correction of hearing reduces the risk of dementia. That is a fact." (23:22, Dr. Frieden)

• Optimism Extends Life (25:50)

  • Optimism motivates health-promoting behavior and is linked to longer life.
  • "Optimists do live longer." (26:09, Dr. Frieden)

Memorable Quotes

• “Physical activity is the closest thing we've got to a wonder drug.” (13:45, Dr. Frieden)
• “Optimism is often the driving force, the single most important force. If we're going to think of can we really live a long, healthy life, less likely to get dementia, we have to have some optimism that it could actually happen.” (27:06, Dr. Frieden)

Segment 2: The Quirk of Anthropomorphism with Justin Gregg

Author: Humanish: What Talking to Your Cat or Naming Your Car Reveals About the Uniquely Human Need to Humanize
Timestamps: 30:04–51:03

Main Theme

Anthropomorphism—our universal tendency to ascribe human attributes to non-human entities—reveals a lot about the unique workings of the human mind. Justin Gregg examines why we do this, its risks and benefits, and what it says about us as a species.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Universality of Anthropomorphism (31:15–31:32)

  • "We anthropomorphize pretty much anything and everything as long as it has a little bit of human-ish quality to it." (31:17, Justin Gregg)
  • The tendency is present across all cultures—some, like Japan, do so more overtly.

• Developmental and Play Aspect (32:38)

  • Children create elaborate social worlds for toys and stuffed animals; this persists as playful habit in adults (especially with pets).

• Why We Anthropomorphize (34:00)

  • Rooted in the deeply human pursuit to understand what others are thinking—applied indiscriminately, even to inanimate objects or animals.

• Is It Beneficial? (35:08)

  • There are practical benefits, such as longer-lasting objects (musicians who name and “care for” their instruments).
  • “When we anthropomorphize the tools and the objects in our lives, they last longer and they work better and that actually made us a more successful species.” (35:37, Justin Gregg)

• Anthropomorphism Through History (36:04)

  • Present in ancient art, myth, and ritual—suggesting it’s always been part of human cognition.

• Who Anthropomorphizes More? (36:59)

  • Women do so slightly more than men; people with low empathy (e.g. psychopathy) do it less.
  • The “uncanny valley” effect: Certain cultures (e.g. Japan) are less creeped out by human-like robots than the U.S.

• Design & Marketing Implications (38:07–39:41)

  • Product and robot designers leverage anthropomorphism: humans prefer products/robots with certain human-like features, but there’s a fine line before it gets creepy (uncanny valley).

• Harms and Benefits (40:38–49:40)

  • Usually harmless or beneficial—bonding, improved care for pets and objects.
  • But can lead to misunderstandings, especially with animals: misjudging animal intentions (e.g., with dolphins) can be dangerous or unethical.
  • Pathological cases are extremely rare (objectophilia).

• Rise of Anthropomorphism (Pets, AI) (41:56, 43:09)

  • Trend toward treating pets as family, celebrating birthdays, buying outfits, is increasing.
  • Our tendency now extends to AI (e.g. talking to, thanking chatbots).
    • "Feeling that obligation... to thank your chat bot... it's a very human thing to do." (43:36, Justin Gregg)

• Cars, Facial Features, and Persuasion (47:12)

  • People commonly name their cars—car designs increasingly mimic human facial expressions.
  • Marketing exploits our preference for things with “faces”.

Memorable Quotes

• “Humans are obsessed with figuring out what each other are thinking. And so this is just an example of how important and fundamental that is to our minds... our brains think, oh, that might be another human, and they'll start talking to their coffee mug.” (34:21, Justin Gregg)
• “I think we should embrace this behavior because it really causes no harm. And it really is such a fundamental aspect of the human mind to want to interact in a positive social way that we should embrace it. So I'm all for talking to your stuffed animals. I think it's healthy and we should be proud of it.” (44:40, Justin Gregg)
• “Pathologies exist... objectophilia... but again, that's extremely rare. I think the bigger risk really is... the way we are interacting with AI can be quite unhealthy and that a lot of people are having a hard time remembering that it is not another human that they're speaking to.” (46:27, Justin Gregg)

Segment 3: Why We're All Prone to Being Scammed

Timestamps: 51:08–end

Key Intel

• Humans are hardwired to trust others due to evolutionary advantages for cooperation.
• Psychological biases make us susceptible to scams:
  • Trusting bias: defaulting to trust until proven otherwise.
  • Reciprocity: feeling obliged if given something.
  • Fear of embarrassment: reluctance to challenge for fear of being wrong.
  • Just-world belief: the assumption of fairness leads to over-trusting.
• "Being aware that you have this inclination to trust other people can help you stop and question things, especially when they sound too good to be true." (52:43, Mike Carruthers)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Dr. Tom Frieden:
  • "Physical activity is the closest thing we've got to a wonder drug." (13:45)
  • “Optimism is often the driving force, the single most important force.” (27:06)
• Justin Gregg:
  • "When we anthropomorphize the tools and the objects in our lives, they last longer and they work better and that actually made us a more successful species." (35:37)
  • "Our cars have gotten unfriendly in the past 20 or 30 years." (47:41)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:22 — Good Posture & Health
• 07:02 — High Blood Pressure: Top Killer
• 09:35 — Potassium-enriched Salt Explained
• 11:26 — Cancer Prevention Beyond Heart Disease
• 13:43 — Power of Physical Activity
• 18:01 — Obesity Epidemic & Sugar
• 19:28 — The Importance of Sleep
• 20:47 — Gut Health & Diet
• 21:28 — Dementia Prevention
• 26:09 — Optimism and Longevity
• 30:04 — Introduction to Anthropomorphism
• 31:15 — Universal Nature of Anthropomorphism
• 35:08 — Benefits of Anthropomorphizing Objects
• 38:07 — Anthropomorphism in Design & Marketing
• 41:56 — The Growing Trend of Pet-Humanization
• 43:09 — Anthropomorphism & AI
• 47:12 — Naming and Face-like Features in Cars
• 51:08 — Why We All Fall for Scams

Episode Takeaways

• The most overlooked health risk? High blood pressure. Address it by using potassium-rich salt and eating more potassium-rich foods.
• Physical activity is a powerful preventive measure—not just for heart disease, but cancer, dementia, and more.
• Anthropomorphism is universal, mostly harmless, and even beneficial—helping us bond, care, and even market products better. Beware of its limits, especially with animals and new technologies like AI.
• Our natural inclination to trust, though mostly adaptive, leaves us vulnerable to scams; awareness is the best defense.

For further reading:

• The Formula for Better Health by Dr. Tom Frieden
• Humanish by Justin Gregg