Podcast Summary: Something You Should Know

Episode Title: How to Adapt When Life Throws a Curveball & Understanding the Flow of Time
Host: Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media
Guests:

• Maya Shankar, Cognitive Scientist & Author
• Stan Odenwald, NASA Astronomer & Author
  Release Date: January 19, 2026

Main Theme & Episode Overview

In this episode, host Mike Carruthers explores two core topics:

1. How to Adapt When Life Throws a Curveball – Practical psychology and personal stories about coping with unexpected changes, featuring cognitive scientist Maya Shankar.
2. Understanding the Flow of Time – A fresh look at the physics and philosophy of time, with insights from NASA astronomer Stan Odenwald.

Listeners receive actionable advice on resilience, learn why time seems to accelerate as we age, and discover surprising facts about alternative investments (like LEGO sets!). Carruthers also shares research-backed relationship advice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Can LEGO Sets Be a Better Investment Than Stocks?

• [02:49] Mike discusses new data showing some retired LEGO sets appreciate in value by ~11% per year—sometimes outpacing stocks, bonds, or gold.
  • Scarcity and nostalgia drive value, especially for unopened, limited-edition kits.
  • "The bottom line is that Lego won't replace stocks or gold. But as collectibles go, the data shows they've been surprisingly strong performers." — Mike Carruthers

2. Coping with Change: Why We're More Resilient Than We Think

Featuring Dr. Maya Shankar

• [06:26-26:54]

The Paradox of Hating Change, Yet Adapting

• People often claim, "I'm not good with change," yet adapt remarkably because we have no other choice.
  • "Our brains are not wired to like uncertainty. And change is often accompanied by a lot of uncertainty. And that can be a very destabilizing thing." — Maya Shankar [06:50]

The "End of History Illusion"

• We tend to believe our current self is final, forgetting how much change is possible.
  • "We do tend to think that the person we are right now is done changing, that we're the finished product—of course that's not true." — Maya Shankar [09:48]

Change as Apocalypse and Revelation

• The word 'apocalypse' originally meant 'revelation.'
  • "While change can absolutely upend us, it can also reveal things to us, things about ourselves that were hidden from view until this moment..." — Maya Shankar [11:27]

Locus of Control & Self-Blame

• Those with a strong internal locus of control may at first blame themselves for negative outcomes, but a balanced perspective yields freedom.
  • "...when a really unexpected negative thing happens, your brain naturally thinks, well, this must be my fault. If I was responsible for the good stuff, I must be responsible for the bad stuff." — Maya Shankar [13:14]

Change and Identity Loss

• Change that affects identity (job loss, divorce, infertility) is especially tough.
  • "We tend to define ourselves by what we do, by our labels, by our roles...The challenge is when a big change happens, it can actually threaten that self identity." — Maya Shankar [17:23]
  • Shares her own stories: career-ending injury as a violinist and struggles with infertility.

The "Why" Behind Identity

• Reframing identity in terms of why ('human connection,' 'learning,' etc.) enables people to transfer purpose to new endeavors.
  • "When you define yourself in those terms, then the exercise simply becomes, where else can I find ways to express this part of myself?" — Maya Shankar [19:04]

Universality of Change & Adaptive Strategies

• Change and risk are facts of life—preparation is elusive but coping strategies are transferable.
  • "If the problem state is universal, then you could easily imagine that the solution set will be similar as well." — Maya Shankar [24:02]

Overcoming Rumination

• Mental techniques:
  • Mental time travel: Putting problems in perspective.
  • Psychological distancing: Creating objective space from your problems.

Memorable Moment

• Listeners are reminded: "When people are hit with big changes in life...you tend to think you're the only one...But clearly everybody has to struggle. Everybody does struggle with change. And...many times, you come out the other end feeling better." — Mike Carruthers [26:10]

3. Understanding the Flow of Time

With Stan Odenwald, NASA Astronomer

• [28:42-47:17]

The Puzzle of Time

• Time is both an experience and a fundamental feature of the universe—yet its essence remains elusive.
  • "Well, to be honest with you, we really don't know what time is." — Stan Odenwald [28:59]

Entropy and the Arrow of Time

• Time’s forward direction is linked to entropy (second law of thermodynamics): order gives way to disorder.
  • "So entropy increases, and time is intimately related to that particular experience." — Stan Odenwald [29:42]

How Our Brains Experience Time

• The brain lives in "now" (~100 milliseconds), stitching together experiences via memory and prediction.
  • "The brain only exists and only perceives now, and that now lasts about 100 milliseconds." — Stan Odenwald [29:55]
  • Time's flow feels continuous because our sense of now overlaps with memory and expectation.

Why Time Seems to Pass Faster as We Age

• "When there are a lot of novel things being presented to your senses, your brain spends a lot of time processing each now event...But as you get older, you've seen just about everything...the pace of time is slower for adults who are not processing very much novel information and very fast for young people who are processing a lot of novel inputs all the time." — Stan Odenwald [36:02]

Is There a Universal Clock?

• There’s no "master clock" in the universe; everyone and everything carries its own clock, affected by gravity and speed (relativity).
  • "There is no master clock in the universe...Everyone carries their own clock." — Stan Odenwald [43:00]

Time Travel & Eternalism

• We "time travel" in our memories and in studying distant light (astronomy, archaeology), but actual physical movement through time isn’t compatible with physics as we know it.
  • Addresses 'eternalism' theory: the future already exists, but it's fallen out of favor in science due to relativity.
  • "Everything in the future is already there as well. It's just that we've decided to pick out a particular moment as now." — Stan Odenwald [40:46]

Practical Implications of Time Research

• For scientists, understanding time may answer the most foundational questions, such as why the Big Bang occurred.

4. Wisdom for Relationships

• [47:24] Mike shares John Gottman’s findings:
  • The foundation of successful relationships: Kindness and generosity.
  • Being present during good times matters more than during tough times.
  • "Being mean is the death knell of relationships, and that is something you should know." — Mike Carruthers

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike Carruthers: "The bottom line is that Lego won't replace stocks or gold. But as collectibles go, the data shows they've been surprisingly strong performers." [03:32]
• Maya Shankar: "Our brains are not wired to like uncertainty. And change is often accompanied by a lot of uncertainty. And that can be a very destabilizing thing." [06:50]
• Maya Shankar: "We do tend to think that the person we are right now is done changing, that we're the finished product—of course that's not true." [09:48]
• Maya Shankar: "While change can absolutely upend us, it can also reveal things to us, things about ourselves that were hidden from view until this moment..." [11:27]
• Stan Odenwald: "Well, to be honest with you, we really don't know what time is." [28:59]
• Stan Odenwald: "The brain only exists and only perceives now, and that now lasts about 100 milliseconds." [29:55]
• John Gottman (via Mike): "Being mean is the death knell of relationships, and that is something you should know." [47:24]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:49] – LEGO sets as investment
• [06:26] – Introduction to Maya Shankar; why change is so hard
• [09:48] – The End of History Illusion
• [11:27] – Change as revelation, not just apocalypse
• [13:14] – The dangers of self-blame and locus of control
• [17:23] – Identity loss and coping through purpose
• [22:31] – Coping with unknown risks
• [24:02] – Universal strategies for resilience and overcoming rumination
• [28:42] – What is time? with Stan Odenwald
• [36:02] – Why time seems to go faster as we age
• [43:00] – No universal clock in the universe
• [47:24] – Relationship advice from John Gottman

Takeaways & Actionable Advice

• When facing big changes, remember you’re more resilient than you expect, and growth often happens on the other side.
• Refocus your identity on why you do things; your passions can be rechanneled if your role or circumstances change.
• Rumination is a trap during transitions—practice techniques like mental time travel and psychological distancing.
• Time is experienced subjectively; novelty slows it down, habit speeds it up.
• For relationships, daily kindness and generous responses to good news matter most.

Authentic, practical, and curiosity-driven, this episode delivers both comfort and wisdom for times of change—while sparking wonder about the physics of time itself.