Before Spacecraft: When Earth Thought Mars Was Alive

The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series

Martians, Tesla, and madness? David Baron’s wild true story is unforgettable.

📘 What if I told you the most brilliant minds of the late 1800s believed in Martians?

In our newest episode of The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates series, we feature science writer and author David Baron, whose new book The Martians tells a story that is equal parts history, science, and human imagination.

Before rockets, before rovers, and before we understood what Mars truly was, people looked through telescopes and saw cities. Men like Percival Lowell and Nikola Tesla weren’t imagining stories for books — they were making scientific claims. Lowell built observatories to map Martian canals. Tesla believed his radio experiments might have picked up messages from intelligent life on another planet.

Why did so many believe so strongly in something we now see as impossible? David Baron explores that question with humor, historical depth, and a storyteller’s eye.

Whether you're in science, history, education, or just someone who remembers looking up at the night sky and wondering, this episode will give you something to think about.

🎧 Listen now: https://notold-better.com

In our latest episode of The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates series, we speak with award-winning author and science journalist David Baron, whose new book The Martians. More information available at Smithsonian Associates:

https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/martians

🔥 Menopause at work? It’s the last workplace taboo. Women over 50 are the fastest-growing workforce, yet many feel dismissed, overlooked, or managed out due to menopause symptoms. That ends today.

💡 Attorneys Catherine Krider & Jack Tuckner are fighting for workplace fairness. What are your rights? Can you ask for accommodations? Let’s break the silence.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3FAbebT

Menopause at work—it’s the last workplace taboo. This is The Not Old Better Show on radio and podcast.

This is Not Old Better Show, Workplace Roundup Interview Series on radio and podcast. Today’s episode is brought to you by Acorns.

We talk about diversity, inclusion, equity… but when it comes to hot flashes in a board meeting, brain fog before a big presentation, or the exhaustion that hits like a freight train—suddenly, silence.

Women over 50 are the fastest-growing workforce demographic, bringing decades of experience, leadership, and skill. And yet, when menopause shows up, too many are treated like they’re slowing down, when really, they’re just heating up.

Dismissed. Overlooked. Managed out. Some even leave their careers behind—not because they want to, but because the workplace isn’t built to support them.

But today, we’re talking about it.

Because menopause isn’t a weakness. It’s not a reason to be sidelined. And it’s not a reason to lose the best, brightest, and most experienced people in the workforce.

Enter Catherine Krider and Jack Tuckner—two powerhouse attorneys who are fighting for workplace fairness for women at every stage of life. They’ve taken on pregnancy discrimination, equal pay, and now, they’re tackling menopause rights head-on.

What are your rights at work? Can you ask for accommodations? How do we shatter the stigma and get employers to step up?

This conversation is long overdue, and we’re bringing it front and center.

Because if men had menopause, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.

This is The Not Old Better Show. I’m Paul Vogelzang—let’s get started.

Remember, today’s episode is brought to you by Acorns. Check out more at Acorns.com/NOB

Live Long Better: The New Science of Strength, Independence & Aging Well

The Live Long Better Interview series, from The Not Old Better Show.

🧠💪 Fitness Over 50 Is Booming — But Are We Ready to Support It?

The fastest-growing segment of the fitness market? Adults over 60. And it's not just a trend—it's a movement. On the latest episode of The Not Old – Better Show, I sat down again with ACE Fitness expert Sabrena Jo, Ph.D for a powerful and insightful conversation about the future of fitness and aging.

We covered a lot:
→ Why senior-friendly gyms are thriving
→ How wearable tech can motivate, protect, and inspire older adults
→ Why fitness is crucial to mental health and social connection
→ How fitness professionals—and healthcare providers—can work together to keep older adults thriving

Sabrena doesn’t hold back. She speaks to the heart of the issue: that staying active isn't about chasing youth, but about preserving independence, dignity, and joy.

For professionals in healthcare, wellness, and business, this episode is a must-listen. The aging population isn't slowing down—and it's time to create services, spaces, and communities that reflect that.

🎧 Listen to the episode here on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3FAbebT
Let’s rethink aging—one strong step at a time.

#ActiveAging #HealthyWorkplace #SeniorFitness #CorporateWellness #LeadershipInAging #HealthcareInnovation #NotOldBetterShow

🛏️ Cool sheets. 🧥 Smart style.

Emma Seymour from Good Housekeeping shares the best in bedding and adaptive fashion.

Listen now 👉https://apple.co/3FAbebT

What makes a sheet truly “cooling”? Are pricey beds worth it? And what exactly is adaptive clothing — and why is it changing lives? 🛏️👕

Emma Seymour, Associate Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Textiles Lab, joins Paul Vogelzang on The Not Old Better Show for a fascinating Good Better Best conversation. From testing hundreds of sheets and comforters to spotlighting clothing that blends fashion with accessibility, this episode is about living better in every way.

Listen here 🎧 https://apple.co/3FAbebT

#GoodBetterBest #NotOldBetter #AdaptiveClothing #SleepBetter

From Desk Chair to Breakthrough Care: Your Health, Upgraded

The Not Old Better Show, Prevention Magazine Interview Series

🎧
Welcome, everyone, of the Prevention Magazine Healthy Living Interview Series on The Not Old Better Show. I’m Paul Vogelzang, and I am so glad you’re here with us today. Today’s episode is sponsored by Daily Greens by Factor Form.

We’ve got a fantastic returning guest—independent health journalist and author of mindful women's novels, including the award-winning Warrior Won, and her new book, Yoga Bind, which will be published next spring and longtime Prevention Magazine contributor, Meryl Davids Landau—who’s bringing us the kind of conversation that sticks with you long after you’ve stopped listening.

🚶‍♂️ Is 10,000 steps a myth? Turns out — yes.
According to Prevention Magazine’s Meryl Davids Landau, new research shows 7,000 steps a day is enough to lower your risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, and even falls. No marathon walking necessary.

🧘‍♀️ And if you’re sitting at a desk all day?
Meryl also shares easy, seated yoga moves that target your eyes, wrists, neck, shoulders, and spine. These movements are gentle, restorative, and made for anyone 50+, working or retired. No yoga mat required — just a willingness to stretch.

🔬 We also look back at 75 years of medical milestones.
From robotic surgery to IVF, wearable ECGs to personalized gene editing — this episode is a celebration of science that has saved and changed lives. And it’s also a reminder of what’s still possible as we age.

🎧 This conversation is packed with practical advice, surprising stats, and timeless wisdom.
Whether you're walking more, stretching smarter, or reflecting on how far we've come in health innovation — this one's worth a listen.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Daily Greens by Factor Form

🔗 Catch the episode here: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3FAbebT
👉 Hosted by award-winning Paul Vogelzang on The Not Old Better Show

#HealthyAging #WellnessAtWork #PublicHealth #MedicalInnovation #PodcastRecommendations #ScienceCommunication

Dumped, Not Done: Suzy Hopkins on Unbreaking Your Heart After 50

The Not Old Better Show, Art of Living Interview Series

Welcome to The Not Old Better Show, Art of Living Interview Series. Today’s episode is brought to you by Acorns.

Acorns is a financial wellness app that makes it easy to start saving and investing for your future. Acorns.com/NOB

Getting dumped after decades together can feel like the air goes out of the room. The empty chair at breakfast. The phone you shouldn’t check. The question, “Who am I now?” If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.

Suzy Hopkins knows the shock. After a 30‑year marriage ended, she and her daughter, New Yorker illustrator Hallie Bateman, created What to Do When You Get Dumped—a warm, witty, beautifully illustrated guide to unbreaking your heart.

We talk about the first 24 hours and the weeks that follow: drawing clear lines on calls, texts, and social; eating something warm; asking for help; walking every day; and trying one small new thing that reminds you you’re still you.

This conversation honors later‑life love and loss. It speaks to anyone starting again at 50, 60, 70+, and to families who want to support with care and respect. Humor sits beside grief here—and both are welcome.

“Dumped, Not Done: Suzy Hopkins on Unbreaking Your Heart After 50.” If you need a steady voice and a few practical steps, join us on The Not Old – Better Show with Paul Vogelzang. Today’s episode is brought to you by Acorns.

Acorns is a financial wellness app that makes it easy to start saving and investing for your future. Acorns.com/NOB

Taming Wild Hearts: The Siberian Fox Experiment, Evolution, and the Power of Curiosity—A Conversation with Lee Alan Dugatkin

The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series

🦊✨ What if you could witness evolution—real, visible change—unfolding not over millennia, but within a single lifetime? On the latest episode of the Not Old Better Show Smithsonian Associates Interview Series, I had the privilege to sit down with evolutionary biologist, author, and Smithsonian Associate Lee Alan Dugatkin, who brings to life one of the most daring experiments in modern science. Lee Alan Dugatkin will be appearing at Smithsonian Associates, coming up. Please check out THIS link for more details!

📚 Lee’s acclaimed book, How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog), chronicles the incredible journey of two visionary scientists, Dmitri Belyaev and Ludmila Trut, who set out in the icy wilderness of Siberia to answer an age-old question: how did wild animals become our trusted companions? Against a backdrop of scientific controversy and political peril, they not only tamed foxes—they rewrote what we know about genetics, behavior, and our relationship with animals.

🌏 This story isn’t just about foxes or genetics. It’s about the courage to pursue discovery, the tenacity to overcome obstacles, and the lifelong adventure of following your curiosity. Lee’s insights are a powerful reminder that learning and growth have no age limit. Whether you’re an early-career scientist or someone considering a new passion in your fifties, sixties, or beyond, the spirit of this experiment speaks to all of us.

💡 In our conversation, Lee shares how selection for tameness led to foxes with wagging tails, floppy ears, and even laughter-like vocalizations. He opens up about working with Ludmila Trut—now in her late eighties and still leading this experiment—and about how history, resilience, and wonder can intertwine to create something extraordinary.

🎧 I invite you to listen to this fascinating episode, whether you’re a fellow scientist, an animal lover, or simply someone who believes it’s never too late to change the world with a question. The experiment continues, and so does the adventure.

🔗 Tune in now at notold-better.com. Let curiosity lead the way!

More details here:

https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/taking-wild-out-of-animal

🎉 Celebrating 60 Years of Smithsonian Associates: A Conversation Worth Sharing

Since 1965, Smithsonian Associates has offered more than just lectures or museum tours—it has sparked imagination, created lifelong connections, and helped generations see the world with new eyes. This year marks its 60th anniversary—a milestone that honors the past and looks boldly toward the future.

To celebrate, The Not Old Better Show – Smithsonian Associates Interview Series sat down with Director Frederica “Fredie” Adelman to talk about what makes this organization so extraordinary. Fredie shares rich, behind-the-scenes stories—from Justice Ginsburg and Justice Scalia debating on stage (“they laughed, they dueled, and the audience loved it,” as NPR’s Nina Totenberg recalled) to the evolution of museum sleepovers, arts programs, and the groundbreaking move to virtual learning.

But this episode goes beyond nostalgia. We asked bold, reflective questions:
🔹 What does it mean to lead an organization shaped by six decades of curiosity?
🔹 How has Smithsonian Associates balanced innovation with tradition?
🔹 And what will the next 60 years look like for lifelong learning?

Fredie answers with wisdom, humor, and purpose—and offers a preview of the 60th Anniversary Celebration Weekend, including the public events at the Ripley Center this October. For anyone passionate about museums, education, leadership, or meaningful cultural experiences, this conversation is for you.

🎧 Listen to the full episode and see why learning—at any age—is still the best kind of adventure: [Insert Link]
#SmithsonianAssociates #NotOldBetterShow #LifelongLearning #Leadership #MuseumEducation #PublicEngagement #60YearsOfWonder