Neuroscientist reveals the 3 dead giveaways someone is pretending to be smarter than they really are

And one way to have a great intellectual conversation that doesn’t turn into a fight.

By

Erik Barnes

Jan 9, 2026

By Erik Barnes

January 9, 2026

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Photo credit: Canva – Are they full of it or not?

Getting information through quality conversation can be enjoyable or a struggle. Figuring out solutions and fielding valuable expert opinions can be difficult to discern when the person you’re talking to (or debating with) seems suspect. Fortunately, a neuroscientist online has laid out what to look out for to see if your conversation partner is actually intellectual or just talking out of their…well, you know.

Neuroscientist turned musician/comedian Alex Riordan discussed how to spot pseudo-intellectuals and how they differentiate themselves from actual intellectuals. For Riordan, who spends ample time with his colleagues at Princeton University as well as his degree-less intellectual friends (because you don’t need to go to college to be intelligent), he’s identified three signs that helped him separate the fake-it-til-you-make-its from actually thoughtful individuals.

Pseudo-intellectuals will talk past you

Riordan mentions that pseudo-intellectuals will often go out of their way to use colorful rhetoric and terms to try to talk past you and get you to talk past them. To expand on Riordan’s point, the purpose is a means to bait you into an argument by cutting you off before fully explaining your point or trying to move the conversation past your points to focus in on their own point. They may use tactics such as whataboutism, a tactic that asks, “But what about ______?” to shift the focus of the conversation from one issue to another in order to distract or deflect from initial point.

They aim to ‘win,’ not aim to understand

The folks that aim to appear smarter than they truly are don’t have any interest in coming to an understanding with their conversation. They want to win. This is common in what Riordan calls “debate bro tactics.”. Being right isn’t as important as appearing right, regardless of any logical holes or pushback that they cannot rationally defend.

The Dunning-Kruger effect

Riordan briefly mentions the Dunning-Kruger effect as a way to spot if someone is talking nonsense. The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people overestimate their knowledge and/or abilities in a specific area. When they encounter a new subject, they immediately think they have a complete grasp of it and lack the self awareness to see their own limitations. Once they read an article by an actual expert that conflicts with their understanding, they reject it and assume they’re right despite their lack of education, skills, or actual knowledge.

If a person in a conversation demonstrates those behaviors, you may want to politely shut it down. However, even if with a person who knows what they’re talking about, conversations can get heated and people can devolve into these pseudo-intellectual behaviors. Fortunately, Riordan shared one great way he and his colleagues keep the conversation focused on understanding and respect.

Ask clarifying questions

Asking clarifying questions is a habit Riordan and his colleagues and friends practice to curb any pseudo-intellectualism and arguments that might arise from it. They do so because asking for clarification goes against all of the previously mentioned tactics of fake know-it-alls. It doesn’t claim to know everything, it’s aimed for understanding rather than “winning,” and acknowledges that you may not know everything about the subject at hand.

Asking clarifying questions, especially the right ones, shows your conversation partner that you’re curious about them and their thoughts, which encourages them to feel more connected with you. If you disagree with a person’s point and respond with a clarifying question it allows you to see where they’re coming from, find common ground, or learn something you hadn’t considered before. In some cases, answering clarifying questions helps your conversation partner to notice errors or discrepancies in their own thinking that may change their conclusions to line up with yours.

Some examples of clarifying questions include:

– What did you mean about ____?

– Could you further elaborate on that?

– I heard you say ____, am I interpreting that correctly?

– Are there specifics about ____?

– Can you break that down into detail for me?

Whether you’re conversing about politics, the universe, or what the best pizza topping is, leading with curiosity can ensure that everyone is not only enjoying the conversation, but are learning legitimate truths as well.

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Photo credit: WQAD News 8/YouTube – Lando sings.

Ideas, Voices

Young boy struggles through painful stutter until his singing videos change everything

“One kids courage to show up, speak up, and sing his voice free.”

Mark Wales

5/5/2026

A boy named Lando is gaining attention online after people started sharing and liking the two very different kinds of videos he creates. In one, he candidly speaks with a severe stutter. In the other, he sings smoothly, without the same pauses and repetitions that appear when he talks.

Perhaps it’s the dramatic contrast that has people liking and clicking. For whatever reason, as Lando shares on his website, #stutterfreelando, he’s created an awareness movement around stuttering “born from one kid’s courage to show up, speak up, and sing his voice free.”

The young entertainer is easy to like

Finding a young person navigating his speech difficulties so charismatically and confidently is admirable. He’s not wavering under the spotlight. He’s shining.

His family shares about their experience and the methods they’ve found helpful with his stutter on their website:

“This is a family journey. We’re one of millions of families around the world navigating stuttering to learn what works, what doesn’t, and figuring it out as we go. Some of what we share helps Lando. Some might not. We’re learning that every stutterer is different. No more hiding.”

Facing a severe stutter can be more complicated than practicing with a speech therapist.

“Traditional therapy hasn’t given us the breakthroughs we need. Therapists are trying. We are trying. But we refuse to sit quietly and hope it clicks. So we built this, a movement where our family shares what we’re learning out loud. Real strategies. Real techniques. Lando’s good days and the hard ones. Not a highlight reel. Not a gofund me. Real life.”

It feels good to join a winning team

After watching any of his videos, it’s clear why so many people keep coming back.

In one clip, Lando talks about reaching 50,000 followers on Instagram and an upcoming interview with a local news outlet. The message expressed with gratitude and happiness is simple, but it takes time for him to get there. That process draws people in.

“Congratulations on your followers, add one more”

“Great work buddy!”

“Ah Lando, I’m really enjoying your videos”

“That excitement is so cute! I love how supportive everyone has been!”

“Great job little man keep it going. You inspire a lot of people with the same problem.”

“thankyou for sharing, your super cool.”

Singing allows his words to come out in a continuous flow

The difference isn’t subtle. In speech, words can stall and be difficult to get out. In song, they move by the rhythm that reduces stops. These are some of the comments you can find on just one of his singing videos posted above:

“GOD BLESS YOU LANDO!!!!! YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!”

“The eyebrows at the end was fire.”

“You are an inspiration”

“Brilliant buddy”

“… sounding smooth.”

“Lando with the great voice!!!”

“Now … this kid has charisma!!!”

A courageous little showman

Lando’s videos stand out not just for singing or stuttering, but because both are available, openly shared, without one being hidden or edited out of view. There’s no attempt to turn it all into a single narrative of struggle or success. Instead, what people see is a boy using his voice as it is.

There is something instinctive about the way people rally around a kid like Lando. Sharing the hard parts and the moments that come more easily gives everyone a clear way to respond. Cheering him on, leaving a positive comment, or even just watching and listening allows each of us to take a small part in that effort.

It’s less about celebrating the win and more about recognizing the work and the courage to keep going. Lando is talking and singing it out loud.

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Photo credit: Canva – Many believe cleaning the toilet properly starts by filling it with ice cubes.

Ideas, Impact

Homeowners swear by this simple ice cold hack that thoroughly makes your toilets cleaner

Cleaning the toilet starts by getting an ice cube tray.

Erik Barnes

5/4/2026

Most people welcome a new cleaning hack, especially if it involves the bathroom. Cleaning the toilet isn’t a fun task and getting it thoroughly spotless can get stinky real quick. However, there’s one hack that many homeowners say gets their toilets cleaner with less elbow grease. It involves emptying your ice tray.

There are experts who recommend putting ice cubes down the toilet whenever it is time to clean.

Toilet cleaning starts with your freezer

This understandably sounds weird. Many people might remember flushing ice cubes down the toilet as a superstitious ritual during the winter months to “summon” a snow day from school. But to clean the toilet? That sounds like just as much as a myth.

But there is a logic to it and many homemakers suggest it. First, let’s get this out of the way and say that ice cubes aren’t being flushed to replace regular toilet cleaner. It’s actually being used to help the cleaner be more effective.

So…how could ice help clean my toilet?

Ice in the toilet bowl acts as a support for the toilet cleaner. Often, toilet cleaner drips down the side of the toilet bowl into the water and down the pipe. The ice allows the cleaner to cling to the bowl and its sides for longer, penetrating filth and disinfecting it more effectively.

Here’s the gist on how it works: first, take a bowl of ice cubes and pour them into the toilet. Make sure you’re not filling it to the brim. Next, take your preferred toilet cleaning solution and pour/spray it onto the ice. Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes to allow the cleaning solution to cling and disinfect the bowl. After that, use a toilet brush to stir and agitate the ice, ensuring that it is scraping all sides of the bowl. By this time, the ice should have melted enough to flush.

There are additional bonuses to using ice with toilet cleaner. The ice can also act as an abrasive pumice stone in addition to your toilet brush, scraping off mildew, mineral build-up, or other yucky things that could be stubbornly clinging to the bowl. The flushed ice could help clean the pipe similarly, dislodging filth and grime in conjunction with the toilet cleaner on its way down.

Another benefit is reducing odor. Ice is known to absorb smells and could make cleaning a little less smelly. It’s one of the reasons why many restaurants, clubs, and bars put ice in men’s urinals.

Many people who frequently travel and live in an RV also recommend flushing ice down their toilets. This is not just to clean the bowl, but to have the ice jostle and scrape the nasty stuff out of the black tank. While this method’s effectiveness in cleaning a black tank is put into question, critics still say that ice can help reduce smells and keep water in the black tank during hot days.

Final tips (specifically “don’ts”)

If you plan on giving this hack a try, be sure not to overflow your toilet with ice. Along with that, while most forms of ice work (cubes, crushed, or chips), putting larger blocks of ice in the toilet won’t do any good and could clog things up if they’re too big.

It’s also important to use one cleaning solution and not mix a bunch together. Mixing cleaning products together could create fumes that are dangerous to inhale. It’s best to use your preferred cleaner and choose a different one next time if you’re getting the results you want.

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Photo credit: Canva – Surrogate grandparents laughing with small child.

Ideas, Impact

Facebook group helps families without a ‘village’ find surrogate grandparents

Sometimes family is something you create.

Mark Wales

5/1/2026

Raising kids today doesn’t match the historical “it takes a village” experience many grew up with. Not because people don’t care, but because life doesn’t seem to line up that way anymore. Families are spread out across the country and sometimes the world. Few grandparents live just up the street. There’s no built-in help for childcare and no extra sets of hands when things get overwhelming.

In response to that missing piece in raising kids, some people have looked for other ways to create something similar. One path is Surrogate Grandparents – USA, a Facebook-based community that connects older adults with families.

An older man helps a boy water the plants.
Photo credit Canva

Missing out on grandparents nearby, some find new ones online

Founded in 2015, Surrogate Grandparents – USA offers a platform that works like a community bulletin board. The goal is to bring together families bereft of nearby grandparents with older adults looking to share that kind of family role.

Over 14,000 members hope to make a surrogate family connection and the possibility of building real love. They describe the opportunity on their Facebook page as follows:

“A surrogate grandparent is a volunteer or mentor who forms a supportive, grandparent-like relationship with a child or family who may not have local grandparents. These relationships can begin online or in person, often through platforms designed to connect families and older adults.”

The typical online pattern might look like a family posting on the page that their children don’t have nearby grandparents and would love a consistent older presence in their lives. Someone responds. They all start talking. Then, they meet in person.

Those introductions can turn into something steady with regular check-ins. Children receive the face-to-face guidance and experience that an older generation can offer. The surrogate grandparents gain a sense of purpose they hadn’t anticipated at this stage of their lives.

A family picnic.
Photo credit Canva

Surrogate grandparent success stories

One success story was shared in Newsweek. In 2019, Deborah Whatley, then aged 64, joined the Facebook group with her husband. Hoping to fill a need within their own lives, they connected with the Nelsons, and a beautiful relationship quickly blossomed.

The families share photos, meet in person about every month, and text regularly. “We’ve met up more times than I can count,” explained Whatley. “I just wanted to feel included. I have the time, the energy, and the desire. Discovering the surrogate grandparents group instantly brought light back into a part of my life that had turned dark,” she added.

CBS News reported that Anteres Anderson Turner and Louis Turner wished to extend their own family while raising twin boys. Janet Firestein Daw welcomed the idea of grandchildren in her life, saying, “I was getting older and I wanted to get down on the floor and play Legos and trains and read books.”

After meeting through the Facebook group, the relationship between the two families really worked. Daw continued, “It’s indescribable for me, because I haven’t had that experience before to be that grandparent, and I love it.”

Facebook closes the page

Earlier this year, the Facebook group became inaccessible. There haven’t been any publicly reported reasons from Facebook itself. However, an administrator for the page shared, “Surrogate Grandparents-USA group was unfortunately erroneously removed by Meta. We are actively working to have it reinstated.”

Thankfully, the page was reopened in time. In an Instagram post dated April 11, 2026, they said, “This morning, my Surrogate Grandparents-USA group was officially reinstated.” The post continues, “What a journey this has been—stressful, emotional, and at times incredibly disheartening. But I never stopped believing in the purpose of this community…and the power of speaking up when something isn’t right.”

An extended family at the park.
Photo credit Canva

A shift in how family works

The structures that used to hold families together aren’t as automatic as they once were. For a long time, grandparents lived nearby. Neighbors remained for decades. Communities were tighter, and lives were more interwoven. Support existed from a simple proximity.

But families move. Relationships change. Career and circumstance have stretched people farther apart. Places like Surrogate Grandparents – USA fill roles that certain families are missing. It may not work for everyone, but for many, it’s a chance to build community in a whole new way.

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