The Cabrera Lab Podcast
Join Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera from Cornell University as they inspire you to approach life's challenges with a fresh perspective. Witness their use of GOAT-level thinking to enhance your problem-solving skills. Discover new possibilities, approaches, and solutions you never knew existed. Elevate your thinking and get better every day with their entertaining guidance.
Episodes
88 episodes
#95: Think It Through: Teaching Your Kids to Love Reality
Get 25% off any STSI course with code THANKS25 - Happy Thanksgiving!In this Think It Through episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University tackle a listener’s real-life parenting dilemma: a 10-year-old boy terrified of mon...
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36:49
#94: Fast. Right. Adaptive. The Power of Practicing Is/Is Not List
Get 15% off any STSI course with code THINK15 — start training your brain today!In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University explore one of the simplest—but most profound—thinking skills: drawing the boundary betw...
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33:46
#93: O-Based Education: How to Build Smarter, Freer, More Adaptive Humans
Get 15% off any systems thinking course with code ST-15 - become a professional systems thinker today: https://www.stsi.pro/category/credentialIn this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University revisit two of their most...
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33:20
#92: Think It Through: The Feedback You Don’t Want Is the Feedback You Need
In this Think It Through episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University unpack one of life’s most universal challenges: how to take feedback that clashes with your self-image. What starts as a simple question—“How do I handle feedb...
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38:56
#91: From Deming to Donella: Rating the Top Systems Thinking Quotes
In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University take a rapid-fire tour through some of the most famous systems thinking quotes from legends like Donella Meadows, Peter Senge, Russell Ackoff, W. Edwards Deming, and even the B...
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30:09
#90: Think it Through: Stop Arguing Perspectives, Start Solving Systems
In this Think It Through episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University tackle two everyday problems that reveal the hidden power of systems thinking. They start by breaking down why theory and practice are never truly separate, sh...
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33:44
#89: Think It Through: Boundaries, Guilt, and Getting Your Time Back
In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University help a listener untangle a familiar problem: saying yes to everything and ending up exhausted, resentful, and burned out.They diagram the hidden mental model behind ove...
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25:57
#88: Think It Through: Parenting, Culture, and Mental Models
In this practical episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University show how the same underlying mental structures shape both family life and organizational culture.From a frustrated parent arguing with a teen about driving to...
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38:16
#87: Snake Oil, Swamps, and Systems Thinking
In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University take a wrecking ball to the confusion surrounding systems thinking. Whether you’re brand new to the field or knee-deep in its many (often conflicting) methodologies, this episo...
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46:33
#86: Teach Your Kids to Think: The Most Important Parenting Skill
In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University answer a simple but urgent question from a parent: “Can you teach systems thinking to kids?” Spoiler: not only can you, you should—and it may be the most important thing you ev...
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35:03
#85: Love, Marriage, and Mental Models: Systems Thinking in Relationships
How do two people work together, parent together, and live together every day without driving each other nuts?In this personal and powerful episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University share the six systems thinking princ...
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39:00
#84: Why Our Schools are Failing (And How to Fix Them with Systems Thinking)
In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University confront a hard truth: our schools are failing because we're teaching information, not thinking.They expose the real problem behind education’s struggles—what they call...
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41:48
#83: The Science of Thinking Fast, Right, and On Purpose
In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University challenge the binary of Kahneman’s System 1 (fast but often wrong) and System 2 (slow but usually right) thinking—and introduce a third way: System 3 Thinking.System 3 ...
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39:02
#82: Discipline, Ownership, and Doing It Right (Even When No One’s Watching)
In this final chapter of the Culture Code series, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University share the last 12 guiding principles that shape their team's character, cohesion, and capacity to adapt. These aren’t just nice ideas—they’re l...
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42:28
#81: Systems Thinking for Character, Capacity, and Culture
In this next installment of the Culture Code series, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University reveal the next 9 culture principles that guide their team, their leadership, and their lives. These aren’t corporate slogans—these are live...
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34:50
#80: The Culture Code Continued—Hard Truths That Build Strong People
In the follow-up to Episode #79, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University continue walking through their organization’s Culture Code—a set of shared values and mental models that drive everything from personal growth to organizational...
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26:03
#79: The Culture Code: What We Practice, Why It Works
In this new episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University unpack the first six principles in their organization’s Culture Code—a practical, modular set of mental models that shape character, guide behavior, and build real culture ...
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45:09
Episode #78: Systems Thinking IRL - Parenting in a Processed World
In this special “IRL” (in real life) episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University sit down with a parent struggling to navigate one of the most common and emotionally charged family issues: what kids eat.Their guest, "Joh...
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40:55
#77: Why the World Needs 8 Billion Systems Thinkers (Above the Standard)
In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University break down their updated vision for global transformation: not just 8 billion systems thinkers—but 8 billion above the standard.They unpack the science behind mental fi...
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35:52
#76: Why You Keep Attracting the Same People, Jobs, and Problems
In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University unpack a deceptively simple idea that has massive implications: never leave a place—only go to a place. What started as a personal insight turned into a powerful life rule that...
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22:30
#74: The 12 Gets: Simple, Scientific Rules for a Life That Works
In this inspiring episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University reveal the 12 Gets—a simple, science-backed system that helped Derek shed 130 pounds, reverse pre-diabetes, and reclaim his life.Born from a sabbatical of dee...
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40:57
#73: Earn Your Own Trust—The Real Power of Integrity
In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University unpack one of the most misunderstood (and underrated) skills: integrity. It’s not just about being a “good person”—it’s about alignment between what you say and what you do.
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27:43
#72: How High Performers Really Manage Their Time, Energy & Minds
Feeling overwhelmed? You’re not alone. In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University take on the everyday challenge of self-management—breaking it down into 3 essential tools: structure, rules, and distributed intelligence...
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44:49
#71: Think Better, Live Better—Why Systems Thinking Isn’t Just for Work
In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University unpack what they call the “arsenal”—a core set of mental moves that bridge the gap between your professional life and your personal growth.They explore how tools like t...
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32:48
#69: Overthinking, Adaptability, and the Fast-and-Right Mindset
In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University unpack how systems thinking helps you handle life’s toughest changes—before they happen. They share a 4-step process for adapting in real time: build mental fitness, love reali...
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32:36