I was just introduced to this National Geographic TV show called Brain Games. We watched an episode today and I am hooked. What makes it compelling? It requires active participation on the part of the viewer and provides a heavy dose of behavioral finance. I am queuing up this list to binge watch one lazy summer afternoon (does that exist?), but thought I would share ahead of this weekend in case someone else :) was motivated to send me a few discussion questions (tim@ngpf.org) that they would ask their students. Check back later as I will update this post with those questions and also highlight key clips as these run as full episodes . Promise to give you credit too:) Enjoy!

• Money
  • Description: Money is present in every corner of our lives—we earn it, spend it, manage it and often obsess over it, but how well do we really understand it? Play along and you'll understand why your brain gets excited when you think you're getting a deal, why there's no such thing as a free lunch, and how to stop paying more for less. Get ready to put your money where your mind is on Brain Games.
• Risk
  • Description: Whether it's choosing what to eat for breakfast, where to invest your money or just when to cross the street, nearly every choice you make involves some sort of calculated risk. This episode explores how your brain evaluates risk ' you'll discover why we're all born risk-takers and how life is often a big game of chance. If you pay attention, you'll learn how to assess risk like your life depends on it, because it does.
• Power of Persuasion
  • Description: This episode of BRAIN GAMES unveils the subtle tricks and tactics that advertisers, marketers, and even con men can use to get you to do what they want, without you noticing. The power of persuasion is a $500 billion a year industry. By exposing viewers to specific stimuli, host Jason Silva can prime the audience to respond in certain ways. If he says 'ducks,' it's more than likely that a viewer will see ducks in a picture that could easily be interpreted as rabbits.
• Trust Me
  • Description: How trusting you are says a lot about you as a person, especially when it seems like everything - commercials, politics, online dating - is designed to deceive your brain. So how do you maintain a level of trust in an untrustworthy world? How do you know who to trust? This episode will show you why it pays to be more trusting of others and a little less trusting of your own brain.

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.