Why We Do What We Do

Humans haven't had shampoo for very long in our relative history. What about our ancestors, what did they do without shampoo? Animals don't seem to require shampoo. What is this weird practice and what would happen if we gave it up? This mini investigates Big Shampoo!

Links and References

https://books.google.com/books/about/An_Uncommon_History_of_Common_Things.html?id=bcaXzXPP8ooChttps://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319848#takeaway

Humans have been engineering strategies to reduce the risks of life for as long as humans have been engineering everything. As it relates to addiction, harm reduction is a stragegy that emerged to help prevent the spread of disease and has been successfully applied to supporting people with chemical dependency. We explore the criticisms, concerns, and science behind harm reduction. 

Recommendations

https://youtu.be/Llm5vVybJWw?si=MtwfI2gl_ZYq_mulhttps://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/harm-reductionhttps://www.hhs.gov/overdose-prevention/https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/harm-reductionhttps://harmreduction.org/about-us/principles-of-harm-reduction/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0306460396000421https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02791072.2001.10400463https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0196064420313871https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-021-06904-4https://academic.oup.com/smr/article-abstract/10/1/3/6880246https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0230886https://accp1.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jcph.1937https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16203323/Walley AY, Xuan Z, Hackman HH, et al. Opioid overdose rates and implementation of overdose education and nasal naloxone distribution in Massachusetts: interrupted time series analysis. BMJ. 2013;346:f174. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f174https://americanaddictioncenters.org/harm-reductionAspinall, E. J., Nambiar, D., Goldberg, D. J., Hickman, M., Weir, A., Van Velzen, E., . . . Hutchinson, S....

The saga continues as we explore the historical policy blunder that was the "War on Drugs." What lead to the development of this idea? We review the distinction between what was stated and what actually happened, and, of course, who won the war? spoiler it was drugs. 

Recommendations

https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/archive/special/9712/ch01p1.htmhttps://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/big-white-lie-cia-and-cocainecrack-epidemichttps://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/special/cia.htmlhttps://enditforgood.com/content/50th-anniversary-of-war-on-drugs-it-never-worked-different-approach-needed/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwnv-vBhBdEiwABCYQA7Yhc5ZPj339VVFmO9fUz9zl41doaebUygZeBcV8DjPpe1oUcuLykxoC6p8QAvD_BwEhttps://drugpolicy.org/drug-war-stats/?ms=5J1_24GoogleGrant&utm_source=GoogleSEM&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SEM&sc=&cid=7011K000001tKzkQAE&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwnv-vBhBdEiwABCYQA2Kns_vgVsD_DDHjq1R4xdIuy6j8gKrWRcCowl1mY0qFXrhlz2wCqxoCbyUQAvD_BwEhttps://cdn.penalreform.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/PRI_war-on-drugs-briefing_March-2013.pdfhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9302017/https://civilrights.org/blog/americas-war-on-drugs-50-years-later/https://www.npr.org/2021/06/17/1006495476/after-50-years-of-the-war-on-drugs-what-good-is-it-doing-for-us

Welcome to our first ever new episode format that we are trying out. These miniature episodes will be supplemental, additional episodes that we release every week alongside our normal full-length episodes. This first installment is exploring the weird tradition of people slapping peices of our flesh together to show appreciation. We started recording these quite a while ago, so, apologies if there are some somewhat dated references...  Enjoy!

Links: 

https://www.theatreinparis.com/blog/why-are-we-clapping-a-history-of-applause#:~:text=The%20meaning%20of%20clapping%20is,in%20response%20to%20being%20aroused.https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/202201/why-we-clap-the-psychology-applause#:~:text=Clapping%20can%20be%20a%20sign,a%20universal%20body%20language%20signal.https://books.google.com/books/about/An_Uncommon_History_of_Common_Things.html?id=bcaXzXPP8ooC

The disease model of addiction is a popular philosophical approach to dependency. The idea is to remove fault and blame from the addicted individual. Further, there are a lot of parallels between addiction and illness. However, there are some drawbacks to conceptualizing addiction as a disease. We talk through the benefits and our reservations about using the disease framework for understanding disease. 

Recommendations

https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/research-studies/addiction-research/brain-disease-modelhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5672554/https://drugfree.org/article/is-addiction-a-disease/#:~:text=The%20disease%20model%20of%20addiction,-Addiction%20is%20defined&text=These%20include%20behavioral%2C%20psychological%2C%20environmental,developing%20a%20substance%20use%20disorder.https://www.americanbrainfoundation.org/diseases/#:~:text=Brain%20disease%20affects%20millions%20worldwide,traumatic%20brain%20injury%2C%20and%20more.https://www.cbhic.com/post/what-are-the-three-major-models-of-addictionhttps://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/understanding-addiction/0/steps/245163#:~:text=The%20common%20core%20assumptions%20of,is%20the%20defining%20observable%20pathology.https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/disease-model#:~:text=While%20the%20disease%20model%20was,formalized%20largely%20in%20the%201980s.

Alcohol dependency is a complicated condition that has killed a staggering number of people. Fortinuately, many people have banded together to support one another through behavior changes to reinvent their life without this dependency. One such program truly dominates the known landscape of addiction interventions: Alcoholics Anonymous. Yet, the effectiveness of the AA program and the "active ingredient" in its method have remained shrouded in ambiguity for nearly a century. Recent scientific research has finally begun to reveal the evidence around Alcoholics Anonymous as an intervention for dependency. 

Recommendations

https://doi.org/10.1080/j.1440-1614.2005.01600.xhttps://doi.org/10.15288/jsa.1996.57.65https://doi.org/10.1080/10550880902772464https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2007.07.014https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD005032.pub2https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/04/the-irrationality-of-alcoholics-anonymous/386255/10.1007/978-1-4899-1678-5_3https://www.avenuesrecovery.com/blog/why-aa-is-harmful/https://www.practicalrecovery.com/aas-dominance-in-the-us-is-harmful/https://www.sanctuary.net/blog/whats-wrong-with-alcoholics-anonymous/https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/03/26/395310213/critic-faults-alcoholics-anonymous-for-lack-of-evidencehttps://sciencebasedmedicine.org/aa-is-faith-based-not-evidence-based/https://www.sossobriety.org/https://alcohol.org/alcoholics-anonymous/alternatives-to-the-aa-approach/

Most people are only one or two nodes away from someone who has struggled with some sort of addiction, or may struggle themselves. But what is this phenomenon? The definition has been tricky to pin down because addiction can span chemicals to behaviors, can go undetected or be overt, and can have seemingly creep up out of nowhere. But what all addiction has in common is harm to the user. We are embarking on an odyssey of episodes to explore the many facets of addiction from philosophy to intervention. Today is just the beginning. 

If you are somone you know is struggling with suicide or crisis, call 988. 

Recommendations

https://www.asam.org/quality-care/definition-of-addictionhttps://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addictionhttps://dictionary.apa.org/brain-disorderhttps://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drug-misuse-addictionhttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6407-addictionhttps://drugabusestatistics.org/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5328289/#:~:text=The%20DSM%2D5%20specifically%20lists,%3B%20stimulants%3B%20and%20tobacco).https://diamondrehabthailand.com/addiction-types/https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/drug-addiction-genes-environmenthttps://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/genes#:~:text=The%20A1%20form%20(allele)%20of,than%20normal%E2%80%94especially%20under%20stress.

Have you thought about what you'll do if a significant disaster destroys most of humankind? Perhaps you've prepared for the zombie apocalypse or a nuclear winter. What will humans do if we are faced with end times? We look through the history of extinction-level natural disasters that nearly killed off all humans and how we somehow pulled through... and what this tells us about what to expect if we are faced with yet another world-ending catastrophe. 

Recommendations

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/human-ancestors-nearly-went-extinct-900-000-years-ago/https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abq7487https://www.history.com/news/prehistoric-ancestors-population-declinehttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/how-long-humans-survive-zombie-apocalypse-scientists-a7513941.htmlhttps://nypost.com/2017/01/05/no-one-would-actually-survive-a-zombie-apocalypse/https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/five-apocalypses-humanity-has-survivedhttps://eprints.lse.ac.uk/22514/1/2308Ramadams.pdfhttps://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/ppt/CERC_Psychology_of_a_Crisis.pdf

This re-run updates a previous episode on our musings about what aphantasia is, and the purpose of diagnoses. This condition describes people who can't see with their mind's eye. But, what does that mean? How would you know? Do we have aphantasia? Do you? We'll never know.

Recommendations

Arcangeli, M. Aphantasia demystified. Synthese 201, 31 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-022-04027-9https://aphantasia.com/article/science/visualisers-fallacy/Milton, F., Fulford, J., Dance, C., Gaddum, J., Heuerman-Williamson, B., Jones, K., Knight, K. F., MacKisack, M., Winlove, C., & Zeman, A. (2021). Behavioral and Neural Signatures of Visual Imagery Vividness Extremes: Aphantasia versus Hyperphantasia. Cerebral cortex communications, 2(2), tgab035. https://doi.org/10.1093/texcom/tgab035

Psychologists and philosophers speculated for centuries trying to understand how the conscious experience of the mind relates to the physical substrate of the body. Is the mind just the process of our gooey brains, or something more? It's our brains. But we'll unpack it all.


Recommendations

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/mind-body-problem#:~:text=The%20mind%2Dbody%20problem%20is,of%20physical%20phenomena%20or%20not.https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/23115/what-does-the-mind-body-problem-mean#:~:text=The%20mind%2Dbody%20problem%20is%20essentially%20the%20question%20of%20whether,the%20same%20thing%20(the%20wayhttps://www.jstor.org/stable/2254848https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9780470514412.ch1https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-46742-4_13https://philpapers.org/rec/GARHBA

Technical and professional jargon can be furstratingly opaque and many professionals lament the frequent use of technical speak. However, there is a benefit to technical jargon and neologisms and times that are appropriate for employing this type of communication. We also translate some common behavior analyst terms (behaviorese) into more readily understandable language. Where do you fall on this issue?

Vocab: Neologism

Recommendations

Friman PC. There is no such thing as a bad boy: The Circumstances View of problem behavior. J Appl Behav Anal. 2021 Apr;54(2):636-653. doi: 10.1002/jaba.816. Epub 2021 Feb 11. PMID: 33570187.https://behavioralobservations.com/how-to-disseminate-behavior-analytic-technologies-inside-jaba-18-with-dorothea-lermanLindsley, O. R. (1991). From technical jargon to plain English for application. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 24(3), 449-458. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1991.24-449

Kids these days...but what does that mean? Have kids changed over time? Many people believe that there is something to say about the different "generations." Indeed, each generation experiences similar world events during the impressionable years of youth. What then can we expect from Baby Boomers, Millenials, or Gen Z? We take a skeptical and scientific look at the characteristic features of the behavior of people born during certain eras.

Recommendations

https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,856950,00.html?ref=journeymatters.aihttps://journeymatters.ai/7-generations/https://www.iberdrola.com/talent/generation-x-y-zhttps://www.waldenu.edu/online-masters-programs/ms-in-human-resource-management/what-are-the-best-work-traits-of-each-generationhttp://www.wmfc.org/uploads/generationaldifferenceschart.pdfhttps://genhq.com/the-generations-hub/generational-faqs/https://imagine.jhu.edu/blog/2022/11/17/the-changing-generational-values/https://web.archive.org/web/20190328230347/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19690752/daily_press/https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/generation-myth-why-when-you-are-born-matters-less-than-you-think-bobby-duffy/https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/05/22/5-things-to-keep-in-mind-when-you-hear-about-gen-z-millennials-boomers-and-other-generations/https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2015/09/03/the-whys-and-hows-of-generations-research/

Down Syndrome is a genetic condition with some characteristic features and complications. We explain how this condition occurs, the history, features of the diagnosis, and treatment. Do you know someone with Down Syndrome? Join us in our celebration of a diverse group of people united by their genetic variation.

Recommendations

https://ndss.org/abouthttps://dsfamilynetwork.org/https://dsnetworkaz.org/https://www.dsnnn.org/https://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/https://youtu.be/NPmU0JS5PqY?si=FyiNaGjvyUbKZ9PJhttps://www.champaigndsn.org/Ataman, A. D., Vatanoğlu-Lutz, E. E., & Yıldırım, G. (2012). Medicine in stamps: history of Down syndrome through philately. Journal of the Turkish German Gynecological Association, 13(4), 267–269. https://doi.org/10.5152/jtgga.2012.43

Unions are grouops of employees who band together to form an allied unit that works to support its members in a work environment. This usually results in bargaining for higher wages for union members. Companies have long despised unions for this reason. Right to work laws state that their intended purpose is to give employees the option to opt out of unions if they don't want to participate. We explore what this means for employees and employers and unions and the history.

Recommendations

https://aflcio.org/issues/right-workhttps://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/righttowork-law.asphttps://www.nlrb.gov/guidance/key-reference-materials/national-labor-relations-acthttps://www.nrtw.org/right-to-work-frequently-asked-questions/https://www.epi.org/publication/right-to-work-states-have-lower-wages/https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/understanding-workers-financial-wellbeing-in-states-with-right-to-work-laws-20230908.html

What do we do what we do? Because we do! That's the thesis of the life and death drive. We explain and dismantal this little known hypothesis of behavior championed by the psychoanalysts of the early 20th century. What drives you?

Recommendations

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/860682#:~:text=The%20significance%20of%20Spielrein's%20'destruction,biological%20drives%3B%20that%20of%20self%2Dhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1465-5922.1994.00155.xhttps://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095704767https://dictionary.apa.org/nirvana-principlehttps://exploringyourmind.com/freud-and-the-nirvana-principle/https://www.britannica.com/science/thanatos-psychologyhttps://study.com/learn/lesson/freud-death-drive-thanatos.htmlhttps://www.verywellmind.com/life-and-death-instincts-2795847https://www.proquest.com/openview/8a178ef37297d93689a2480053ca4659/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1818729https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1516/6H94-P06N-8QEN-829Bhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s11231-022-09356-9https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00207578.2020.1815541https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/spielrein-sabina#:~:text=Sabina%20Spielrein%20was%20born%20in,had%20an%20affair%20with%20Jung.

Science and quantitiative model nerds, this is for you! Or maybe not... We explain the mathematical model that purports to explain choice-making. We enumerate the benefits this model has had on behavior science in general, as well as take a hard critical look.

Recommendations

Greer, B.D. and Shahan, T.A. (2019), Resurgence as Choice: Implications for promoting durable behavior change. Jnl of Applied Behav Analysis, 52: 816-846. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.573Reed, D. D., & Kaplan, B. A. (2011). The matching law: a tutorial for practitioners. Behavior analysis in practice, 4(2), 15–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391780Skinner B. F. (1976). Farewell, My LOVELY!. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 25(2), 218. https://doi.org/10.1901/jeab.1976.25-218https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bell_Curve

Engineering student and behaviorist Joseph Dailey joins us to talk about artificial intelligence: where it came from, where it is going, and what it can tell us about human psychology. We reflect on the current state of AI and consider some skeptical and practice considerations for how AI may impact us moving forward.

Linksand References:

https://nicholas.carlini.com/writing/llm-forecast/https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.03762

Humans have long been interested with shortcuts for peering into the enigma of the mind. Further, we search desperately for any clues that can help us identify persons of interest, particularly in crimes. What can we learn about people by analyzing their handwriting? What does your handwriting say about you? If we consider how penmanship develops, and what personality is, it becomes fairly obvious.

Recommendations

https://dekalbmiller.com/forensic-handwriting-analysis/https://science.howstuffworks.com/handwriting-analysis.htmhttps://www.job-law.com/applicant-asked-for-handwriting-sample/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CHowever%2C%20if%20an%20employer%20can,reasons%2C%20it%20would%20be%20illegal.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4676206/https://www.utimes.pitt.edu/archives/?p=8753https://parade.com/1195032/marynliles/handwriting-analysis/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167865518301880https://movementdisorders.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/mdc3.12552https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5571472https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1363910

Three meals per day has been so ingrained in western (and other cultures) for so long that it seems like it might be a biological requirement for humans. But we also know that food was not so easy to come by for our ancestors. We unpack the history of the three meals per day tradition.

Recommendations

https://www.emetabolic.com/locations/centers/castle-rock/blog/healthy-living/why_do_we_eat_three_meals_a_day/#:~:text=The%20three%20meals%20per%20day,when%20you're%20not%20hungry.https://daily.jstor.org/why-do-americans-eat-three-meals-a-day/https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/trends/news/why-do-we-eat-three-times-a-day?refresh_ce=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20243692https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/03/your-weird-pandemic-meals-are-probably-fine/618210/https://www.medicaldaily.com/how-3-meals-day-became-rule-and-why-we-should-be-eating-whenever-we-get-hungry-324892https://www.perspectivesmcgill.com/allposts/2023/5/2/decolonizing-diets-eating-three-meals-a-day-and-its-colonial-implicationshttps://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/is-3-meals-a-day-the-only-wayhttps://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220412-should-we-be-eating-three-meals-a-dayhttps://www.raptitude.com/2022/04/the-myth-of-three-meals-a-day/

Happy New Year! This is a re-cap of the year we just completed. What we talked about in the various episodes this year, what we read and watched, in memorium, and other fluff. Did you have a favorite moment? Message us and tell us what it was!

Recommendations

Give that cerebrum a good scrubbing. There are two conditions under which we can get a handle on the phenomenon of brainwashing: What conditions produce the effect we might call brainwashing, and the what kind of behaviors or conditions would prompt us to label something as brainwashing. We also explore the idea that this effect isn't even really real. Of course, brainwashing has some not-so-subtle ties to racism and some nefarious activities of the US government in the past.

Recommendations

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brainwashinghttp://www7.bbk.ac.uk/hiddenpersuaders/blog/hunter-origins-of-brainwashing/#:~:text=Historians%20generally%20agree%20that%20the,American%20journalist%20and%20propaganda%20expert.https://www.history.com/mkultra-operation-midnight-climax-cia-lsd-experimentshttps://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/06760269https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/brainwashing-criminal-law-defence#:~:text=Brainwashing%20is%20used%20to%20describe,enforcement%20of%20routine%2C%20and%20hypnosis.https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/probing-question-does-brainwashing-exist/https://www.pdcnet.org/thought/content/thought_1986_0061_0002_0241_0257https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-05599-7_11https://web.s.ebscohost.com/abstract?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=14639955&AN=163784402&h=DsT8Uz3APg6x484q7SKDmqSxEmB0htsKqFY7juEPzf9z8LvmH%2bch5APT49b03AfdAFz2SMmDYllqL6W6O7JhIw%3d%3d&crl=c&resultNs=AdminWebAuth&resultLocal=ErrCrlNotAuth&crlhashurl=login.aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26profile%3dehost%26scope%3dsite%26authtype%3dcrawler%26jrnl%3d14639955%26AN%3d163784402

Think of the most talented person you have ever known or known about. Now think about what it means to say that that person is talented. In this discussion, we try to bring a skeptical, behavioral view of the description that we love to apply to the highest performing people of any skill. We define talent, give examples, and then deconstruct the concept until we think we understand it as well as we can. If you've thought about what talent is, who has it, and why, then this episode is for you!

Recommendations

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2021/05/23/simone-biles-gymnastics-officials-foolish-punishing-her-talent/5232267001/
Pronko, N. H., (1988). From AI to Zeitgeist: A Philosophical Guide for the Skeptical Psychologist. Greenwood Press: Westport, CT.Schneider, S. M. (2012). The Science of Consequences: How They Affect Genes, Change the Brain, and Impact Our World. Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY.Bijou, S. W. (1993). Behavior Analysis of Child Development. Context Press: Reno, NV.Kantor, J. R., & Smith, N. W. (1975). The Science of Psychology: An Interbehavioral Survey. Principa Press, Chicago, IL.Shenk, D. (2010). The Genius in All of Us: New Insights Into Genetics, Talent, and IQ. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

The uncanny valley started as a futurists fear about the future of robotics. But we have seen multiple instances of unsettling imagery in CGI that has us employing the uncanny hypothesis. There is also some skepticism about whether this phenomenon is even real. We explore the various suggestions about what accounts for the uncanny valley, whether it is real, and what behaviorism might contribute to understanding it.

Recommendations

https://theconversation.com/uncanny-valley-why-we-find-human-like-robots-and-dolls-so-creepy-50268https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027715300640https://youtu.be/CNdAIPoh8a4https://youtu.be/VmgS2JltwX4https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/unexplained-phenomena/uncanny-valley.htmhttps://spectrum.ieee.org/the-uncanny-valleyhttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/ai-uncanny-valley?loggedin=true&rnd=1700967450205https://gizmodo.com/is-the-uncanny-valley-pseudoscience-5454086

Everybody wants to influence the world (to the tune of Tears for Fears). Being an influencer is one of the most enticing jobs out there for many people right now. Old, mostly young, and in between, the draw of a fame and fortune for self-made hobbyists is irresistable to many. But this is a job that requires a lot more work than it might seem, and fame is a double-edged sword. From where did this new career suddenly emerge? What is it? And, why do so many people want to do it? We'll do our best to explain it all.

Recommendations

https://www.ilo.org/sector/Resources/publications/WCMS_865323/lang--en/index.htmhttps://blog.workday.com/en-us/2023/future-media-entertainment-5-reasons-technology-changes-everything.htmlhttps://knowledge.insead.edu/career/psychological-strategies-influencershttps://grin.co/blog/psychology-of-influence/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/08/instagram-influencers-psychology-social-media-anxietyhttps://influencermarketinghub.com/what-is-an-influencer/https://neilpatel.com/blog/guide-to-influencer-targeting/https://www.makeuseof.com/what-are-social-media-influencers/https://medium.com/swlh/why-everybody-wants-to-be-an-influencer-and-nobody-wants-a-real-job-anymore-fc1a895a76b3https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2022/10/20/young-people-want-to-be-influencers-even-as-older-americans-say-it-isnt-a-real-job/?sh=f0668af5f04bhttps://www.adweek.com/media/everyones-an-influencer-now-what/https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/influencers-parents-posting-kids-online-privacy-security-concerns-rcna55318https://www.teenvogue.com/story/influencer-parents-children-social-media-impact

Let's take a trip back in time to our discussion on the bystander effect, as well as an update on what has happened in research since. What other variables can account for the bystander effect? What about when there is no bystander effect? There is such as a thing as too many cooks in the kitchen, as they say.

Recommendations:
Abraham: A Haunting in Venice (movie: https://www.20thcenturystudios.com/movies/a-haunting-in-venice)
Shane: De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising (https://open.spotify.com/album/34LxHI9x14qXUOS8AWRrYD?si=i8Z8nRbHRLy29mwGutpzaw)

Links:

Most people report feeling that the TSA is successfully protecting against threats. Are they right? Some argue that not flying pushes people toward driving which is exponentially more fatal. What can we do about it? Many have some radical ideas. We'll unpack what there is to understand about the TSA.


Recommendations
Abraham: Sounds Fishy (https://bigpotato.com/products/sounds-fishy)
Shane: Hotline TNT - Cartwheel (https://open.spotify.com/album/6LrhvefGM7zcJpIdMC9otz?si=yVWBjXa2TAy-McHleJF8JA)

Links and References:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellistalton/2019/01/28/is-the-tsa-really-necessary/?sh=5565d5c025e0https://www.vox.com/2016/5/17/11687014/tsa-against-airport-securityhttps://www.theverge.com/c/23311333/tsa-history-airport-security-theater-homelandhttps://www.securitydegreehub.com/airport-security-make-us-safer/https://reason.com/2022/01/07/airport-security-measures-are-popular-but-pointless/https://www.bts.gov/newsroom/full-year-2022-us-airline-traffic-data#:~:text=U.S.%20airlines%20carried%20194%20million,and%20388%20million%20in%202020.https://www.npr.org/2021/09/10/1035131619/911-travel-timeline-tsahttps://www.businessinsider.com/palantir-ceo-alex-karp-interview-stopped-terror-attack-weekly-2019-1https://www.cnn.com/2012/04/30/world/al-qaeda-documents/index.htmlhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-touts-orlando-bomb-suspect-arrest/https://vimeo.com/871252019Garrick Blalock garrick.blalock@cornell.edu , Vrinda Kadiyali & Daniel H. Simon (2009) Driving fatalities after 9/11: a hidden cost of terrorism, Applied Economics, 41:14, 1717-1729, DOI: 10.1080/00036840601069757https://www.sheffield.com/air-travel-safest-mode-transportation#:~:text=For%20one%2C%20there%20is%20a,air%20at%20any%20given%20time.

Transportation is an enormous part of any economy. Airplanes are one of the more recent inventions that have changed the landscape of security around the world. In addition, the consequences of a plane failing accidentally or through the intentional destruction by bad actors is catastrophic. Therefore, the security of airplanes is of the utmost importance. Yet, the instances of terrorist actions or even attempts are vanishingly small. The TSA was designed to prevent terrorist activities. Is it working? Is it just creating the illusion of security? If we had to ask, you can probably already guess the answer. We kick off this two-parter by reviewing the history of airpot security and its trials and tribulations. What are your experiences? Let us know!

Recommendations Part 2
Abraham: Sounds Fishy (https://bigpotato.com/products/sounds-fishy)
Shane: Hotline TNT - Cartwheel (https://open.spotify.com/album/6LrhvefGM7zcJpIdMC9otz?si=yVWBjXa2TAy-McHleJF8JA)

Links and References:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellistalton/2019/01/28/is-the-tsa-really-necessary/?sh=5565d5c025e0https://www.vox.com/2016/5/17/11687014/tsa-against-airport-securityhttps://www.theverge.com/c/23311333/tsa-history-airport-security-theater-homelandhttps://www.securitydegreehub.com/airport-security-make-us-safer/https://reason.com/2022/01/07/airport-security-measures-are-popular-but-pointless/https://www.bts.gov/newsroom/full-year-2022-us-airline-traffic-data#:~:text=U.S.%20airlines%20carried%20194%20million,and%20388%20million%20in%202020.https://www.npr.org/2021/09/10/1035131619/911-travel-timeline-tsahttps://www.businessinsider.com/palantir-ceo-alex-karp-interview-stopped-terror-attack-weekly-2019-1https://www.cnn.com/2012/04/30/world/al-qaeda-documents/index.htmlhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-touts-orlando-bomb-suspect-arrest/https://vimeo.com/871252019Garrick Blalock garrick.blalock@cornell.edu , Vrinda Kadiyali & Daniel H. Simon (2009) Driving fatalities after 9/11: a hidden cost of terrorism, Applied Economics, 41:14, 1717-1729, DOI:

What makes someone a troll? We are all a little bit troll-y sometimes. We dive into how and why it works, when it is good and bad, and a brief history of trolls. Join us for the psychology of troll behavior.

Recommendations

Cheng, J., Bernstein, M., Danescu-Niculescu-Mizil, C., & Leskovec, J. (2017). Anyone Can Become a Troll. In Proceedings of the 2017 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing. CSCW ’17: Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing. ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2998181.2998213https://apnews.com/article/biden-internet-broadband-bead-0b95fabd7f6833ce420c80d474a145a5https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-deal-with-trolls-on-social-media/https://computer.howstuffworks.com/troll.htmhttps://medium.com/dose/what-did-trolling-look-like-before-the-internet-cb42890265c0

Why are some people evil? What is evil anyway? Is evil even real? We discuss the philosophy of what evil is and why it occurs... if it occurs.

Recommendations

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/concept-evil/https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evil-kinds-origins/https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialsciences/ppecorino/phil_of_religion_text/CHAPTER_6_PROBLEM_of_EVIL/Nature_of_Evil.htm#:~:text=%22Evil%22%20has%20a%20wider%20range,famines%2C%20floods%2C%20etc.)https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691026176/jung-on-evilhttps://www.prisonexp.org/https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/193629/summaryhttp://www.zimbardo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2003-Evil-Chapter.pdfhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1745691615568998https://www.psypost.org/2021/07/new-psychology-research-suggests-that-belief-in-pure-evil-can-put-blinders-on-peoples-thinking-61556https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/acp.3795https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/members/sigs/spirituality-spsig/walker.pdf?sfvrsn=2223ae50_2https://www3.nd.edu/~jspeaks/courses/2007-8/20229/_HANDOUTS/problem-of-evil.pdfhttps://reasonandmeaning.com/2016/04/09/can-there-be-goodness-without-badness/https://iep.utm.edu/evil-log/

In the 1970s in the US and other parts of the world, a great fear was blossoming in the hearts of normal, every day people. The very real threat of the conspiracy of the satanic cults! Dun Dun DUN! Except... the fear about satanic cults is actually pretty old. Why was there a new fear? What was reallygoing on during the satanic panic? You've got questions, or at least we assume you do... and we've got (some) answers.

Recommendations

https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/satanic-panic.htm#pt5https://gizmodo.com/a-brief-history-of-satanic-panic-in-the-1980s-1679476373https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/642372/satanic-panic-history-1980shttps://www.cbc.ca/arts/satan-wants-you-filmmakers-q-a-sean-horlor-steve-j-adams-1.6822213https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/us/satanic-panic.htmlhttps://www.npr.org/2021/05/18/997559036/americas-satanic-panic-returns-this-time-through-qanonhttps://www.senate.mo.gov/LegislativeLibrary/Panic.htmlhttps://www.vox.com/culture/22358153/satanic-panic-ritual-abuse-history-conspiracy-theories-explainedhttps://www.aetv.com/real-crime/mcmartin-preschoolEhrman, A. (1976). THE ORIGINS OF THE RITUAL MURDER ACCUSATION AND BLOOD LIBEL. Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought, 15(4), 83–90. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23258406WAGEMAKERS, B. (2010). INCEST, INFANTICIDE, AND CANNIBALISM: ANTI-CHRISTIAN IMPUTATIONS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE. Greece & Rome, 57(2), 337–354. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40929483https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-southwest/the-enduring-panic-about-cow-mutilations

Spooky season 2023 continues with this dive in to actual Satanism. It is a lot newer than you might think. Also, there are different kinds of satanism broadly categorized as "theistic" and "atheistic." Are you a stanist? You might become one after this episode... jk

Recommendations

https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/about-ushttps://www.history.com/topics/religion/satanism#aleister-crowleyhttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-06/is-satanism-a-religion-of-social-justice/101591462https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/satanic-beliefs-criminal-actionshttps://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49392867https://study.com/academy/lesson/satanism-beliefs-types-rituals.html\https://youtu.be/ohGj3BnOVyg?si=rm8q8EIZJCY4-mj6https://www.heavyblogisheavy.com/2017/02/10/the-devils-roots-theistic-satanism-in-metal/

Welcome to our spooky, Halloween-themed kick-off! We went even more specific than usual and will be talking about Satan the whole month of October. Have you heard of left-hand path magic? Probably in one form or another. We unpack the history of left-hand path, how it is presumed to be used, and how it relates to Satan... if at all.

Recommendations

https://online.ucpress.edu/nr/article-abstract/12/4/28/70127/Left-Hand-Path-Magic-and-Animal-Rights?redirectedFrom=PDFhttps://www.learnreligions.com/left-hand-and-right-hand-paths-95827https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/3/2/389https://www.thedailybeast.com/hitlers-hunt-for-the-holy-grail-and-the-ghent-altarpiecehttps://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/01/12/fbi-satan-mobplot-kill-ted-kennedy-097180https://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/fulltext/S1364-6613(08)00177-0https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1016/j.religion.2005.07.002

What does the world look like when you are color deficient? Why are more men color deficient than women? Can glasses really help color deficient people see? Why is it color "deficient" and not color "blind?" These are all of the questions we assume you have and will want to have answered... so that's what we spoke about! Hopefully we were right...

Recommendations

https://dictionary.apa.org/color-blindnesshttps://enchroma.com/pages/types-of-color-blindness?gclid=CjwKCAjwr_CnBhA0EiwAci5sih3dqGpr69NVBQcV_zUso4KFsRb40azoPM2OZHqHaaIL-n_t4tClUhoCERwQAvD_BwE (SHANE, CHECK THIS ONE OUT!)https://youtu.be/r8OG0HNLz0w?si=M6APFImtZuiUABibJonauskaite D, Camenzind L, Parraga CA, Diouf CN, Mercapide Ducommun M, Müller L, Norberg M, Mohr C. 2021. Colour-emotion associations in individuals with red-green colour blindness. PeerJ 9:e11180 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11180https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/do-color-blindness-correcting-glasses-work#:~:text=%22Colorblindness%20glasses%20are%20made%20with,Schwab%20says.

David Henry Breaux was a kind, beloved person with a tragic story. In a rare instance of profiling a single individual, we use this inspiring story to talk about what compassion is.

Recommendations

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/03/california-town-mourns-compassion-guyhttps://www.ted.com/talks/karen_armstrong_my_wish_the_charter_for_compassion?language=enhttps://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-14/two-men-dead-davis-serial-stabbings-how-will-families-copehttps://stanfordmag.org/contents/compassion-s-championhttps://www.davisenterprise.com/news/crime_fire_courts/updated-man-slain-in-central-park-id-d-as-compassion-guy-david-breaux/article_45452b08-5df6-51ae-b10c-502bb26f120f.htmlhttps://www.kcra.com/article/davis-police-activity-reported-in-area-of-central-park/43728061https://www.cbsnews.com/news/david-breaux-davis-california-compassion-bench/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_David_Henry_Breauxhttps://youtu.be/Q2vGPF2Brfo?si=VH0BAstm0Wd3PuBw

Plant-based food and hygeine products are gaining in popularity. What is behind this trend in vegan leaning? We explain the history of veganism, the names that almost took the place of veganism, critique Peta, and talk about why people do it?

Recommendations

https://veggiefestchicago.org/famous-vegetarians/https://thebitingtruth.com/6-types-of-vegetarian-diets-explained/https://sentientmedia.org/common-misconceptions-about-veganism/https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/vegetarian-diet/art-20046446https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/vegetarian-diet/art-20046446https://web.archive.org/web/20190528030736/http://www.ukveggie.com/vegan_news/vegan_news_1.pdfhttps://www.cnet.com/health/nutrition/why-is-the-vegan-diet-so-popular/https://www.chooseveganism.org/why-do-people-go-vegan/https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/world-cultures-and-religions-plant-based-vegetarian-vegan-diet/#:~:text=Plant%2Dbased%20eating%20is%20deeply,violence%20towards%20all%20living%20things.https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/soc4.12877https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1440-172X.2006.00580.xhttps://onehome.org.uk/topics/food-and-drink/diet/11-surprising-facts-about-veganism/https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2021/03/18/meatless-mondays-less-meat-less-heat#:~:text=The%20Significance%20of%20Eating%20Plant,and%20maintaining%20a%20healthy%20weight!

The conditions of slavery, the current state of modern slavery, and other things we need to talk about. Check out our conclusion to this dicussion.

Recommendations

https://youtu.be/Ajn9g5Gsv98https://restavekfreedom.org/2018/09/11/the-history-of-slavery/https://www.hull.ac.uk/work-with-us/more/media-centre/news/2020/sailors-were-appalled-by-conditions-on-slave-ships#:~:text=The%20terrible%20conditions%20for%20those,and%20poor%20ventilation%20below%20deck.https://freetheslaves.net/slavery-today-2/slavery-in-history/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/19/magazine/history-slavery-smithsonian.htmlhttps://www.ushistory.org/us/22b.asphttps://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/30/how-american-racism-influenced-hitlerhttps://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slaveryhttps://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/slavery-in-history/

As new policies are attempting to revise history by rebranding slavery in a more flattering manner, we decided to review the history of slavery to get a retrospective analysis of this practice. We pull no punches in our discussion about what slavery entailed and how it developed.
WARNING: Contains topics that some listeners may find upsetting (torture, child abuse, sexual assault)

Recommendations

https://youtu.be/Ajn9g5Gsv98https://restavekfreedom.org/2018/09/11/the-history-of-slavery/https://www.hull.ac.uk/work-with-us/more/media-centre/news/2020/sailors-were-appalled-by-conditions-on-slave-ships#:~:text=The%20terrible%20conditions%20for%20those,and%20poor%20ventilation%20below%20deck.https://freetheslaves.net/slavery-today-2/slavery-in-history/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/19/magazine/history-slavery-smithsonian.htmlhttps://www.ushistory.org/us/22b.asphttps://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/30/how-american-racism-influenced-hitlerhttps://www.history.com/topics/black-history/slaveryhttps://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/slavery-in-history/

From the archive, we have dusted off this old discussion in which we explain how Asperger Syndrome came and went. Further, we provide a few updates on things that have happened since this episode published, including a serious revelation about Dr. Hans Asperger himself...

Recommendations

Divine gift? Neurological breakdown? Sims? No matter what you think is the attributible variable, speaking in tongues involves humans doing things, and therefore falls into the realm of psychology and into our diabolically skeptical hands. We explore the facts and features of speaking in tongues and its history.

Recommendations

https://www.britannica.com/topic/glossolaliahttps://www.apostolic.edu/speaking-in-tongues-throughout-history/https://charlesasullivan.com/16993/speaking-in-tongues-worldwide/https://www.vicetv.com/en_us/video/speaking-in-tongues-excerpt/56cb727360f96b5e606f20e9https://www.wikihow.com/Speak-in-Tongueshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5748000/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/07/health/07brain.htmlhttps://www.science.org/content/article/tongues-mindhttps://medium.com/healthy-skepticism/strange-facts-about-speaking-in-tongues-280ba69508ahttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061030183100.htmhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7174730/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22871041/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/sns-la-et-mg-megan-fox-esquire-20130115-story.html

Have you heard of the mental diagnosis that literally causes death? Or, at least that is what some would like you to believe. We uncover the conspiracy of neurobabble pseudoscience used to justify thousands of murders every year. Join on us on our debunking mission.

Recommendations

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/excited-delirium#:~:text=The%20term%20'excited%20delirium'%20has,unexpected%20physical%20strength%2C%20and%20hyperthermia.https://youtu.be/aht7lH_LpFchttps://phr.org/our-work/resources/excited-delirium/https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/east-bay/angelo-quinto-antioch-death-investigation/2997166/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7283219/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5061757/https://www.jems.com/administration-and-leadership/excited-delirium-strikes-witho/https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1556-4029.15101https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/system/files?file=file-attachments/701801.pdfhttps://www.floridatoday.com/in-depth/news/2019/10/24/excited-delirium-custody-deaths-gregory-edwards-melbourne-taser/2374304001/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4461039/#:~:text=We%20estimate%20that%2014.3%25%20of,are%20attributable%20to%20mental%20disorders.https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/east-bay/angelo-quinto-antioch-death-investigation/2997166/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30543613/

There are a few things we all have in common as humans, and one of those is that we all have a naked body at some point. Some people make that "some point" most of the time. We explore nudism, where it came from, where it is, and why people do it. Nudists, we salute you!

Recommendations

https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/2015/06/why_be_naked.htmlhttps://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/episode-240-memorial-to-the-victims-of-communism-stripped-naked-at-lunch-redefining-autism-more-1.3127460/the-naked-truth-about-nudists-1.3127522https://thebullamarillo.com/theres-more-to-being-a-nudistnaturist-than-you-think/https://www.aanr.com/aanr_articles/the-history-of-nudism/https://naturistsholiday.wordpress.com/2016/12/09/why-be-or-become-a-nudist-here-are-the-top-10-reasons/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/the-skinny-on-nudism-in-the-ushttps://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/everything-you-ve-ever-wondered-about-nudist-clubs-answeredhttps://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/beauty/body/why-i-love-being-nude-the-health-benefits-of-being-a-nudist/news-story/fbbade7601de6fc8c8c09a29725d69edhttps://factrepublic.com/facts/2377/https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/victorian-table-legs-covering-mythhttps://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/world/what-is-nudism-why-do-people-practice-it/story

Killer whales have been making the news lately for attcking boats. This is particularly notable because they seem to have spread this trend to other orcas. But orcas have been demonstrating a few interesting difficult-to-explain trends since people have started paying attention. We describe what orcas have been doing, why it's interesting, and what we understand about it so far.

Recommendations

https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/head-to-head-orca-vs-great-white-shark/https://movementecologyjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40462-017-0094-0https://hswri.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwwISlBhD6ARIsAESAmp6Xvm1Z5XmAWbDCOnUdY9qRS7avBr1P09Pv1WpWyAfRdh-v7iynXNQaAldDEALw_wcBhttps://cascadiaresearch.org/user_page/foraging-behavior-and-ecology-transient-killer-whales-orcinus-orca/https://www.whaleresearch.com/orca-behaviorshttps://www.killer-whale.org/killer-whale-social-structure/https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/killer-whale-orca-trendshttps://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/attacking-boats-may-be-a-new-social-trend-for-juvenile-orcashttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/understanding-orca-culture-12494696/https://www.iflscience.com/in-1987-orcas-had-a-fashion-of-wearing-a-dead-salmon-as-a-hat-69542https://www.livescience.com/animals/orcas/orcas-have-sunk-3-boats-in-europe-and-appear-to-be-teaching-others-to-do-the-same-but-whyhttps://a-z-animals.com/blog/discover-why-scientists-believe-killer-whales-are-attacking-boats-on-purpose/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40617-022-00719-3

Your tongue is special. It might taste a lot or a very little. Some people have extra super-sensitive tongues packed with many taste receptor cells and they can taste flavors that other people can't detect at all. These are the super tasters! How does it work? Why do some people have it? How can you test yourself? Find out here.

Recommendations

Hayes, J. E., & Keast, R. S. (2011). Two decades of supertasting: where do we stand?. Physiology & behavior, 104(5), 1072–1074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.08.003Wooding S. (2006). Phenylthiocarbamide: a 75-year adventure in genetics and natural selection. Genetics, 172(4), 2015–2023. https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/172.4.2015Bartoshuk LM, et al. PROP (6-n-propylthiouracil) supertasters and the saltiness of NaCl. Ann N Y Acad Sci.1998;855:793–6Bartoshuk LM, et al. Supertasting, earaches and head injury: genetics and pathology alter our taste worlds. Neurosci Biobehav Rev.1996;20(1):79–87https://www.thecut.com/article/picky-eater-you-might-be-a-supertaster.htmlhttps://youtu.be/jExqPBLgf-ohttps://youtu.be/3_TGrh-x5i4https://youtu.be/W7Pzhvypg9Ahttps://youtu.be/aroNLSRzeno

This is a rerun and update of our episode on the polygraph. Originally recorded in 2017, we wanted to see what new research has happened since our original publication. Spoiler: They still don't work, Listen in to learn more.
]Links and references

htpss://axeligence.com/applicant-consultants-on-polygraph-test-accuracy/#:~:text=Some%20studies%20have%20shown%20that,98%25%20for%20each%20test%20taken.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6654171/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1365712720983929Kotsoglou, K. N. (2021). Zombie forensics: the use of the polygraph and the integrity of the criminal justice system in England and Wales. The International Journal of Evidence & Proof, 25(1), 16–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365712720983929

One of the most enduring theories of choice-making is the behavioral economics model called "Prospect Theory." People tend to avoid risk twice as much as work for reward. Unless you were raised somewhere other than Western culture. How does this apply to things beyond decision making? We'll replace one of your Psych 101 classes with this theory you should know.

Recommendations

https://youtu.be/sM91d5I36Pohttps://time.com/6145596/2022-winter-olympics-bronze-silver-medals-happiness/Medvec, V. H., Madey, S. F., & Gilovich, T. (1995). When less is more: counterfactual thinking and satisfaction among Olympic medalists. Journal of personality and social psychology, 69(4), 603–610. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.69.4.603https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w18621/w18621.pdfhttp://psych.fullerton.edu/mbirnbaum/psych466/articles/Tversky_Kahneman_JRU_92.pdfhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cb.1779#:~:text=A%20major%20limitation%20of%20prospect,to%20adopt%20a%20single%20prospect.https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/capital-markets/prospect-theory/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S014829631000189X

Homeowner Associations (HOAs) are (mostly) involuntary paid memberships into systems that can regulate nearly everything about your home and life around your home. Any deviation from those regulations, real or perceived, can be met with fines, a lien on your house, mortgage takeover, and threats of jail time. Where did this sadistic practice horror come from? Racism, of course. Listen in to our deep dive into the dumpster fire that is HOAs.

Recommendations

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/homeowners-association-fee-hoa.asp#:~:text=HOA%20fees%20tend%20to%20vary,amenities%2C%20the%20higher%20the%20fees.https://www.realestatenews.com/2023/02/15/most-new-homes-for-sale-are-in-an-hoa-do-buyers-carehttps://hoa-usa.com/about/#:~:text=There%20are%20over%20370%2C000%20homeowner,homeowner%20association%20boards%20and%20committees.https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/17/realestate/what-is-redlining.htmlhttps://www.buzzfeed.com/meganeliscomb/annoying-hoa-storieshttps://www.familyhandyman.com/list/homeowner-association-horror-stories/https://www.buzzfeed.com/meganeliscomb/petty-hoa-storieshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrizmAo17Os

A few times through history a large crowd of people stopped everything they were doing and just started dancing... Sometimes until the dancing resulted in serious injury. Why did they do this? We explore the known and unknown about the dancing plagues!


Recommendations

https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(09)60386-X/fulltexthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/strange-case-dancing-mania-struck-germany-six-centuries-ago-today-180959549/https://familydoctor.org/condition/mass-psychogenic-illness/#:~:text=What%20is%20mass%20psychogenic%20illness,or%20a%20toxin%20(poison).https://www.verywellmind.com/understanding-groupthink-2671595https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0020764018766185https://karger.com/sad/article/5/5/320/291347/Post-Finasteride-Syndrome-An-Induced-Delusionalhttps://www.historyhit.com/1374-dancing-mania-strikes-aachen/

Video games often depict graphic violence, gore, and other behaviors that would be considered extremely inappropriate, immoral, and illegal. What effect does this have on the players who control these actions? Politicians point to these games as influencing the violent crimes that people commit. Fortunately, there is a lot of research so we got to the bottom of this controversial idea.

Recommendations

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-check-trump-suggests-video-games-blame-mass-shootings-n1039411https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/here-s-what-we-know-about-links-between-video-games-n852776https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.171474https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180116131317.htmhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/soej.12139Markey, P. M., Markey, C. N., & French, J. E. (2015). Violent video games and real-world violence: Rhetoric versus data. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 4(4), 277–295. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000030https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stanford-researchers-scoured-every-reputable-163528766.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACJYI_G5bXmqGia5OeGDdwx9t1lJQQfLw_Pnj6hmbzUA2ALHnjQ5zLTuySR43KU1fVoG5TJM0nBbw2a792cvwRzh2GCd0I27apGiiuLwB0A6GJkAS0MAAW7qVHbDYuuyBHryp_mM8Wt_ECtFK8sDBC2lol__C9JI0N-QQ6d6Gmhjhttps://www.chconline.org/resourcelibrary/study-confirms-link-between-violent-video-games-and-physical-aggression/?utm_source=google_cpc&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_campaign=dsa&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAjw36GjBhAkEiwAKwIWyYgUBFVBG_2Zv0O8K3w__SChwAo9DfNczvG9pxfALDx3PWMjRccQJxoCWdwQAvD_BwEDavid Zendle, Daniel Kudenko, Paul Cairns. Behavioural realism and the activation of aggressive concepts in violent video games. Entertainment Computing, 2018; 24: 21 DOI:

"Tough on Crime" has been a popular rallying cry in the US for some time. However, what does this actually mean? Further, how does it impact the behavior of would-be criminals? We explore the "tough on crime" policies with a critical eye.

Recommendations:

https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/70411/307337-Did-Getting-Tough-on-Crime-Pay-.pdfhttps://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/failure-get-tough-crime-policyhttps://innocenceproject.org/news/tough-on-crime-policies-are-at-odds-with-the-presumption-of-innocence/https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/history-mass-incarcerationhttps://www.owu.edu/news-media/from-our-perspective/tough-questions-for-tough-on-crime-policies/https://www.justicestrategies.org/sites/default/files/Judy/GettingToughOnCrime.pdfhttps://www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2021.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwmN2iBhCrARIsAG_G2i5zd0_kGV7EMd4dp9GaypbmHnJ5zjx6k-iepScDj2Lt9u5Ct20dkd0aAmgREALw_wcBhttps://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/jail-inmates-2021-statistical-tables#:~:text=At%20midyear%202021%2C%20about%2049,of%20the%20total%20jail%20population.https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_race.jsphttps://www.ncsl.org/civil-and-criminal-justice/principles-of-effective-state-sentencing-and-corrections-policyhttps://www.sentencingproject.org/fact-sheet/top-trends-in-criminal-justice-reform-2022/

Rats have been a source of much rage and fear for their various behaviors and disease-carrying proclivities. But they are an impressive evolutionary smelling machine and pretty easy to train. Researchers have trained rats to use their remarkable sense of smell for a variety of heroic deeds that are saving many human lives. These are their stories... dun dun.

Recommendations

https://www.discovery.com/nature/rats-are-being-trained-to-rescue-earthquake-survivors-La Londe, et al. (2014) - Training pouched rats to find people. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.181https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/giant-rats-trained-sniff-out-tuberculosis-africa/Poling, A., Weetjens, B., Cox, C., Beyene, N., Durgin, A., & Mahoney, A. (2011). Tuberculosis detection by giant african pouched rats. The Behavior analyst, 34(1), 47–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392234https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/feb/23/rats-who-sniff-out-tubersulosisKanaan, R., Farkas, N., Hegyi, P., Soós, A., Hegyi, D., Németh, K., Horváth, O., Tenk, J., Mikó, A., Szentesi, A., Balaskó, M., Szakács, Z., Vasas, A., Csupor, D., & Gyöngyi, Z. (2021). Rats sniff out pulmonary tuberculosis from sputum: a diagnostic accuracy meta-analysis. Scientific reports, 11(1), 1877. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-81086-x

Scientology is one of the newer religions in the world. And, although you have probably heard a lot about them, they are pretty small in number. Why did we choose to take on this litigious behemoth? Because they are staunchly anti-psychology while claiming to be science. Ripe for the plucking.

Recommendations

Tom Cruise Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFgF1JPNR5Ehttps://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-culthttps://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Fishman/time-behar.htmlhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/23/try-to-leave-church-scientology-lawrence-wrighthttps://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/it-cult-or-new-religious-movementhttps://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/is-scientology-a-dangerous-cult-1.917839https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/leah-reminis-battle-with-scientology-through-the-years/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3856510/https://daily.jstor.org/scholars-on-scientology/https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1029&context=relicshttps://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/scientology-children-second-generation-846732/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6291212/https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/214438.pdfhttps://www.pasadenanow.com/main/how-jack-parsons-and-the-suicide-squad-created-a-new-paradigm-in-rocketryhttps://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315598086-9/scientology-auditing-eric-roux

One of the global ways that people communicate symbolically, flags are a sort of universal-ish language, depending on the flag. Where did they come from? Why do we use them? What do we use them for? A lot more interesting than you might think.

Recommendations

http://www.militarywives.com/index.php/museum-flags#:~:text=The%20historical%20origin%20of%20flags,or%20to%20signal%20to%20others.https://jimmygreen.com/news/post/46-what-does-an-upside-down-flag-representhttps://www.tacticaldistributors.com/pages/the-meaning-of-a-backwards-flaghttps://learnertrip.com/flags/flags-colors-meaning/https://www.hrc.org/resources/lgbtq-pride-flagshttps://youtu.be/HseeBVXUhEwhttps://shorelinesillustrated.com/nautical-flags-guide/https://youtu.be/3R43ww5fHWghttps://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-heraldryhttps://piggotts.co.uk/updates/history-white-flag/#:~:text=The%20white%20flag%20was%20written,surrender%20with%20a%20white%20flag.

Compulsory, ritualistic pledging an oath of fealty to a leader or government's flag sounds like something you might see in an oppressive tyranical government. Indeed, there are a few countries that currently require school children and government officials to recite a daily pledge of loyalty to their government. Are you in one of them? In this discussion we explore the history of the ritual pledge of allegiance in the United States, the purpose of this practice, and what other countries do it.

Recommendations

https://www.upcounsel.com/lectl-the-strange-origin-of-the-pledge-of-allegiancehttps://csglobalpartners.com/resources/what-is-an-oath-of-allegiance/https://theweek.com/articles/852114/pledge-allegiance-not-normalhttps://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htmhttps://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/06/i-cant-believe-they-still-make-students-recite-the-pledge-of-allegiancehttps://www.cnn.com/2019/02/19/us/pledge-of-allegiance-explainer-trnd/index.htmlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf6D2MSAqochttps://thehill.com/homenews/3256719-47-states-require-the-pledge-of-allegiance-be-recited-in-schools-here-is-a-breakdown-of-each-states-laws/https://reason.com/2023/02/23/arizona-house-passes-a-bill-that-would-force-children-to-say-the-pledge-of-allegiance/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/02/us/pledge-of-allegiance-francis-bellamy.html

First aired in November 2017, what has happened in the world of consciousness since this episode? Both a lot and somehow very little. As always, the definition is very important, and as always, a few "new" ideas of what that definition should be have been proposed. What do you think about it? Did this discussion influence you?

Recommendations
Abraham: Love, Death, and Robots (Netflix; https://www.netflix.com/title/80174608)
Shane: John Wick

Links and References:

Wokeism has a much longer history than you might think and its original meaning has been appropriated and obfuscated beyond recognition. We break down the defintiion, the current application, and level a critical lens at "woke" culture. Warning: We discuss a few awful people doing awful things.
Vocab: Pejorative.

Recommendations:

https://www.vox.com/culture/21437879/stay-woke-wokeness-history-origin-evolution-controversyhttps://www.nationalworld.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/what-does-woke-mean-definition-woke-culture-2023-3215758https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/2167/stop-w-o-k-e-acthttps://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/dsjel/vol2/iss3/1/https://shareok.org/handle/11244/326817https://formationreimagined.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Church-membership-has-fallen-below-the-majority-for-the-first-time-The-Washington-Post.pdfhttps://diversity.social/wokeism-woke-culture/

Swearing involves the use of taboo words considered coarse, blasphemous, or otherwise unacceptable in polite or formal speech to accentuate a statement. Contrary to the myth that frequent swearing reflects a poverty of vocabulary, research shows that people who use taboo words tend to have larger vocabularies and higher verbal fluency. Swearing serves different functions like expressing emotions, creating humor, and constructing identity. Additionally, some researchers believe swearing can provide stress relief in upsetting situations, like when one stubs their toe.

Recommendations

https://people.howstuffworks.com/backward-evolution-swear-words.htmhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2015/06/26/2ba794c6-1abc-11e5-ab92-c75ae6ab94b5_story.htmlhttps://www.proquest.com/openview/c9bc23a0134b3d738b563383c931be06/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=31040https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/ws/files/86158666/Swearing_and_perceptions_of_the_speaker.pdfhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd-Sa_3iBVAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAkPudcbNz0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1F90W40t6ghttps://list.co.uk/news/9980/interview-jim-jefferies-im-the-rosa-parks-of-cnthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2001/01/20/station-fined-for-playing-the-whole-slim-shady/6bf0d192-4e57-4341-96cd-ae4c5534f86c/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S038800011400151Xhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00723/fullhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-022-02202-0https://word.tips/us-states-curse-words-map/

In this third and final installment of our discussion about Facilitated Communication, we explain why Facilitated Communication is not only ineffective, it is actively harmful, even fatally. Facilitated Communication is dangerous and does not work.
WARNING: This episode contains discussions of sexual abuse and violence.

Recommendations

https://neuroclastic.com/logical-fallacies/https://www.asha.org/policy/ps2018-00352/https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/organizations-opposing-fcJacobson, J. W., Mulick, J. A., & Schwartz, A. A. (1995). A history of facilitated communication: Science, pseudoscience, and antiscience science working group on facilitated communication. American Psychologist, 50(9), 750–765. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.50.9.750https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/therapies-guide/facilitated-communication#:~:text=Facilitated%20communication%20is%20based%20on,they%20can%20use%20these%20tools.https://notanautismmom.com/2022/01/04/asha-position-statement-fc-rpm/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/01/02/autism-center-specialist-autistic-symptoms-spectrum-disorder-spell-to-communicate/4077034002/https://i-asc.org/https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/infectious-disease/How-COVID-19-has-changed-the-culture-of-science/99/i3https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/facilitated-communication-is-still-pseudoscience/https://behavioralobservations.com/what-is-facilitated-communication-session-199-with-jason-travers/https://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcasts/episode-876

The follow-up to the history of Facilitated Communication. How can we determine if the messages typed by an individual with little or no previous language experience is coming from them or their facilitator? Simply. This episode describes the experiments that cleverly demonstrated the nature of the Facilitated Communication dynamic. It was very one-sided. Only one-sided in fact. Check out part two of the FC trilogy.

Recommendations

https://neuroclastic.com/logical-fallacies/https://www.asha.org/policy/ps2018-00352/https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/organizations-opposing-fcJacobson, J. W., Mulick, J. A., & Schwartz, A. A. (1995). A history of facilitated communication: Science, pseudoscience, and antiscience science working group on facilitated communication. American Psychologist, 50(9), 750–765. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.50.9.750https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/therapies-guide/facilitated-communication#:~:text=Facilitated%20communication%20is%20based%20on,they%20can%20use%20these%20tools.https://notanautismmom.com/2022/01/04/asha-position-statement-fc-rpm/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/01/02/autism-center-specialist-autistic-symptoms-spectrum-disorder-spell-to-communicate/4077034002/https://i-asc.org/https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/infectious-disease/How-COVID-19-has-changed-the-culture-of-science/99/i3https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/facilitated-communication-is-still-pseudoscience/https://behavioralobservations.com/what-is-facilitated-communication-session-199-with-jason-travers/https://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcasts/episode-876

Being as charitable and honest as we can, facilitate communication is an ineffective pseudoscience. We explore the history, the claims, and a careful discussion of the general procedures. We handle this first discussion gently. Next episode, the gloves come off.

Recommendations

https://neuroclastic.com/logical-fallacies/https://www.asha.org/policy/ps2018-00352/https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/organizations-opposing-fcJacobson, J. W., Mulick, J. A., & Schwartz, A. A. (1995). A history of facilitated communication: Science, pseudoscience, and antiscience science working group on facilitated communication. American Psychologist, 50(9), 750–765. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.50.9.750https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/therapies-guide/facilitated-communication#:~:text=Facilitated%20communication%20is%20based%20on,they%20can%20use%20these%20tools.https://notanautismmom.com/2022/01/04/asha-position-statement-fc-rpm/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2020/01/02/autism-center-specialist-autistic-symptoms-spectrum-disorder-spell-to-communicate/4077034002/https://i-asc.org/https://www.facilitatedcommunication.org/https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/infectious-disease/How-COVID-19-has-changed-the-culture-of-science/99/i3https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/facilitated-communication-is-still-pseudoscience/https://behavioralobservations.com/what-is-facilitated-communication-session-199-with-jason-travers/https://www.theskepticsguide.org/podcasts/episode-876

Seizure alert animals, like dogs, help during and after seizures and require training and upkeep. They aren't just pets and may stay with their owner for 8-9 years. The animals recognize seizures through sudden shifts in behavior and intense pacing, whining, or licking. Researchers also explore capturing seizure-associated scents. So, if you see a dog licking you intensely, it might be detecting something more exciting than just sweat or crumbs.

Recommendations

A highly controversial speculative hypothesis. Julian Jaynes read ancient texts and arrived at a unique and wholly original hypothesis: Our ancestors did not have consciousness. He reasoned that their brains did not work in concert as ours do today and instead they "hear" the messages from one hemisphere as the ethereal voice of gods. Is there evidence for this? Have we learned something knew about human psychology? We weigh in on the relatively utility of Jaynes' bicameral mind, for what it's worth.

Recommendations

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1977/5/12/the-lonely-odyssey-of-julian-jaynes/https://www.julianjaynes.org/about/about-jaynes-theory/overview/https://www.youtube.com/watch?https://www.academia.edu/7100194/Julian_Jaynes_and_the_Promise_of_the_Other_Psychology_Cultural_Historical_Approaches_to_Psychehttps://youtu.be/ll12kPSi1Xc

The royal "you" feel high, that is. Many if not most people understand that THC is the primary chemical in cannabis respnosible for the effect of feeling "high." But what is happening in oury brain to produce this sensation? How does it work and why? We explore the history of this weird plant, the chemical process and neural mechanisms responsible for its effect, and a variety of other topics related to cannabis. Whether or not you partake, there is a lot of interesting information for everyone.

Recommendations

https://www.history.com/topics/crime/history-of-marijuana#:~:text=Marijuana%2C%20also%20known%20as%20cannabis,hemp%20for%20textiles%20and%20rope.Crocq M. A. (2020). History of cannabis and the endocannabinoid system�. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 22(3), 223–228. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2020.22.3/mcrocqhttps://www.news-medical.net/health/Cannabinoid-Receptors.aspx#:~:text=In%20the%20brain%2C%20the%20CB1,pain%20regulation%20and%20motor%20control.https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/how-does-marijuana-produce-its-effects#:~:text=Like%20most%20other%20drugs%20that,response%20to%20natural%20rewarding%20stimuli.https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/why-does-cannabis-make-you-feel-goodhttps://blog.cannabisclinics.ca/new-to-cannabis/why-does-cannabis-make-us-euphoric/https://interestingengineering.com/science/marijuana-makes-some-people-feel-euphoria-and-others-extreme-paranoiahttps://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-gateway-drughttps://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/marijuana-gateway-drug#the-gateway-theoryhttps://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/29/marijuana-name-cannabis-racismhttps://www.leafly.com/news/science-tech/why-does-cannabis-produce-thc

Fan fiction is whn fans take liberties with their favorite characters and put them in new situations or contexts, creating their own stories. It's a way to imagine an intellectual propery in your own strange way. Wouldn't it be great if Lost had a better ending? Sometimes the stories are romantic, sometimes they're action-packed, and sometimes they're just plain weird. And it's not just porn.

Recommendations

https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/learning/fanfiction-books#fifty-shades-of-grey-by-e-l-james-2https://theportalist.com/golden-age-of-science-fiction-bookshttps://medium.com/@ysgomez/from-the-fluff-to-the-angst-the-most-popular-fanfiction-genres-270379d2559#:~:text=the%20%E2%80%9CAngst%E2%80%9D.-,The%20most%20popular%20Fanfiction%20genres,them%20to%20classify%20the%20stories.https://thenovelsmithy.com/why-write-fanfiction/#:~:text=Most%20fan%20writers%20write%20fanfiction,existing%20characters%20in%20new%20situations.https://www.jstor.org/stable/27784341https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2304/elea.2006.3.2.170https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5250/storyworlds.3.2011.0001https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304422X14000825https://www.businessinsider.com/fifty-shades-of-grey-started-out-as-twilight-fan-fiction-2015-2

"Feral" is a fancy word for describing something that's wild, untamed, and unaccustomed to human contact - kinda like that one coworker who always brings a live snake to the office. Feral animals are like free-spirited rebels who don't follow the rules, while feral kids are like tiny cavemen who've somehow found their way into the 21st century. In short, if you see something feral, you might wanna give it some space - or at least a Snickers bar.

Recommendations

https://www.etymonline.com/word/feralhttps://www.treehugger.com/feral-animals-wreaking-environmental-havoc-4869042https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/invasive-species-can-sometimes-help-an-ecosystem/https://www.adoptananimalkits.com/advocate/companion-animals/params/post/1281181/feral-cats-are-an-important-part-of-the-environmenthttps://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/protect-water-and-land/land-and-water-stories/invasive-plant-species-invasive-species-education-1/https://allthatsinteresting.com/feral-children

Spartan culture was all about being tough and ready for battle. They trained hard, ate tough, and had no time for luxuries like haircuts or personal hygiene. They were so tough, they even made their children run away from home at a young age to fend for themselves. They were also known for their legendary battle cry "This is Sparta!" which they shouted while kicking people into wells. All in all, Spartan culture was pretty intense and not for the faint of heart. But hey, at least they had a good sense of humor about it. After all, laughter is the best medicine... unless you're in the middle of a battle. Then, a sharp spear is probably better.

Recommendations

https://www.britannica.com/place/Spartahttps://www.artofmanliness.com/character/military/the-spartan-way-the-mindset-and-tactics-of-a-battle-ready-warrior/https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome/sparta#:~:text=Spartan%20culture%20was%20centered%20on,emphasized%20duty%2C%20discipline%20and%20endurance.https://www.thecollector.com/role-spartan-women-ancient-greece/https://dailyhistory.org/What_Caused_the_Decline_of_Spartahttps://www.filmstories.co.uk/features/300-a-film-more-historically-accurate-than-its-given-credit-for/https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Thermopylae-Greek-history-480-BChttps://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/eugenics-program-in-ancient-sparta-and-the-unexpected-resultshttps://www.worldhistory.org/article/342/agoge-the-spartan-education-program/https://sites.psu.edu/thehopliteexperience/the-phalanx/

It has been suggested that consuming too much ultra-processed food can lead to a decrease in cognitive abilities, particularly in areas such as decision-making and impulse control. Some experts even say that these foods are like "brain junk food," filling your stomach but leaving your brain feeling unsatisfied. There are also critics who point to flaws in this argument including inconsistencies, arbitrariness, and the inherent priviledge afforded by that argument. Or, you could just blame it on the food and continue on with your habits.

Recommendation

https://ihu.unisinos.br/images/ihu/2022/12/jamaneurology_gomes_gonalves_2022_oi_220079_166915485121698.pdfhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/2A9776922A28F8F757BDA32C3266AC2A/S1368980017000234a.pdf/div-class-title-the-un-decade-of-nutrition-the-nova-food-classification-and-the-trouble-with-ultra-processing-div.pdfhttps://www.ift.org/news-and-publications/digital-exclusives/why-nova-misses-the-markhttps://www.google.com/search?q=nova+carlos+monteiro&oq=NOVA&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j0i67j46i67i433j46i67i613j0i67j69i60j69i61.1617j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:efff45ec,vid:wucc_Ra4wuo,st:1

This is not about authors. Authoritarians represent an oppressive governmental structure including "communism" and dictatorships. Although different in theory, they are similar in practice. We describe what authoritarianism is, how it works, why it works, and why a relatively substantial amount of people absolutely love it. And Abraham says "... and that sort of thing" a lot.

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WARNING: There is some discussion about suicide.
John Broadus Watson was a giant historical figure in the history of psychology and is often referred to as the father of behaviorism. He developed several hypothesis, experiments, and strategies that advanced the science of psychology. In many things, he was at least partially correct, but often politically or scientifically incorrect. We highlight the particulars of his life and level some of our own opinions of him. This is for all you history buffs.

Recommendations

https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-B-Watsonhttps://www.verywellmind.com/john-b-watson-biography-1878-1958-2795550https://isenbergmarketing.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/creating-the-coffee-break-marketing-and-the-manipulation-of-demand/https://kids.kiddle.co/John_B._Watsonhttps://headstuff.org/culture/history/terrible-people-from-history/john-b-watson-dark-psychologist/

This second conversation gets into the more widely discussed arguments about immigration. Countries that receive legal and illegal immigrants can profit from them. Countries that lose citizens may benefit from their people leaving, but they may also suffer. It's a complicated issue, but there's a fairly clear winner... if you want to be the winner.

Recommendations

Levitt, P., & Jaworsky, B. N. (2007). Transnational Migration Studies: Past Developments and Future Trends. In Annual Review of Sociology (Vol. 33, Issue 1, pp. 129–156). Annual Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.33.040406.131816https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2020/06/19/blog-weo-chapter4-migration-to-advanced-economies-can-raise-growthhttps://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/slideshows/10-countries-that-take-the-most-immigrants?slide=14https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/immigrants-contribute-greatly-to-us-economy-despite-administrationshttps://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/north-american-century/benefits-of-immigration-outweigh-costshttps://thesciencebehindit.org/how-does-immigration-affect-the-u-s-economy/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zftZI1M1S2Y&t=78shttps://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0809/3-ways-immigration-helps-and-hurts-the-economy.aspx#:~:text=Economically%2C%20those%20in%20favor%20of,%2Dborn%20low%2Dskilled%20workers.https://www.fwd.us/news/immigration-facts-the-positive-economic-impact-of-immigration/https://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR244.htmlhttps://www.aclu.org/other/immigrants-and-economyhttps://www.thebalancemoney.com/how-immigration-impacts-the-economy-4125413

Transnational immigration is a major talking point and vote-motivating topic among many people around the world. People migrate due to push and pullfactors, meaning motivation to go to a country or to leave a country. Doing this "legally" is a complicated, confusing, and arbitrary. In part 1, we mostly tackle the logistics of migrating. In part 2, we will tackle the implications for the departing and the receiving countries. Get ready to get political.

Recommendations

Levitt, P., & Jaworsky, B. N. (2007). Transnational Migration Studies: Past Developments and Future Trends. In Annual Review of Sociology (Vol. 33, Issue 1, pp. 129–156). Annual Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.33.040406.131816https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2020/06/19/blog-weo-chapter4-migration-to-advanced-economies-can-raise-growthhttps://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/slideshows/10-countries-that-take-the-most-immigrants?slide=14https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/immigrants-contribute-greatly-to-us-economy-despite-administrationshttps://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/north-american-century/benefits-of-immigration-outweigh-costshttps://thesciencebehindit.org/how-does-immigration-affect-the-u-s-economy/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zftZI1M1S2Y&t=78shttps://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0809/3-ways-immigration-helps-and-hurts-the-economy.aspx#:~:text=Economically%2C%20those%20in%20favor%20of,%2Dborn%20low%2Dskilled%20workers.https://www.fwd.us/news/immigration-facts-the-positive-economic-impact-of-immigration/https://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR244.htmlhttps://www.aclu.org/other/immigrants-and-economy

We celebrate 5 years as a podcast with some then and now reflections. We review some of the topics we have covered, entertainment we have enjoyed, science achievements, major events, scientists we have lost, and all of the people who have helped us along the way. Unfortunately, Abraham wasn't feeling well during recording and sounded a little inarticulate. A nice fun bow on the podcast for the year. See you in 2023!

Check out
dbasig.com

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What is steampunk? Why is steampunk? Who is steampunk? This is the future as imagined through the fashion and technology of victorian era zeitgeist, or Japanese, or cowboys, or any number of other takes on retro-futuristic cosplay and motifs. Also, it's national short story day, don't make your bed day, coquito day, ribbon candy day, flashlight day, look on the birght side day, and crossword puzzle day.

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