#rtbth

#rtbth records our first LIVE VIDEO PODCAST at Emory University!

The co-hosts, Tunde and Herschel - both alumni of Emory University - teamed up with The Emory Alumni Association - sponsored by the Emory Impact Circles and the Caucus of Emory Black Alumni - to record a live podcast on Emory's campus.

The co-hosts bring the usual conversational, informal and informed, and mildly spicy style of beyond the headlines real-talk.

The broad topic for this conversation was consumption in the black community. We cover dark patterns, parasocial relationships, Tunde's fraught relationship with "YN" rap, black people using psychedelics and more! And of course we start the podcast addressing the rollback of DEI at Emory U.

References

Education department threatens to cut public school funding over DEI practices

At Emory University, the disbanding of DEI contradicts the school's progressive reputation

Emory provides update on DEI offices and programs

Q&A: Sears addresses DEI, open expression in first interview with Wheel - The Emory Wheel

Law and Policy Efforts to Dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | AJPH | Vol. 115 Issue 7

Parasocial relationships, social media, & well-being - ScienceDirect

AI chatbots are sycophants — researchers say it’s harming science

AI sycophancy isn't just a quirk, experts consider it a 'dark pattern' to turn users into profit | TechCrunch

Chapter 19: The AI-empowered dark patterns in: Handbook of Service Experience

Dark Patterns | Business & Information Systems Engineering

The Numbers Don't Lie: Why Is Rap Falling Off the Charts? - YouTube

People Are OVER Rap Music… and We All Know Why - YouTube

A guilty pleasure: The legal, social scientific and feminist verdict against rap - Ummni Khan, 2022

The complicated, tragic end to Tay-K’s race | The FADER

Rapper Tay-K convicted of murder for second time in Texas

Frontiers | The Need for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Black Community and the Burdens of Its Provision

A systematic review of participant diversity in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy trials - ScienceDirect

Psychedelics and Racial Justice | International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction

Perceptions of psychedelic-assisted therapy among Black Americans

Tunde and Herschel discuss how AI is glazing you and all of society into oblivion.

References

I love ZOTERO. : r/GradSchool

Information literacy and chatbots as search • Buttondown

GPT-5: HasAI Hit Plateau? | Mirage News

America’s Unhealthy Relationship with Antidepressants - Mad In America

Explained: The full saga of Kendra Hilty falling for her psychiatrist

'Zola' Review: A Twitter Thread Turns Into A Fever Dream On Film : NPR

"I fell in love with my psychiatrist" - but did he do anything unethical?

2025 Top-100 Gen AI Use Case Report *UPDATED*

Why It's Okay to Love Your Therapist - LindsayBraman.com

Algorithms in Social Media Platforms

AI investment led to zero returns for 95% of companies in MIT study

China Is Quickly Eroding America’s Lead in the Global AI Race - WSJ

AI used to make video of deceased victim deliver impact statement in court : NPR

Jim Acosta interviews ‘made-up’ AI avatar of Parkland victim Joaquin Oliver |Parkland, Florida school shooting | The Guardian

ETHEREAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Ukraine Turns Frontlines Into Testbed for Foreign Military Tech, Draws 45 Potential Collaborators

Did Albert Einstein Say World War IV Will be Fought 'With Sticks and Stones'? |Snopes.com

Trump opens door to sales of version of Nvidia's next-gen AI chips in China | Reuters

The Myth of AGI | TechPolicy.Press

What if A.I. Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This? | The New Yorker

Weizenbaum’s nightmares: how the inventor of the first chatbot turned against AI |Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian

With $93M Raised, Slingshot Debuts AI-Powered Therapy Service - Behavioral HealthBusiness

Illinois bans AI therapy tools from making mental health decisions - Axios Chicago

Prompt for Harry your ChatGPT Therapist : r/ChatGPT_Prompts

Nevada Passes Law Limiting AI Use for Mental and Behavioral Healthcare | WilsonSonsini

The Mismatch between Mental Health Care Access and Demand | U.S. GAO

Data & Society — What Happens When People Turn to Chatbots for Therapy?

Trust in the therapeutic relationship: Psychodynamic contributions to counsellingpsychology practice | BPS - British Psychological Society

Corrective Emotional Experience: A Pathway to Emotional Healing - Chicago PsychoanalyticInstitute

OpenAI’s GPT-5 Launch Causes Backlash Due to Colder Responses - The New York Times

What is AGI? - Artificial General Intelligence Explained - AWS

The AI Doomers Are Getting Doomier - The Atlantic

Scarlett Johansson’s OpenAI clash is just the start of legal wrangles over artificial intelligence | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian

FACSIMILE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

The Great Language Flattening - The Atlantic

TRIANGULATE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Inside Microsoft’s AGI Clause Fight With OpenAI

20 Years On From ‘Minority Report’, Are We Living In Spielberg’s Vision Of A Retail Future?

AI sycophancy: The dangers of overly agreeable AI

Chatbots Can Go Into a Delusional Spiral. Here’s How It Happens. - The New York Times

‘I Feel Like I’m Going Crazy’: ChatGPT Fuels Delusional Spirals - WSJ

Meta is bringing the voices of Judi Dench, John Cena and Keegan-Michael Key to AI chatbot | CNN Business

A flirty Meta AI bot invited a retiree to meet. He never made it home.

AI Companion Nomi Promises 'Enduring Relationships,' But Incites Self-Harm, Other Horrific Acts

Grok companions include flirty anime 'waifu,' anti-religion panda

Have I Been Pwned? - Wikipedia

The UK Shows How Not To Do Online Age Verification | Opinion - Newsweek

AI Is A Money Trap

How AI Conquered the US Economy: A Visual FAQ

Nvidia Is 8% Of The S&P 500 Index - History Shows Beast Mode May End (NASDAQ:NVDA)| Seeking Alpha

S&P 500’s impressive first half dominated by the ‘Magnificent Seven’

Empire of AI by Karen Hao: 9780593657508 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

Part 2 of our podcast featuring JSwill, #rtbth west coast correspondent.

JSwill tells us how and why the lakers always get the big star - this time that star being Luka Legend. And why the Clippers should probably just move to Seattle or Las Vegas. We also talk about the single stain on Lebron's perfect NBA record.

References

IsKendrick is the King of Hip Hop? 👑 : r/KendrickLamar

LukaDončić–Anthony Davis trade - Wikipedia

Nico& Dumont: a case study in leadership failure : r/Mavericks

Fifthconsecutive All-NBA nod shows Luka Doncic is in rarefied air - Mavs Moneyball

Ownersbalking at big contracts? Five players who will still get PAID this summer -Yahoo Sports

Here'swhy LeBron James, not Michael Jordan, is the GOAT | Salon.com

LettingGo of Your Torschlusspanik | by Broaden & Build | Medium

Exploringthe Historic Rivalry Between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers

GalaxyBrain | Know Your Meme

Shaqsays Ben Simmons needs to be ‘f–king arrested’ in wild evisceration of modernNBA - Yahoo Sports

IntuitDome is state-of-the-art. It now boasts something even rarer: last-call foralcohol at 4 a.m. | LAist

LeBronJames and the Limits of Nepotism - The Atlantic

AaronDonald explains decision to retire, reflects on career

Part 1 of our podcast featuring JSwill, #rtbth west coast correspondent.

Tunde gives JSwill the moniker of music genius.

JSwill, an Angeleno, tells us about his experience living in LA during the LA wildfires.

And Tunde crowns Kendrick Lamar the GOAT of hip-hop after he achieved Supernova Starpower.

Btw, check out JSwill's HUMAN curated playlists on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jswill3/playlists?view=1&sort=dd&shelf_id=5

References

Do youhave a YouTube Music library?

Instagram

LAMayor Karen Bass' excuse for being in Ghana during fires

L.A.Fire Department Budgets: What Happened?

KendrickLamar's 'DAMN.' Wins Historic Pulitzer Prize In Music : The Record : NPR

ArtistsWith Most No. 1 Albums on Billboard 200 Chart - Business Insider

Swimming Pools(drank) by Kendrick Lamar - Music Charts

KendrickLamar’s Super Bowl show reveals his true star power – Luminate Insights -Expression Africa

GNX – KENDRICKLAMAR | Official Charts

KendrickLamar's 'Not Like Us' Hits One Billion Spotify Streams

MarketingLessons From Kendrick Lamar’s Monumental Year

HowHot Is A Supernova? - Physics Frontier - YouTube

Section.80(studio album) by Kendrick Lamar : Best Ever Albums

Popmusic - Wikipedia

DrakeIs Pop

TheUltimate Guide for Hip-Hop Concept Albums

Namea Travis Scott lyric that doesn’t make any fucking sense : r/travisscott

TravisScott’s ‘Utopia’ Lyrics Explained

J.Cole'sBasketball Career Fits Perfectly Into His Personal Mythology

So Who Won theDrake vs. Pusha-T Beef?

KendrickLamar ‘Not Like Us’ Named Third-Best Song Of The Decade | HipHopDX

Drake'sLegal Action Against UMG: Experts Weigh In

Drakevs. UMG: The Legal Battle Behind the Rap Feud 

Drake's$400M Universal Deal Was Reportedly 'One Of The Biggest Deals In Music History'

KendrickLamar's 'GNX' Is the First Rap Album to Hit Major 2025 Milestone

DaveFree Reveals Meaning of pgLang | Hypebeast

Alex Gibney onX: "Recently, I have become dismayed at how Spotify slowly but surely usesits algorithms to steer my choices until I am just listening to the same songsover and over. On a bike ride, I went back to shuffle for the songs on the harddrive of my ipod. Rediscovered some good stuff." / X

TheDeath of Personalization: How Music Streaming Algorithms Are Turning Us IntoPassive Listeners

Hasstreaming made it harder to discover new music? | Music streaming | TheGuardian

Spotify is full ofAI music, and it's ruining the platform - Fast Company

SpotifyIs Filling Up With AI-Generated Music to Scam Revenue From Real Bands

Drakediss track fuels a legal standoff over AI use | Coast Law Group

Grip(album) - Wikipedia

No intro music!!

2025 has launched into a frenzy, starting off with a terrorist attack on the first in New Orleans, a surprise (officially) lawsuit from Drake the rapper suing Universal Music Group (and by proxy his archnemesis Kendrick Lamar), and then accelerating into the never-before-seen territory of government by Elon Trump after the Trump inauguration.

And then Herschel got a completely unhinged email entitled "Fork in the Road."

While we don't want to sound hyperbolic, January 2025 felt like a major inflection point along the trajectory of our nation - and our nation's collective (in)sanity.

We had to do an emergency podcast to talk it out.

#rtbth

Show References

• 
  https://www.xxlmag.com/drake-taunted-kendrick-lamar-not-like-us-grammy-sweep/

• https://www.complex.com/sports/a/backwoodsaltar/jason-whitlock-joy-taylor-lawsuit-peanut-butter
  

• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/us/reagan-airport-flights-congress.html?unlocked_article_code=1.u04.9zJ0.BdzHzVcAOoh5&smid=url-share
  
• https://www.citationneeded.news/issue-75/
  

• https://www.boston.com/community/readers-say/2025/01/27/earthquake-experiences/
  

• https://wapo.st/3Q1PWpJ
  

• https://www.opm.gov/fork
  

• https://www.axios.com/2025/01/30/elon-musk-government-takeover-federal-workers
  

• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/opinion/nvidia-deepseek-ai-valuation-ouroboros.html?unlocked_article_code=1.u04.uupn.M6scifxbV8ME&smid=url-share
  

• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/us/politics/musk-federal-government.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vE4.ClEt.Ci_S1nwmfdFB&smid=url-share
  

• https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/trump-musk-doge-engineers/681580/?gift=Jk8OVFznkwVV8TutfsyrUZqwHF_dzVVl3aXYVe9_DNY&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
  

• https://www.npr.org/2025/01/28/nx-s1-5277029/trump-memo-halt-funding
  

• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/05/rfk-jr-hearing-black-people-immune-systems
  

• https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/12/trofim-lysenko-soviet-union-russia/548786/
  

• https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315708652-18/neurohype-scott-lilienfeld-elizabeth-aslinger-julia-marshall-sally-satel
  

• https://x.com/billmaher/status/1885543037557694765
  

• https://www.econtalk.org/what-modern-medicine-gets-wrong-with-marty-makary/
  

• https://www.science.org/content/article/mixed-reactions-greet-trump-s-pick-longtime-fda-critic-head-agency
  
• https://stanfordreview.org/why-i-believe-dr-jay-bhattacharya-will-make-a-phenomenal-nih-director-a-students-perspective/
  

• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/24/opinion/alzheimers-fraud-cure.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vE4.JQVA.Uj6f7k_kBpuc&smid=url-share
  

• https://www.science.org/content/article/damning-fda-inspection-report-undermines-positive-trial-results-possible-alzheimer-s
  

• https://wapo.st/4hoRaHy
  

• https://archive.is/4kIp5
  

• https://wapo.st/40GAhRq
  

• https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/05/12/cnn-ted-turner-lisa-napoli
  

• https://news.bloomberglaw.com/employee-benefits/musk-defends-500-million-twitter-severance-suit-win-on-appeal
  

• https://newrepublic.com/post/185832/donald-trump-roasted-concepts-plan
  

• https://www.axios.com/2024/07/31/trump-nabj-interview-black-jobs-rhetoric
  

• https://www.persuasion.community/p/dei-must-change
  

• https://wapo.st/4jQSnJy
  

• https://youtu.be/AkmkMPIW0MM?si=gM1e5YEuA1ylRsvi
  

• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/magazine/anna-lembke-interview.html?unlocked_article_code=1.vE4.ElCL.fsdM1n_mrrpl&smid=url-share
  

Tunde and friend of the podcast atl_p continue the conversation from the previous podcast and discuss Softwave technology (with a brief detour into psychedelics). P discusses his history of knee injuries and pain and how Softwave has helped him recover. P's story of going from "peg leg" to feeling like his leg is "coming back online" is rather fascinating. Check us out!

*sidenote* - Despite Tunde's implicit hope for ballot 4 to pass in MA in the most recent election, it in factdid not pass 😿.

Show References

https://youtu.be/C6loNMqxj7A?si=v7Ffaso6XGaLmFSo

https://exploregeorgia.org/snellville/outdoors-nature/trails-tours/tw-briscoe-park

https://youtu.be/p5LhjGpGeUo?si=qrdH_HZ3-ensZHJc

https://softwavetrt.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/FAQ-FINAL-PRINTER.pdf

https://youtu.be/YEkDcfqpgeU?si=7hG5hUK6ORCy3xIR

https://softwavetrt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Cardiac-Study-Holfeld-Schaden.pdf

https://www.instagram.com/softwaveinmotion/

https://talkingjointsmemo.com/the-unspeakable-but-predictable-failure-of-the-massachusetts-psychedelics-ballot-initiative/

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1232459/full

https://www.heffter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/chap3.pdf

https://datasociety.net/library/doing-the-work/

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/07/ftc-gives-final-approval-order-banning-betterhelp-sharing-sensitive-health-data-advertising

Friend of the podcast and Atlanta sports expert atl_p returns to the podcast to discuss the start of the NBA season on the league's opening night.

Topics range from the very stacked western conference, to the charade that is Bronny James getting drafted by the Lakers, and a full breakdown of the ATL Hawks season prospects with the addition of the #1 overall draft pick.

The discussants also take a detour into the Palestine/Israel conflict, and atl_p shares some very sharp insights.

(*correction: Bronny James was drafted 55th overall.)

This is the first of a two-part podcast featuring atl_p. The next episode covers Softwave therapy and how its helped P rehabilitate his knee. (A little psychedelics talk sprinkled in as well.)

#rtbth #youhearditherefirst #raybansthcblessingstherapyhottakes

Show References

https://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2014/05/01/when-children-swear-lindsay-goodwin

https://www.parent.com/blogs/conversations/2016-why-you-should-let-your-kids-swear

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bill+Belicheat#:~:text=Bill%20Belicheat%20mug.-,Bill%20Belicheat,-Bill%20Belicheat%20is

https://www.fastcustomshirts.com/belicheat-t-shirt/

https://www.npr.org/2024/10/23/nx-s1-5162116/lebron-bronny-james-lakers-father-son

https://www.nba.com/playoffs/2023/bracket

https://nypost.com/2021/11/29/lebron-james-is-the-king-of-hypocrisy-when-it-comes-to-china/

https://kareem.substack.com/p/my-thoughts-on-israel-hamas-and-a

https://inthesetimes.com/article/ta-nehisi-coates-israel-liberalism-gaza-the-messenger

https://youtu.be/uHqs15gOv4k?si=q48fJ8STFJskrJZc

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/26/world/middleeast/the-meaning-of-the-first-icj-ruling-in-the-genocide-case-against-israel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.WE4.9r-l.xkexMHj8SKin&smid=url-share

https://www.nba.com/news/2024-nba-draft-lakers-select-bronny-james

https://talksport.com/basketball/2162611/bronny-james-contract-lebron-money-nba-deal/

https://gleague.nba.com/news/cavalier-sign-luke-travers-to-two-way-contract

https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/22862062/warriors-nba-two-way-contracts-explained-faq

https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/LAL.html

https://www.nba.com/playoffs/2024/bracket

https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/MIN.html

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/contracts

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nbas-biggest-contracts-jayson-tatum-overtakes-jaylen-brown-for-largest-deal-in-league-history/

https://nypost.com/2024/09/30/sports/a-j-griffin-reveals-reason-for-shock-nba-retirement-at-21-years-old/

https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/htux78/do_you_guys_think_its_possible_for_georgia_state/

https://atlanta.eater.com/maps/best-sandwiches-atlanta#:~:text=Visit%20Website-,How%20Crispy%20Express,-It%E2%80%99s%20all%20about

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1g8sfor/clark_dejounte_murray_in_atlanta_i_was_in_the/

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10126281-hawks-zaccharie-risacher-compares-himself-to-warriors-klay-thompson-after-nba-draft

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/28/opinion/private-equity.html

The #rtbth co-hosts continue the conversation from Doc Talk, i.e., Doc Talk part 2.

The focus on this one is the drug overdose crisis/the fentanyl crisis.

It turns out that both Tunde and Herschel had some exposure to this significant national problem during graduate school. Herschel studying the epidemiology of opioid drug overdoses, and Tunde working in a clinic treating substance use problems.

The co-hosts discuss what they learned and perspectives.

Show Links

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3IDsiOQ9Xuf2n7RWey3GOF?si=a4nAcDtYTByRIMmi0l8bww
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https://www.oregon.gov/adpc/pages/opiate-opioid.aspx
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https://www.naco.org/resource/osc-mat
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https://www.gpb.org/news/2024/08/08/sept-29-moving-day-for-egleston-patients-heading-childrens-arthur-m-blank-hospital
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https://pestakeholder.org/reports/the-pillaging-of-steward-health-care/
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https://youtu.be/Uf9tMOBGXXY?si=hYag_1gJvjlMcczP
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https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9174558/
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https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11816814/
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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/13/books/review/empire-of-pain-sackler-dynasty-patrick-radden-keefe.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Jk4.FzLL.FSx6i05FiowT&smid=url-share
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https://ldi.upenn.edu/our-work/research-updates/the-origins-of-the-opioid-epidemic/#:~:text=In%20the%20context%20of%20the,in%20the%20last%2020%20years.
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https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7897102/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/19/purdue-pharma-oxycontin-justice-department-memo-opioid
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https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/16/health/16oxy.html
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https://www.dw.com/en/us-war-on-drugs-campaign-a-clear-failure-un/a-69461564
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https://www.samhsa.gov/data/data-we-collect/nsduh-national-survey-drug-use-and-health
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https://ucsd.libguides.com/census/acs
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Most_Published_Research_Findings_Are_False
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5846593/
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https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/dunning-kruger-effect
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https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/skulduggery
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https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/365820/mdma-therapy-lykos-therapeutics-maps-psychedelics-ecstasy

#rtbth is back after a little bit of a hiatus due to....well...doctoral responsibilities 😩

And that is what Tunde and Herschel are discussing on the this episode.

Tunde and Herschel recently completed their PhDs and reflect on the doctoral journey on the podcast. The trials and tribulations of graduate school, the oppressiveness of academia, the hedonic treadmill and other topics are discussed.

(Listen to the end for a snippet about H5's first flight and cruise.)

(Feel free hit up H4 for stats consulting - [email protected].)

Show References

https://graduateeducation.sites.northeastern.edu/2024/04/26/northeastern-university-celebrates-new-inductees-into-prestigious-lux-veritas-virtus-society/

https://www.socialexplorer.com/blog/post/is-there-a-doctor-around-in-some-counties-there-most-likely-is-a-phd-that-is-12729

https://www.osti.gov/opennet/manhattan-project-history/Places/LosAlamos/la-lab.html

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2013/12/11/how-academia-resembles-a-drug-gang/

https://jdhaltigan.substack.com/p/why-i-quit-the-phd-route-before-i

https://www.wired.com/story/nuclear-tests-have-changed-but-they-never-really-stopped/

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2024/01/24/unprecedented-disaster-averted-63-years-ago

https://www.scu.edu/government-ethics/resources/what-is-government-ethics/favoritism-cronyism-and-nepotism/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7366338/

https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/career-map/sell-side/capital-markets/hedonic-treadmill/

#rtbth talks fatherhood

Show Links