This is a re-run (nostalgia) of our fun-spirited discussion about how to ruin your sleep. We play the entire episode, plus some added research from the last five years. Have you taken on the challenge to never sleep again? (Please don't)

Recommendations

• Abraham: Famous by Blake Crouch (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790216/famous-by-blake-crouch/)  
• Shane: Bugonia ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12300742/)

Holidays (11 March 2026):

• 311 Day
• Debunking Day
• Dream Day
• Johnny Appleseed Day
• National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day
• National Immune System Day
• National No-Code Day
• National Sofrito Day
• Oatmeal Nut Waffles Day
• Wash Your Nose Day
• World Day of Muslim Culture, Peace, Dialogue, and Film
• World Plumbing Day
• Girl Scout Week
• National Aardvark Week
• National Bubble Gum Week

Links and References: 

1. https://en.hdbuzz.net/better-sleep-better-function-new-study-links-sleep-quality-to-clinical-outcomes-in-huntingtons-disease/
2. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250905-how-your-microbiome-affects-your-sleep
3. https://news.asu.edu/20260227-health-and-medicine-study-uncovers-another-reason-not-skimp-sleep
4. https://news.asu.edu/20260227-health-and-medicine-study-uncovers-another-reason-not-skimp-sleep
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945725005441 
6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6033330/#:~:text=Epidemiologic%20research%20has%20shown%20that,is%20related%20to%20sleep%20disorders 

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This is our 100th mini! So, we spend the mini talking about the number 100! Things that humans, make, some facts about non-human animals... and human animals. A random smorgasbord of things about 100. Enjoy!

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Links and References: 

1. https://lionel-kesztenbaum.site.ined.fr/en/everything_about_population/demographic-facts-sheets/focus-on/the-inexorable-rise-of-centenarians-and-supercentenarians#:~:text=Until%20the%20mid%2D20th%20century,in%202070%20(Blanpain%202023).
2. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2022/why-do-people-live-to-100-and-how/#:~:text=Takeaways,to%20much%20later%20in%20life.
3. https://www.nathab.com/blog/animals-that-live-to-100 
4. https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2021/12/29/7-longest-living-ocean-animals/ 
5. https://www.threads.com/@podcastingbusinessschool/post/DTquU6vDgF7/only-of-podcasters-make-it-to-episodes-this-is-unfortunate-because-your-first 
6. https://www.theigc.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/Yeo%20Thompson%20et%20al.%20Working%20Paper%20September%202024_0.pdf 
7. https://qz.com/994937/on-average-it-now-takes-at-least-four-different-writers-to-craft-a-hit-pop-song 
8. https://www.billboard.com/lists/every-artist-with-100-hot-100-chart-hits-drake-taylor-swift/ 
9. https://blogs.baylor.edu/soe/2019/08/08/fun-facts-about-the-number-100-08-08-2019/ 

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Why We Do What We Do goes back to the movies! Last week, we reviewed Disney + Pixar's Inside Out, so we are taking on the sequel. In many ways, this film exceeds its predacessor in the way it portrays psychological functions, and in some ways it detracts. Either way, it is a fantastic film. We once again critique some of the portrayals of psychological processes and also praise the beautifully constructed metaphors. Let us know what you thought about the movies or our reactions to the movies.

Recommendations

• Abraham: Wingspan: Americas Expansion (https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/wingspan-americas-expansion/)
• Shane: The Help (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454029/)

Holidays (3/4/2026):

• Brain Injury Awareness Day
• Courageous Follower Day
• Discover What Your Name Means Day
• Equal Pay Day
• Global Day of the Engineer
• March Forth Do Something Day
• National Dance the Waltz Day
• National Grammar Day
• National Pound Cake Day
• National Snack Day
• Old Inauguration Day
• World Obesity Day
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Week
• Endometriosis Week
• National Cheerleading Week
• National Dental Assistants Recognition Week
• National Ghostwriters Week

Links and References: 

1. https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-ec9f9fa3-fbae-4a25-b722-12c3b8ab0ef4
2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/making-the-whole-beautiful/202406/insights-on-inside-out-2 
3. https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/psychiatry-psychotherapy-podcast/episode-225-inside-out-2-adolescent-emotions-psychology-analysis 

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Humans love to play. Some of us are willing to be more immersed in that play than others. Those who live for the immersion will often dress up for their character and stage elaborate scenarios with other players. They call this Live Action Role Playing, or LARPing. We discuss a brief history, what it is, and why people do it. Tell us your LARP stories!

Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Links and References: 

1. https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Larping
2. https://www.goerie.com/story/entertainment/arts/2022/06/02/larping-community-erie-fantasy-live-action-role-playing-game-escapism-players-society-creative-sca/65354683007/

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Why We Do What We Do goes to the movies! A couple of movies have directly taken on representing the inner world of our behavior, and we finally decided that we'd weigh in on these movies. So, we summarize the film and describe what they get wrong and what they get right. Join us in a fun trip to the movies. Let us know what you think about our commentary on the film.

Recommendations

• Abraham: Greatfull Gardens (https://www.greatfullgardens.com/)
• Shane: JD Salinger - Nine Stories (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4009.Nine_Stories)

Holidays (2/25/2026):

• Inconvenience Yourself Day
• Let’s All Eat Right Day
• National Chocolate Covered Nuts Day
• National Pistol Patent Day
• Pink Shirt Day
• Quiet Day
• Rubber Ducky Day
• American Council on Education
• Bird Health Awareness Week
• National Chip Week (UK)
• National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
• National Invasive Species Awareness Week

Links and References: 

1. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2096673/
2. https://www.traitify.com/blog/the-psychology-of-inside-out
3. https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/news/psychologists-talk-about-science-emotions-inside-out
4. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-colors-of-contemporary-psychiatry/202403/pixars-inside-out-and-plutchiks-theory-of

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Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot! This 5-second two-player game to settle disputes began in ancient China and quickly spread throughout the world. Some research has also attempted to use game theory to understand decisions in this game and were surprised by the results, but we weren't! You'll see why. 

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Links and References: 

1. https://www.annarahmanan.com/the-history-of-rock-paper-scissors-game
2. https://www.playworks.org/game-library/ro-sham-bo-or-rock-paper-scissors/
3. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00107514.2015.1026556

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Not to be confused with Neutron Imaging, which is also sometimes called N Rays, N-Rays were a scientific discovery at the turn of the 1900s that promised a bright future for humanity... except that that didn't really exist. In the flurry of ground-breaking discoveries around radiation, N-Rays emerged as the elusive new-kid-on-the-block that could only be seen out of the corner of your eye in an extremely dark room. Red flag. But, science quickly correct course as science does and this phenomeon died out. It stands as a cautionary tale about human bias and a triumphant demonstration of the self-correcting nature of science. 

Recommendations

• Abraham: The ‘Burbs (season 1; https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/the-burbs)
• Shane: Converge - Love Is Not Enough  (https://www.epitaph.com/news/article/converge-release-long-awaited-new-lp-love-is-not-enough)

Holidays (2/18/2026):

• Cow Milked While Flying in an Airplane Day
• Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day
• Drink Wine Day
• Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
• National Battery Day
• National Hate Florida Day
• Pluto Day
• Thumb Appreciation Day
• Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Staff Education Week
• Build a Better Trade Show Image Week
• Love Teaching Week
• National Condom Week
• National Date Week (Fruit)
• National Green Week
• National Pancake Week
• Ramadan

Links and References: 

1. https://www.aps.org/archives/publications/apsnews/200708/history.cfm
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N-ray
3. https://www.aps.org/apsnews/2007/08/robert-wood-debunks-nrays 
4. https://www.phoenixneutronimaging.com/insights-and-updates/n-rays-vs-n-rays-will-the-real-n-ray-please-stand-up
5. https://www.wired.com/2014/09/fantastically-wrong-n-rays/ 
6. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/what-is-radiation#:~:text=Radiation%20is%20energy%20that%20can%20be%20described,and%20science**%20Nuclear%20techniques%20and%20materials%20production 

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Shining red lights on our bodies is all the rage in the "wellness" space. Red lights are purported to do a hole host of incredible things, which raised our skeptical hackles. We discuss what red lights are, what they do, and where we think this trend is going. 

Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Links and References: 

1. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/red-flags-for-red-light-therapy/
2. https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2025/02/red-light-therapy-skin-hair-medical-clinics.html
3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13643-025-02902-3

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In a departure from our standard episode format, Abraham will profile three people and see if Shane can guess who they are. You can play along! Send us in your guesses by emailing us or post them to us on social media. 

Recommendations

• Abraham: The Naked Gun (2025) https://www.paramountplus.com/movies/video/61gdvpY7mURqcXbL67yYKiiQzEuRQZwW/ 
• Shane: Pet Semetary by Stephen King (https://stephenking.com/works/novel/pet-sematary.html)

Holidays (2/11/2026):

• Be Electrific Day
• Daytona Pole Day
• Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day
• Get Out Your Guitar Day
• Grandmother Achievement Day
• International Day of Women & Girls in Science
• Make a Friend’s Day
• National Inventor’s Day
• National Make a Friend Day
• National Shut-In Visitation Day
• Peppermint Patty Day
• Promise Day
• White T-Shirt Day
• World Day of the Sick
• Celebration of Love Week

Links and References: 

1. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-complex-legacy-of-saddam-hussein 
2. https://youtu.be/aD7-VRqR_d0?si=5umLrI1o5b0-kcTN
3. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/saddam-hussein-rise-and-fall-of-a-strongman-idUSL30809867/ 
4. https://www.aei.org/articles/kim-jong-il-road-to-ruin/
5. https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/keeping-kim-how-north-koreas-regime-stays-power
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Dj8G72pUgc 
7. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/how-did-adolf-hitler-happen
8. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-nazi-rise-to-power
9. https://www.annefrank.org/en/anne-frank/go-in-depth/germany-1933-democracy-dictatorship/
10. https://www.history.com/articles/adolf-hitler 

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Do cat's only meow at humans? What does their meowing mean? We once again spend a mini reviewing the interesting feline behavior of meowing. Yes, they mostly only meow at humans. No, humans aren't great an interpreting their meows. But, we'll explain in more detail in the episode. Are you good at understanding your cat?

Get ad free episodes and support the show: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast.com

Links and References: 

1. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/12/2390
2. https://www.hartz.com/truth-or-myth-cats-only-meow-to-humans/
3. https://mrfrs.org/ask-a-vet-with-dr-sam-cats-only-meow-at-humans/
4. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/meowing-and-yowling

https://bioacoustics.stackexchange.com/questions/997/is-it-true-that-cats-dont-really-meow-at-each-other-but-rather-at-humans-as-a

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