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

• Abraham: Five Nights at Freddy’s (https://www.fivenightsatfreddys.movie/) 
• Shane: Chamblin Bookmine (https://www.chamblinbookmine.com/)

Links and References: 

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

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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

• Abraham: Apiary (https://stonemaiergames.com/games/apiary/)
• Shane: Pacific Rim (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663662/)

Links and References: 

1. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/human-ancestors-nearly-went-extinct-900-000-years-ago/
2. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abq7487
3. https://www.history.com/news/prehistoric-ancestors-population-decline
4. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/how-long-humans-survive-zombie-apocalypse-scientists-a7513941.html
5. https://nypost.com/2017/01/05/no-one-would-actually-survive-a-zombie-apocalypse/
6. https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/five-apocalypses-humanity-has-survived
7. https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/22514/1/2308Ramadams.pdf
8. https://emergency.cdc.gov/cerc/ppt/CERC_Psychology_of_a_Crisis.pdf

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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

• Abraham? Project Ironside (https://ironsidegametable.com/)
• Shane: Electric Shark Tattoo (https://electricsharktattoo.com/)

Links and References

1. Arcangeli, M. Aphantasia demystified. Synthese 201, 31 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-022-04027-9
2. https://aphantasia.com/article/science/visualisers-fallacy/
3. 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

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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

• Abraham: The Fox Experiment (https://pandasaurusgames.com/products/the-fox-experiment)
• Shane: Black House by Stephen King and Peter Straub (https://stephenking.com/works/novel/black-house.html)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Links:

1. 1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/mind-body-problem#:~:text=The%20mind%2Dbody%20problem%20is,of%20physical%20phenomena%20or%20not.
   2. 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%20way
   3. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2254848
   4. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9780470514412.ch1
   5. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-46742-4_13
   6. https://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

• Abraham: The Big Sick (https://www.primevideo.com/detail/The-Big-Sick/0NYI65XXK4H2JU4KN108U2NACU)
• Shane: Uno: Show ‘Em No Mercy (https://shop.mattel.com/products/uno-show-em-no-mercy-hwv18)

References:

1. 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.
2. https://behavioralobservations.com/how-to-disseminate-behavior-analytic-technologies-inside-jaba-18-with-dorothea-lerman
3. Lindsley, 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

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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

• Abraham: The Green Knight (https://a24films.com/films/the-green-knight)
• Shane: Megacon 2024

Links and References:

1. https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,856950,00.html?ref=journeymatters.ai
2. https://journeymatters.ai/7-generations/
3. https://www.iberdrola.com/talent/generation-x-y-z
4. https://www.waldenu.edu/online-masters-programs/ms-in-human-resource-management/what-are-the-best-work-traits-of-each-generation
5. http://www.wmfc.org/uploads/generationaldifferenceschart.pdf
6. https://genhq.com/the-generations-hub/generational-faqs/
7. https://imagine.jhu.edu/blog/2022/11/17/the-changing-generational-values/
8. https://web.archive.org/web/20190328230347/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19690752/daily_press/
9. https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/generation-myth-why-when-you-are-born-matters-less-than-you-think-bobby-duffy/
10. 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/
11. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2015/09/03/the-whys-and-hows-of-generations-research/

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

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

• Abraham: Self Reliance (https://www.hulu.com/movie/self-reliance-b530df17-e123-4174-8d4d-75e6f422468f)
• Shane: Archers of Loaf - Seconds Before the Accident (https://www.discogs.com/release/1364075-Archers-Of-Loaf-Seconds-Before-The-Accident)

Links and References:

1. https://ndss.org/about
2. https://dsfamilynetwork.org/
3. https://dsnetworkaz.org/
4. https://www.dsnnn.org/
5. https://www.dsdiagnosisnetwork.org/
6. https://youtu.be/NPmU0JS5PqY?si=FyiNaGjvyUbKZ9PJ
7. https://www.champaigndsn.org/
8. 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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

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

• Abraham: Project Hail Mary (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611060/project-hail-mary-by-andy-weir/)
• Shane: Ghostbusters: The Video Game (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostbusters:_The_Video_Game)

Links:

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

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

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

• Abraham: The Flash (https://www.dc.com/theflash)
• Shane: Bear vs. Shark - Right Now, You’re in the Best of Hands. And If Something Isn’t Quite Right, Your Doctor Will Know in a Hurry (https://open.spotify.com/album/0pGIIPdSojJ3t4yCIQWM78?si=2rpS3HPuSn2BQfe8dEnTyA)

Links and References

1. 1. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/860682#:~:text=The%20significance%20of%20Spielrein's%20'destruction,biological%20drives%3B%20that%20of%20self%2D
   2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1465-5922.1994.00155.x
   3. https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095704767
   4. https://dictionary.apa.org/nirvana-principle
   5. https://exploringyourmind.com/freud-and-the-nirvana-principle/
   6. https://www.britannica.com/science/thanatos-psychology
   7. https://study.com/learn/lesson/freud-death-drive-thanatos.html
   8. https://www.verywellmind.com/life-and-death-instincts-2795847
   9. https://www.proquest.com/openview/8a178ef37297d93689a2480053ca4659/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1818729
   10. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1516/6H94-P06N-8QEN-829B
   11. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s11231-022-09356-9
   12. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00207578.2020.1815541
   13. https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/spielrein-sabina#:~:text=Sabina%20Spielrein%20was%20born%20in,had%20an%20affair%20with%20Jung.
   14. https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/thanatos/#:~:text=In%20Roman%20mythology%2C%20Thanatos%20was,that%20he%20had%20no%20father.
   15. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/books/g33625689/best-books-black-authors/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=arb_ga_cos_md_pmx_us_urlx_18419138764&gclid=CjwKCAiAqY6tBhAtEiwAHeRopXnD4y2DzPa8FwR32r0JtvqWkMqhpVP2-YHNDnfkON3e8EoRYMmYFxoCW1kQAvD_BwE

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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

• Abraham: Arborea (https://www.alleycatgames.com/arborea)
• Shane: The Silence of the Lambs (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102926/)

Links and References:

1. 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.573
2. Reed, 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/BF03391780
3. Skinner B. F. (1976). Farewell, My LOVELY!. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 25(2), 218. https://doi.org/10.1901/jeab.1976.25-218
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bell_Curve

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.