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...

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 Abraham: Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (https://www.netflix.com/title/80209229)Shane: Blink 182 - One More Time… (https://open.spotify.com/album/1OteY9OFTmoZ0vmZT89wPd; https://music.apple.com/us/album/one-more-time/1707257664)Links and References: Cheng,...

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 Abraham: No One Will Save You (https://www.hulu.com/movie/no-one-will-save-you-9e96f51e-6806-4306-9773-e96b68d25305)Shane: Electric Shark Tattoo Studio (https://www.instagram.com/electricsharktattoo/) Links and References:...

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 really going on during the satanic panic? You've got questions, or at least we assume you do... and we've got (some) answers. Recommendations Abraham: Wrath of Becky...

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 Abraham: Hail Satan? (documentary; http://www.hailsatanfilm.com/)Shane: Asohka (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13622776/) Links:...

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 Abraham: Yeung Man Cooking (https://yeungmancooking.com/)Shane: Entombed - Left Hand Path...

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 Abraham: Electric VehiclesShane: The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium...

Sorry for Abraham's poor mic quality this episode! It'll be back to normal next time. Why do people become pro wrestlers? Why do people watch professional wrestling? This semi-ancient/semi-recent theatre is underrated for the real risk and exploitation of the performers. But it ropes people in with it's narrative story, athletic performances, and incredible stunts. Listen in for the deep dive into the psychology of professional wrestling.

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 Abraham: Bros (https://www.uphe.com/movies/bros)Shane: The Fisherman by John Langan (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/29901930)Links:...

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 Abraham: Liquid Death (https://liquiddeath.com/)Shane: Ringworm - Seeing Through Fire (https://open.spotify.com/album/5dzpqn8zTNW6lMYuiCfTqP?si=DgHdAI4VTWGATZr7NzFGrA) Links:...

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 Abraham: Schindler’s List (https://www.universalpictures.com/movies/schindlers-list)Shane: W.E.B. Du Bois’s work (https://www.britannica.com/biography/W-E-B-Du-Bois) Links:...

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 Abraham: Dawn Platinum EZ Squeeze...

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 Abraham: Garlic FestivalsShane: The Bear (https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/the-bear) Links: Barahona-Corrêa, J. B., & Filipe, C. N. (2016). A Concise History of Asperger Syndrome: The Short Reign of a...

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 Abraham: Chumajor 6-in-one dog seat cover for your car (https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-Scratchproof-Nonslip-Covers-Backseat/dp/B09PQVC4Y5)Shane: Bubbie’s Plant...

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 Abraham: The Out-Laws (https://www.netflix.com/title/81193794)Shane: Chamber - A Love to Kill For (https://open.spotify.com/album/78lMWOIljykkcV0WucWMpj?si=HJPIHIp6TRiIW5o4m9Up1w) Links:...

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 Abraham: Is It Cake? (Season 2; https://www.netflix.com/title/81333845)Shane: Jaye Jayle - Don’t Let Your Love Life Get You Down...

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 Abraham: Jury Duty (https://www.amazon.com/Jury-Duty-Season-1/dp/B0B8JM2BBS) Shane: Muscles...

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 Abraham: Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-switch/)Shane: Kingsman: The...

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...

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 Abraham: Black Mirror (season 6;...

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 Abraham: Escape RoomsShane:...

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 Abraham: Ted Lasso Season 3 (https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ted-lasso/umc.cmc.vtoh0mn0xn7t3c643xqonfzy)Shane: Spider-Man - Across the Spiderverse (https://www.acrossthespiderverse.movie/) Links:...

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 Abraham: Guardians of the Galaxy vol: 3...

"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: Abraham: Penn and Teller: Fool Us (https://www.facebook.com/PennandTellerFoolUs/) [bonus: fight wars using paintballs]Shane: Elvis by Baz Luhrman (https://elvis.warnerbros.com/) Links and resources:...

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 Abraham: Saosin (self-titled) https://music.apple.com/us/artist/saosin/28673579Shane: Heretics of Dune...