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Send us Fan Mail In this episode, April outs herself as being "bad at math;" but after researching, writing, and publishing this episode, she's taken a vow to become more numerate. You should, too! Listen to the episode to find out how. Episode 46 Show Notes Bio of British economist Geoffrey Crowther: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Crowther,_Baron_Crowther A great article about the history of innumeracy (honestly I don't know what "captive board" refers to): https://www.captive.com/articles/how-numerate-is-your-board-the-case-for-captive-board-numeracy Here's the link to the download for Paulos' book on innumeracy: https://jirsresourcecentre.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/innumeracy.pdf The OECD's discussion of numeracy skills among Americans: https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/adult-numeracy-skills.html How many students need to take remedial math classes? Lots of them. I disagree, however, with the idea that the cure for this is to no longer require algebra courses in higher education, although something definitely needs to change: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/02/26/almost-no-one-needs-college-algebra-anymore/ Martin Gardner's home page: https://martin-gardner.org/#:~:text=First%20and%20last%2C%20he%20was,people%20all%20over%20the%20world Math anxiety explained: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6087017/ Discalculia: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23949-dyscalculia Gender differences in math performance: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2138794/ The crazy story of the GoFundMe project to build the wall: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Build_the_Wall Why people misunderstand probability: https://untamedscience.com/blog/why-humans-are-bad-at-understanding-probability-and-what-science-says-about-it/ Diego Ribiero's excellent Medium article: https://neverforget-1975.medium.com/innumeracy-8b2112c5787b A review of Innumeracy in the Wild: https://newbooksnetwork.com/innumeracy-in-the-wild Plane vs. car accidents: https://www.fellermanlaw.com/blog/is-flying-safer-than-driving/ Career Addict article about becoming more numerate: https://www.careeraddict.com/develop-numerical-skills Khan Academy website:  www.khanacademy.org Duolingo website: https://www.duolingo.com/math Tablet Class Math YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/tabletclass Financial Literacy Resource Directory: https://www.occ.gov/topics/consumers-and-communities/community-affairs/resource-directories/financial-literacy/index-financial-literacy-resource-directory.html The UK's National Numeracy Challenge page: https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, April debunks some common misconceptions and discusses why they are so "sticky" in our brains. Episode 45 Show Notes Definition of "factoid"--https://www.oed.com/dictionary/factoid_n?tab=meaning_and_use#4942990 Drs Carroll and Vreeman's great book debunking lots of health myths: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Cross-Your-Theyll-Stuck/dp/0312681879 AOA's article discussing strabismus (crossed eyes): https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/strabismus Great article debunking several misconceptions your parents probably believed were true: https://www.uchealth.org/today/10-myths-you-may-have-heard-from-your-parents/ The five-second rule, explained: https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/the-origin-of-the-five-second-rule/ The Cleveland Clinic's article setting the record straight about body heat loss: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/body-heat-loss The truth about chastity belts: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/medieval-chastity-belts-are-myth-180956341/ Why you should be more afraid of your tray table making you sick than the air on an airplane: https://www.aarp.org/travel/travel-tips/safety/avoid-airplane-germs/#:~:text=%7C%20An%20airplane%20offers%20the%20perfect,soggy%20tissues%20and%20dirty%20diapers What "vomitorium" really means: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/purging-the-myth-of-the-vomitorium/ An in depth-discussion of the term "Xmas:" https://eu.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2023/12/06/xmas-vs-christmas-why-offensive-origins-history-greek-chi-means-christ/71810050007/ https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/xmas-origin An extremely deep dive into the psychology behind misconceptions: https://philpapers.org/rec/DELIMA-3

Send us Fan Mail While it's always been the case that "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting its boots on," it's exponentially more true since the rise of the internet, particularly social media. In this episode, April looks at how and why misinformation and disinformation (which are not the same thing, btw) travel so quickly around our media landscape and affect the way we view the world. Episode 44 Show Notes (I have so many sources I can't put descriptions on them because I would go over the character limit, but they're generally in the order they are found in the episode): https://theonion.com/planned-parenthood-opens-8-billion-abortionplex-1819572640/  https://www.freedomforum.org/misinformation-vs-disinformation/#:~:text=Misinformation%20is%20false%20information%20disseminated,intentional%2C%20whereas%20misinformation%20is%20unintentional. https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/north-carolina-man-sentenced-four-year-prison-term-armed-assault-northwest-washington https://campaignlegal.org/results-lawsuits-regarding-2020-elections https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/alex-jones-sandy-hook-settlement-supreme-court-appeal-00607361 https://shorensteincenter.org/research-initiative/the-hks-misinformation-review/ https://news.mit.edu/2018/study-twitter-false-news-travels-faster-true-stories-0308 https://som.yale.edu/story/2023/reimagining-social-media-news-sharing-research-finds-users-habits-key-safer-and-more#:~:text=One%20important%20aspect%20that%20contributes,professor%20of%20psychology%20and%20business. https://www.imperva.com/resources/resource-library/reports/2024-bad-bot-report/ https://www.clrn.org/how-much-of-the-internet-is-ai-generated/ https://theconversation.com/how-ai-bots-spread-misinformation-online-and-undermine-democratic-politics-234915 https://www.heinz.cmu.edu/media/2018/October/troll-farms-and-fake-news-social-media-weaponization#:~:text=Russian%20%E2%80%9Ctroll%20farms%E2%80%9D%E2%80%94groups,%E2%80%94literally%E2%80%94divide%20and%20conquer. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, April explains that ignorance and stupidity are not the same thing. But when doubt is deliberately created as a strategic ploy by powerful entities, the ignorance that results can be not only stupid, but dangerous. Episode 43 Show Notes Definition of "epistomology:" https://www.britannica.com/topic/epistemology Good explanation of agnotology by Dr Mark Crislip: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/agnotology-the-study-of-ignorance/ Dr Robert Proctor on Alie Ward: https://www.alieward.com/ologies/agnotology The post-truth world: https://theconversation.com/scientists-have-a-word-for-studying-the-post-truth-world-agnotology-71542 Medium article https://medium.com/@porlando_84392/agnotology-the-study-of-ignorance-351ba8ae432d Find out about, and buy, Merchants of Doubt here: https://www.merchantsofdoubt.org/ Great article on "the science of spin:  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7996119/  Michael Facciani's website: https://www.matthewfacciani.com/ Agnotology explains why social media platforms don’t investigate the negative impacts of their messaging: https://www.cigionline.org/articles/social-media-platforms-and-upside-ignorance/ Changes to social media sites involving previously banned content: https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/everything-to-know-about-meta-political-content-update/737123/ Yes, scientists do agree on climate change: https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/faq/do-scientists-agree-on-climate-change/ Jake Scott's Senate testimony: https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Scott-Testimony.pdf Here are a few good sources I didn't have time to discuss: How scientists deal with what they don’t know https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/evan.21303?msockid=1e22d990d6c764bc2523cc64d77d65db How agnotology might work to fight disinformation https://www.wired.com/story/agnotology-misinformation-opinion/ Agnotology and political rhetoric https://www.aaronhuertas.com/invisible-messaging-the-power-of-agnotology-in-political-rhetoric/

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, April explains how this biased form of reasoning keeps our identities and emotions safe from the harsh glare of reality. Using justifications to support what we really want to be true lies at the heart of motivated reasoning, so the next time you eat a whole sleeve of Ritz crackers and wash it down with chardonnay, remind yourself that you exercised that morning, so it's ok.* *note--when she says you, she means herself... Episode 42 Show Notes: The News Literacy Project article on motivated reasoning: https://newslit.org/educators/resources/in-brief-confirmation-bias-motivated-reasoning/ Science Direct is a scientific, health, and technical literature database containing millions of peer-reviewed articles on a wide variety of topics: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/motivated-reasoning https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S026137941400105X Mental Health Matters is a website devoted to mental health conditions and disorders: https://mental-health-matters.org/2024/12/12/an-overview-of-motivated-reasoning/ Matt Grawitch's substack page, The Eel-Filled Hovercraft, is full of great information about psychology and decision-making: https://mattgrawitch.substack.com/ Information about climate change beliefs: https://epic.uchicago.edu/insights/2024-poll-americans-views-on-climate-change-and-policy-in-12-charts/ Excellent article about the link between conspiracy theories and motivated reasoning: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ajps.12234?msockid=1e22d990d6c764bc2523cc64d77d65db Nobel prize winner Gordon Pennycock talks about why conspiracy theorists think that their beliefs are widespread: https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/07/conspiracy-theorists-think-their-views-are-mainstream/ This Psychology Today article, also by Matt Grawitch, discusses the problems that can occur when goals and values collide: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hovercraft-full-eels/202106/the-collision-among-goals-and-accuracy Ivan Jureta's article about avoiding motivated reasoning when making corporate decisions: https://ivanjureta.com/motivated-reasoning-how-to-detect-and-mitigate-its-risks/ This vs That's article on critical thinking vs reflective thinking: https://thisvsthat.io/critical-thinking-vs-reflective-thinking YouGov article about popular conspiracy theories and the numbers of Americans who believe them: https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/48113-which-conspiracy-theories-do-americans-believe

Send us Fan Mail April confesses to being a "big ol' nerd" while discussing three sneaky fallacies that sidestep evidence and shut down discourse. Episode 41 Show Notes: It's a study guide about the No True Scotsman fallacy! Hey, they're good for adults too: https://studylatam.com/no-true-scotsman-fallacy-in-philosophy/ Another good article about No True Scotsman: https://practicalpie.com/no-true-scotsman/ Rational Wiki is always a good go-to for fallacies: https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/No_True_Scotsman What's cognitive ease? Here you go: learning-mind.com/cognitive-ease/ Great article on the illusory truth effect: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/illusory-truth-effect Patrick Stokes' article in The Conversation on why he's so tough on his philosophy students: https://theconversation.com/no-youre-not-entitled-to-your-opinion-9978 Stephen Rainey's blog that discusses the concept of our "entitlement" to opinions: https://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/2019/03/entitlement/ *I have begun using ChatGPT to organize and outline my episodes--it does a great job clarifying my ideas. I still do the writing, though, so I can't say it saves a lot of time!

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, April talks about why good data (current, accurate, and trustworthy) is so important to good thinking. She is perturbed about the current administration's deliberate attempts to delete, change, or hide critical government data. However, she is also hopeful that the many efforts to protect and preserve this data will be successful. Episode 40 Show Notes--just citations because my explanations took up too much data...  https://www.getrightdata.com/blog/why-quality-matters-the-10-biggest-data-quality-disasters https://www.smorescience.com/data-driven-life-how-information-shapes-our-daily-decisionsexamples-of-data-in-everyday-life/  https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2025/05/06/newark-airport-radio-radar-failures/83471323007/  https://abcnews.go.com/Health/white-house-covid-web-page-page-supporting-lab/story?id=120956514  https://insideclimatenews.org/news/31012025/trump-administration-war-on-science/ https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/climate-change-transparency-project-foia/2025-02-06/disappearing-data-trump?utm_source=chatgpt.com  https://www.rheumatologyadvisor.com/news/key-cdc-health-websites-vanish-following-trump-orders/?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/public-health/removal-pages-cdc-website-brings-confusion-dismay?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/06/nx-s1-5288113/cdc-website-health-data-trump https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/20/trump-missing-murdered-indigenous-peoples-report-removed?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-data-hoarders-resisting-trumps-purge https://libguides.umn.edu/c.php?g=1449575&p=10778647 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Government_watchdog_groups_in_the_United_States https://journalistsresource.org/home/researchers-rush-to-preserve-federal-health-databases-before-they-disappear-from-government-websites/

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, April attempts to unpack the complicated topic of propaganda, a form of persuasion used by corporations, advertisers, pundits, influencers, and political personalities. These days, it's important for critical thinkers to understand that there should be a delineation between propaganda and the kind of rhetoric used in democratic governance, to recognize propaganda and to avoid being influenced by it. If this sounds important--well, it is. Episode 39 Show Notes https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda--this references the origins of the word propaganda and its original link to religious proselytizing https://www.thoughtco.com/propaganda-definition-1691544--Dr. Richard Nordquist's excellent ThoughtCo article about the difference between rhetoric and propaganda https://researchguides.uoregon.edu/medialiteracy/propaganda --University of Oregon's Media Literary Research guide's deep dive into propaganda has some great information about how to determine if something is propaganda https://researchguides.uoregon.edu/medialiteracy/propaganda --the Naab Research Center gives examples of positive uses of propaganda Emotional Campaigning in Politics: Being Moved and Anger …--a pdf of Gruning and Schubert's article about the use of emotion in political campaigns https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/glittering-generalities--YourDictionary.com has a great article with examples of glittering generalities https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Loaded_language--the list of "snarl" words is at the bottom of this wiki page devoted to loaded language https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/AllSidesMediaBiasChart-Version2.jpg--an updated version of the AllSides Media Bias chart https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/--a great source for checking the bias of any news source, as well as whether it has failed any fact checks https://disinformation-nation.org/combat-propaganda/--great article about ways to combat propaganda https://www.shortform.com/summary/thinking-fast-and-slow-summary-daniel-kahneman?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=531475976&msclkid=704335b2e9371134f6f7526e8cdafb8c--a long web address leading to a short summary of Daniel Kahneman's book Thinking Fast and Slow https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/202003/can-you-be-abundantly-cautious-and-fearless--while this article was written about the Covid pandemic, the ideas in it still resonate https://www.neuroandcounselingcenter.com/single-post/informed-protect-peace--good ideas from certified mental health counselor Amanda Levison, about how to keep your cool and not get overwhelmed with news

Send us Fan Mail In this episode April explains some very common relevance fallacies--Straw Man, Begging the Question, and Two Wrongs Make a Right. Let's all try not to commit these fallacies, okay? Episode 38 Show Notes: https://philosophyterms.com/fallacy-of-relevance/#google_vignette--a handy reference website that gives basic explanations of terms related to philosophy as well as short biographies of many famous philosophers. https://www.historyextra.com/period/georgian/why-we-say-phrase-red-herring-hunting-origins/--a fun discussion of "red herrings" from the official website for the BBC History Magazine https://www.etymonline.com/word/straw%20man--want to know the origin of a word or common phrase? This is the website for you. https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2023/10/protecting-free-speech-compels-some-form-of-social.html--a great article about why social media needs some kind of regulation. https://effectiviology.com/begging-the-question/--this website always has clear, concise definitions and examples of fallacies. https://helpfulprofessor.com/straw-man-fallacy-examples/--legit professors help you with your homework by answering almost any academic question you might have. https://www.britannica.com/topic/whataboutism--hey it's an encyclopedia so... https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Philosophy/Introduction_to_Logic_and_Critical_Thinking_2e_(van_Cleave)/04%3A_Informal_Fallacies/4.03%3A_Fallacies_of_Relevance--this is an entire OER (Open Educational Resource) philosophy textbook, so anyone can access and read it.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, April drags herself out of bed while recovering from a wicked case of Influenza A (you might notice her somewhat gravelly vocal quality) to record this episode about an important and timely topic--the language of demagoguery. While we tend to think of it as something politicians and other powerful people use, she discovers to her dismay that we are all capable of being "nascent demagogues" and using this rhetorical technique in our everyday discussions about politics. Hey, let's try not to do that, okay? Episode 37 Show Notes https://gordoncstewart.com/2023/12/05/the-language-of-demagoguery-2/ Social commentator and blogger Gordon Stewart discusses how language is used for social manipulation, referencing Senator Newt Gingrich. https://feps-europe.eu/powerless-arguments-demagogue-and-populist-language/ Robert Feustel is a researcher at Friedrich Schiller University, and this article discusses the difficulty of arguing with someone using demagogic language. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02773945.2019.1610636 Skinnell and Murphy's excellent article on the pervasiveness of the language of demagoguery. https://www.mediaethicsmagazine.com/index.php/browse-back-issues/209-spring-2017-vol-29-no-2/3999195-media-rhetoric-and-the-demagoguery-of-the-elite Good article by rhetorician Patricia Roberts-Miller of the University of Texas at Austin, who also wrote the book Demagoguery and Democracy. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00963402.2024.2388461#abstract I didn't really reference this excellent treatise about the way that demagogues destroy democracy by John Keane, but I highly recommend that you read it anyway. https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/demagoguery-technology-and-cognition-addressing-the-threats-to-de Stephen Lewandowsky's paper on demagoguery and how it threatens democracy. https://www.historyhit.com/culture/anti-jewish-propaganda-in-nazi-germany/ Some examples of how the Nazis used anti-Jewish propaganda to influence German citizens. https://brainapps.io/blog/2025/01/stand-up-against-demagogy-protect/ This article contains some very helpful tips about how to recognize and stand up to demagogic rhetoric.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, April reveals that her husband is a rain god. Well, he's not, but he thinks he is. She discusses this uniquely human thing we do called magical thinking. Episode 36 Show Notes (oooh, so many sources!) Good basic explanation of magical thinking: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/magical-thinking Wait, here's another one: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/magical-thinking How is magical thinking a cognitive distortion? https://www.goodrx.com/health-topic/mental-health/magical-thinking-effects-cognitive-distortion Amanda Montell's awesome book: https://www.amazon.com/Age-Magical-Overthinking-Modern-Irrationality/dp/1668007975 Scientific American articles on the topic: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-come-some-people-believe-in-the-paranormal/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-can-you-fight-conspiracy-theories/ Do dead people pinch us while we sleep? Probably not: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-and-praxis/202310/the-benefits-and-consequences-of-magical-thinking Healthline's article: https://www.healthline.com/health/magical-thinking#:~:text=Magical%20thinking%20involves%20the%20belief%20that%20you%20can,something%20that%20has%20no%20bearing%20on%20the%20circumstances. Matthew Hutson and the positive side of magical thinking: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12933497-the-7-laws-of-magical-thinking How magical thinking and OCD are connected: https://www.verywellhealth.com/magical-thinking-ocd-5220558 Salon.com articles on the topic: https://www.salon.com/2018/09/10/a-neuroscientist-explains-how-religious-fundamentalism-hijacks-the-brain_partner/ https://www.salon.com/2024/04/09/from-conspiracy-theories-to-manifesting-how-to-navigate-the-age-of-magical-overthinking/ How to Talk to Conspiracy Theorists: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-pseudoscience/zen-and-art-talking-conspiracy-theorists Interview with Eric Oliver: https://news.uchicago.edu/podcasts/big-brains/science-conspiracy-theories-and-political-polarization-eric-oliver Mick West is awesome. Links for his book and his webpage, Metabunk: https://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Rabbit-Hole-Conspiracy-Theories-ebook/dp/B077YS5G2N

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, April discusses an unfair and unethical debate tactic used by many politicians, conspiracy theorists, and anyone else who insists on "winning" arguments. She also revisits Brandolini's Law, which means she gets to say "b******t" more than a few times. Episode 35 Show Notes https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/logicalfallacies/gish-gallop.html A good basic description of the Gish Gallop. https://effectiviology.com/gish-gallop/ Itamar Schatz's website, Effectiviology, is one of my go-to places for everything fallacy-related. “On the Trail With RFK Jr." On the Media. Podcast. June 30, 2023. Um, not sure how to link to this, but you can certainly search for it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. RFK Jr. is well-known for using the Gish Gallop in his speeches and interviews. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=murvOaHB66A Wanna see some really fast talkers? These student debaters can speak at 500 words per minute, which is twice as fast as Congressman Jim Jordan. But unlike him, they have to make sense and provide evidence for their claims. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-FGKxaCdS0 I took Congressman Jordan's Gish Gallop example from this succinct YouTube video about how to counter the Gish Gallop technique. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/11/readout-of-president-bidens-video-call-with-transatlantic-leaders/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/02/17/readout-of-president-bidens-call-with-president-zelenskyy-of-ukraine-13/ Here are two readouts of diplomatic calls President Biden has made. https://qz.com/905252/donald-trumps-lies-are-all-part-of-a-debate-tactic-called-the-gish-gallop Carl Alvioni's excellent article on Gish Gallops. Everything below has to do with the Trump-Ukraine call: https://www.politico.com/news/2019/09/25/donald-trump-ukraine-call-analysis-000039 https://www.npr.org/2019/10/12/768935251/trump-ukraine-and-the-path-to-the-impeachment-inquiry-a-timeline https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/14/pelosi-trump-impeachment-ukraine-00061649 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-ukraine-transcript-moved_n_5dba4ec5e4b0bb1ea37476e5 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/27/us/politics/nsc-ukraine-call.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-lawyer-moved-transcript-of-trump-call-to-classified-server-after-ukraine-adviser-raised-alarms/2019/10/30/ba0fbdb6-fb4e-11e9-8190-6be4deb56e01_story.html

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, April warns people that they might need a break while listening; but in the end, it's surprisingly positive. Just like her!!! Episode 34 Show Notes https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-to-know-existential-dread Good discussion of the basics of existentialism, existential dread, why existential crises occur and how to handle them. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220929-the-unsettling-power-of-existential-dread David Robson's article explains how existential dread changes the way we think, reporting on the upswing in conspiracy theories after distressing events that trigger existential dread. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Denial_of_Death Yep, I'm citing Wikipedia here, but it's a decent discussion of Ernest Becker's groundbreaking work. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/31/the-worm-at-the-core-on-the-role-of-death-in-life-solomon-greenberg-pyszczynski-review Excellent review of Solomon, Greenberg, and Psyzczynski's seminal work about terror management theory. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.595990/full Great article about how many individuals used creative expression to alleviate their distress during the Covid-19 pandemic. https://www.un.org/africarenewal/web-features/i-was-tested-limit-%E2%80%94-rwanda-genocide-survivor The harrowing story of a Rwanda genocide survivor. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7498956/ The original researchers of terror management theory apply their understanding of it to the Covid-19 pandemic. https://mymodernmet.com/what-are-the-lascaux-cave-paintings/ Take a look at these beautiful cave paintings--that's how you live forever, people! Do something amazing.

Send us Fan Mail To kick off a new year, April looks at the impact that the emotion of gratitude can have on our mental, emotional, and even physical health. The message here is--the better you feel about yourself and the world around you, the better your cognitive processes will be. Episode 33 Show Notes The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy's article on gratitude is, um, kinda deep and intense (and hard to read), but then, it IS the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, so... https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/gratitude/ What gratitude is, and some ways to show it: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-wise-brain/202102/how-show-gratitude LinkedIn article about gratitude in the workplace: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-thank-you-how-engage-your-company-gratitude-/ Glenn Fox on gratitude: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_can_the_brain_reveal_about_gratitude A.J. Jacob's wonderful gratitude journey: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brainstorm/201811/adventures-in-gratitude I reference Kendra Cherry a lot, because her articles are always spot on: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-gratitude-5206817#History%20of%20Gratitude Robert Emmons discusses gratitude: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/gratitude/definition Interesting article about how gratitude evolved: https://grateful.org/resource/the-evolution-of-gratitude/ How practicing gratitude affects the brain: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain Another great article about neuroscience and gratitude: https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/ This article focuses on the importance of gratitude in our lives: https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/#:~:text=Many%20of%20us%20express%20gratitude%20by,emotion%20that%20serves%20a%20biological%20purpose.&text=Many%20of%20us%20express,serves%20a%20biological%20purpose.&text=us%20express%20gratitude%20by,emotion%20that%20serves%20a

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, April admits that she doesn't always calmly and rationally think things through; but hey, neither do you. Why? Heuristics, that's why. She discusses these handy, if sometimes problematic, mental shortcuts that help get us through the day without our brains literally exploding. And by literally, I mean figuratively; but literally sounds better, plus it makes a great mental image--KABOOM!!! Episode 32 Show Notes: I've recommended Daniel Kahneman's book before, and I'll probably do it again: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11468377-thinking-fast-and-slow Interesting article about the history and origins of heuristics: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-heuristic-2795235 A basic discussion of heuristics: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/heuristics Dr. Weinberger's blog explaining our unconscious mind: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-unconscious/202001/how-the-unconscious-works An easy to read but fairly comprehensive article discussing many aspects of heuristics, including the different types of heuristics and when our brain is likely to use them: https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-a-heuristic.html You're probably aware that some of these jobs are dangerous, but others may surprise you with their position on this list: https://www.ishn.com/articles/112748-top-25-most-dangerous-jobs-in-the-united-states The Decision Lab's article goes into some detail about how our brains use heuristics: https://thedecisionlab.com/insights/society/tdl-perspectives-what-are-heuristics Over-reliance on heuristics can lead to stereotyping in the workplace: https://www.engagetu.com/2020/01/28/heuristics-and-workplace-bias/ Kendra Cherry's excellent article about decision making: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-affect-heuristic-2795028#:~:text=The%20affect%20heuristic%20is%20a%20type%20of%20mental,role%20in%20the%20choices%20and%20decisions%20you%20make