Posts tagged Science

Most people sat through a painful routine performance appraisal, likely an annual one. How many of these are effectively designed to be productive? How many people actually remember what they were supposed to work on from that last review in the fall right before the chaos of the holidays? If done correctly, an appraisal can identify help performance improve as well as highlight employee achievement and growth. Few are done correctly. Avoiding falling into familiar traps of ineffective feedback may be fundamental to success. Today’s episode will identify several strategies that can strengthen employee review systems to help both the employee and the company find the best outcomes possible.

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Astrology: It's All Fun Until Someone Gets Hurt

Horoscopes are mostly harmless bits of fun. But how do they work? Why do we believe them? And why does the episode title imply harm? Learn more and another vocab term.

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206 | Pavlov, The Man Himself

Ivan Pavlov, Yup the guy with the dogs. Yup The Office episode. Yes, the one with the mint. Sure there is a surface level to him but do you really know him? Where did he grow up? What did he do before he got some dogs? What impact did he have on the Scientific community?

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189 | Conversion "Therapy" is a No

Conversion “therapy” is a sexual identity and orientation intervention that needs to be banned. It doesn’t work, and it causes harm. Just over a century old, this harmful “treatment” was torture not unlike the witch trials. A handful of nations and some other smaller municipalities have taken the appropriate step to ban this, but it is otherwise still allowed. Learn more as we throw this intervention all the way under the bus.

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Myth-Busting, Sex, Psychological HistoryScott Abraham MillerDecember 23, 2020Abraham, Shane, Shane Spiker, Shanebraham, Science Based Medicine, Science, myth-busting, conversion therapy, what is therapy, not a therapy, immoral, skepticism, religionComment

188 | Real Fake Medicine

As Green Day once sang, “Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me…Am I just paranoid, or am I just stoned?” Great question, and one worth investigating. We do a lot of things to feel better, but what about taking a whole lot of nothing? It’s called a placebo, and there are many components and interesting effects of such treatment that may help those dealing with pain and discomfort from a variety of illnesses. We’ll shed some light on the Placebo Effect and see how an initial phenomenon has evolved into a potentially strategic and cost-effective future for pain management.

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147 | Criminal Profiling

Criminal profiling may seem like a sham. In many cases, it is. However, we were surprised to learn that there are some researchers putting real science into criminal profiling to better catch criminals such as murderers. It’s nothing like you see on TV shows where the brilliant detective predicts every move and accurately identifies everything about the criminal. Instead, it is much more interesting when science is used to understand real patterns that might occur and put probabilities to the test to solve a case. Fans of true crime are especially likely to find something to enjoy in this one!

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146 | Right and Left Brain Personality

Begun in the work on patients with epilepsy, split-brain research suggested maybe people generally rely on one hemisphere of their brain over the other. Except, that doesn’t actually make any sense when you understand how the brain works. Although most people already know this, we expanded on this by elaborating on the history of this idea, and the one or two researchers who have continued to push this line of research despite its lack of fruitful outcomes… or general utility. Still, a lot to learn about this seemingly obvious urban myth.

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144 | Default Mode Network of the Brain

We do our best to define altruism through the ways others have defined it. We break down the philosophical traditions that have tried to define, explain, and promote altruism. We read from some religious texts on altruism. We failed to point out in this discussion that if someone were to intend harm and do good, that would technically meet the definition of altruism but also not be something we’d want to promote. In the end, we advocate for prosocial behavior and point out that the definition is not particularly helpful right now.

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Autism, The Brain, PhilosophyScott Abraham MillerFebruary 19, 2020Abraham, RyanO, Ryan, Default Mode Network, DMN, Brain, Neurology, Neuroimaging, Brain Science, Science, Autism, Alzheimers, SkepticismComment

140 | Sensory Integration Therapy | Why We Do What We Do

A potentially controversial issue in which we take on sensory integration therapy. Important to note that we are NOT criticizing occupational therapists. We dug deep into the literature on sensory integration therapy and told the story that the data present. That is, we take as diplomatic and charitable a position as we can while remaining honest. Science does not paint a flattering picture.

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125 | Why People Like Horror Movies | Why We Do What We Do

Welcome to spooky psychology month! Shane and Abraham are choosing 5 topics in psychology that related to horror or Halloween themed topics. The next entry in the saga of creepy psychology is understanding why we like scary movies. What is it about being creeped out that keeps people coming to the movie theaters and directors making these movies? There are many different theories that we discuss, but primarily we will reveal that it is a combination of factors including our social groups. Do you love or hate scary movies or fall somewhere in between? Let us know how you feel and which theory you relate to.

ATTENTION! We are doing a special promotion! If you complete a listener survey, you will earn a WWDWWD sticker in the mail and get entered to win a free t-shirt! The survey shouldn’t take longer than 3-10 minutes and is completely private. We will NOT share your data or information with anyone else. Follow this link to receive a sticker, be entered to win a free shirt, and to help us make the best show for you!

Listen in, and remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

124 | Crying Wolf: Clinical Lycanthropy | Why We Do What We Do

Welcome to spooky psychology month! Shane and Abraham are choosing 5 topics in psychology that related to horror or Halloween themed topics. The first entry is about the psychological condition called Clinical Lycanthropy in which people believe that they turn into non-human animals. Although werewolves are common, beliefs range across just about every known animal or human-animal hybrid. But how common is this? How is it diagnosed? How is it treated? Unfortunately, little is known. But we were able to dig up some dirt on this mysterious affliction!

Listen in, and remember that you can reach us directly at 775.525.0908, at info@wwdwwdpodcast.com, through the comments below OR on social via @wwdwwdpodcast or #wwdwwdpodcast.

Diagnosis, Myth-Busting, SpookyScott Abraham MillerOctober 2, 2019Abraham, Shane, Science, Shanebraham, Werewolves, Clinical Lycanthropy, October Spooky Psychology 2019, Delusions, Skepticism, Psychological WerewolvesComment

123 | Seizure Disorders | Why We Do What We Do

Seizure disorders are when someone experiences electrochemical convulsions over repeated episodes. Seizures can impact learning, daily functioning, and quality of life. However, many people live with seizure disorders and have rich fulfilling lives. Shane and Abraham describe what seizure are, how they impact learning and development, how they affect the brain, and what to do if you are around someone who has a seizure.

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The Brain, Diagnosis, EducationScott Abraham MillerSeptember 25, 2019Abraham, Shane, Science, Shanebraham, Siezure, Seizure Disorder, Epilepsy, CBD, Health, Medicine, Science Based MedicineComment

122 | Brain Food | Why We Do What We Do

There are certain foods that can improve your cognitive performance. Or maybe not. There is evidence supporting the health benefits of some diets over others, but none that shows the neurological benefits of a specific food. Although the claims that brain-food proponents make are not totally inaccurate and are generally good advice, they wildly exaggerate the outcomes of their programs and trick you into buying their stuff. In this discussion, we review the science behind antioxidants, supplements, and other “brain foods,” which ones work and which ones don’t.

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Myth-Busting, Pseudoscience, The BrainScott Abraham MillerSeptember 18, 2019Abraham, Shane, Skepticism, Diet, Food, Brain Food, Supplements, Lisa Misconi, Max Lugavere, Shanebraham, Harriet Hall, Science, Quack Watch, Science Based MedicineComment

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