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PODCAST

Why We Do What We Do

We explain popular and weird, little-known ideas in psychology. Whether you are a little curious about psychology, or a student, or even a professional, we have something for everyone.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

science social sciences

All Episodes

47:01

I Want To Take You To The Bermuda Triangle

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/10/08

Some spooky topics are geographically creepy. Arguably, the most famous scary geography is lovingly called The Bermuda Triangle. This portion of the world is credited with a supernatural ability to vanish airplanes and ships... out of the thousands that use this as a shipping route. We dig into the history that inspired the mythical lore attribute to this portion of ocean. Despite its infamy, insurance happily covers shipping vessels that traverse the curious Bermuda

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11:44

Mini: R.I.P.

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/10/06

This is our first Halloween mini of 2025! RIP is a well-wishing, a command, and an indication of your relationship to person or idea being bid farewell. We break down the history, meaning, and language functions of using RIP. Requiescat in Pace!Help us keep doing our thing! Patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and

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59:05

Variants of Hell

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/10/01

Welcome to our annual month of creepy topics! We are kicking off this year's selection with an overview of various conceptuatlizations of Hell from the perspectives of different religions and denominations. How common is the idea of Hell and why do so many traditions embrace this idea?We are excited to get started!RecommendationsAbraham: Shrinking (https://tv.apple.com/us/show/shrinking/umc.cmc.apzybj6eqf6pzccd97kev7bs) Shane: 28 Years Later (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10548174/)Holidays

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15:22

Mini: Colored Noise

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/09/29

You have probably heard of white noise, but there are a variety of noise patterns that have been assigned a color. Some have proposed hypothetical benefits of these various sound patterns ranging from sleep or focus to mental health conditions. We take a scalpel and scientifically remove the fluff. Tell us what colored sounds you prefer!Links and

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74:31

Propaganda: How You Are Being Tricked pt. 2

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/09/24

In the last episode, we outlined several specific propaganda strategies. We conclude this discussion by explaining some ways we can attempt to combat propaganda. Although propaganda can be a tool for good, it is often used nefariously, and we are well served to protect ourselves against those who would manipulate us. Did we miss anything? Let us know!RecommendationsAbraham: Between the Buried and Me “The Blue Nowhere”- (https://www.betweentheburiedandme.com/)Shane: Disney Food and Wine Festival

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13:31

Mini: Kintsugi

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/09/22

Kintsugi is a Japanese tradition of repairing broken things rather than retiring them, and in doing so making them stronger. It has a nice metaphor for personal, social, and economic issues. We discuss the history, techniques, and metaphors of kinsugi. Join our club: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and

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76:17

Propaganda: How You are Being Tricked pt. 1

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/09/17

Propaganda is remarkably effective at influencing your behavior, even if you don't recognize that it is happening. Being aware of its strategies can help prevent you from falling victim as much. But no one is immune. Propaganda is one of the ways conspiracy theories are born, for those extremely gullible among us. This issue inspires some passionate soap-boxing... although there is a lot more of that in part 2. Enjoy!RecommendationsAbraham: Upload (season 4;

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11:50

Mini: How Many Faces Can You Remember?

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/09/15

A lot. Unless you have face blindness, you can remember a lot of faces. Is this all in the brian? We do our best to explain the research behind our ability to recognize a very large number of faces. Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and

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61:55

Understanding Chiropractic

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/09/10

Once again, we have an idea that has mostly been bogged down in the septic tank of pseudoscience. There seems to be some therapeutic benefit to chiropractic care, but there's so much crap spread on top that it's difficult to find. We dig into the aspects of this that are worth saving vs throwing out. RecommendationsAbraham: Drop (https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-movies/drop)Shane: Strange Pictures by Uketsu

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15:56

Mini: That Time Humans Loved Radiation

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/09/08

This is another exploration of bad idea history. At one point, humans got really into consuming and surrounding themselves with irradiated materials. This idea stands out because the origins can be traced back to a clear starting point and "logic." FYI: Don't consume or put yourself (or anyone else) near radium. We'll explain why.Become a member and support the show: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and

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75:06

Fast Fashion

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/09/03

Fast fashion is a business model that emphasizes extremely high volume, cheap clothing designed to only last a short amount of time. This strategy produces an staggering amount of waste, consumes mllions of tons of raw materials, and contributes more to climate change than all internatinal flights and maritime vessels combined. However, it also employs millions of people, boosts the economy, and provides affordable clothing around the world. We examine the human behaviors invovled and the forces

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18:58

Mini: Do Our Pets Understand Us?

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/09/01

We have very special relationships with our pets. We usually try to talk to them. Do they understand what we are saying? Do they know their names? We quickly explore what it means for our pets to "understand" us or to "know" their names. There are some things we know about this and some things we don't. Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and

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78:26

The Importance of Peer Review

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/27

One could argue there are two ways of aggregating knowledge: by guessing or by verifying information. The current system for verifying is by checking one another's work through peer review, a process by which experts first review the quality of the work submitted for publication and only allowing information through that is rigorous in its method or arguments. This is not without its flaws, however. Bias and blinding (or lack thereof) can prevent legitimate science from being disseminated or too

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18:17

Mini: Victim vs. Warrior

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/25

There is a proposal that there is a dichotomy in human activities (specifically the cognitive ones) that can be characterized as a "warrior" mentality or a "victim" mentality. Any dichotomy that attempts to clasffiy behavior this way is going to have substantial limitations. We suggest that this discinction can be helpful in some ways, but seems highly toxic in others. Support us on Patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and

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65:15

The Psychology of Pain

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/20

Pain can be conceptualized physiologically, neurologically, and behaviorally. We review the physiological and neurological components of pain, and then spend considerable time considering the behavioral aspects of pain. It's a subject that seems straight forward on the surface, but has a surprising amount of complexity, nuance, and disagreement. It might seem nice to not be able to feel pain, but this is actually very dangerous. Also, so plants feel pain?RecommendationsAbraham: Mr. Monk’s Last

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18:55

Mini: Magic Eye

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/18

Autostereograms, better known as "Magic Eye" puzzles, are a unique 2D art in which repeated images create a 3D image, but you have to focus your eyes in just the right way to see it. We explain the history of this illusion, how it works, and how to see it. Futher, we explain why you see it as either 3D or inverted. Do you see the illusion? Get ad-free episodes and help us continue doing our thing: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and

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78:47

Punk Rock Legacy

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/13

Large musical movements are large cultural movements. Rap, rock, country, and other genres often galvanized or reflected social changes and values. Punk rock is a particularly iconoclast movement with an interesting history. We discuss the history of punk music as a genre of music and to an extent as a category of social behaviors. Even if you don't necessarily like punk, you may enjoy music that inspired it or was inspired by it. Let us know your favorite punk music and stories. Rock the

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16:33

Mini: What is a Repertoire?

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/11

We often talk about what students can do by referring to their repertoire. But what does it mean to refer to their repertoire? A lot of philosohpy in one little mini episode!Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and References: Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. New York, NY: The Free Press. Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal behavior. Cambridge, MA: Prentice Hall.Skinner, B. F. (1974). About Behaviorism. New York, NY: Vintage Press.Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., &

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109:26

Nostalgia: Board Games

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/06

Has it been so long? Abraham discusses his favorite discussion topic: Board games! Also ,there's been new research since that that further supports that board games are beneficial for cognitive and brain health. Prepare for fun, fun, fun, FUN. RecommendationsAbraham: Fantastic Four: First Steps (https://movies.disney.com/the-fantastic-four-first-steps) Shane: Happy Gilmore 2 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31868189/)Holidays (8/6/2025):Balloons to Heaven DayCorporate Baby Name DayFarmworker

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15:47

Mini: Restless Leg Syndrome

Why We Do What We Do ·

2025/08/04

Do you ever feel an nearly uncontrollable urge to move your legs? If you do, you probably still don't have RLS, but it may be worth getting tested for a diagnosis. Please don't self-diagnose just because we talked about it. Restless Leg Syndome is mostly what it sounds like: A powerful urge to move your legs or get up and move around. Rather than just sitting for too long, this usually has a specific etiology and some specific treatments and tends to affect people's sleep. We'll explain the

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