1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind from how stuff 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, welcome to stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamp and I'm Julie Douglas, and 4 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: we're coming at you around Thanksgiving if you're listening to 5 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,799 Speaker 1: this as it publishes. But we're talking about comfort, and 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: this is certainly a season of comfort, but comfort food, 7 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: the feeling of comfort is something that we we crave, 8 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: that we seek out at various times throughout the year. 9 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: So so don't run away if you're listening to this 10 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: in July, that's right, because you never know. In July 11 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: you might need a bit of comfort, cold comfort at 12 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: that point from your air conditioner. But um, yeah, I 13 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 1: mean what I think about comfort. I think about quilts, 14 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: I think about how Coco, and I think that some 15 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: people are drawing more to comfort than other people. M 16 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: M yeah, I'm probably about, you know, halfway there. It 17 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: doesn't you know. Sure I'll take some comfort, but I 18 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: don't need it. I mean, I really like comfort. I 19 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: mean I'm pro comfort because for me, I probably think, 20 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,479 Speaker 1: you know, and like a nice warm blanket, that's good 21 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: cat on your lap, that's good hot beverage of some kind. 22 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: I guess the comfort I do tend to think of it, 23 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: especially something I seek out during colder months. Um. Yeah, 24 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 1: which which also brings to mind like like chicken soup, 25 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: something that I don't Actually nobody really likes chicken soup. 26 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:27,760 Speaker 1: I mean, my wife makes delicious chicken soup, but for 27 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: the most part, you're coming at chicken soup out of 28 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: a sense of more than just wanting to taste, but 29 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: you want all the emotions that come with it and 30 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: all the all all the ideas about chicken soup that 31 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,119 Speaker 1: exists culturally. You know. So already we've talked about several 32 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 1: different aspects of comfort, because really you've got the tactile 33 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: part of it, and then you've got the food part 34 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: of it, and then the psychology that sort of jells 35 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: all of it together. Yeah, because what does it ultimately 36 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: break down to? Um Asking neuroscientists, and they'll say it 37 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: all comes down to it being the opposite of stress, 38 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: which is for pretty broad but yeah, I think of 39 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: a thing of time you've been stressed, thing of the 40 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: time when you've been comfortable. They're pretty much polar opposites. 41 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: Nobody's sitting around biting their nails and guzzling chicken soup 42 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: with a blanket wrapped around them while they watched Gilmore 43 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: Girls Marathon on TV or something, right. I mean, it's 44 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:18,080 Speaker 1: it's all about very specific and that's another aspect because 45 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: I I know somebody who's Who's who that remember that 46 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: was their comfort thing, And certainly that's another aspect of 47 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: comfort is media. You know, it's like there'll be certain 48 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 1: certain albums you might put on it. It It was like, yeah, 49 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: I'm gonna put on some Boards of Canada and that's 50 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: for me a very that's a very comfort minded soundtrack 51 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 1: to plug into. Or for some people it is a 52 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: Gilmore's Girl Marathon, you know, something that they that really 53 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: serves as kind of a replacement social engagements. Well for me, 54 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: little House from the Prairie. Yeah, yeah, Michael Landon, all 55 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: the schmaltz Michael Landon it could ever want, because when 56 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,399 Speaker 1: the world seems cruel and unfair, Michael Landon is there 57 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: for you. So what we're talking about are three principles 58 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: of comfort, security, ward and connectedness. So we're feeling connected 59 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: to your fellow man, which might have something to do 60 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: with Michael Landon right, um, And each of these principles 61 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: of comfort activate different parts of our brains. So it 62 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: would make sense that you have this sort of big 63 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: idea of comfort having to do with the tactile, having 64 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: to do with food, having to do with music, media, um, 65 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: all being rolled up into this one big thing that 66 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: comes at the end of November, you know, into our 67 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: living rooms and Thanksgiving. And that's really why we wanted 68 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: to cover this topic, because you think about Thanksgiving and 69 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: ultimately you think about not just family conflict and uncomfortable 70 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:46,279 Speaker 1: silence around the table, but comfort foods to help ameliorate 71 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: all of those feelings of tension with your family. Yes, 72 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: uh and comfort food It's it's interesting we start really 73 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:54,839 Speaker 1: thinking about not only what it means to you, because 74 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: everyone's got their comfort foods, you know, and certainly there 75 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: are some comfort foods that you think of a lot 76 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: of you think of things like fried chicken as a 77 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: comfort food or various uh you know, or a casse 78 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: role or what have you. Um. So, a lot of 79 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: times it's something that your mom made or whoever raised you, 80 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 1: something you grew up with, where when you eat it, 81 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: it takes you back to that feeling of safety that 82 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: you had as a child being provided for but then 83 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: also a lot of it is cultural to uh you 84 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: say you're of Italian heritage, then your comfort food might 85 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: be uh not not only your mother's food, but your 86 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: mother's spaghetti or than anybody's uh particular spaghetti recipe, or 87 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: if you're of German heritage, and maybe it's that particular 88 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: schnitzel that really does it for you. It really takes 89 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 1: you back and and and it might be, I mean, 90 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: God help you, of schnitzel is what you eat every day. 91 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: So it's so it's something that is also a treat. 92 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: It's something you don't normally have, and then when you 93 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,480 Speaker 1: do have it, it comes in with all this cultural 94 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: and personal resonance. It's true if you are reaching out 95 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: for a blood sausage and your German heritage, this might 96 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:55,839 Speaker 1: be just the fix that you need to pick up 97 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: your day. Um. Psychologists call comfort food a social surrogates, 98 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: as you already pointed out in different ways. And it's 99 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 1: interesting because if you look at studies concerning food and 100 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: comfort you will find a bevy of them. And one 101 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: of the ones that I thought was really interesting is 102 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,239 Speaker 1: a study that had to do with people feeling less 103 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: lonely after just writing about food. Okay, they didn't consume anything, 104 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: and it was specific to comfort food. All right. This 105 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: is a two thousand and eleven University of Buffalo study. 106 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: And so they bring in a bunch of people, so 107 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 1: set them down and said, hey, I want you to 108 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 1: write a little bit about a fight that you had 109 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: with with somebody that the relationship with you. I imagine 110 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 1: that most of these are gonna involve like previous relationships 111 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: or current spouses that kind of thing, uh, current girlfriend's boyfriends, etcetera. 112 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: So they write about this painful, awkward or traumatic episode 113 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: and then put your pencils down. Now. Six minutes later, 114 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: six minutes later, and now let's flip over the page, 115 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: and I want you to write to start writing about 116 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: about some some comfort foods and about the fried chicken 117 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 1: or the blood sauces or whatever it may be. Write 118 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 1: about some food. Yeah, that's right. Some people were asked 119 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 1: to write about comfort food, while other people were asked 120 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: to write about a new food experience. Right, So obviously 121 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: you see right there, the new food experience doesn't have 122 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,720 Speaker 1: all the sorts of emotional attachments to it because it's 123 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: a new experience. It's not related back to mom or childhood. 124 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 1: So of course, what do you think the results were. Uh, 125 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: the results are probably going to be that the comfort 126 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: food is the one that really makes the difference in 127 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 1: most of these Yeah, that's right. What they did is 128 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,720 Speaker 1: they took all of the participants took a test after 129 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: they wrote about food, when they filled out this questionnaire 130 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: about loneliness. It was found that the comfort food, just 131 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: thinking about it and writing about it helped those people 132 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: to self adjust their moods. Now, there's an important caveat here, 133 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: and that is that, Uh, generally the individuals who were 134 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: aided by the food, they were in a more or 135 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: less good relationship that they just had some some either 136 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: fighting in the past or or just a little you know, 137 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:55,839 Speaker 1: fighting in the present. So it's not a situation where 138 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: you're going through like you just murdered your spouse to 139 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: night before and then some reason you came in to 140 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: do this study and you thought about mashed potatoes and 141 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: it fixed everything. No, not not quiet, It's not that powerful. 142 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: But certainly if you're like, oh, I really love my wife, 143 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: but we we just we keep fighting over what color 144 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: of the carpet should be. I think it should be 145 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: hot pink, she thinks it should be Neon Green. We 146 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: can't come to a decision. We keep fighting mashed potatoes. 147 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: Oh what was I? What was I upset about? Well? 148 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: And I think it's just interesting because we've talked about 149 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: this before, but how just thinking about things can really 150 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: change your brain. And we talked about this before, even 151 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: in writers who are writing about their characters and people 152 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: who are reading of novels that they are mirror neurons 153 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: began to activate as though they were throwing the ball 154 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: or they were running to to escape someone. So um, 155 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 1: what I started to think about is that's really powerful 156 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: because a lot of these comfort foods involve fat. And 157 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 1: there's another study that actually looks at fatty foods and 158 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: moods and this was in the Netherlands, and what they 159 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 1: were doing is they were taking twelve healthy individuals and 160 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: they all underwent four forty minute fmr I tests while 161 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: listening to music or viewing pictures that induced sad emotions. Now, 162 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: at the same time, all of these participants received an 163 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: infusion of either sailing or fatty acids directly into their stomachs. 164 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: This is where that the experiment really goes off the 165 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: rails because the other one, it's like, oh, you're writing 166 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: something and thinking about food, or or I can imagine 167 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: signing up for the study and thinking, oh, or they're 168 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: just gonna show at me like a large ventreer film 169 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 1: and then feed me some mashed potatoes. But no, they're 170 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 1: going to pump something directly into my stomach after I 171 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: watch it. That's in addition to the large one treier. 172 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, but what kind of movie theaters that Yeah, yeah, 173 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: I wonder if they did show Melancolia through them, because 174 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: that would be a really great film to try to 175 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: induce sadness. I have to say, um, but all all 176 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: of the participants had um completed a twelve hour fast, 177 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:55,719 Speaker 1: so they came with empty stomachs and they had no 178 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 1: idea what it was that was being put into their stomachs. Okay, 179 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: So there was alts indicated that subjects who received the 180 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: fatty infusion were less sad when viewing sad pictures or 181 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,679 Speaker 1: listening to sad music. And then the fmm f m 182 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: r I tests confirmed fewer neural responses to sadness in 183 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: several areas of the brain in this group. Wow. Again, 184 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 1: I'm still overwhelmed just by the weirdness of the experiment. 185 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: But but I guess it was important because they wanted 186 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: to cut out the actual eating of the food, and 187 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 1: I don't know, maybe they just really wanted to pump 188 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: stuff directly into the gut. Well, what they were also 189 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: trying to do is to say, hey, there's it's not 190 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: just the mind body link, it is the body mind link. 191 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: And we've talked about this before in our podcast about 192 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,199 Speaker 1: whether or not our guts are really our second brains, right, 193 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: And then of course when we're they really wanted to 194 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: look at the nutritional intake and when you eat food. 195 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: I mean, it's a no brainer, but there's a lot 196 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: going on. It's about it's about smelling the food that 197 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: you're eating. It's about the texture. I mentioned mashed potatoes, 198 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: and it's true a lot of a lot of the 199 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 1: comfort foods you encounter, it's like a creamy kind of 200 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 1: consistency to it. Um. I mean, some people may have 201 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 1: beef jerky as a comfort food. That's great, but a 202 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: lot of comfort foods are kind of like a smooth, 203 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: easy to eat kind of a thing. And again, just 204 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 1: having a story about that food as well, you can 205 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: circumvent that by just pumping stuff directly into the stomach. 206 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: It's also worth noting on that two thousand eleven University 207 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 1: of Buffalo study, they also had another experiment where they 208 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: found that eating chicken soup in the lab made people 209 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 1: think more about relationships if they consider chicken soup to 210 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: be a comfort food, which again comes down to my 211 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 1: argument that chicken soup, even when it's really good, isn't 212 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: really great because it's chicken soup if it's all about 213 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: the idea of it, Because like when I think of 214 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 1: chicken soup, I think of I'm I was, I'm feeling bad, 215 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: I'm feeling I mean there, you know, I'm under the weather, 216 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: and like my mom makes me chicken soup. It's like 217 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: it's the you can taste the love, right, It's somebody 218 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: making the time, taking the time to make this dish 219 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: that is all about, please get better and feel better 220 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:51,199 Speaker 1: because someone loves you. And I feel the same way, 221 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 1: like when my wife makes it for me when I 222 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: whenever i'm ill. You know it's funny about that is 223 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: that my mom doesn't cook, never really has cooked, so 224 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: but I have the same feelings about chicken soup even 225 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:04,719 Speaker 1: though I don't consume it now, because no, I was 226 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: gonna say I could look at a can of Campbell's 227 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: and feel a little warm cockles in the heart there. 228 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: Well yeah, well, you know, I think my mom I 229 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:13,960 Speaker 1: could be wrong in this, and I'm sure she'll correct 230 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: me when she hears this, but I think it would 231 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: like she would do like canned chicken soup as well, 232 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: because I mean she was busy as she did. I'm 233 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: trying to make a bunch of you know, who has 234 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: time to make like chicken stock from scratch in this 235 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: day in war and day and age. But I'm pretty 236 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 1: sure that was canned as well. But still it was 237 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 1: this was a thing that you had when you were sick, 238 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:30,320 Speaker 1: and if you had it and then somebody loved you 239 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: enough to at least open a can, and that was 240 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: the truth. If not boiled down the chicken carcass for 241 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:40,200 Speaker 1: hours and create fresh chicken stock, hey man, she she 242 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: did many other things I would say to help me 243 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: feel better. And I should also mention that, all right. 244 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 1: The eleven University of Bubble study, you mentioned the distinction 245 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 1: between people writing about new food experiences and people writing 246 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: about food experiences that they had all this comfort and 247 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: all these associations for but in some cases you do 248 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:01,679 Speaker 1: encounter people's comfort foods that are associated with new discoveries 249 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 1: because ultimately, like food is his very personal and also 250 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: kind of selfish thing, you know, so in some cases 251 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 1: it will be something that that we see as a 252 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: personal discovery. One of the articles I was looking at, 253 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: I think it was a psychology today, they mentioned, um, 254 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: the writer's husband went crazy for Sharaka, Like sharaka and 255 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,719 Speaker 1: anything it was a comfort food. Um. And certainly you 256 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: get some spicy and some sweet in there, and sharak 257 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 1: is amazing, But it's his whole thing was that this 258 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:28,680 Speaker 1: was something he had discovered. This was something that was 259 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:32,599 Speaker 1: totally totally him and didn't necessarily have a connection with 260 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: with his upbringing or his past. No, he just discovered 261 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,840 Speaker 1: that it was making the reward part of his brain 262 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,079 Speaker 1: go ding ding ding, really because he was getting a 263 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 1: little bit euphoric with a spice there. Um. And I 264 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: also think that too with new experiences and food, you know, 265 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 1: you'll pin that a lot of times to travel. So 266 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: you know, sometimes I'll think about things that I've eaten 267 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: and I will elevate them to the highest level because 268 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:57,079 Speaker 1: I think, oh, that I had that in Italy or whatever, 269 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 1: and it may not even actually be that great. Yeah, 270 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: but you still Again, it comes down to why I 271 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:05,559 Speaker 1: pump this stuff directly into the test subject stomach, Because again, 272 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 1: food comes to us with a story, food comes as 273 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: to us with a smell, with a texture on all 274 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: of these things that go beyond near nutrition. And what 275 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 1: we're talking about here too is really gaming a sense 276 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: of comfort. Of course, there is the food industry which 277 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: is really interesting in this idea of tweaking moods through food. 278 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: At the national meeting of the American Chemical Society, Karina 279 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 1: Martinez Mayorga presented the latest findings from her ongoing study 280 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 1: of the effect of various food flavors on mood. And 281 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: it turns out that molecules in chocolate, a variety of berries, 282 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: and then foods containing omega free fatty acids positively affect mood. 283 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: Um it was found, and this is really interesting. It 284 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 1: was found that the chemical components of these food flavors 285 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 1: are structurally similar to something called valporic acid, and this 286 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: is the primary ingredient in several pharmaceutical mood stabilizers. Of course, 287 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:01,559 Speaker 1: the research was supported in part by a food flavor 288 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:08,439 Speaker 1: company France based uh Roberte UH Flavors, and the scientists 289 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:12,840 Speaker 1: say that food industry companies are joining pharmaceutical companies in 290 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:18,320 Speaker 1: the quest for natural mood boosters. So they're not intending 291 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 1: this as a replacement for you know, for for treating 292 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: clinical depression, but they are saying like, maybe this could 293 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: give you a little extra pep in your step, right, 294 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 1: I mean, well, certainly there are a lot of fine 295 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: arguments out there that that a lot of problems with 296 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: health and even mental health um to a certain degree, 297 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 1: can be treated through a proper diet and an informed diet. 298 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: But again, yeah, I think of what comfort foods tend 299 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: to be. They can't be soft. They can be sweet, smooth, salty, 300 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: and uh like we mentioned sugar and starch. They spur serotonin, 301 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: your transmitter known to increase the sense of well being 302 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: like prozac. Um. Salty foods spur oxytocin, the cuttle chemical 303 00:14:57,760 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: that we talk about a lot that we also get 304 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: from hugs an orgasm, So you know, that's that's that 305 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: explains the saltiness there. Um fat is a good bomb 306 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: for the fear of starvation. So again you think back 307 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: to our naked caveman running through the Serengetti chase by 308 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 1: savor tooth tigers, a scenario that may or may not 309 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: actually pan out. Actually me on that too much, but 310 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: but still the idea that on a very primal level, 311 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:25,360 Speaker 1: we are creatures that are having to run fast to 312 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: get away from something or run fast to catch something. 313 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: We need the energy, We need the fat. So that's 314 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 1: why the fat is such a bomb for fear we're 315 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: not gonna starve, if we're not going to be eaten 316 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: on a very primitive level. You know that drives home well. 317 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: And you know, it's interesting that you mentioned the fat 318 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: because it takes me back to the podcast that we 319 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 1: did on gluttony and all of that research about how 320 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:49,080 Speaker 1: when we lose weight, our body actually begins to game 321 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: the body to to try to get back at the 322 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: old level because of this fear of losing fat. And 323 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 1: in fact, people who lose I think it was something 324 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 1: of their body weight have to exercise even harder than 325 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: their counterpart who didn't lose weight, but they weigh the 326 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: same amount um simply because the body won't burn as 327 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 1: many calories because again, it wants to get back to 328 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: that set weight that it knows, and it also begins 329 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 1: to crave more fatty foods. Yeah, and we, as we 330 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: discussed before, and as it and as countless food documentaries 331 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: point out, we live in an age now where all 332 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: the fat you want just walk down to the storm 333 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: by it. All of salty you want, I'll sweet you want. Generally, 334 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: all these things are actually available in one bag at 335 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: your local fast food restaurant. But of course we didn't 336 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: evolve into that scenario. You know, that's not that's not 337 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: the natural availability of these various elements. Yeah. Actually saw 338 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 1: something the other day. It was it was about weight 339 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 1: loss and a group of people who had had lost weight, 340 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: and it said, we'll work for less food. And I thought, well, 341 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: if that's not a commentary on the abundance of food 342 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 1: in the world right now, as well as a commentary 343 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: and some other stuff I don't know what is um. 344 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: Then again, we're talking about this concept of gaming comfort, 345 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: and you guys out there are probably familiar with this 346 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 1: study because I think it got a lot of play. 347 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 1: But this idea that comfort also comes externally so and 348 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 1: actually affects our moods in ways that we might just 349 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:20,159 Speaker 1: make favorable decisions about others and what I'm talking about 350 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:25,119 Speaker 1: is um the warm mug of liquid study. Do you 351 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: know which when I'm talking about where the participants were 352 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:31,919 Speaker 1: given a warm mug of coffee, I believe to hold 353 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:35,640 Speaker 1: just for a few moments and to think about someone 354 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: that they may not have particularly had warm feelings about, 355 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: but talk about them as they were holding the warm cup. 356 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: And then participants were given uh an iced coffee to hold. Okay, 357 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 1: so now they were holding something that's cold. And so 358 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: it turns out that those people who held the mugs 359 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 1: of hot Joe, we're much more likely to perceive others 360 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 1: as having warmer personality traits. Well, this is basically this 361 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 1: is the hot coco phenomenon here because with hot cocoa, well, 362 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:11,359 Speaker 1: first of all, are getting that chocolate that's sweet, so 363 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: you're you're turning on some various new transmitters there. Uh. 364 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 1: Some people like like their their hot chocolate little salty, 365 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 1: so you've got that going on, uh, giving you a 366 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: little little oxytocin. And then of course it is a 367 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: warm mug of goodness that you're having generally with friends 368 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:29,120 Speaker 1: or family or loved ones while you're interacting with them. 369 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: So it tends to uh to color an even warmer 370 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 1: uh interpersonal relationship. Well, and you know it could be 371 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: anybody then this this study which is really interesting. They 372 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: could to be talking about co worker, they could be 373 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 1: talking about their neighbor, or they could be talking about 374 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:46,440 Speaker 1: a family member. And this is one of those examples 375 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 1: that neuroscientists David Eagleman talks about um when he's questions 376 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:53,919 Speaker 1: whether or not we actually have free will. And what 377 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 1: I mean is that if a warm mug of coffee 378 00:18:56,520 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 1: subconsciously makes you feel better about the person you're talking 379 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 1: into while you're holding the coffee, um, then what sort 380 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:08,360 Speaker 1: of decisions might follow after that interaction or during that interaction. Well, 381 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 1: this this reminds me, actually reminds me of times where 382 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: we've dragged our recorder Matt in here, our editor, producer, 383 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: director general, a man of our times, and sometimes we 384 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:23,480 Speaker 1: drag him in a ridiculous hours to try and get 385 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: an episode recorded. And sometimes you'll you'll give him coffee 386 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 1: and I thought you were just being nice, but you 387 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: were manipulating him by giving him this warm beverage so 388 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 1: that he can't help but think will warm thoughts then 389 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: about us and not hate us for dragging him in 390 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:42,119 Speaker 1: it like five in the morning. Thanks for taking that down. No, really, 391 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: it was. It's all coming from my heart, my warm, 392 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 1: warm heart. But still this is a good This is 393 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: a good trick that we should all exploit in our lives. 394 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: You're going in for a tough meeting, or you want 395 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:53,399 Speaker 1: to just go for a job interview, you bring some 396 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:56,639 Speaker 1: hot coffee, some hot coco something, some hot tea, anything 397 00:19:56,680 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: that'll that'll get the room warm, and do not let 398 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: that job interview take place outside on a November day. Okay, 399 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: So if you doubt this idea that a warm beverage 400 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 1: or even just the warmth itself, it doesn't affect how 401 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:17,119 Speaker 1: we feel. Um. Consider a study by Harry Harlow involving primates. 402 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: Oh yes, this is the great one where they it 403 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,640 Speaker 1: was with maccaques, I believe, and uh and you've seen 404 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: the photos because there terrifying, depressing, depressing where they have 405 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 1: the baby macaques and they're they're they're given the choice 406 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:31,480 Speaker 1: of two or they tested out in two different environments. 407 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 1: One there's this metal framework mother that that is there 408 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: to distribute milk through a nipple, right, and it's just 409 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:44,639 Speaker 1: this metal framework, and then there's nothing monkey is about it. Ye, 410 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: vaguely monkey shaped, I guess if you really want to 411 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:49,399 Speaker 1: get creative. But for the most part it's like metal 412 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: thing with a nipple that feeds baby monkey. But then 413 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:54,879 Speaker 1: then the other part of the test is cover that 414 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: with fur and you have a sort of fake monkey 415 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: with a nipple. It's it's soft, it's agly monkey ish, 416 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,200 Speaker 1: but it's covered in fur. And which one do you 417 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,920 Speaker 1: think the macaques prefer? Now? This one that had the fur. 418 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 1: The cloth was heated with a light bulb as well. Yes, yes, 419 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 1: so it's soft and furry but warm. So the surrogate 420 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: that gets the most play is of course the one 421 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: that has the light bulb in it, because it turns 422 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: out that the baby maccaux, although they would run and 423 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:25,479 Speaker 1: they would get the milk from the other surrogate when 424 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 1: they were really hungry, they prefer to spend time with 425 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:32,879 Speaker 1: the warm surrogate and cling to it, which tells you 426 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 1: that there's there's something just inherent to this, this feeling 427 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: of warmth and comfort in our ability to survive. And 428 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:42,640 Speaker 1: it reminds me of a of a study you sent 429 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: me as we were looking into this podcast as well 430 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: about the whole cold hands, warm heart thing which have tomit. 431 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: I've never heard that saying, but apparently it's a saying 432 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: cold hands, warm heart. There's a song too, really but 433 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:56,200 Speaker 1: I can't remember, but it comes on the system every 434 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: once in a while. Okay, Well, but the idea is 435 00:21:58,080 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: that if I guess, if you shake hands with somebody 436 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 1: as a really cold hand, it's okay because it means 437 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 1: their heart is so warm, they're so full of warmth 438 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 1: in their heart they can love for their fellow man. 439 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: That is actually affecting blood flow to their out to 440 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: their limbs, apparently, which I've never heard because because it 441 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: sounds ridiculous to me, because it sounds like people with 442 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 1: cold fish hands. This is like propaganda they put out, 443 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:22,119 Speaker 1: you know, like like C e O S and whatnot, 444 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:24,680 Speaker 1: where they're like, oh, people think I'm horrible just because 445 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 1: my hand is a piece of impersonal ice that I 446 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:30,920 Speaker 1: shove it people. Uh, maybe we should get some some 447 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 1: some data out there that the opposite. We don't normally 448 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:40,400 Speaker 1: um shake, but I think we should right now. So 449 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: everything you just describe my friend is me, and I 450 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:44,439 Speaker 1: will tell you that even before I knew him, at 451 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 1: the song cold heart, cold heart, Warm hands, I used 452 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 1: to say to my husband, cold heart, warm hands. Um. 453 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 1: So it turns out you were wrong in science? Is there? 454 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:55,200 Speaker 1: Because because because in the study they actually looked into 455 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 1: a two thousand and eight researchers Lawrence Williams and John 456 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: bra they actually debunked this and then found that the 457 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: physical warmth activates concepts of interpersonal warmth. And it's very 458 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: much in keeping with the whole iron mother fury warm 459 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: mother scenario. I know, I know, so it boils down 460 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: to actually pour circulation from me. Um. But but I 461 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: thought it was interesting because I think that in the article, 462 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: the question was whether or not people would perceive your handshake, 463 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:25,160 Speaker 1: your your cold dead handshake as is in a negative 464 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 1: light and then inform their feelings about you that way, 465 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 1: much in the way that the mug of warm coffee 466 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:36,640 Speaker 1: made people feel friendlier. Couldn't do the opposite. So here's 467 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:39,199 Speaker 1: another idea to gain the system. Next time you go 468 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:41,639 Speaker 1: into a job interview or whatnot, if you know that 469 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:43,159 Speaker 1: you have the cold hands, or even just to be 470 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,200 Speaker 1: on the safe side, do a little palm rubbing there, 471 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,240 Speaker 1: get it all warmed up, and then then impress them 472 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 1: with your loving handshake. That's what I do before I 473 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 1: hugged my daughter so that she doesn't run in terror 474 00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 1: from me. All Right, we should probably take a break. 475 00:23:57,280 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 1: When we get back, we're going to talk about automating company. 476 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:08,920 Speaker 1: All right, we're back. So we were talking about the 477 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:12,400 Speaker 1: about the experiment with maccaques, about the the iron mother 478 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: that's cold and loveless, and the the lightbulb powered furry 479 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:19,439 Speaker 1: mother that all the little maccaques go crazy for. And 480 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 1: of course we've discussed this a little bit in the 481 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: past when we've talked about robots. Yeah, we've talked about 482 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:29,520 Speaker 1: robots hugging you. And the reason is is because hugging 483 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:32,880 Speaker 1: is obviously very comforting. And in fact, one study showed 484 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 1: that when people engage in a hug for twenty seconds 485 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:40,159 Speaker 1: or longer, that actually reduces their cortisol levels their stress 486 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 1: levels pretty significantly. And this is why you you said 487 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 1: you always hold your husband in for twenty seconds, like 488 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 1: count to twenty and don't let him escape until you 489 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:51,200 Speaker 1: hit twenty. Yeah, which he kind of tries to wriggle from, 490 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 1: but then he lovingly submitted to my embrace. But yeah, 491 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: this is a really quick life hack. So of course, 492 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 1: what do we do whenever we are trying to figure 493 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,399 Speaker 1: out something that we do human wise, we look to 494 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: the robots to see if we can do something similar. 495 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 1: And there's something called the hug shirt, which I believe 496 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:13,440 Speaker 1: we've talked about before. This is a Bluetooth enabled shirt 497 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 1: made by the UK's Cute Circuit and it uses embedded 498 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:21,399 Speaker 1: sensors and actuators to simulate a hug. Yes, so you 499 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 1: could get the same effect. Um. There is the Hug Machine, 500 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: which was designed by Temple Grandin and um, that is 501 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:32,640 Speaker 1: a deep pressure device designed to calm hyper sensitive people. Yes, 502 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:34,399 Speaker 1: and that's, by the way, the Temple grand In movie. 503 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 1: Great movie. I highly recommend that. Yeah, that is really great. 504 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:41,199 Speaker 1: I can who's the actress who played that? Um, Claire Danes, right, 505 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:46,880 Speaker 1: who a lot of you know from Homeland. She's yeah, yeah, 506 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 1: she did a phenomenal job in that. Um. So there 507 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:51,800 Speaker 1: are these different ways that we have tried to create 508 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 1: the hug. But what do you do if you're beyond 509 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:59,160 Speaker 1: the hug, If you're in a situation where you are 510 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: actually taking the last breaths of life and you need comfort. Well, 511 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 1: a few of possibilities come to mind. Self hug, which 512 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,400 Speaker 1: may not be possible, and that might not actually work 513 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:12,720 Speaker 1: because generally the self hug is something you do just 514 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 1: to convince other people that you're making out with somebody 515 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 1: when you're kent right. Uh. And then I guess you 516 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: could if you had like say, you could if you 517 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: had a pet python, you could unleash the python on 518 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:29,439 Speaker 1: you in those final moments because get a combination of 519 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,439 Speaker 1: things there, embrace quick demise and uh. And then you 520 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 1: also ultimately feed a giant snake. But but you're probably 521 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 1: but what you're getting at here, I'm sure is that 522 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:43,360 Speaker 1: we should have a robot that that enters into the scenario, 523 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 1: that enters the room of our dying and actually tends 524 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 1: to our final emotional needs. Yep. This is the Last 525 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 1: Moment Bought or the end of life care Machine, which 526 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:56,119 Speaker 1: was made by artists and designer Dan chen Uh. He 527 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: made this because he wanted to try to present in 528 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 1: an extreme example of a world where machines fill in 529 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: for humans. And now keep in mind too that we've 530 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: talked about caregiving robots, so that art this is his 531 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 1: idea is is I'm going to create some art that's 532 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,879 Speaker 1: going to generate discussion. It's still very much in keeping 533 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:16,640 Speaker 1: with stuff that's going on today, because we've talked about 534 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 1: robots that are being designed to help elderly people around 535 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:23,440 Speaker 1: to help them use the restroom. Not only the elder really, 536 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 1: but injured individuals as well, to care for them in 537 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:29,760 Speaker 1: a hospital environment. So it's art, but it's it's like 538 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:32,200 Speaker 1: all great art. It has a lot of ties into 539 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:37,600 Speaker 1: our real current position and our near future reality. Um 540 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:41,320 Speaker 1: it is Uh, I think the robot in the art 541 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:47,439 Speaker 1: installation is incredibly depressing. Yes, well that's your argument. I 542 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:54,200 Speaker 1: I interpreted it differently. Um, and we should we should describe. Um. 543 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:56,560 Speaker 1: So you're dying, all right, You're in this hospital room 544 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,399 Speaker 1: by yourself. That's important to note here. You're in this 545 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: room by yourself. And then uh, in your your your 546 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:05,639 Speaker 1: signs are being monitored by this machine. And suddenly it 547 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:09,119 Speaker 1: realizes that you or your death is imminent. So what happens. 548 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 1: It turns on the last moment robot and it wheels 549 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:15,879 Speaker 1: itself over to you there and you're you're soon to 550 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:18,400 Speaker 1: be deathbed and and what does it do? Well, first 551 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 1: of all, it actually embraces you a little bit. There 552 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,439 Speaker 1: are some hug mechanics that go on. It kind of 553 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 1: looks like it's rolling dough out of your arm. But 554 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:29,040 Speaker 1: the idea is that it's supposed to feel like like 555 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:31,200 Speaker 1: an embrace, like somebody's roping your arm. But now we're 556 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 1: talking about this plastic kind of arm thing that it doesn't. 557 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,160 Speaker 1: There's nothing very human looking about it. It's all about 558 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 1: the sensation. And then the robot actually speaks to you. 559 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: The robots says, I am the Last Moment Robot. I 560 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 1: am here to help you and guide you through your 561 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: last moment on Earth. I am sorry that your family 562 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: and friends can't be with you right now, but don't 563 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 1: be afraid. I am here to comfort you. You are 564 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,760 Speaker 1: not alone. You are with me. Your family and friends 565 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,160 Speaker 1: love you very much. They will remember you after you 566 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:08,600 Speaker 1: are gone. Sucker. No, it actually kind of sounded like how. 567 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 1: For a second, I was going for a little bit 568 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: of how, a little bit of David. Yeah, I was 569 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 1: gonna say, Okay, so what what do you find comforting 570 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:20,239 Speaker 1: about that? Okay? So I actually like just reading that. 571 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 1: I feel my heart strings. Kind of not reading it 572 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,240 Speaker 1: out loud because it makes it sounds like I really 573 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 1: love the son of my own voice, but just reading 574 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: it on the page. When I first read the article 575 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 1: about this piece. It connected with me, you know, because 576 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: I'm because it actually reminds me. I mentioned Boards of 577 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 1: Canada earlier. The UK Electronic Doo do a lot of 578 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 1: very nostalgic, ethereal sounding electronic idem soundscapes. They have a 579 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,479 Speaker 1: track called an Eagle in Your Mind off the album 580 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 1: Music Has the Right Has the Right to Children, and 581 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,160 Speaker 1: it's it's kind of a kind of a somber piece 582 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 1: at first, and then it and then it picks up 583 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 1: and there's a voice sample in there where it's kind 584 00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 1: of a computer e voice. It says I love you. 585 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 1: And every time I hear that, even though I know 586 00:30:00,920 --> 00:30:03,440 Speaker 1: it's just a sample, there's something about it where I'm like, oh, 587 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: somebody loves me, you know, it like it It's still 588 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 1: connects with you. And I got that same feeling from 589 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 1: from reading and in the video hearing the last moment 590 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 1: robots final words to the dying. Even though it's just 591 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: some sort of speech to text kind of scenario going 592 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 1: on there, it's still I feel like it's still resonates 593 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:24,400 Speaker 1: with you, you know. Okay, I understand that abstractly, but 594 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: I still feel like it's such a personal thing and 595 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 1: you want to feel connected, right, Because if you're drawing 596 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,000 Speaker 1: your last breaths here on earth, wouldn't you want to 597 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:36,080 Speaker 1: feel as though you were somehow pinned to the center 598 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 1: of it in some way through another person, through someone's eyes. 599 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 1: To see the light go out in someone's eyes is 600 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: just incredibly personal thing. So I can't I mean, you 601 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:47,720 Speaker 1: make it sound like it's it's to be like it 602 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: needs to like find a dying person today and go 603 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 1: look into their eyes when they die. Oh no, no, no, no, 604 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:55,400 Speaker 1: I don't breathing their soul. And it's wonderful. Know what 605 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:57,400 Speaker 1: I mean is for the person who is dying and 606 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 1: for the person or persons who are losing this person. 607 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 1: It's uh to me, my mind would be preferable to 608 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,640 Speaker 1: have the human connection. Okay, well, I would imagine the 609 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: human connection is ideal. Certainly, if I were given the 610 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:14,480 Speaker 1: choice between saying goodbye or being or having a loved 611 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 1: one tell me goodbye and a robot, I would probably 612 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:20,440 Speaker 1: go with the human Uh. Though it should be said 613 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:22,720 Speaker 1: at least the robots keeping it together here, the robots 614 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: like a saint, the robots like a like a priest 615 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 1: giving you last riots. That's done this many times before. 616 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:31,160 Speaker 1: And can at least fake beings sincere about it while 617 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:33,560 Speaker 1: also not losing it because you know you don't want 618 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 1: you also don't want the robot. There's probably not a 619 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:38,680 Speaker 1: setting for the for the last moment robot where it 620 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:41,080 Speaker 1: just loses it and it's like, oh, please don't die. 621 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:44,240 Speaker 1: And well maybe there is, because you know, if that were, 622 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 1: if that were to actually come to fruition, they would 623 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: obviously the people who created the robot would want to 624 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:52,240 Speaker 1: try to simulate the experience so that you could draw 625 00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:54,720 Speaker 1: as much comfort from And some people might draw comfort 626 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 1: from the field because the message of the robot it's 627 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:59,720 Speaker 1: pretty straight. But it's like, hey, you're dying. It's cool. 628 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 1: Everyone does this. You had a good life, everyone loved you, 629 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 1: and now it's time to turn it off. Yeah, I'm 630 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,280 Speaker 1: just saying I would feel jipped. I'd be like, really, 631 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: you're the last thing that I see. But but if 632 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: the alternative though, Think if the alternative though is dying 633 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:18,800 Speaker 1: in a room by yourself or being vaguely attended to 634 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:22,760 Speaker 1: by an overworked caregiver who may or may not be 635 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 1: able to muster some thake enthusiasm or legitimate enthusiasm and 636 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:30,560 Speaker 1: enthusiasm isn't the right word, um, compassion for for your 637 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 1: last moments. Then I can see that the robot is 638 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 1: being the preferred method. Okay, true, true. UM. Here's one 639 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:40,280 Speaker 1: situation that I will get behind though, and this is 640 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: this idea that you could seek a virtual psychologist. And 641 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 1: we've actually mentioned this before, but NASA in their program 642 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:51,560 Speaker 1: called the Virtual Space Station Psychologist just came out of 643 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: It's for Your Pilot program to try to UM have 644 00:32:57,000 --> 00:33:00,640 Speaker 1: some of their participants really reach out to this virtual 645 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: psychologist and gained some self help care. Yeah, it's UM. 646 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 1: It's essentially the idea we're talking about here is you're 647 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:10,240 Speaker 1: on a long distance space journey, or you're in space 648 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:12,400 Speaker 1: for a while. You may or may not. Maybe you're alone, 649 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: maybe you're dealing with a small group of people, but 650 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:16,959 Speaker 1: as we've discussed before, that's a very intimate environment, and 651 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,520 Speaker 1: also you're dealing with a lot of biological funk that's 652 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 1: gonna be going on. It is your body adjust a 653 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:25,400 Speaker 1: life in a semi waitless environment, and the best case 654 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:27,360 Speaker 1: is being locked away with a group of people is 655 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 1: gonna get old. But then throw in a lot of 656 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 1: vomit and it's just gonna get worse. So maybe you 657 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: have a laptop in a room. It's kind of like 658 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:38,720 Speaker 1: the confessional room you know in the reality shows where 659 00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:40,880 Speaker 1: you go in and you uh, either you talk to 660 00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:42,880 Speaker 1: this thing and you actually have some back and forth interaction, 661 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:45,760 Speaker 1: or perhaps it's more like a questionnaire multiple choice like 662 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:49,000 Speaker 1: how are you doing today? A for great, B for okay, 663 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 1: or C four I want to launch Carl out of 664 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:55,560 Speaker 1: the airlock and uh, and then the the machine will 665 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:57,400 Speaker 1: ask you, well, why do you want to launch Carl 666 00:33:57,440 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 1: out of the airlock, and you're like, well, he's been 667 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,480 Speaker 1: I feel like he's just been kind of cold recently, 668 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 1: and I'm reaching out to you know. A part of 669 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:08,440 Speaker 1: it is like let's get the astronaut actually processing some 670 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:10,960 Speaker 1: of this and setting it stead they're just brooding inside you. 671 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:15,920 Speaker 1: And then also it could consuverably launch some some tips 672 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 1: grounded in actual psychology at you give you some text 673 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 1: to read about what you're feeling or what you should 674 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:23,799 Speaker 1: be feeling. Yeah. The idea is that these virtual psychologists 675 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,719 Speaker 1: provide a problem solving treatment. And so I'm not discounting 676 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:31,000 Speaker 1: you know, um flesh psychologist, because I think there are 677 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:34,360 Speaker 1: many many talented ones, but some of the success that 678 00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 1: I think that happens in UM therapy is that it's 679 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 1: the talking here. It's a lot of people sort of 680 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 1: talking through the problems and in doing so finding areas 681 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:47,719 Speaker 1: that they need to work on or areas that they 682 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:50,319 Speaker 1: can find solutions for. Because if you've ever been, if 683 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:52,800 Speaker 1: you've been to a therapist and UM and I highly 684 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:55,440 Speaker 1: recommend it if you if you're even considering it, if 685 00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:56,799 Speaker 1: you think, oh, maybe I should go up to a 686 00:34:56,840 --> 00:34:59,480 Speaker 1: therapist for this, then do seriously consider because it can 687 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 1: be very helpful. But there's certainly there are times where 688 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 1: you might find yourself thinking, hey, this isn't like on TV. 689 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:06,680 Speaker 1: This person is not telling me how to solve my problems. 690 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 1: A lot of this is me talking through it and 691 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:12,799 Speaker 1: someone nodding and writing something down and interjecting a little bit. 692 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:14,480 Speaker 1: It's easy for people to make fun of that and 693 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:16,680 Speaker 1: belittle it and say like it was just me doing 694 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:19,759 Speaker 1: all the work, but that's kind of what happening. It 695 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 1: facilitates you actually working through what you're feeling. Well, and 696 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:28,280 Speaker 1: ideally these this program would have the sort of UM 697 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:31,759 Speaker 1: great sophisticated feedback that you might get from from a 698 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:35,080 Speaker 1: human psychologist. UM in the works. You know, hopefully this 699 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 1: will be something that will come online later. But I 700 00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 1: did want to mention that twenty nine current and former 701 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 1: astronauts have been consulted for the project and the trial 702 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:45,040 Speaker 1: has shown pretty good results in treating depression. And this 703 00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:48,440 Speaker 1: is according to James Cartrione. He's a clinical psychologist at 704 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:52,880 Speaker 1: Harvard Medical School. And uh, future tests with firefighters and 705 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 1: e m t s could help launch a more widespread 706 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:58,960 Speaker 1: use of the self help software and eventually bring it 707 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,719 Speaker 1: to the public. Yeah, and just a quick example from 708 00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:08,879 Speaker 1: real life of actual interpersonal tension causing problems for space flights. 709 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:12,360 Speaker 1: A mission on Russia's Solute seven space station was scrapped 710 00:36:12,719 --> 00:36:15,839 Speaker 1: after colleagues noticed the commander seemed uninterested in his work 711 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 1: and spent hours looking out of the window on the ship. 712 00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 1: And in three years earlier, a mission on the same 713 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:24,920 Speaker 1: station was somewhat hampered by tension between two astronauts. So 714 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:28,120 Speaker 1: also maybe it was haunted. I don't know that that 715 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: could be a possible as well, but no, I mean, 716 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:34,120 Speaker 1: I guess the underscores the reason why you need to 717 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 1: have people feel as good as they can up there 718 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:40,839 Speaker 1: on their missions, because obviously a lot of things could 719 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:42,960 Speaker 1: go wrong, all right. So there you go a little, 720 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:45,360 Speaker 1: a little insight into comfort and what it is. Is 721 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:48,920 Speaker 1: it certainly as you're seeking out comfort this holiday season 722 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,160 Speaker 1: or the next, or just after a tough day at 723 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:53,520 Speaker 1: the office or a breakup or whatever. Because we didn't 724 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,160 Speaker 1: even mention ice cream after a breakup, right, I mean, 725 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:59,400 Speaker 1: that's another motif that you write. You never did that. 726 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 1: I don't understand that because cold, it is cold, yeah, 727 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:07,680 Speaker 1: but it's but it's also fatty and sweet cold comfort. Yeah, okay. 728 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:09,359 Speaker 1: So I want to leave out with just a couple 729 00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:11,760 Speaker 1: of quotes here about comfort and about our our search 730 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 1: for comfort in life. First of all, here's a little 731 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:17,200 Speaker 1: bit from C. S. Lewis. He said, if you look 732 00:37:17,239 --> 00:37:19,759 Speaker 1: for truth, you may find comfort. In the end, if 733 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 1: you look for comfort, you will not get either comfort 734 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:25,840 Speaker 1: or truth, only soft soap and wichful thinking to begin, 735 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:29,240 Speaker 1: and in the end despair. And then our good buddy 736 00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:32,840 Speaker 1: Aristotle said, we live in deeds, not years, in thoughts, 737 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:35,840 Speaker 1: not breaths, in feelings, not in figures on a dial. 738 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:39,640 Speaker 1: We should not count time by heart throbs. He most lives, 739 00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:42,719 Speaker 1: who thinks, most feels, the noblest, acts the best. Also 740 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:46,440 Speaker 1: wanted to thank Mike See for writing in and asking 741 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:49,720 Speaker 1: us to do a program about the science of comfort. 742 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:52,360 Speaker 1: So take all that with you as you eat some 743 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:55,960 Speaker 1: comforting foods and do some comforting things. And we would 744 00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:57,560 Speaker 1: love to hear from you guys if you want to 745 00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:01,040 Speaker 1: write in about things that you could comfort from, and 746 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:04,759 Speaker 1: more importantly your analysis on on what is comforting and 747 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:09,200 Speaker 1: why is it comforting? What memories, what personal history is 748 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:12,840 Speaker 1: wrapped up in that particular item, thing or experience, and 749 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:15,359 Speaker 1: then uh, what about the science of it? Is there 750 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:17,840 Speaker 1: is there's something salty? Is this is something sweet? Is 751 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 1: it releasing oxytocin into you? Let us know about all 752 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:22,759 Speaker 1: of that. We love to hear from people. You can 753 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:24,880 Speaker 1: find us on Facebook and you can find us on tumbler. 754 00:38:25,120 --> 00:38:26,759 Speaker 1: We are stuff to blow your mind on both of 755 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:28,880 Speaker 1: those and on Facebook game certainly give us a like. 756 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:31,879 Speaker 1: We can always use a little more support, and if 757 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:33,440 Speaker 1: you want to find us on Twitter, we're on there 758 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:36,600 Speaker 1: as well, and our handle is blow the Mind. Also, 759 00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:38,840 Speaker 1: if you have any thoughts on the last moment thought, 760 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:41,319 Speaker 1: you can always drop us a line at below the 761 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:50,319 Speaker 1: Mind at Discovery dot com. For more on this and 762 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:52,880 Speaker 1: thousands of other topics. Is it how stuff works. Dot 763 00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:58,120 Speaker 1: com