Because I'm Happy

What makes you truly happy? Are you generally a happy person? Happiness is one of the oldest emotions to be studied but was long ignored by the scientific community. Maybe it was because of its frivolousness, or maybe it was because its difficult to find happiness in animal models? Recently, happiness research has entered a renaissance as researchers turn to functional imaging and other new techniques to look inside the brain while we experience pleasantness, pleasure and everything this side of happy. I speak with Dita Cavdarbasha about happiness and the brain.

Happiness and the Brain

Music is provided by Ben Sound and called, "Country Boy" and offered through the Creative Commons License 

Bird Brains Helmet

Bird Brains! No one want to have bird brains, well, now maybe you do. Research on woodpeckers has found that slight restriction of the jugular vein keeps a little more brain in your skull so your brain doesn't slosh around so much. Without this sloshing, clinical trials has found a significant reduction in the number and severity of concussion like syndromes. With bird brains helmet, you'll be able to be like a woodpecker out on the field and hit your head against hard objects all day, everyday.

Disclaimer: This is a work of satire. In the tradition of A Prairie Home Companion, this ad, among others, will form the backbone of the underwriting and sponsorship of my podcast.

Fear, Phobias and the Amygdala

Almost everyone is afraid of something and almost everyone has had a frightening experience. Of all the emotions we experience, none feel quite as primordial as the breath catching, heart-rate rocketing, muscle tensing moment of fear. In today's show I talk to Yannick Villaneuva who is researching the brain and its role in fears and phobias.

How Phobias Hack Your Brain

Music is provided by The Amygdaloids - Brainstorm - The Amygdaloids are lead by fear researcher Joe Ledoux

Color Tinted Glasses

Are you color blind? How do you know? Well search for the Ishihara Color Test plates right now and then come back. Alright, so did you get a lot of questions wrong, then these glasses are for you. Color Tinted Glasses filter visible light to compensate for your deficient photoreceptors. It doesn't matter if your green or M-cones are shifted to the right or your red L-cones are shifted to the left, our glasses use patent pending technology to filter out light between where your L and M-cones are close to overlapping to give you more distinct green and red perception. With Color Tinted Glasses you'll be able to use more than the brightness and positioning of the lights at a stoplight. Color Tinted Glasses, see the whole spectrum.

Disclaimer: This is a work of satire. In the tradition of A Prairie Home Companion, this ad, among others, will form the backbone of the underwriting and sponsorship of my podcast.

Lie to Me - Facial Recognition and Emotion Detection

Do you have trouble reading others' emotions? Can you not see into their soul through their eyes. Well worry no more. Lie to Me, based on the fundamental work of Paul Eckman, recognizes facial expressions and emotions and even tells you whether the emotion on the face matches their emotion that their feeling with over 50% accuracy. This technology will revolutionize the business world, the dating scene and everything in between. Don't get lost in emotions again and dare people to Lie to Me.


Disclaimer: This is a work of satire. In the tradition of A Prairie Home Companion, this ad, among others, will form the backbone of the underwriting and sponsorship of my podcast.

PC - Pocket Computer

PC you ask, personal computer? No one uses those any more with phones, phablets, tablets, 2 in 1s, and laptop. Well, the pocket computer is all of those and none of those. Its an AI in your pocket and in your ear. Pocket computer is constantly listening and remembering. "Do you remember what we're doing on Friday?" You don't, but PC does and it lets you know instantaneously! Do you need help speaking with someone in another language, PC translates their speech and tells you how to speak back to them! Who needs a brain in your head, when you have one in your pocket, the PC, pocket computer.

Disclaimer: This is a work of satire. In the tradition of A Prairie Home Companion, this ad, among others, will form the backbone of the underwriting and sponsorship of my podcast.

Dopa-MINE

Do you feel down or maybe blue, then this drug is for you. Don't waste your time with traditional anti-depressants, because this isn't one. This the the happy pill for everyone, everyday. Think of your happiest moments in life. How often do they occur? Every few weeks, months, maybe years. Well take those times and make them everyday. Targeting your brain's hedonic and eudaimonic networks, out pill makes everyday a happy day.

Disclaimer: This is a work of satire. In the tradition of A Prairie Home Companion, this ad, among others, will form the backbone of the underwriting and sponsorship of my podcast.