Messy Minded Podcast

Cronin et al. (2014) – Visual ecology (UV vision in animals)What if you can’t fully trust your own brain?In this episode of Messy Minded, we explore how the brain builds reality through perception, memory, and emotion—and how that process can sometimes go wrong. From sensory perception and optical illusions to false memories, cognitive bias, and the neuroscience behind how we interpret the world, your mind is constantly filling in gaps with its best guess.We’ll look at how memory reconsolidation can change your past, why eyewitness testimony isn’t always reliable, and how psychological phenomena like the McGurk effect and Pareidolia reveal the limits of human perception.We’ll also dive into sensory deprivation, hallucinations, and moral psychology—exploring how even your emotions and sense of right and wrong can be influenced by physical sensations like disgust.Your brain is an incredible prediction machine… but it doesn’t show you reality—it constructs it.And sometimes?It gets it wrong.@MessyMindedPodSources:Anil Seth – Being You: A New Science of ConsciousnessCronin et al. (2014) – Visual ecology (UV vision in animals)Orfield Laboratories (Minneapolis) – Anechoic chamber research & demonstrationsEskine et al. (2013) – Ginger reducing disgust → more lenient judgmentsMany thanks for music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", “Quirky Sneaky”, “Quirky Sneaky Mystery”, “Quirky Sneaky Comedy” Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikov, "spellcraft" by Geoff Harvey.

Jess takes us back to 1976, when a routine maintenance job inside the Korean Demilitarized Zone spiraled into one of the most bizarre and dangerous standoffs of the Cold War.What started with a tree blocking a line of sight quickly escalated into violence, a tense military confrontation, and one of the most heavily armed “landscaping” operations in history.In this Messy Morsel, we head into the Joint Security Area of the DMZ—where North and South Korean forces stood face-to-face, tensions ran high, and even the smallest actions could carry enormous consequences.Because in a place like that…nothing is ever just about a tree.@MessyMindedIf you want to ready more on the topics - check these out:United Nations Command historical summaries on the Korean DMZ incidentU.S. Army Center of Military History – Operation Paul Bunyan overviewNews World Encyclopedia – Korean DMZ & Joint Security Area historyBlaxland, John. The Joint Security Area at Panmunjom (Australian National University)Oberdorfer, Don. The Two Koreas: A Contemporary HistoryVarious historical accounts and declassified Cold War materials on the 1976 Korean Axe Murder Incident Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", "funny Comedy Kids", and The Mountain for "Quirky Sneaky Mystery", “Lucky go Lightly Quirky” by Geoff Harvey, and "Tension" by Alex Grohl

What do a resurrection story, a rabbit delivering eggs, and aggressively pastel candy have in common?Easter… apparently.In this Messy Morsel, Jess digs into the strange mix of traditions behind one of the most confusing holidays of the year—tracing its roots through ancient spring rituals, shifting beliefs, and a few ideas that somehow just stuck around.It’s a little history, a little myth, and a reminder that even the messiest traditions tend to circle back to something deeply human.Primary reference to Bede (De Temporum Ratione, 8th century) for “Eosturmonath” and Eostre; broader context from Ronald Hutton (The Stations of the Sun) on seasonal festivals and pre-Christian traditions; general scholarship on Germanic spring rituals and fertility symbolism; Eastern Orthodox traditions for red-dyed eggs and resurrection symbolism; German folklore (16th–17th century) for the “Osterhase” and early Easter hare traditions; development of modern Easter customs (chocolate eggs, candy, baskets) tied to 19th–20th century European and American confectionery industry and consumer culture.A big thank you for our music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", “Celtic Handmaiden” by Geoff Harvey, Easter Day Spring Music" by Andrii G, "Quirky Children Music" by , "Funny Comedy Kids" by

In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess walks through her full cognitive assessment — from interviews and computer tests to memory drills. Along the way she is joined by Sam and Scott and they explore how ADHD can present in adults and how highly structured systems can sometimes mask attention differences.Jess reflects on what the testing revealed, the coping structures she’s built over the years, and what it means to understand your brain a little better.@MessyMindedPodhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3htrTJx4ORepBRYxJ7ZGPv?si=0f78e1cd20114a98https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messy-minded-podcast/id1819603605Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", catch 22music for "Yeah Baby Yeah", "funny COmedy Kids", and The Mountain for "Quirky Sneaky".Sound effects by Do what you want "Ritual" and Sdanezis "Moving transition SFX"

In 2023, testimony about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) moved from internet forums to Congress — under oath, on the public record.In this episode of Messy Minded, we unpack what was actually said during the House Oversight hearing, including claims from former intelligence officer David Grusch about alleged crash-retrieval programs and “non-human biologics.” We also revisit the now-famous Navy encounters involving David Fravor and Ryan Graves, including the near-miss incidents, the Gimbal and GoFast videos, and what those recordings do — and do not — show.What was presented as firsthand evidence? What was secondhand testimony? What has been officially confirmed — and what remains unproven?Along the way, we look at why public reaction was surprisingly muted, how intelligence agencies perfected the art of “neither confirm nor deny,” and why both scientists and lawmakers are calling for better data sharing and oversight.Astronomer Professor Chris Impey joins in to help ground the conversation in astrophysics, probability, and the realities of interstellar travel.No tinfoil hats required — just curiosity, skepticism, and a willingness to sit in the uncomfortable middle.

Full UAP episode drops Friday.

In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess explores the axolotl — the permanently aquatic salamander that refuses to grow up. Through biology, mythology, and modern science, we unpack how axolotls regrow limbs, spinal cords, and even parts of their brains, and why researchers studying regeneration and immune response are obsessed with themThe episode weaves together Aztec mythology and the god Xolotl, neoteny, and the misunderstood “smile”. We also confront the collapse of wild axolotl populations in Lake Xochimilco, conservation efforts, and why one of the most studied animals on Earth is critically endangered in its natural habitat.Funny, dark, science-forward, and unexpectedly philosophical, this episode asks what it means to stay in a liminal state — and whether sometimes the smartest move isn’t to transform at all.@MessyMindedPodhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3htrTJx4ORepBRYxJ7ZGPv?si=0f78e1cd20114a98https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messy-minded-podcast/id1819603605A foundational overview of axolotl regeneration can be found in “Regeneration in the Axolotl: A Model for Mammalian Wound Healing” published in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. Other sources for this episode were a 2018 paper “The Axolotl Genome and the Evolution of Key Tissue Formation Regulators” in Nature, work by James Godwin and colleagues, particularly “Macrophages Are Required for Adult Salamander Limb Regeneration” published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), The Journal of Experimental Biology and Integrative Zoology,and Biological Conservation. Myth largely from various internet searches and “Aztec Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs of the Aztecs” by David Carrasco and “The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya” by Mary Miller and Karl Taube. Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", "Quirky sneaky memes background music" by Mykola Odnoroh, "Bass Stories" by Unknown Artist, "Latin Mexican Latino Music" by HitsLab and Levgen Poltavsky, "On TipToe" by Geoff Harvey, and Music by IKOLIKS

What began as a baffling public spectacle — bodies moving without permission, collapsing in exhaustion — would echo through centuries of history under a single unsettling name: St. Vitus’ Dance.In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess traces how a medieval dancing plague became a medical diagnosis… and how that same name resurfaced generations later in her own family, attached to a childhood illness, a period of restraint, and a very unexpected form of therapy.This is a story about what happens when bodies refuse to behave — and how, when language fails, we reach for meaning wherever we can find it.https://open.spotify.com/show/3htrTJx4ORepBRYxJ7ZGPv?si=6e5942d7bf1746bdhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/messy-minded-podcast/id1819603605@MessyMindedPodMusic by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", Vibehorn "French France Music (See their website at vibehorn.com)St. Vitus’ DanceDancing Plague of 1518Strasbourg dancing plagueMedieval mass hysteriaMass psychogenic illnessChoreaSydenham’s choreaMedical historyHistory of medicineMedieval EuropeSaints and superstitionSaint VitusJohn the BaptistReligious belief and illnessMind–body connectionAutoimmune disordersPre-antibiotic medicineChildhood illness historyUnexplained historical phenomenaTrue history podcastWeird historyMedical mysteriesPsychology and culture