That sounds cool. You're right that it would be a good fit for something like the Luke arm. The future is bright for prosthetics, that's for sure!

You and me both! I'm imagining a video that starts like, "If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what does a cheeseburger a day do?" :D

I think that from a logical perspective, that makes sense. But I still couldn't find any research about it, which is kind of silly. There's no research on the impact of "luxury" or the perception of "more".

But you are totally right. Any increase will be noticeable until you adjust to it. The friend that gave me the idea says he's already used to the 280 characters now, so...¯\_(ツ)_/¯

That's so interesting! Yeah, alcohol can do some crazy things to your brain. While it does help you fall asleep faster and you sleep more deeply (generally speaking), it reduces the amount of REM sleep, which is thought to be really important for the cleaning process and helping you have that "refreshed" feeling in the morning. Thanks for watching, btw!

I read this article the other day. I've seen these videos and the entire system is just messed up. I think YouTube needs better restrictions on their "Kids" content. Personally, I think I would curate the content my kids watch, but when there is an autoplay function, it can really lead down a dark hole.

Nice Wikipedia reference! Lol

Hey y'all! Thanks so much for watching and asking great questions. I'll try my best to reply to the concerns that were brought up and go from there.

First, it's important to say that optogenetics likely has no plans for human use. In order for optogenetics to work, your genetic code has to be manipulated. That means that someone would need to modify the genetic code of an embryo. Considering the level of controversy surrounding genetic modification of humans, this is extremely unlikely. If it were ever to be considered for human use, it would (of course) bring up a ton of ethical concerns. However, if you were to modify all neurons, it would be difficult to get a specific response. I guess I'm trying to say that optogenetics doesn't have many practical uses at this time.

So you might be asking, "well then why is optogenetics useful for humans?" This gets to your implications question. If we are able to identify the neuronal pathway of a mental health disorder, then we can better develop therapeutic interventions for it. For example, we could create better medications that target those specific neurons or more accurately use deep brain stimulation. Imagine having a medication that affects only the neurons in your amygdala and reduces your panic response to normal levels. The more we know about these pathways, the better treatment we can provide!

As a footnote, since it was mentioned, ethical considerations are extremely important. Unfortunately, there are plenty of examples of horrible, unethical studies conducted by researchers in the name of science. However, today, all scientists are responsible for ethical, responsible research. Almost all professional associations, government agencies, and universities have adopted specific codes, rules, and policies relating to research ethics. Additionally, funding and approval processes are set up in a way to require ethical conduct in research and it eliminates studies where the benefits do not outweigh the damages. Failure to uphold an ethical code can result in loss of employment, formal disciplinary action, and criminal charges. It is not something that is taken lightly!

In any case, thanks again for watching! I'm glad you all liked it and I look forward to any other questions you may have!!

Haha, congratulations on getting over your fear of vomiting! That's a great story. It sounds like you had a pretty good therapist. NBA Jam was one of my favorites growing up. I have an SNES in my office and still play it to this day with my clients. Carrying on the tradition, I guess!

Ohhhhhh, thank you kind person! That has been fixed.

And this is why so many PhDs will not go into academia. My wife included! She'll be getting her PhD in neuroscience next year, but is not even looking at becoming a PI.

This looks like Degas met Goya and got depressed. I like it!

Oh hell yeah! I've been loving Slip Away by Perfume Genius. There is a music video, but the Spotify version is better and the complete version:

Gross, but also cool.

What questions or comments do you hate getting from people about your trans experience?