the btrmt. lectures

Further reading· The Scientific Ritual — the article this lecture is based on· Problems with p-values — the technical companion: Fisher, Neyman-Pearson, the hybrid mess· The trap of scientific evidence — on the “no evidence” tension and the homeopathy/parachute paradox· Everything is ideology — science as one belief system among several· In praise of the sage — other ways of knowing; the MD/PhD distinction· Scientific fact — on what science actually does· The value of ritual — ritual as a knowledge-production strategy· Meditation — on the dinner-table meditation example· Beyond System 1 and System 2 — on Kahneman’s dual-process framework· The placebo effect — on why “works for some, not for others” is a feature, not a bug· Grit — positive-psychology critique· Overengineering calming down (lecture) — the broader positive-psychology audit· Bias is good (lecture) — the cognitive-bias series· Life is worse (lecture) — the previous episode; a worked example of reading a literatureReferencesThe replication crisis itself· Open Science Collaboration (2015), Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science, Science 349 (6251)· Wikipedia: replication crisis· American Statistical Association: Wasserstein, Schirm & Lazar (2019), Moving to a World Beyond “p Statistical ritualism· Gerd Gigerenzer (2018), Statistical Rituals: The Replication Delusion and How We Got There, Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science· Philip B. Stark & Andrea Saltelli (2018), Cargo-cult statistics and scientific crisis, Significance 15 (4)· Andrew Gelman & Eric Loken (2014), The Statistical Crisis in Science — the “garden of forking paths” paper· Andrew Gelman, Why I don’t like so-called Bayesian hypothesis testingp-values, Bayes factors, and software· Wikipedia: p-value, Bayes factor· Ronald A. Fisher (1925), Statistical Methods for Research Workers — where the 5% threshold appears as an illustrative example· Harold Jeffreys (1939), Theory of Probability — where the Bayes-factor thresholds (BF > 3 substantial, BF > 10 strong) come from· JASP — the open-source Bayesian statistics software with default priorsSpecific replication-crisis casualties· Cuddy, Wilmuth & Carney (2010) original power posing paper; Carney’s later statement withdrawing support· Hagger et al. (2016), A Multilab Preregistered Replication of the Ego-Depletion Effect· Bargh, Chen & Burrows (1996) original elderly priming paper; failed Doyen et al. (2012) replication· Brown, Sokal & Friedman (2013), The Complex Dynamics of Wishful Thinking — demolishing the 3:1 positivity ratio· Carol Dweck, growth mindset — replication concerns documented in Sisk et al. (2018) and Bahník & Vranka (2017)· Angela Duckworth, grit — meta-analytic critique in Credé, Tynan & Harms (2017)Books cited in the lecture· Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow· Stephen J. Gould, Adam’s Navel and Other Essays· Yann Martel, Life of Pi· Bill Mollison, Permaculture: A Designer’s ManualOther· Richard Dawkins on militant atheism (TED) — the “evidence vs. faith” framing· Reform efforts: preregistration, open data, multi-lab replication consortia (e.g. ManyLabs) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.btr.mt

Further reading:· The btrmt article that inspired this one· More on why the amygdala isn’t what pop-psych says· How stress actually works· Why we dress up simple ideas in neuroscience jargon· The sociology of the “interesting”· Abstractions as gods· On naming things and losing them in the process· The value of brain waves· Honey-bees are smarter than they should be· The false promise of a return to nature· Giving in to fight or flight· The problem of easy measurement· On emotion· No action without emotion· Emotion and the mind· Why your unconscious isn’t the bad guy· Nervous energy· Positive Intelligence pt. I· Positive Intelligence pt. II· Positive Intelligence pt. III· How does the brain ‘think’? Pt. IReferences:· Polyvagal theory (Wikipedia)· Triune brain model (Wikipedia)· Positive Intelligence white paper· Internal family systems therapy (Wikipedia)· Default mode network (Wikipedia)· Internal family systems therapy (Wikipedia)· Schema therapy (Wikipedia)· Gestalt therapy (Wikipedia)· Journal of Animal Sentience: do fish feel pain? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.btr.mt

Further reading:· The btrmt. article that inspired this· Stress is Good (Lecture 1) — the stress lecture that set this up· More on stress and the Yerkes-Dodson Law· Why fight-or-flight isn’t what you think· Pop Neuroscience is Just a Fancy Way of Saying “Calm Down” — the next lecture in this thread· How we make meaning in the brainReferences:· The Atlantic article — the management professor’s piece on stress and the amygdala· Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence (1995)· Amygdala hijack (Wikipedia) — note the lack of academic citations· Amygdala (Wikipedia) — particularly the section on emotional learning· Pessoa (2010): Emotion and cognition (PDF) — reappraisal evidence, pg 44· Janak & Tye (2015): From circuits to behaviour in the amygdala — the complexity of amygdala function· Adolphs (2015): “The unsolved problems of neuroscience” — on the amygdala and emotional significance This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.btr.mt

Further reading:· The btrmt. article that inspired this· Evolution is Overrated· All Food is Toxic· Hydraulic Despotism· Nature vs Nurture Just Isn’t That Interesting· Tinbergen’s Four Questions· Education is Entertainment: on why some ideas stick· Mundane CultsReferences:· MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) on Wikipedia· Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wikipedia· Butter and Plant-Based Oils Intake and Mortality, JAMA Internal Medicine (2025)· The Evidence Behind Seed Oils’ Health Effects, Johns Hopkins (2025)· Paul Saladino, The Carnivore Code· Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation· Candice Odgers, Nature review on smartphones and mental health· Ferguson (2025): Do Social Media Experiments Prove a Link With Mental Health· Liver King on Wikipedia· Andrew Huberman on Wikipedia· Ballerina Farm / Hannah Neeleman on Wikipedia· Tradwife on Wikipedia· Tradwife: Between Myths and Realities, King’s College London· MAHA, Means, Money, Public Citizen This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.btr.mt

Further reading· Panpsychism· AI Consciousness· Consciousness vs Conscious Access· Mundane Cults· The Placebo Effect· Spirituality of the MindReferences· John Locke: Primary-Secondary Quality Distinction· Mary’s Room (Knowledge Argument)· Qualia on Wikipedia· Thomas Nagel: “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?”· Animal Echolocation· Hard Problem of Consciousness· Philosophical Zombie· Sam Harris: The Moral Landscape· Sam Harris TED Talk: Science Can Answer Moral Questions· New Mysterianism· Brian Key: Fish Cannot Feel Pain· Do Honey Bees Have Conscious Experience? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.btr.mt

Further reading· Genetics is Nurture· Evolution is Overrated· Atavism Isn’t the Answer· Stress is Good· Prehistoric Polygamy· Sexual Strategies and Evolution· Tinbergen’s Four Questions· The Environment is Everything· All Food is Toxic· Education is EntertainmentReferences· Heritability on Wikipedia· Height heritability study· Fatalism: The Idle Argument This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.btr.mt

Further Reading· Men and women are from earth, fool pt. I - On Gray’s credentials and Chapter 2’s absurdities· Men and women are from earth, fool pt. II - On how Gray’s “Martians” are actually just poorly attached people· Men and women are from earth, fool pt. III - On how women’s ordinary needs are cast as unreasonableReferences· Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now? - British Vogue - Chanté Joseph’s viral article on modern dating· Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus (Wikipedia)· John Gray (author) - Wikipedia· Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging - Sebastian Junger - On why young men join the military· Gender essentialism· Sexual dimorphism in humans· Nature article on sex differences in the brain· The Myth of Mars and Venus (book) - Academic critique of Gray’s work· Columbia Pacific University - Gray’s fraudulent PhD· FDA Warning Letter to John Gray’s Mars Venus LLC· Women are better at using soft skills crucial for leadership - Korn Ferry· Rejection sensitivity· Attachment theory and styles This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.btr.mt