Dad Saves America The Neuroscience Behind the Culture War – Delia McCabe
Delia McCabe, a neuroscientist and medical PhD, discusses the intricate ties between nutrition and mental health. She reveals how ultra-processed foods can lead to cognitive decline and behavioral issues, even in smart children. Delia explores the biological differences between male and female brains, stressing the importance of understanding these variations in today's climate of gender confusion. With insights on decision-making and the impact of emotions on cognition, she advocates for a balanced view on neuroscience and societal issues.
03:39:25
Diet Directly Shapes Brain And Behavior
- Dr. Delia McCabe links ultra-processed food to mood, learning, and habit formation via endogenous opioids and nutrient deficits.
- Nutritional environment primes neurons and thus shapes capacity for behavior change and cognitive development.
Fix The Brain's Environment First
- Before trying to change behavior, optimize the brain's environment with nutrients, sleep, and reduced stress.
- Pump the tires (nutrition) first so cognitive therapies and habits stick more easily.
Prison Nutrition Changed Behavior
- McCabe cites prison supplementation studies where better nutrition reduced aggression and improved behavior.
- Funding and institutional incentives blocked wider adoption of nutrition-based interventions.
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Intro
00:00 • 1min
Why Delia Left Clinical Psychology
01:24 • 1min
Nutrition, Junk Food and Underachievement
02:32 • 3min
Food, Endorphins and Self-Medication
05:23 • 2min
Prison Nutrition Studies and Behavior
07:13 • 1min
Zinc, Serotonin and Appetite
08:22 • 1min
Zinc Deficiency and Anorexia Mechanisms
09:29 • 2min
Multidisciplinary Translational Research
11:58 • 10min
Myelin, Learning and Nutritional Needs
22:02 • 3min
The Dark Side of Neuroplasticity
25:13 • 1min
Hangry, Blood Glucose, and Emotion
26:33 • 3min
Prefrontal Cortex: Time-Traveling Executive
29:25 • 3min
Emotion First, Cognition Second
32:54 • 1min
Free Will, Physiology, and Decision Sandwiches
33:58 • 3min
Feeling of Knowing and Flashbulb Memories
36:54 • 4min
Misattribution of Arousal Experiments
40:33 • 5min
Damasio's Elliot: Emotions Required for Choice
45:32 • 4min
When Prefrontal Fatigue Impairs Decisions
49:04 • 4min
The Scanning Effect and Illusory Knowledge
53:11 • 4min
Pattern Detection, Heuristics and Confirmation Bias
57:30 • 3min
Feeling of Knowing: Spiritual and Chemical Experiences
01:00:46 • 3min
When to Trust Your Gut (Kahneman's Criteria)
01:03:33 • 5min
How the Feeling of Knowing Misleads Public Discourse
01:08:20 • 4min
Can High IQs Increase Confident Error?
01:12:12 • 9min
Adolescence, PFC Maturation, and Responsibility
01:21:32 • 7min
Social-Emotional Learning and Affect in Classrooms
01:28:22 • 6min
Concept Creep, Trauma and Iatrogenic Harm
01:34:51 • 8min
Action, Volunteering and Visual Systems
01:42:32 • 4min
Screens, Zoom Fatigue and the Uncanny Valley
01:46:24 • 4min
Are Narcissists Increasing or Amplified Online?
01:50:33 • 5min
Feeling of Knowing, Truth, and Political Change
01:55:48 • 5min
Objective Sex Differences in the Brain
02:00:41 • 5min
Female Brain Strengths: Social Readiness and Nesting
02:05:27 • 3min
Hormones, Neurotransmitters and Mood Differences
02:08:00 • 52sec
EDCs and Possible Effects on Brain Gendering
02:08:53 • 6min
Social Contagion, Disassociation and Rising Dysphoria
02:14:58 • 3min
Nature of True Gender Dysphoria Cases
02:18:17 • 6min
How to Heal the Gender Divide
02:24:02 • 26min
How to Change Minds: The Affective Tipping Point
02:50:16 • 17min
Add vs Subtract: Bureaucracy and Problem-Solving
03:07:04 • 18min
Stress, Explore/Exploit and Creativity
03:25:29 • 7min
Nature, Awe and Restoring Cognitive Balance
03:32:02 • 6min
Delia's Role in the American Story
03:37:41 • 1min
Outro
03:38:56 • 25sec
#197
• Mentioned in 92 episodes
The road to serfdom
Friedrich Von Hayek
In this influential book, Hayek argues that the abandonment of individualism and classical liberalism leads to a loss of freedom, the creation of an oppressive society, and ultimately, the tyranny of a dictator.
He challenges the view that fascism and Nazism are capitalist reactions against socialism, instead positing that these ideologies share common roots in central economic planning and the empowerment of the state over the individual.
The book emphasizes the dangers of collectivism and the importance of maintaining a free market system to preserve human freedom and dignity.
#141
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The Righteous Mind
Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
Jonathan Haidt
In this book, Jonathan Haidt draws on twenty-five years of research on moral psychology to explain why people's moral judgments are driven by intuition rather than reason.
He introduces the Moral Foundations Theory, which posits that human morality is based on six foundations: care/harm, fairness/cheating, loyalty/betrayal, authority/subversion, sanctity/degradation, and liberty/oppression.
Haidt argues that liberals tend to focus on the care/harm and fairness/cheating foundations, while conservatives draw on all six.
The book also explores how morality binds and blinds people, leading to social cohesion but also to conflicts.
Haidt aims to promote understanding and civility by highlighting the commonalities and differences in moral intuitions across political spectra.
#702
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The talent code
Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.
Daniel Coyle
In 'The Talent Code,' Daniel Coyle delves into the science behind talent development, highlighting three key elements: Deep Practice, Ignition, and Master Coaching.
Coyle draws on cutting-edge neurology and research from various talent hotbeds around the world to explain how myelin, a neural insulator, is crucial for skill development.
The book provides tools for parents, teachers, coaches, and individuals to maximize their potential and that of others, emphasizing that talent is not born but grown through targeted practice and the right motivation.
#2458
• Mentioned in 15 episodes
The collapse of complex societies
Joseph A. Tainter
Joseph Tainter's "The Collapse of Complex Societies" is a seminal work in the study of societal collapse.
Tainter argues that complex societies, while initially successful, eventually become unsustainable due to diminishing returns on investments in complexity.
He examines various historical examples, including the Roman Empire and the Maya civilization, to illustrate his theory.
The book challenges simplistic explanations for societal decline and offers a more nuanced understanding of the factors leading to collapse.
It has significantly influenced the field of historical and anthropological studies.
#499
• Mentioned in 48 episodes
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Set in a post-apocalyptic North America known as Panem, The Hunger Games follows Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl from District 12, who volunteers to participate in the 74th Hunger Games to save her younger sister Prim.
Alongside Peeta Mellark, the other tribute from District 12, Katniss must use her hunting skills and wits to survive the arena.
The Games are a tool of oppression by the Capitol to remind the districts of their defeat in a past rebellion.
As Katniss and Peeta navigate the treacherous arena, they also manipulate the audience and sponsors to gain advantages, while sparking the beginnings of a rebellion against the Capitol's tyrannical rule.
#1006
• Mentioned in 30 episodes
Descartes' error
Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain
Antonio R. Damasio MD PhD
Antonio Damasio
In this book, Damasio argues that emotions are essential to rational thinking and normal social behavior.
He challenges René Descartes' mind-body dualism by presenting case studies, particularly the famous case of Phineas Gage, to demonstrate how brain damage can affect decision-making and personality.
Damasio introduces the 'somatic marker hypothesis,' which posits that emotions guide behavior and decision-making, and that rationality requires emotional input.
The book is divided into three parts, exploring case studies, explanations for the effects of brain injuries, and testing the somatic marker hypothesis.
#701
• Mentioned in 38 episodes
Bad Therapy
Abigail Shrier
Abigail Shrier's "Bad Therapy" delves into the increasing trend of pathologizing normal childhood behaviors.
The book examines how the therapeutic landscape has shifted, leading to the overdiagnosis and treatment of children for conditions that may simply be part of typical development.
Shrier critiques certain therapeutic approaches and their potential negative consequences, sparking debate about the appropriate use of therapy for children.
The book challenges readers to reconsider the boundaries between normal childhood experiences and diagnosable conditions, prompting a critical examination of current therapeutic practices.
It encourages a more nuanced understanding of child development and the potential pitfalls of overmedicalization.
I sat down with neuroscience PhD Delia McCabe to explore why our brains are struggling in the modern world and what that means for our kids, our politics, and how we handle the AI revolution. Delia has spent her career digging into the effects of nutrition on mental health—either optimizing cognitive function or sending our brains into disastrous feedback loops. We also discuss biological sex differences, the rise of gender confusion, and the cognitive biases that have deranged our public discourse.
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Read Delia’s Substack: https://deliamccabe.substack.com/
Learn more about Delia’s work: https://www.lighterbrighteryou.life/
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Outline:
[0:00] What’s wrong with clinical psychology?
[7:13] The link between food, behavior, and mental health
[19:36] How neuroplasticity actually works
[28:24] Thinking burns more energy than physical labor
[33:15] Does neuroscience disprove free will?
[39:43] Emotions can literally change what we know
[45:30] You can’t separate the mind from the body
[55:49] Confirmation bias vs “the feeling of knowing”
[1:03:20] When is it safe to “trust your gut”?
[1:12:27] Why smart people believe dumb ideas
[1:18:40] What happens to your brain in your mid-20s?
[1:30:14] “Social-emotional learning” and the trauma obsession
[1:45:26] The black mirror, the uncanny valley, and narcissism
[1:55:33] Male and female brains are objectively different
[2:08:05] What’s causing the explosion of gender confusion?
[2:21:38] Is feminization destroying our society?
[2:38:32] Confronting your ignorance is painful but necessary
[2:43:14] How can we heal the gender divide?
[2:49:47] How can you change someone’s mind?
[3:01:35] Why our psychology leads to big government
[3:12:54] The jobs that attract smart psychopaths
[3:25:56] Stress, focus, and creativity
[3:36:43] Understand the brain, save America
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