Podcast: Play in new window | Download
This week Zach and Kelly discuss research on how to eliminate certain types of anxiety, and chat about Bisphenol A (BPA).
Links
What are Zach and Kelly up to?
Zach at New York City Comic Con October 11-14th
Final Season of SMBC Theater sketches
Sign-up for Round 3 of the #SciFund Challenge!
Kelly is excited about genomes. What this video, and you will be too.
Paper: Disruption of reconsolidation erases a fear memory trace in the human amygdala
FDA’s 2010 public statement on BPA
Washington Post article on the difficulties of removing BPA from products
Here’s another question for you to stress over when you get pregnant (as if you needed more), while avoiding possibly-BPA-containing plastic baby bottles:
Does BPA get metabolized into breast milk, at all?
I have no doubt that a lot of the chemicals we use in food, packaging, etc, are having effects we don’t always expect… but I feel like people (and _especially_ marketing) too easily jump on the latest chemical-that-might-do-some-bad-things, and ignore more-obvious things, like the pervasiveness of cheap, accessible high-sugar/high-salt foods, etc, when worrying about obesity (and many other health issues).
Regarding the Amygdala: isnt this basically validating the old adage to get back on the horse if you fall off. Meaning that if I fall from a horse saddle and get hurt just getting back on the saddle of that horse will trigger the fall memory. That is certainly my experience, that returning to scene of something bad happening will often trigger that memory. So if I get back on the horse, so to speak it, will trigger the memory and if I dont fall then I will have begun to break that association. Only when I leave the stable and avoid the ride altogether will I encourage a long term memory.
I always enjoy your discussions you are both very interesting people, thanks for sharing!