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Finding Respite in 2018

2018-04-27 · list · Hank · 3:59 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Pop culture (also: Health) · mode: Advice & reviews · tags: self promotion

Citing a new study finding that young people who didn't vote for Donald Trump had higher bedtime cortisol after the election, Hank argues that without respite from a barrage of upsetting news we decide worse, and lists his sources of respite, from Space Opera and bovid horns to Nature League, Janelle Monáe and a video of his baby.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — A new Psychoneuroendocrinology study: cortisol, its effects, and higher bedtime levels among young non-Trump voters after the election

  • ★★ Hank reports a new study in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, which he expects John to be excited about, that tested young people's bedtime cortisol levels. (hedged) — 00:00:00
  • ★★ Hank explains that cortisol is a stress hormone whose level in the blood rises with stress, affecting physiology, psychology and behaviour. — 00:00:09
  • ★★ Hank says cortisol's effects, as correlations that raise the chance of death, range from acne to heart disease, plus aggression, depression, anxiety and trouble focusing and deciding. — 00:00:17
  • ★★ Hank says under stress some people avoid decisions while others decide worse and more impulsively; some avoid the source of stress and others seek more of it. — 00:00:33
  • ★ Hank says listeners of Delete This, the podcast he does with his wife, know that he and Katherine are at opposite ends of that spectrum. — 00:00:44 · Delete This, Katherine Green
  • ★★★ The study found that bedtime cortisol rose after the election in young people who didn't vote for Donald Trump, more so in women and non-dominant groups such as LGBT people and people of color. — 00:00:54 · Donald Trump, United States presidential election

00:01:11 — A year of upsetting news; without respite we decide worse; Hank looks for respite and asks Twitter and Facebook

  • ★★★ Hank says the last year has felt like a constant barrage of upsetting or confusing news, with a new scandal, fear or tragedy every week. (hedged) — 00:01:11
  • ★★★ Hank argues these problems need to be faced, but without respite from the stress we make worse decisions and are less healthy and productive. — 00:01:23
  • ★★ Hank says he is okay but has been looking for things that give him respite, which he looks up: a short period of rest or relief from something difficult. — 00:01:35
  • ★★ Hank asked Twitter and Facebook for great things he might be missing and offers a list of sources of respite from other people and his own brain. — 00:01:51 · Twitter, Facebook

00:01:57 — The list of sources of respite, from Space Opera to Orla Gartland and a video of his baby

  • ★★ Hank recommends Space Opera by Catherynne Valente: finally someone with the chops and guts to understand Douglas Adams's genius and maybe move beyond it; a book about glam rock in space. (hedged) — 00:02:01
  • ★★ Hank recommends the horns of bovids: there are 143 species of bovids, including cows, sheep, goats and antelopes, and they have great horns. — 00:02:16
  • ★★ Hank recommends The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, an eight-episode season on Amazon Prime written by the creator of Gilmore Girls: it makes him so happy. — 00:02:23
  • ★★ Hank recommends Hello from the Magic Tavern, a podcast by a man who fell through a portal behind a Burger King and interviews citizens of Foon: always a wonderful break from Earth stuff. — 00:02:30
  • ★★ Hank recommends Janet from The Good Place, and the whole show: whenever he thinks about that character he smiles. — 00:02:39
  • ★★ Hank recommends an Eons collaboration on the first organism, made with PBS Space Time and It's Okay to Be Smart, which got as close as possible to where life began. — 00:02:46 · Eons
  • ★ Hank recommends Elle Mills, always. — 00:02:57
  • ★★ Hank presents his new show Nature League, exploring all of biology with his friend Brit, which has him learning, relaxing and satisfying his curiosity. — 00:02:59
  • ★★ Hank recommends the Long Long Man advertisement for some kind of weird candy in Japan: it's good. — 00:03:08
  • ★★ Hank recommends Ask a Mortician, a YouTube channel by a professional about what happens to people's parts after they die. — 00:03:14
  • ★★ Hank recommends Janelle Monáe: he feels late to the party, but every time he listens to her music he feels better. (hedged) — 00:03:21
  • ★★ Hank recommends Abby Norman's Let Me Google That podcast, covering everything from names to crossword puzzles to the Titanic, which gives him new good information every morning. — 00:03:25
  • ★★ Hank recommends Orla Gartland, who does the singer-songwriter thing so well; he is happy her music is in the world. — 00:03:37
  • ★ Hank ends the list with a three-second video of his baby's butt. (playful) — 00:03:43 · Orin Green

00:03:47 — Sign-off and a self-mocking end-screen song

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Cortisol · psychological stress

Also: People: Brit · Donald Trump · Douglas Adams · Elle Mills · Janelle Monáe · Katherine Green · Orin Green · Orla Gartland

Projects: Delete This · Eons · Nature League

Works: Ask a Mortician · Gilmore Girls · Hello from the Magic Tavern · Let Me Google That · Long Long Man · Psychoneuroendocrinology · Space Opera · The Good Place · The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Organizations: Facebook · Twitter

Concepts: Bovidae

Places: Japan

Events: United States presidential election

Characters: Janet

Products: Amazon Prime

Only in the description or credits: Abby Norman · Catherynne M. Valente · It's Okay to Be Smart · PBS Space Time

Also centred on psychological stress: Raw Onion, Twerking, and Speech Jam · Stress and Joy · Let's Talk About Stress! · Doing This Makes Me Happy, but Maybe it Doesn't' Seem that Way? · I feel like I can't talk about this… · I've Not Been Doing Well

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