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science · the day's top 6 · june 13th
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Jun 13, 2026 · 1 min listen
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science · the day's top 6 · june 13th
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neuroplasticity is a concept that will genuinely change your life when you learn about it. your brain is a mushy piece of meat constantly adapting to what you do, what you think about, what you practice, and what you repeatedly expose yourself to. every experience leaves a small mark on the neural machinery that produced it. brilliant concept. one of the most important things i’ve ever written about on this substack. but something someone might mistakenly assume from reading that is that all our brains start from the same place. and when i say ‘place’, i’m not talking about subjective experience. not how you see the world, your values, your personality. detach from all of that for a second because of course everyone operates differently in those ways. i’m talking about the actual physical architecture of the brain. the way neurons connect. the strength of those connections. the balance of neurotransmitters. the way information is filtered, processed, and prioritized. all of it can differ. our brains are like fingerprints. specifically unique to each person. technically all our brains are made of the same stuff. fat, water, protein, electrical signals. the same basic ingredients. so it would be a reasonable assumption that they all operate the same way. that couldn’t be further from the truth. in many cases people are processing reality through genuinely different neurological architectures… the aroma of black coffee fills the room right now. for some this specific scent might be overly unbearable. to some it might be very weak. the whiteboard on my wall covered in notes from last night. arrows pointing one way, then another, then another, connecting topics across the board like i’m trying to solve something unsolvable. my notebook looks like a murder scene. ink everywhere, scribbles crossing over other scribbles, words circled and then connected to other circled words across three pages. one thing about me is that i am genuinely not a neat note taker. i like seeing everything everywhere. i like connections sprawling across the page rather than everything sitting in order line by line. my brain works by pattern recognition across apparent chaos. we’ll get deeper into why that might be later in this post. neuroplasticity teaches us that the brain can change. neurodiversity teaches us that brains don’t all start from the same place. let’s get into it. "if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." — albert einstein what does it mean when a person is neurodivergent? there is an assumption most people hold without ever consciously forming it. the assumption that everybody’s brain basically works the same way. that the experience of moving through the world, of focusing, of processing sensory information, of reading social situations, is roughly equivalent across all humans. neurodivergent is the term used to describe people whose brain differences affect how their brain works. different strengths and challenges. different experiences of the same reality. it’s a way of describing natural variation without defaulting to the framework of normal versus abnormal. and here’s the thing about ‘normal’. normal is just the statistical average. not the objectively correct way for a brain to function. the average height of a human adult isn’t the correct height. the average resting heart rate isn’t the correct resting heart rate. normal describes the centre of a distribution. it says nothing about what’s right. so what actually varies? picture two people sitting in the same cafe. the cafe can have the exact same noise level, same lighting, same ambient chaos of a busy space. person one barely notices any of it. background noise stays background and they’re focused on their conversation, their coffee, their thoughts. person two is processing all of it simultaneously. the scrape of a chair two tables over. the specific frequency of the espresso machine. the flicker in the overhead lighting. and it’s not even intentional most of the time.
This year’s World Cup has something no other World Cup has had before: commercial breaks. This means that each match now contains two three-ish-minute opportunities to absolutely demolish the vibe of the party by talking about things that nobody wants to hear about, but probably should. Here are three of my suggestions. This will probably be your most natural transition from game to grooaaan. Back in December, FIFA announced that this year’s World Cup would include three-minute hydration breaks for players midway through each half of every match, and that broadcasters would be permitted (but not required) to run commercial breaks during that time. These mandated water breaks, FIFA said, are due to increasingly intense heat and humidity conditions putting player safety at risk. This overall rise in extreme heat is caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, as the New York Times explained Friday: Since the last time World Cup matches were played in North America in 1994, the world has warmed roughly 1.3 degrees [Celsius]1. And the frequency of extreme heat in June and July has on average tripled across this year’s 10 host cities that previously hosted World Cup games. … In recent days, the English team has practiced in the Miami sun in an effort to acclimatize its athletes and prepare for what could be one of the hottest tournaments on record. And last month a group of 21 scientists, including physiologists and climate experts, wrote to FIFA, the sport’s governing body, saying that its current safety guidelines for heat were insufficient and “impossible to justify,” and urging it to give players longer breaks and implement “aggressive” locker-room cooling, among other steps. FIFA has framed these hydration breaks as an attempt to ensure players remain safe. Others have a more understandably cynical interpretation: That FIFA is using player welfare as an excuse to money grab. The breaks are, after all, mandated no matter the weather. It could be cool and raining and commercials would still run. “This is effectively a parallel to greenwashing, where the use of climate change and the pretence of care for players is used to distort the Laws of the Game and insert commercials,” wrote reddit user Hot-Job-6281 on Friday. But even if FIFA is exploiting the climate rationale for ad money, the climate rationale still exists. The world is getting hotter, and it is threatening the safety of World Cup players and spectators. An analysis by Climate Central found that climate change is “boosting the likelihood of performance-impairing heat” during 97 of 104 scheduled World Cup matches. It also happens to be making our at-home watching experience super annoying. So do your part: tell your friends. It can’t be more bothersome than the ads themselves… right? Read more: The 2026 World Cup could be the hottest yet OK, now we’re getting into the territory of possibly being more annoying than the commercials. But this is your duty; you must persist. Last month, geographer David Gogishvili at the University of Lausanne told AFP that this year’s World Cup would "produce the largest carbon footprint in the history of international sport:" anywhere from 5 million to 9 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. For comparison, the 2024 Paris Olympics emitted around 1.75 million tons. Other estimates have been similar. An analysis from the New Weather Institute found that the 2026 World Cup is “on track to be the ‘most polluting’ World Cup ever,” with total emissions hitting nearly two times the historical average. They conservatively predicted that the World Cup would emit about 9 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is about the same as 21 gas-fired power plants running for a year; 1.9 million cars driven for a year; or 9 billion pounds of coal burned. This is mostly because FIFA chose to have not one, but three host countries: the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and a total of 16 host venues. In addition, the tournament added an extra 16 teams. That all means a lot of air travel. Scientists estimate air travel emissions for the World Cup to be around 7 million tons of CO2 equivalent, with worst case predictions at 13.7 million tons. Why does this matter? For one, FIFA is doing this while publicly touting a commitment to sustainability, including reaching net-zero emissions by 2040. As Jules Boykoff wrote for the Guardian, “to passively allow Fifa to willfully trash the environment is to succumb to greenwashing: the duplicitous practice of talking a big green game, but failing to follow through with meaningful sustainability measures.” The biggest problem is not just the emissions from one tournament. It fact that model FIFA is choosing an ever-increasing emissions model for the future of the sport, which is already suffering under a warmer world.
The episode opens by confronting a common online narrative that paints climate researchers as wealthy conspirators who fly private jets, receive secret money, and answer to a hidden elite. The host dismantles these accusations point by point, showing that most climate scientists work in public universities or government labs, earn salaries comparable to other academic fields, and are subject to the same grant‑review processes as any researcher.
He explains that the bulk of climate research funding comes from transparent sources—government agencies, university budgets, and publicly disclosed grants from foundations. Private‑jet ownership is rare among scientists; when travel is required, it’s usually for conferences or fieldwork and is funded through standard institutional travel budgets, not personal wealth. Any claims of a “shadowy cabal” are traced back to conspiracy forums that cherry‑pick data and ignore the peer‑review system that validates scientific findings.
The host then shifts to the broader “green scam” argument, which suggests that climate policies are a ruse to enrich a global elite. He counters this by highlighting the extensive peer‑reviewed literature that documents rising global temperatures, melting ice, and increasing extreme weather events. He notes that the economic interests behind climate action are diverse—ranging from renewable‑energy companies to municipalities seeking resilience—rather than a monolithic group seeking profit.
Finally, the episode stresses that skepticism is healthy when it’s based on evidence, not on ad hominem attacks or unfounded speculation. Listeners are encouraged to look at the actual research, follow funding disclosures, and recognize that the push for climate mitigation is driven by a consensus of scientists and policymakers aiming to avert the worst impacts of a warming planet, not by a secretive elite cashing in on a “green scam.”
The Silent Ecocide Redux frames the environmental emergency not merely as species loss or ecological damage, but as a breakdown in human consciousness and our disconnection from the living Earth. Drawing on more than two decades of work in ecology, conservation, Indigenous rights and consciousness studies, the revised edition expands the original text to explore how technocratic systems, economic models and cultural narratives have deepened the crisis.
The book weaves together environmental science, philosophy, Indigenous wisdom, oppressed knowledge and investigative journalism, offering a multidisciplinary view of extinction, ecological collapse and possible pathways toward a more compassionate, sustainable future. It also examines alternative ecological solutions and economic frameworks that could restore planetary consciousness.
Included in the paperback are three transcribed interviews that present repressed ecological solutions: conversations with Trevor James Constable on the cosmic pulse of life, Patrick Kelly on free‑energy devices, and a discussion with the “Last Aether Engineer.” The same interviews are available as audio files through the author’s Ko‑Fi ebook and audio store.
Carlita Shaw invites listeners who resonated with the reading to purchase the book through her online store, where the additional interviews and a downloadable copy of The Silent Ecocide Redux await new subscribers. She notes a strange technical glitch during the recording—her laptop shut down four times and her phone refused to work—adding a personal touch to the invitation.
Revelation 13:18. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. Read it again. Slower. It is the number of a man. Not a barcode. Not a chip. Not a vaccine. A man. And the verse does not say wait. It does not say wonder. It says count. So people count. Badly. You have seen the videos. It is the Pope. It is Obama. It is Musk. Pick your decade, there is a candidate. Every one of those videos cheats. And they all cheat the same three ways. Cheat one. Switch languages until one fits. English fails, try Latin. Latin fails, try Greek. Keep shopping. Cheat two. Add titles. The famous Vicarius Filii Dei trick runs on a title no scripture ever gave the man. Add enough words and anyone counts to anything. Cheat three. Drop letters. The sum runs over, so a letter quietly disappears. Nobody checks. That is not counting. That is conjuring. The occult does not need your birthday to get in. A dishonest sum opens the same door. But here is what the videos never tell you. The first readers of Revelation counted too. No language shopping. No titles. No dropped letters. A name, as written, in the letters of scripture. They got an answer. And a manuscript older than every English Bible on earth kept their work. Not their answer. Their work. The arithmetic itself, fossilized in a copying decision an ancient scribe made with his own hand. I am going to show it to you below the line. The name. The per-letter math. The receipt. And the test any future candidate must pass. One thing first. I am not teaching the method in this post. The method is four moves, a pen, and a KJV. I wrote it down. It is called How to Count Your Bible. Nineteen dollars. People started counting with it this morning. Want to try counting before you spend a dollar? I built a free tool. Every number in the KJV, lit up. No signup. Below the wall: the name, the letter-by-letter math, the 1,800-year-old receipt, the 888 that answers the 666, and the test that exposes every fake candidate from here to the end.
Podcast Season 1, Episode 9 Grief is one of the most universal human experiences, yet it is never experienced exactly the same way twice. Most people think of grief as something that follows death, but grief can emerge after any significant loss. We may grieve the loss of a loved one, a marriage, a dream, our health, financial security, a relationship, or even the life we thought we would be living by now. As both a mental health professional and a student of neuroscience, I am continually amazed by how deeply grief affects the human mind and body. Research shows that grief impacts brain regions involved in attachment, memory, emotion, and even physical pain. In many ways, grief reflects the brain’s attempt to adapt to a reality it never wanted to face. The challenge is that our minds do not update overnight. Our heads may know what has happened, but our hearts, our habits, and our expectations often take much longer to catch up. This is one reason grief can feel confusing, exhausting, and unpredictable. It is also why grief can resurface months or even years later. In today’s episode, we explore grief through the lens of Scripture, psychology, and neuroscience. We’ll look at Psalm 34, Psalm 40, and the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah’s story reminds us that rebuilding is rarely neat or easy. The people worked with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. The enemies had not disappeared. Some of the older men wept because the new temple did not look like the one they remembered. Yet God was still present in the process. Many of us find ourselves in a similar season. Sometimes we are grieving what was lost. Sometimes we are grieving what never happened. Sometimes we are grieving the life we imagined but never received. Yet God is not intimidated by broken places. He is not discouraged by the rubble. He is not surprised by the detours. The same God who helped Nehemiah rebuild one stone at a time is still restoring lives today. Healing does not always mean returning to what once was. Often, it means allowing God to build something new while carrying the memory of what has been lost. If you are walking through grief today, my prayer is that this episode reminds you that God has not abandoned you in the rebuilding. He is near to the brokenhearted. He is faithful in the waiting. And He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. Psalm 34:18 Psalm 40:1–3 Nehemiah 4:17–18 Philippians 1:6 Connect with Dr. April Joy: Substack: The Christian Mind Reset Follow along for daily encouragement, biblical meditation, neuroscience insights, and practical tools for renewing your mind. If you liked today’s episode, please subscribe, leave a review, follow, like, or share. You can find me on Instagram at @thechristianpsychnp and also on Instagram and Substack at The Christian Mind Reset for more Scripture, neuroscience, and practical tips for renewing your mind. My eBook, The Christian Mind Reset: A 28-Day Psalms Guide to Biblical Meditation, Neuroscience, and Renewing Your Mind, is available in my Stan Store at https://stan.store/thechristianpsychnp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/THECHRISTIANPSYCHNP Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It contains general information and is not medical, mental health, therapy, or healthcare advice. Listening to this podcast does not establish a provider-patient relationship. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider regarding medical or mental health concerns and before making changes to your healthcare routine. If you are experiencing significant emotional distress, please seek support from a qualified healthcare professional, licensed Christian counselor, or pastor. Comments, emails, and messages are not monitored for emergencies and cannot be used to obtain medical or mental health advice. If you are experiencing a medical, psychiatric, or safety emergency, call 911, contact your local emergency services, or go to the nearest emergency department immediately. American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 Bonanno, G. A. (2004). Loss, trauma, and human resilience: Have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events? American Psychologist, 59(1), 20–28. Kübler-Ross, E. (1969). On death and dying. New York, NY: Macmillan. O’Connor, M. F. (2022). The grieving brain: The surprising science of how we learn from love and loss. New York, NY: HarperOne. Shear, M. K. (2015). Complicated grief. New England Journal of Medicine, 372(2), 153–160. Stroebe, M., & Schut, H. (1999). The dual process model of coping with bereavement: Rationale and description. Death Studies, 23(3), 197–224. Stroebe, M., & Schut, H. (2010). The dual process model of coping with bereavement: A decade on. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 61(4), 273–289.
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