Why We Do What We Do

We are kicking off this spooky season with a discussion about the spectres of the ocean: ghost ships! We tell a few of the both lesser and more well-known stories of ghost ships. We also talk about why they happen and how they influence our behavior. Have you seen a ghost ship?

Recommendations
Abraham: Saosin (Just Be Honest; https://saosin.com/)
Shane: Hellboy comics (Mike Mignola)

Holidays (10/5/2026):
Blue Shirt Day World Day of Bullying Prevention
Chic Spy Day
Child health Day
Day of Unity
Do Something Nice Day
Global James Bond Day
International Day of No Prostitution
National Apple Betty Day
National Consignment Day
National Kiss a Wrestler Day
National Storytelling Day
World Day of Architecture
World Habitat Day
World Teacher’s Day
Active Aging Week
Animal Welfare Week
Banned Books Week
Death Penalty Focus Week
Mystery Series Week
National Vegetarian Week
National Chili Week

Links: 
https://explorersweb.com/exploration-mysteries-ghost-ships
https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/ocean-oddities-ghost-ships/78374
https://www.hms-resolute.co.uk/the-nutshell/
https://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2023/10/29/the-mysterious-fate-of-the-baychimo-the-ghost-ship-that-haunted-the-arctic-for-decades/ 
https://www.worldofcruising.co.uk/editors-corner/mv-lyubov-orlova-ghostship-sunk 
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abandoned-ship-the-mary-celeste-174488104/ 
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/horrifying-final-voyage-cruise-boat-22044077 
https://skybrary.aero/articles/fata-morgana 

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We are kicking off this year's spooky seasons mini with a brief history of the town on fire. This is a real place in the United States that has become unlivable since the town accidentally set a gigantic, subterranean coal reserve. This inspired the video game and movie franchise, "Silent Hill." Have you been to Centralia? 

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Links and References: https://www.abc27.com/digital-originals/history-of-centralia-a-pennsylvania-ghost-town/
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/centralia-pennsylvania-rebirth
https://www.history.com/articles/mine-fire-burning-more-50-years-ghost-town

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One of the most enduring values, mottos, or goals is the pursuit of happiness. We strive for it implicitly or explicitly for much of our lives. So, what is happiness? How do we achieve it? Why can't you just be happy? Because it depends :D 

Recommendations
Abraham: Fix My Frankenhouse (seasons 1-2; https://www.hgtv.com/shows/fix-my-frankenhouse)
Shane: A Short Stay In Hell by Steven Peck 

Holidays (9/30/2026):
My mom’s birthday! Happy birthday, P-Nut!
Banned Websites Awareness Day
Blasphemy Day
Chewing Gum Day
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day
International Podcast Day
International Translation Day
National Hot Mulled Cider Day
National Love People Day
National Microcephaly Awareness Day
National Mud Pack Day
National Women’s Health and Fitness Day
Orange Shirt Day
Time for Yoga
Thunderbirds Day
World School Milk Day
National Chimney Safety Week
National Dog Week
National Fall Foliage Week

Links and References: 
Harris, R. (2022). The happiness trap: Stop struggling, start living (2nd ed.). Robinson
https://ndpr.nd.edu/reviews/the-quest-for-the-good-life-ancient-philosophers-on-happiness/
https://www.weforum.org/stories/leadership/13-great-philosophers-on-the-secret-of-happiness/ 
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278667273_EMOTIONS_AND_EMOTIONAL_BEHAVIOR_A_CONSTRUCTIONAL_APPROACH_TO_UNDERSTANDING_SOME_SOCIAL_BENEFITS_OF_AGGRESSION 
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3160511/
https://arnoldspumpclub.com/blogs/newsletter/why-chasing-happiness-makes-you-miserable-and-what-science-says-to-do-instead?srsltid=AfmBOornkPKnjN9wQWbXZB8QQh_5fHqMbgEbdpiVJkW6kGlSi9jONIuM
https://ls.berkeley.edu/news/stop-worrying-about-being-happy-new-berkeley-psychology-research-suggests-doing-so-makes-people
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10224953/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3546638/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1279874/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1284106/

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An important announce and brief explanation.

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The title maybe a little misleading. This is about how we delude ourselves into adopting information as factual becuase it is presented using real math. Math is extremely important and valuable and a necessity for most sciences. However, like any other tool, math can give the illusion of knowledge while actually tricking us into believing things that are not correct. We primarily focus on averages and how problematic this concept can be, but extrapolate this into other forms of math that can be used to lie and mislead even the ones who are executing the computations. 

RecommendationsAbraham: Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain With Democracy (Jonathan Rauch (https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300273540/cross-purposes/)
Shane: Chat Pile - Who Loves The Sun (https://open.spotify.com/album/2ITnf8HOokOJxjv483Dszk?si=3v175T9iRP2BY8aTU8XPqw)

Holidays (9/23/2026):Celebrate Bi-Sexuality Day
Dogs in Politics Day
International Day of Sign Languages
National Checkers Day
National Great American Pot Pie Day
National Snack Stick Day
Restless Legs Syndrome Awareness Day
See You at the Pole
Teal Talk Day
Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week
Constitution Week
Deaf Dog Awareness Week
International Clean Hands Week
International Deaf Awareness Week
International Interpreters and Translators Week
National Adult Day Services Week

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Links and References: https://www.toddrose.com/endofaverage
https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/on-average/ 
https://www.anecdote.com/2023/03/179-there-is-no-average/
https://austraffic.com.au/aba/us-air-force-finds-averages-can-kill 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.

Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast