On this, our 307th Evolutionary Lens livestream, we discuss short form video (SFV), advertisers coming for our dreams, and a review of where we are, and where we are headed. Short form video has negative impacts on both cognitive capacity and mental health in youth and adults; in the context of recent research, we discuss laugh track, philosophy of science, and how tiny actions that appear to have no harm can be very harmful in the aggregate. Then: humans have a long history of accessing our hypnogogic states—between waking and sleep—for creative or spiritual purposes. Now, most companies surveyed are looking into “targeted dream incubation” as a way to change consumer behavior, including Burger King with their 2018 green-bunned “Nightmare King” burger. How do we resist? Finally: an intercalary period is when the absence of an even number of days in the year catches up with our calendars, and we add things like leap days. The mismatch between the solstice, Christmas, and new year’s may point to this reality, and we seem to be living in a metaphorical one. We can’t predict what comes next; the political landscape is in chaotic motion; Silver’s rise in price may set off market collapse—so what can you do? Spend time in person with real people; develop real relationship; and become comfortable in solitude. Treasure your privacy, and both time alone, and time together.
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Mentioned in this episode:
Nguyen et al 2025. Feeds, feelings, and focus: A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the cognitive and mental health correlates of short-form video use. Psych Bull 151(9):1125: https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-89350-001.pdf
Marlan 2023. The Nightmare of Dream Advertising. Wm & Mary Law Rev 65: 259: https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmlr/vol65/iss2/2/
Crawford 2016. The World Beyond Your Head: https://www.amazon.com/World-Beyond-Your-Head-Distraction/dp/0374535914
Timestamps:
00:07:01 New Years Eve in Hong Kong
00:20:25 Study on Short-Form Video
01:13:13 Nightmare of Dream Advertising
01:35:43 2025 Wrap-Up
01:49:54 2026 Words of Caution
We have "cartesian blinders being put on us so that we are trying to make sense out of scraps of information and hints." - @bretweinstein
WEINSTEIN: I mean, even if you have your villains who are engaged in the behavior that motivated this war in Iran, even if that's the story, presumably most of the people in the path of these ferocious bombings that he is describing are not deserving of going back to the Stone Age.
In fact, I distinctly remember him telling us that part of what we were up to was liberating the people of Iran from their tyrannical regime.
So if it's the tyrannical regime that justifies the ferocious bombing, then it's a tragedy that other people are going to be sent back to the Stone Ages with them. Right?
HEYING: It's it's not a narrative. It's an incoherent set of talking points.
WEINSTEIN: Yeah, it's a kind of cheerleading that is completely inappropriate from the perspective of the president.
Bret Weinstein discusses the Trump administrations "back to the stone age" recent remarks in the latest episode of The Evolutionary Lens, Episode 320 "Are we back in the stone age?" on DarkHorse.
Bret Weinstein explains, "If you stop businesses from starting here, and if you drive people so that they move elsewhere—even though it's difficult to do—then the point is the tax base dries up, which then forces you to become even more predatory for the people who stayed.
And that's really the thing, right? They're setting themselves up so that they have to go after more and more people, because the people who are starting new businesses are not going to do it here."
