We Have Concerns

A new article suggests that the Oculus VR headset may be the first step to allowing people to truly experience what it is like to live a different kind of life. This could allow designers to create "empathy engines" whereby users may come to feel emotion for their fellow man in a virtual space.  Anthony and Jeff think this is a great idea, especially if causes douchey diners to tip their wait staff.   Support us on Patreon to get early release episodes and extra content: http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns   Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Here we are on Stitcher:  http://bit.ly/stitcherwhc   Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni   Article:  http://boingboing.net/2014/09/15/the-headset-revolution-will-be.html The Machine to Be Another: http://www.themachinetobeanother.org/ Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

A woman in Oregon has opened a cuddle service for those looking for a bit of personal contact, but definitely no sexy stuff. Anthony works through his own issues with touching, Jeff determines the fair market value of intimacy, and everybody wonders what to do at a pheromone party.   Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns And the Stitcher link:  http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anthony-carboni/we-have-concerns Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni   Article submitted by  @justcallmedjm http://www.examiner.com/article/cuddle-up-to-me-professional-cuddling-service-to-launch-retail-location Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

Researchers in Paris recently proved that the brain can continue to classify words into categories even after it has gone to sleep, causing Jeff and Anthony to wonder what scientists do to make their test subjects fall asleep during an experiment, and how this kind of non-stop brain activity might be harnessed by corporate America.   We Have Concerns is entirely listener funded and there's extra content for those that contribute. Find out more:  http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns   Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns   Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni   Article:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/13/brain-sleep-classify-words-study_n_5812012.html Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

A new article about the phenomenon of "phantom" phone notifications - those strange moments when you senses a vibration from your cell phone that didn't actually happen - has Jeff ranting on the crazy thoughts that such sensations evoke, and Anthony hearing voices.  Is technology making us crazy, or have alerts been messing with the human mind since the beginning of time? Enjoying the show? Review us on iTunes! It really helps out rating and ranking:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Article:  http://boingboing.net/2014/08/22/feeling-the-buzz-the-weird-tr.html Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

In an attempt to better understand pop music, Dr. Lior Shamir created an algorithm that can correctly identify and track the Beatles artistic output over the evolution of their career.  Now, the same technology is being used to predict whether songs, movies, and other entertainment will be popular, and could even replace creators altogether. Jeff is worried that an equation will never have the soul required to create true beauty, while Anthony is convinced all art can be reduced to math.     Support us on Patreon!  http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns   Jeff on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/acarboni   Article:  http://www.fastcolabs.com/3034237/this-is-going-to-change-how-you-listen-to-music-forever Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

Across all cultures and geographies, humans scrunch up their faces in the exact same way when they are angry, and a new article examines several possible evolutionary explanations for the consistency.  One theory is that older people are more intimidating, but Anthony is ready to fight any older person he meets.  Jeff admits to getting angry... and you wouldn't like him when he's angry.   Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link: http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns   Jeff on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter: http://twitter.com/acarboni   Origns of the Anger Face:  http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/the-origins-of-the-anger-face/379475/   We Only Have Four Facial Expressions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW0PaKOXxQI   Village Designed Just For People with Dementia: http://gizmodo.com/inside-an-amazing-village-designed-just-for-people-with-1526062373 Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

Jeff found an article in the Atlantic that posits that a certain type of negative thinking, called defensive pessimism, might actually be more conducive to productivity and well-being than thinking positively.  Anthony, of course, is all over this idea, and calls it pragmatic.  Could expecting the worst actually be beneficial?  What about if you're seven years old?   Hey! If you're enjoying the show, please take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen. Here's the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns   Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni   This show is entirely listener supported. See how you can help on our Patreon page:  http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns   Article:  http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/dont-think-positively/379993/ Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

Anthony found an article explaining how astronomers gussy up space photography to convey the scope and beauty of the cosmos, and now he has to break it to Jeff that every image he's ever seen of the galaxy isn't really as rich and vibrant as depicted.  Is it important for science to be strictly accurate, or does artistic license play into scientific method? This show is entirely supported by listeners like you! Please visit Patreon to find out how!  http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, why not take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen? Here’s the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni Article:  http://www.themarysue.com/how-space-images-are-made/ Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

Researchers have now successfully transferred words from one conscious mind to another over long distances... is a sentence that is technically true, but the details of how they did it reveal that true telepathy is still a long way off.  That doesn't stop Anthony and Jeff from proposing ways real telepathic communication could be great and/or terrible.  Who needs the Apple Watch when you've got a brain-to-brain interface! This show is entirely supported by listeners like you! Please visit Patreon to find out how!  http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, why not take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen? Here’s the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni Article:  http://www.vox.com/2014/9/7/6115573/telepathy-brain-communication-EEG-TMS Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social

Cooking a Chinese delicacy, a chef in Guangdong province died when the head of a cobra he was preparing bit his hand - long after it had been severed from its body.  This freak accident has Jeff and Anthony pondering the safety procedures necessary for serving venomous snakes in a restaurant, the weirdest foods they've eaten, and, of course, GI Joe. This show is entirely supported by listeners like you! Please visit Patreon to find out how!  http://patreon.com/wehaveconcerns Hey! If you’re enjoying the show, why not take a moment to rate/review it on whatever service you use to listen? Here’s the iTunes link:  http://bit.ly/wehaveconcerns Jeff on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/jeffcannata Anthony on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/acarboni Article:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2732523/Chef-dies-spitting-cobra-cooking-bit-hand-20-minutes-cut-head-off.html   Support the show and get bonus episodes, videos, Discord community access and more! http://patreon.com/wehaveconcernsJeff on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jeffcannata.bsky.socialAnthony on Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/acarboni.bsky.social