FULL EPISODE: Mushrooms and Mental Health - June 22, 2026

Industrial and systems engineering professor Congyu "Peter" Wu outlines how his team used information theory to solve Wordle with a 99% success rate. Neuroscientist Matt Hill reveals how rats stoned on cannabis get the munchies, and what that means for people with eating disorders and appetite loss. Psychologist Victoria Talwar goes over her study showing how childhood lying patterns predict adult outcomes. Biological physicist Lisa Schick discusses how slime mold makes decisions despite not having a brain or nervous system. Professors Abram Anders and Emily Dux Speltz share how writing with AI demands more thought from students, not less. Psychology professor Daniel Sznycer illustrates why shame is an evolution-based defense mechanism. Clinical psychologist Dr. Dominique Morisano chats about the positives and negatives of psilocybin use and other psychoactive substances in mental health treatment. Segments: (00:00) Introduction (01:08) Congyu Peter Wu (10:00) Matt Hill (20:00) Victoria Talwar (30:00) Lisa Schick (39:50) Abram Anders & Emily Dux Speltz (49:50) Daniel Sznycer (59:50) Dr. Dominique Morisano pt. 1 (1:09:50) Dr. Dominique Morisano pt. 2 (1:19:02) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices