James Kimmel Jr. :  "Revenge Is Dopamine With a Law Degree" episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 27, 2026 · 45 MIN

James Kimmel Jr. : "Revenge Is Dopamine With a Law Degree"

from The Gist · host Mike Pesca

James Kimmel Jr. joins to argue that revenge is less a moral impulse than a brain chemistry trap. He tells a rural Pennsylvania origin story that starts with bullying, a beagle named Paula, and a mailbox bombing, then ends with the moment his "stop" circuitry saved him from becoming a murderer. His book is The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World's Deadliest Addiction andHow to Overcome It, Plus, Anthropic backs away from its slow down for safety pledge as the Pentagon snarls at Dario Amodei, compelling the sorcerer to conjure smarter weapons. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 27, 2026

James Kimmel Jr. joins to argue that revenge is less a moral impulse than a brain chemistry trap. He tells a rural Pennsylvania origin story that starts with bullying, a beagle named Paula, and a mailbox bombing, then ends with the moment his "stop" circuitry saved him from becoming a murderer. His book is The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World's Deadliest Addiction andHow to Overcome It, Plus, Anthropic backs away from its slow down for safety pledge as the Pentagon snarls at Dario Amodei, compelling the sorcerer to conjure smarter weapons. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected] For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/⁠ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist

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James Kimmel Jr. : "Revenge Is Dopamine With a Law Degree"

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James Kimmel Jr. joins to argue that revenge is less a moral impulse than a brain chemistry trap. He tells a rural Pennsylvania origin story that starts with bullying, a beagle named Paula, and a mailbox bombing, then ends with the moment his "stop"...

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