A Cup of Tea

What inspires an individual to put pen to paper and begin building out an entire comic book universe? What contributes to an author's art style selection, storyboarding, and character creation? In this interview episode, Arizona-based comic book artist Nick Cagnetti illustrates his journey from a kid who frequently drew inspiration from Spider-Man to a professional with his own critically accl...

Welcome to Off the Kettle , a spin-off series of A Cup of Tea focused on shorter and more reactive content! In this "inaugural" episode, Jared is joined by Tal to discuss the potential implications of new policies in the United States post-Inauguration Day. They express some optimism amidst a barrage of challenges and the need to embrace the values of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) to crea...

Cognitive dissonance is a normal psychological phenomenon that every human being struggles with in distinct ways. These are the moments in life where cognition comes into direct conflict with reality in unique ways. In this episode, co-hosts Antasia, Tal, and Jared explore the psychology and science underpinning cognitive dissonance as well as the theory which attempts to explain it. Ultimately, i...

How do you go from picking up a pair of drumsticks for the first time to becoming the drummer of a local band on the rise? Hear from Chris, drummer of the band 3iDragon, on how his childhood curiosity paved the way for him to perform in front of countless live audiences. As part of the interview, Chris and Jared discuss the challenges and perks of being a live musician. With new singles soon on th...

Finding the truth in a sea of uncertainty is not a simple task. However, there is a philosophical tool trusted by many (including scientists) which can help guide your thinking—Occam's Razor. What is it about this concept that makes it so appealing to truth seekers? Jared uncovers the value of this abstract razor by applying some research and thought experiments on the topic. Photo by Jakub Że...

Employee-employer relations commonly revolve around the negotiation of wages whether centralized or decentralized. In this episode, host Jared closely examines the benefits, and potential drawbacks, that collective bargaining or unions can offer a workforce. How important and relevant are the tangible or intangible benefits they provide? And how much has society suffered possibly as a result of un...

The Pacific Coast Highway, otherwise known as the PCH, has a reputation for being a beautiful, yet lengthy, scenic route along the shore of the Pacific Ocean in the United States. Listen as co-hosts Antasia and Jared recount their week-long journey from sunny Monterey, California all the way up to rainy Seattle, Washington. They comment on both the bright spots and bumps in the road along the way!...

To celebrate Pride month, co-hosts Antasia and Jared evaluate the state of inclusion with respect to gender identity in the United States as of late. They examine survey data collected by the Pew Research Center which unveils some encouraging statistics along with other deeply concerning trends. While there is still a long way to go in terms of solving the challenges that come with long-term socie...

The relationship between the military, government, and society is complex at best. While each body can function independently in a nation, the three can often achieve great heights when working collaboratively together. Co-hosts Avery and Jared review the statistics and scientific literature examining the phenomenon known as the Military-Industrial Complex. Is it a good thing for society to build...

Why does it seem like history continues to rewrite itself right before our eyes? Something that we remember from our past is not how we observe it today. This is a more recent phenomena coined "The Mandela Effect". Co-hosts Antasia and Jared dive into this mysterious effect highlighting some of the most prominent and widely-shared examples of it today. Is this effect a mere illusion caus...

It is the 21st century, and humankind has officially created a new epoch in Earth's long history—the Anthropocene. This new epoch has been ushered in as a result of human-induced climate change which has persisted since the industrial age first began. In this episode, co-hosts Tal and Jared discuss the implications of the Anthropocene on society and what needs to be done by humanity to prevent...

To celebrate Earth Month 2024 and embrace the political discourse within the United States in an election year, host Jared asks the question “What really is The Green New Deal ?”. Regardless of what biased take you have heard on this proposed piece of legislation, this episode seeks to review the text of the idea itself and evaluate it objectively along with it's implications. While the propos...

How do you define the causes and conditions of something as abstract and personal as consciousness? This is the exact question that many neuroscientists are racking their brains around today. While the keys to consciousness still have not been unlocked, co-hosts Tal and Jared review the latest scientific literature on consciousness to determine if any of the prevailing theories actually hold water...

How is toxic masculinity poisoning the mental health of cisgender males in modern society? What other impacts has the patriarchy had on all people including men themselves? On today's Iced Tea episode, co-hosts Antasia, Jared, and Tal convene to share their thoughts on what makes the 'ideal' form of masculinity 'toxic' in reality. Whether it's a lack of inclusion, accountab...

What exactly are "Love Languages" and how can they speak to sexual and romantic relationships? This is what husband and wife co-hosts Antasia and Jared dive into on this Iced Tea episode to celebrate the season of love! What they ultimately uncover is a toolkit which can help people learn how they need to be loved while understanding how their significant others need to be loved as well....

What's it like to set up a chair and ask random strangers to take a seat to tell their story? The special guest on the first episode of this new interview series is Mykhal Polite who does exactly this with his new video-based podcast "Podding in Public"! Listen as host Jared interviews Mykhal about his journey from high school to now and how his creative talents led him to doing stan...

Welcome to the fifth dimension. Here a hypothesized spacetime framework may be lurking in the shadows of reality which could unify all four fundamental forces of nature—electromagnetism, gravity, and the strong and weak nuclear forces. No one knows for sure if hyperspace, space greater than the three dimensions we observe, truly exists or how many dimensions exist. On this episode, co-hosts Tal an...

What are positive behaviors or traits that you look for in a relationship with another human being? These are green flags! In this companion episode to "Red Flags", listen to co-hosts Antasia and Jared as they describe their green flags while encouraging people to think of their own green flags. The importance of modeling these behaviors while looking for them in others is emphasized thr...

Happy New Year, steeps! In a celebration of the 60th A Cup of Tea episode, co-hosts Tal and Jared have a thought-provoking discussion involving the ancient base sixty (sexagesimal) numeral system created by the Sumerians. Despite being an antiquated counting system, base sixty has various modern-day applications which may surprise you. Aside from the banter around mathematical culture and natural...

Scientific research contributions help advance humankind's understanding of our species and the universe around us. In the healthcare industry, qualitative research is instrumental to determining the efficacy of treatment options and any adverse side effects to watch for. Co-host Antasia recounts her participation in a study focused on pregnant women who received a COVID-19 vaccine and booster...

When interacting with other people, there are particular "red flags" to look out for which can signal a possibly toxic relationship which needs to be re-evaluated. The concept of a "red flag" should be familiar to everyone. While most of us may share some of them, there are unique red flags to each individual. Antasia and Jared talk through some of their red flags and highlight...

Self-affirmations, specifically positive ones, are a powerful mental tool which can be wielded by people to reconcile immediate threats that are physical or abstract in nature. By studying brain activity, this fact has been scientifically corroborated. Co-hosts Tal and Jared take time to unpack this highly-regarded study and examine the consequences of this revelation. It turns out that believing...

There are many ways to interpret the meaning of the word "average" from statistics to semantics. Host Jared leads off with the formal definitions of the word and then explores concepts of Central Tendency to illustrate how unique averages can be perceived. He also applies these concepts to various societal constructs, physical or not, to help convey the idea that being average isn't...

Recent advances in technology have allowed Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create surreal images from its vast repository of online data. As impressive as these images are, there are valid reasons to be skeptical. Co-hosts Tal and Jared depict why AI art in it's current form is not like human creativity and can be used in harmful or manipulative ways. They stress the importance of taking a met...

What is causing so many people to feel like imposters nowadays? Is the increased prevalence of this phenomena related to the stressors of the modern world or has modern technology enabled greater awareness of this "syndrome"? Host Jared answers these questions and more in this latest episode to get to the bottom of what drives high-achieving individuals to discredit their own contributio...