The "It's Early and I'm Late" Show

It's Sunday — And Crying Is One of the Most Human Emotions (literally)

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:09:33 GMT

It's Sunday — and today we're talking about something every single human being on earth has done, and almost nobody talks about.

Crying.

Not as a weakness. Not as something to apologize for. But as one of the most sophisticated, uniquely human biological processes your body knows how to do.

Seven peer-reviewed studies. One remarkable story: your tears are not a malfunction. They are a feature.

📚 Studies referenced: - Bylsma, L.M., Gračanin, A., & Vingerhoets, A.J.J.M. (2019) — The Neurobiology of Human Crying. Clinical Autonomic Research, 29(1), 63–73. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29687400/

- Gračanin, A., Bylsma, L.M., & Vingerhoets, A.J.J.M. (2014) — Is Crying a Self-Soothing Behavior? Frontiers in Psychology, 5, Article 502. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4035568/

- Gračanin, A., Vingerhoets, A.J.J.M., Kardum, I., et al. (2015) — Why Crying Does and Sometimes Does Not Seem to Alleviate Mood. Motivation and Emotion, 39(6), 953–960. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26500382/

- Hendriks, M.C.P., Rottenberg, J., & Vingerhoets, A.J.J.M. (2007) — Crying: Arousal Signal and Soothing Behavior. Emotion, 7(2), 458–463. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17516822/

- Zickfeld, J.H., van de Ven, N., Vingerhoets, A.J.J.M., et al. (2021) — Tears Elicit Social Support Across 41 Countries. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 95, 104137. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022103121000378

- Hendriks, M.C.P., Croon, M.A., & Vingerhoets, A.J.J.M. (2008) — Crying as Attachment Behavior Across the Lifespan. The Journal of Social Psychology, 148(1), 22–42. https://postprint.nivel.nl/PPpp4923.pdf

- Becht, M.C. & Vingerhoets, A.J.J.M. (2019) — The Relationship of Gender Roles and Beliefs to Crying. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2288. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02288

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#crying #science #mentalhealth #psychology #emotions #sunday #wellbeing #tears #humanity

It's Saturday — And the Science Says Laughter Makes us Sheep

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:09:15 GMT

It's Saturday, March 7th, 2026 — and before you do anything else today, we're talking about something you've been doing since before you could walk. Laughter. Not the polite kind. The real kind. The kind that makes your stomach hurt and your eyes water and makes everyone around you start laughing too without even knowing why.

Turns out science has a lot to say about that.

Today we're looking at four peer-reviewed studies that together tell one remarkable story: laughter isn't just a reaction. It's one of the oldest, most powerful biological tools humans have — for bonding, for healing, and for staying alive longer.

📚 Studies referenced: - Dunbar, R.I.M. et al. (2011) — Social laughter is correlated with an elevated pain threshold. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 279(1731), 1161–1167. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1373

- Stieger, S., Volsa, S., Willinger, D., Lewetz, D. & Batinic, B. — Laughter in everyday life: an event-based experience sampling method study using wrist-worn wearables. Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences / Johannes Kepler University, Linz.

- Dunbar, R.I.M., Frangou, A., Grainger, F. & Pearce, E. — Laughter influences social bonding but not prosocial generosity to friends and strangers. Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford.

- Manninen, S., Tuominen, L., Dunbar, R.I.M. et al. (2017) — Social laughter triggers endogenous opioid release in humans. Journal of Neuroscience, 37(25), 6125–6131. Turku PET Centre / Aalto University / University of Oxford.

🎙️ The It's Early and I'm Late Show — a daily show for anyone who needs to slow down for just a few minutes.

📺 New episode every morning.

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It's Friday — I Promise You Haven't Heard About This Anti-Inflammatory FEELING (the feeling of Awe)

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

It's Friday, March 6th, 2026 — and before you rush into your weekend, we're slowing down for something remarkable.

Three peer-reviewed studies walked into a lab and proved something most of us already felt but couldn't explain: awe is not just a feeling. It's a biological event. Lower inflammation. Less stress.

A brain that stops obsessing over itself for five whole minutes. Today we break down what happens inside you when wonder strikes — and why you should be chasing it every single day.

Studies referenced:

- Scientific Reports (2023) — 22-day diary study on awe & daily wellbeing https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10248986/

- UC Berkeley (2015) — Awe produces lower levels of inflammation markers https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25603133/

- PMC (2023) — Awe's five measurable effects on mind and body https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10018061/

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#scienceofawe #wonder #mentalhealth #wellbeing #curiosity #mindfulness #friday