One dramatic human behavior is credited with improving mental health, but does it?
Plus: Audi has made another sensual EV.
Do you ever scream for the sake of it? Wonder if it helps over the long-term? We explore that question in our lead story today, just in time for the holiday season. I’m Nick Lucchesi, and this is Inverse Daily, your daily dispatch of science and innovation stories from the editorial staff at Inverse.
Welcome to our new subscribers! Each day, we highlight four stories from the science and innovation sections at Inverse. (We also boast robust teams on TV & Movies and Video Games. Head to inverse dot com for the whole gamut.) Please scroll to the bottom for notable birthdays and a song of the day that is somehow related to a story we feature in this newsletter.
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Does scream therapy work? — First developed by psychologist Arthur Janov, primal therapy, or "scream therapy," is based on the idea that neurosis results from repressed childhood trauma. Katie MacBride explores this treatment in a new story:
First developed by psychologist Arthur Janov, primal therapy is based on the idea that neurosis results from repressed childhood trauma. The best way to address that trauma, Janov argued, is through a patient recalling and reenacting the traumatic experience and expressing that repressed anger or frustration — and this is key — “through spontaneous and unrestrained screams...” The concept was first outlined in his 1970 book The Primal Scream: Primal Therapy, The Cure for Neurosis.
After The Primal Scream was published, the technique became extremely popular, in no small part because of its creator's claims about it. Janov went so far as to say that “80 percent of all ailments would be cured by primal therapy.”
His book sold over a million copies, and devotees of the practice included John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and James Earl Jones.
Go deeper:
What the bloodiest slasher movie on HBO Max reveals about empathy — Tara Yarlagadda writes that if you dig a little deeper into the Friday the 13th franchise’s long history, it’s obvious Jason isn’t just a faceless slasher:
In the original 1980 Friday the 13th, we learn Jason’s mother Pamela, who is a cook at Camp Camp Crystal Lake, witnesses his “drowning” and goes on a rampage against the camp counselors who let it happen. The same fate befalls a bunch more innocent counselors trying to reopen the camp years later. (This also occurs in the 2009 remake.)
Go deeper:
The Audi A6 E-tron looks brilliant — Audi is adding a tingly sedan to its EV lineup. Jordan Golson’s back to report on what you need to know about the A6 E-tron, from release date and price to specs, range, and how to buy one. Here’s a preview of Jordan’s guide to this new EV:
Audi says the A6 e-tron concept is the “perfect synergy of design, lighting, and technology.” The head of Audi Brand, Henrik Wenders, says it’s the “perfect combination of highly emotional design, fascinating lighting systems, and cutting-edge technology.”
And given the looks of it, he might be right. The A6 e-tron looks ripped from the set of I, Robot, or Minority Report, but it should be landing as soon as 2023. It’ll join the Audi e-tron crossover, the Audi e-tron GT sport sedan, and the Audi Q4 e-tron SUV in the company’s all-electric lineup.
Go deeper:
Billionaire entrepreneur and founder of SpaceX Elon Musk speaks below a computer generated illustration of his new rocket at the 68th International Astronautical Congress 2017 in Adelaide on September 29, 2017. -
Impressive time-lapse shows SpaceX Starship’s rapid progress — As the Federal Aviation Administration researches SpaceX's Texas project, Mike Brown reports a new video that shows the company hard at work on its big rocket. Here’s a snippet:
The Starship project is perhaps SpaceX’s most ambitious ongoing plan. The Starship rocket is designed to send over 100 tons or 100 people into space at a time, with a fully-reusable design that CEO Elon Musk hopes will dramatically reduce spaceflight costs. Its use of liquid oxygen and methane as a fuel means humans could fly to Mars, refuel using the planet’s resources, and either return home or venture out further.
Go deeper:
Rapper Nelly marks a birthday today. Did we write about the science of one of his songs a few years ago? Yes, we did. Read it here.
- About the newsletter: Do you think it can be improved? Have a story idea? Want to share a story about the time you met an astronaut? Send those thoughts and more to newsletter@inverse.com.
- Birthdays: Nelly (47; pictured above), David Schwimmer (55), k.d. lang (60), Stefanie Powers (79), Hannah Hart (35). (Source: AP.)
- Song of the Day: “Scream and Shout” by Righteous Jams.
