Schauer Thoughts

Uh-oh, the communal Schauer is getting intimate this week, intellectually intimate that is. We’re going over the new sensation sweeping the nation ~intellectual intimacy~ so get ready for a smattering of everything - from psychology to neuroscience to what’s happening in my relationship, no pumice stone will go unturned. Time to sit back and relax (to the best of your ability) because we’re starting with the gnarliest knots this nation has failed to address, welcome to Schauer Thoughts.

Additionally:

I do really apologize for this week’s sort of choppy presentation, there’s a Vyvanse shortage and my brain was truly struggling to organize thoughts. I hope everything made some semblance of sense. <3

Thank you to all the people who send me DMs, helpful commenters, resourceful individuals, and those who just further meaningful conversation along, you all give me hope for the future. I appreciate your efforts to much and I’m wishing you nothing but the best.

NEW Book Club 

https://open.substack.com/pub/sarahschauer/p/new-book-club?r=3yb1cq&utm_medium=ios

Starting February 15 & 16

Resources:

Radical Intimacy - Sophie K. Rosa

Frames of Mind: Theta Theory of Multiple Intelligences - Howard Gardner

Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst - Robert Sapolsky

Quote From Substack

https://substack.com/@afterdinnerconversation/note/c-151186676?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=3yb1cq 

Role of Intellectual Intimacy in Psychological Well-Being: The Cognitive Connection

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387520981_Role_of_Intellectual_Intimacy_in_Psychological_Well-being_The_Cognitive_Connection

Neurodivergent Mind: When Your Common Sense Is Not Common

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-with-emotional-intensity/202602/neurodivergent-mind-when-your-common-sense-is-not

The archeology of intimacy 

https://substack.com/home/post/p-173747521 

To be intimate with someone who is flawed requires us to expose our own flaws

https://substack.com/home/post/p-183443032

“I’m Not Terribly Lonely”: Advancing the Understanding of Intimacy Among Older Adults

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9163450/

It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask: Question-Asking Increases Liking

https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/Huang%20et%20al%202017_6945bc5e-3b3e-4c0a-addd-254c9e603c60.pdf 
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Gather round my gaggle of geeks and gays, we’re tackling “womb envy” yet again! Huzzah! A commentary on the ills patriarchy has bestowed upon society, we are blessed to carry their cognitive loads to term and birth new stress-related ailments for all to acquire. 

No but seriously, this week we’re discussing the new research I’m drooling at the faucet over as well as wrapping up our short series on “womb envy.” Make sure to wear sandals to this week’s communal Schauer, I mean it IS what Jesus would do.

Nuance: I don’t actually think that researchers and writers at Scientific American are writing articles and doing studies just for me - that was a joke. Sometimes people who aren’t men can make jokes too.

Information for New Book Club: https://substack.com/home/post/p-186705166

Immigration Resources Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-185913344 

Includes free Ebooks from Haymarket Books

Stay tuned for the magazine club! 

Resources: 

Scientists Cure Pancreatic Cancer Using New Therapy That Eliminated Tumors with No Major Side Effects

https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/scientists-cure-pancreatic-cancer-breakthrough-treatment/

Selective Sound: Why Do Some People with Schizophrenia Hear Voices?

https://static.scientificamerican.com/dam/m/5de541c65719ff73/original/SciAm_02_2026.pdf

What Are Binaural Beats?

https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-are-binaural-beats

Detecting Dementia Using Lexical Analysis: Terry Prachett’s Discworld Tells a More Personal Story

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/399826710_Detecting_Dementia_Using_Lexical_Analysis_Terry_Pratchett's_Discworld_Tells_a_More_Personal_Story 

Cancer might protect against Alzheimer’s - this protein helps explain why

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00222-7

Womb envy: The cause of misogyny and even male achievement? 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251547431_Womb_envy_The_cause_of_misogyny_and_even_male_achievement

Understanding the Characteristics of Envy and How to Grow Past It

https://www.healthline.com/health/relationships/characteristics-of-an-envious-person

Europe’s Journal of Psychology

https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/110/110.pdf
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Welcome to the wonderful, winding world of Schauer Thoughts! This week we’re meandering through new research from MIT on the rest and digest system, as well as making a sharp turn into “womb envy.” Is the rest and digest system related to womb envy? Not really. I mean, potentially? There is definitely a glandular route through the endocrine system, but I’m not taking that road today! Today I’m just covering two separate topics because I wanted to! Huzzah.

Tear. Pour. Live More. Go to https://LIQUIDIV.com and get 20% off your first order with code SCHAUER at checkout.

“Wait, so what are today’s separate topics?”

Rest & digest and then “womb envy.”

Thank you again for joining me in the communal Schauer! There’s a joke to be made about “womb envy” and a “baby Schauer” - please let me know if you come up with anything solid! Enjoy the episode. 

Nuance for why I “don’t want to get philosophical,” spoiler! It’s not because I don’t like philosophy, it’s because we’re going to get into “zero-sum” thinking and game theory and this is where people are going to argue about what economic systems are the “best” and people feel *compelled* to play devil’s advocate. 

Resources: 

Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst - Robert M. Sapolsky

Could It Be ADHD or… Narcolepsy? - Discover Science, November/December 2025 Edition

Cancer Spreads at Night - Lea Milling Korsholm, Exploring Science

Squishy Math - Kelsey Houston-Edwards, Scientific American, Ultimate Math Edition, Fall/Winter 2025

The Denial of Death - Ernest Becker 

Your brain does something surprising when you don’t sleep

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260119234937.htm

Article from Jan. 20

Attentional failures after sleep deprivation are locked to joint neuromuscular, pupil and cerebrospinal fluid flow dynamics

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02098-8

Parietal alpha frequency shapes own-body perception by modulating the temporal integration of bodily signals 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67657-w

Scientists Found the Brain Rhythm that Makes Your Body Feel Like Yours 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260114080325.htm#:~:text=Researchers%20at%20Karolinska%20Institutet%20studied,sense%20of%20self%20is%20disturbed.%22

REM alpha rhythm: diagnostic for narcolepsy? (2006 - a bit dated)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16751726/ 

FDA Clears First Blood test Used in Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-clears-first-blood-test-used-diagnosing-alzheimers-disease 

Europe’s Journal of Psychology

https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/110/110.pdf
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You know what they say, fall down seven times, pursue a class action lawsuit against the establishment. Just kidding but not really (see sources linked below) this week we’re learning about the neuroscience, psychology, and *personal* philosophy of rejection to manufacture some good ol’ fashion luck. This is not a guide on gambling nor a get rich quick scheme, this is a reframe to get you all to take a chance on some weird opportunities to flourish or at least establish a sizable amount of lore.

As always, thank you for joining me in the communal Schauer, please know that I am not perceiving any of you. When I step into the weekly STEAM I can’t see anything beyond the computer in front of me. Wishing you all the best.

Check out Gabbies1000nos aka the woman who inspired this episode! 

 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThRthGxf/

Gabbie, if you see this, you’ve inspired me and I’m wishing you nothing but luck on your journey!

Resources: 

Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst - Robert M. Sapolsky 

Squares & Sharps, Suckers & Sharks: The Science, Psychology & Philosophy of Gambling - Joseph Buchdahl 

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi 

What We Value: The Neuroscience of Choice and Change - Emily Falk

Your brain learns from rejection – here’s how it becomes your compass for connection

https://theconversation.com/your-brain-learns-from-rejection-heres-how-it-becomes-your-compass-for-connection-249124

Neural responses to social rejection reflect dissociable learning about relational value and reward

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2400022121

The Psychological Health Benefits of Accepting Negative Emotions and Thoughts: Laboratory, Diary, and Longitudinal Evidence

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5767148/

Strengthen Your Mind the Way You Strengthen Your Body

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/building-resilient-minds/202601/strengthen-your-mind-the-way-you-strengthen-your-body#:~:text=The%20Window%20of%20Tolerance:%20Whereand%20even%20grow%20from%20it.

The Neuroplasticity of First Attempts

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/parenting-from-a-neuroscience-perspective/202509/the-neuroplasticity-of-first-attempts

The Luck Field Manual - “How to Manufacture Luck”

https://substack.com/@polymathinvestor/note/c-194112619

The Spirit of Hope - Byung Chul Han

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=2YMgEQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT2&ots=l4PW6LyQQ8&sig=bGGFu0gUVQv3hqfvSS0d0ZyBjP4#v=onepage&q&f=false

— My Resources to Help You All Get Lucky! —

On the Art and Craft of Doing Science - Kenneth Catania

How to Find a Research Gap - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThrD8Q8L/ 

Nightshade - https://nightshade.cs.uchicago.edu/whatis.html

Tool for artists :)

Learn More About Adaptive Yoga - Mindbodysolutions.org

Learn More About Class Action Lawsuits - ClassAction.org 

Job Posting Websites to Check Out

Hiring.cafe - https://hiring.cafe/

Welcome to the Jungle - https://us.welcometothejungle.com/?utm_source=foundation&utm_campaign=redirect_modal&utm_content=en 

especially great if you work in tech!

LinkedIn Job Search Hacks - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThryKvGR/ 

Check Out Audrey Gidman’s Substack On Art Residencies 

A non-exhaustive list of writing (and art) residencies in the so-called US https://substack.com/home/post/p-162701566 

Another non-exhaustive list of writing (and art) residencies in the so-called US

https://audreygidman.substack.com/p/another-non-exhaustive-list-of-writing?r=1cyxix 
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Well howdy my curious crew, today we’re taking somewhat of an insightful detour on our discussion of the rest and digest system! Our mode of transportation? Metaphor! We’re using figurative language to figure out what should already be widely known. 

For anyone new here, we’ll be discussing neuroscience, math, fluid dynamics, lateral learning and inhibition - we cover a lot of ground. Feel free to trilateral my position on information silos and receive a high five when you get here.

Apologies to those who aren’t mathematically inclined, sometimes you have to “take it there” to prove a point, coordinate frustration. 

Also, please feel free to leave your favorite marching band performance! They’re so hypnotic and incredibly impressive, I’d be honored to have them in the communal Schauer.

Make sure to rate my 5 stars on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, any place you get your podcasts!

Resources:

‘Next Albert Einstein’ is 32-year-old woman who turned down $1.1m offer from university

https://www.ladbible.com/news/science/next-albert-einstein-sabrina-gonzalez-pasterski-327566-20260112

I know, I never thought I’d cite LadBible either…



Elusive Cures: Why Neuroscience Hasn’t Solved Brain Disorders and How We Can Change That - Nicole C. Rust 

This Is What It Sounds Like - Susan Rogers & Ogi Ogas

On the Art and Craft of Doing Science - Kenneth Catania 

The Meaning of Proofs: Mathematics as Storytelling - Gabriele Lolli

Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement - Ashley Shew 

Neurogastronomy: How the Brain Creates Flavor and Why It Matters - Gordon Shepherd
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