October 15, 2025 • 38 mins
We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!
The Nova Exhibition, honoring the Tribe of Nova massacre with relics and survivor stories, runs in South Boston through Oct. 21.
Guest: Tal Mazor – Nova Festival Survivor
What motorists need to be aware of with seeing more moose and deer on the roadways this Fall.
Guest: Martin Feehan - Deer & Moose Biologist, Wildlife Health Specialist at Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife
With the release of the Israeli hostages, we discuss the neuroscience of trauma and survival. Guest: Dr. Nicholas Wright - leading neuroscientist and adviser to the Pentagon, author of book: WARHEAD: How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes the Brain
With Halloween coming up, we discuss how watching scary movies or engaging in spooky activities like going to a haunted house, impacts your heart. Should certain people forgo getting “scared”?
Guest: Dr. James Udelson - Chief of Cardiology at Tufts Medical Center
The Nova Exhibition, honoring the Tribe of Nova massacre with relics and survivor stories, runs in South Boston through Oct. 21.
Guest: Tal Mazor – Nova Festival Survivor
What motorists need to be aware of with seeing more moose and deer on the roadways this Fall.
Guest: Martin Feehan - Deer & Moose Biologist, Wildlife Health Specialist at Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife
With the release of the Israeli hostages, we discuss the neuroscience of trauma and survival. Guest: Dr. Nicholas Wright - leading neuroscientist and adviser to the Pentagon, author of book: WARHEAD: How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes the Brain
With Halloween coming up, we discuss how watching scary movies or engaging in spooky activities like going to a haunted house, impacts your heart. Should certain people forgo getting “scared”?
Guest: Dr. James Udelson - Chief of Cardiology at Tufts Medical Center
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's nice with Dan Ray. I'm going easy Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
All right, we beginning new here on a Wednesday night.
It is October fifteenth. We are halfway through October, heading
towards November at breakneck speed. My name is Dan Ray.
I'm the host of Nightside, and we have a great
show for you tonight lined up. We have four really
interesting guests in the first hour. We're going to get
to the first guest in just a moment, but let
(00:28):
me reintroduce to you Brooks, our producer, who is back
in the control room. He's all set to set you
up with phone calls after nine o'clock. We will talk
after nine o'clock about some problems that Starbucks is facing
and perhaps the entire coffee industry. We'll deal with that
at nine o'clock. Is sort of an economic story, but
I think you'll find an interesting way of a special
guest lined up for that. And then today Congressman Seth
(00:50):
Moulton of the sixth district up in here in Massachusetts
said he's going to run against fellow Democrat, gonna take
on Senator Ed Markey and spend some time talking about that,
and we may have a couple of other topics as well,
but without any further ado. It was recently in Boston,
coincidentally with the release of the remaining living hostages hamas
(01:15):
hostages from that horrific day two years ago October sixth,
at the Nova Festival with us via telephone. And I'm
not exactly sure from where I might ask where if
that's possible, taal masor who is a Nova Festival survivor
good evening, tal. I believe that there was some representatives
(01:38):
of the folks who survived the attack on the Nova Festival.
The dance festival was in Boston. Did we miss you
in Boston or are you still in Boston if you're able
to tell us.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Hi, Hello, Hi, thank you for having made you welcome. Yeah,
we are still in Boston. We are supposed to be
in Boston until a couple twenty first, going to be
our last day. So if anybody haven't been here yet,
you are more than welcome. We want as many people
as possible to hear our stories and to hear about
(02:12):
what happened to us on this horrible day on Optober
seven to twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Right that Noble Exhibition is in Boston, it's entitled We
Will Dance Again. You were there as a regular Friday
night out which turned into a horrific Saturday morning. Was
there anything before you realized what was going on? Was
there anything that it was relatively early in the morning,
(02:40):
it sounded as if young people were just having a
wonderful time.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah. So basically it was one of the best parties
I've ever been been before. There were a lot of
beautiful young young women and man, we had the best
time of our life and we didn't know anything is
about to happen. We just at sunrise at approximately six
twenty nine, there began to shoot hundreds of missiles at
(03:08):
all across Israel and right above us. Some of them
actually hit the party area. But we had no idea
what's going to come. We were just going there to
dance and have fun and celebrate life.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
And so when did you realize that that, well, you
realized with missiles that the nation of Israel is again,
as it's been so many times, under attack unprovoked. When
did you, folks at the dance festival realize that there
were people who had surrounded you on motorbikes and on
foot who were firing you know, live rounds at all
(03:45):
of you.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
So for me personally, there's a different story. For its survivor,
it's one of us experienced so many horrible things. But
for me personally, it was around seven point thirty an
hour after the attacks, again, because it took some time
for the Tarrist to reach from the border all the
way through the effectival area. It was approximately four miles
(04:07):
away from the border, so they were on the vehicles
they were at first they were encountering encountering other soldiers,
but after they killed all the other soldiers that protected us,
they reached the area of the party and at.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
That point the really personal horror began. We've seen the videos.
I don't expect you to to relive them, but for
Americans who don't understand what it is like in Israel
to live under that, that mentality that at any moment
in size, I keep telling my listeners, tell that the
(04:46):
state of Israel is about the size physically of the
Nation of Israel is about the size of New Jersey.
It's it's not a huge parcel of land. And you
constantly have been for seventy seven years since the nation's
founding in May of nineteen forty eight, under constant barrage
(05:07):
psychologically and sometimes militarily. How was it that you were
able to you would not taken hostage, thank god? But
how what did you do? How in that situation were
you able to survive?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
So for me, my story was that I had a
lot of luck. At first, I tried to find a
shelter somewhere to hide because there were a lot of missiles.
So we were trying to find a safe place to
hide form and we arrived the closest community nearby called
the Kibutraim. And when we arrived there, we find a
(05:47):
safe place. But that at first we found. We figured
it's going to be safe. But after less than half
an hour, then the moment that we arrived there, the
terroristrated the entire community and started to slotherer people in
their own houses.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
And children. And you you found yourself in that situation.
You must have seen these terrorists personally. You must have
seen them, I assume correct.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Yeah, they had. They all they have was just dead
in their high eyes. They didn't care about anything. They
just came there to destroy and kill and do as
many horrible things they can as long as they have time.
They knew they the army is going to eventually kill them.
So they were on a suicide mission to kill as
(06:41):
many people as they can. They didn't care about conquering
stuff or taking care of anything. They just wanted to
kill and destroy as many as they can. They burned
down houses, they kidnapped people, they did horrible sexual stuff.
The things that I've witnessed and three thousands of us
(07:01):
have witnessed are unthinkable. I just hope that the world
is going to accept that everything that's happened to us,
it's real. It's not something that some people may say
that we deserved it maybe, or that we did it
on purpose. But they are just animals that just came
to our country. They decided to do these horrible things
(07:26):
to innocent people, not to soldiers, not to people that
tried to fight them, just for us dancers who went
to a music festival to dance, to have fun.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
It's extraordinary. Look, look I've I'm a big I don't
happen to be Jewish. I happen to be Roman Catholic.
But my dad was in World War Two and he
taught us about the Holocaust. I've been to Auschwitz. I've
(07:57):
seen the horrors of Auschwitz up close, and personal television
reporter in the nineteen eighties. So I can't tell you
how much I admire the nation of Israel and the
Israeli people for their ability to come back. No one
ever could have imagined two years ago from tonight, you know,
(08:21):
about a week and a half after the attack by
the terrorists that did today Hamas would be broken. Hispallah
eliminated the Hooties in trouble Syria, Asad having escaped. Ironically, ironically,
Israel is probably stronger today than at any point in
(08:43):
its history, particularly when you compare what they've been able
to do to their enemies, to their sworn enemies who
want nothing other than to destroy Israel. And again, to
you sound like a young man, how old do you tell?
I assume you're probably in your twenties.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah, I'm plenty. And about what you just said, I
think that the awful thing for me is that the
way that our people got all together and we were
committed to the same cause of defendly are our only country.
There is only one Jewish country in the war in
the world, And it doesn't matter how many conflicts we
(09:20):
had between ourselves. The moment this war began, we were
coming together served our country, doing our best to make
sure all our enemies that are trying to eliminate us
are unable to do so. So I'm really proud to
be in Israeli right now, and I'm hoping that we
will have better days.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Well, I trust and believe that there will be better days.
I appreciate you coming to Boston. I hope you get
a chance to visit with people in Boston and to
understand that Boston is the city that supports the Israeli
people in the nation of israel. I. Don't want to
put politics into this. I happen to be I'm a
(10:01):
little older than you, quite older than you, but I
do think that Prime Minister Nyahoo and the entire Israeli
nation stood up against all odds and not only have survived,
but have prevailed. And I just wanted to say, thank
God you're still here. Please enjoy Boston and know that
(10:25):
you have friends in this country, many more friends than
you can ever imagine. Okay, thank you Tal for your time,
and thank you for doing what you've done on behalf
of freedom and on behalf of your fellow country people.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Thank you so much, Thank you very much, And I
want to say thank you to the community in Boston.
They gave us a huge hugs and everybody that comes
to the exhibition they give us strength. And we are
really thankful for everything that you guys are doing towards us.
I wish I'd be one the best. And if you
haven't come to the exhibition yet, you are mold and welcome.
(10:58):
We are welcoming everyone, and we just want to spread
the word.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
And where are you? Where is the exhibition? Well, I
have some information here. I just want to make sure
that we give this a mention. Uh it is It's
in South Boston.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
And and people can get h information I assume by
going to Jewish Boston dot com. Uh slash read slash
the Nova Exhibition.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Yeah, they can just search it on Google Nova Exhibition.
This is going to be the top result.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
That'd be great. Well again, congratulations on surviving, and may
you prosper and may Israel prosper and and let us
say once again, never again, never again.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Thank you so much, Thank you very much, John, very much.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
You also can go Nova Exhibition dot com if you
want information as well. We'll be back on Night's side
right after these brief messages. Is with a different issue,
a different topic, but certainly that presentation by talt Mas
or a Nova Festival survivor, it's it's one that I'll
(12:12):
remember for a long time. I hope you will as well.
Back on Nightside after this, You're on night Side with
Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio. Well, fall is here.
We're past the CLUBUS Day, Indigenous People's Day weekend, we're
past the official arrival of We're about a month into fall.
(12:34):
What does that mean? Well, for motorists, we have to
be a weird because we're going to see more moose
in deer on New England roadways this fall. Withing with
us as Martin Fie and he's the deer and moose
biologist wildlife health specialist at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries
and Wildlife. Martin, Welcome to Night'side. Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Tonight, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
We're in breeding season from moose and deer, and that
means a lot of activity and a lot autom mouse
and deer have things other than automobile safety on their minds.
Speaker 5 (13:04):
Correct, Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
So.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
How much of a spike do we expect at this time?
As someone who took out a deer got to be
at least fifteen years ago on Thanksgiving night, horrifying experience.
They're everywhere.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
Yeah, about sixty to seventy percent of deer collisions happen
in the stretch from mid October through early December, So
this is definitely when there's the highest risk across the state.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
And they attribute that designer standards to the mating season.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
Yeah, so the rout cord the breeding season essentially runs
from mid October through early to mid November. For deer,
it peaks around November eleventh with Veterans Day, and then
the late rout will run all the way into early December,
and so during those periods you have heightened movement, a
(14:03):
lot more activity. We're just past the peak of the
rut for moose, so that peaks right at the end
of September, and especially their early rout behavior begins in
late August and runs through mid October. So we're kind
of at the end of it for moose, but now
is exactly when it starts picking up for deer.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Now. As bad as the deer collision is, and believe me,
I speak from perusual experience, deer collision is nothing to
shake a stick it's bad, but collisions with a moose
are actually worse, as I understand it, right or wrong.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
Yeah, absolutely. I mean you're looking at an average sized
moose weighing about five to seven times the weight of
a full grown deer, So you have a lot more risk,
a lot more weight that can fall on top of
a vehicle. And there are certain aspects of moose that
make them much more dangerous for collisions, especially their dark
(14:55):
color that makes them really hard to see at night.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Yeah. And also they have like longer legs than deer,
So if you hit a moose head on, meaning sideways,
and they're running across the road, you're gonna like like
an NBA an NFL linebacker, take out their legs, uh,
and the entire corpse of the of the body. This
(15:20):
mass of weight is certainly going to hit your windshield
and maybe even go through the windshield. I mean that
you got to really be y.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Yeah absolutely.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
I mean one of the things that often happens when
you have collisions with a full grown moose is it'll
essentially crush the entire cab because if you're looking at
a full grown moose, their legs will be taken out
by your front bumper and then they'll fall with their
entire body weight, which can be upwards of eight hundred
to one thousand pounds, right on the top.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Of the car. Is there a breakdown in the frequency
of deer versus moose collisions? Is it like a fifty fifth?
I'm assuming there are more deer out there than moose.
Maybe I'm wrong. Tell me, well.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
So moose collisions are pretty rare. So there's only a
dozen or so moose collisions each year in Massachusetts versus
in the tens of thousands of deer collisions each year.
So your risk is wors far, far higher with white
tail deer than it is with moss.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Okay, but the damage if you do happen to draw
the moose card as opposed to the deer card, you
run substantially more risk of physical injury and automotive destruction.
What about those little deer horns. For a while, I
had deer horns, those little plastic horns that you can
(16:44):
buy in a sporting good store. I think they actually
work from my experience. I can remember driving back in
the nineties going into WBC when I was working mornings
early in the morning in some of the Western suburbs
and I would see a deer freeze on the side
of the road. Do those little plastic deer horns they
seem to help me? What do you think of them?
(17:05):
You're much of an expert.
Speaker 5 (17:08):
I think they're making you feel safer than.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
You really are.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
There's actually been a lot of really good independent testing
and a lot of researchers have spent a lot of
time and effort on a whole host of different tools.
Same thing with like deer whistles that have been deployed
throughout the nineties and two thousands. There are a lot
of different kind of products that were for sale to
help with deer collisions, but in reality they have very
(17:33):
little impact actually reduce so.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
There's nothing you can do. I guess then probably drive
a little more cautiously and pay attention. Is it does
it make sense during this time of year to back
off the speed limit and instead of going thirty, if
you're in an area where you could comfortably go thirty,
back it down to twenty five. Maybe you diminish the
chances of a collision.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
They're actually several things you can do, so certainly slowing
down is the most important thing, but it's also where
you slow down is really important. So if you're driving
along the roads, or especially on interstate areas or highways,
any place where the forests come right along the edges,
those are the areas you really want to slow down
to as soon as you're going through those, even if
(18:20):
you don't see any deer, because those create pinch points
that often deer will come to. Versus if you have
large open areas by some roadways, there you're more likely
to see deer. The other thing is, if you see
one deer, don't assume that that's the only deer there.
Deer there are very social animals, and if you see one,
there's usually going to be others right nearby, and so
(18:40):
one may stay still, but those others may jump out
into the road.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
I always slow down when I see the signs that
say deer crossing. Do you read those signs? I will
give me time, But it's if you see a deer
crossing sign, it is a good idea to slow it
down because I assume those signs are there from past
experiences or maybe even past collisions.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
Yep, those are all essentially there based on collision data.
Mass Coot does a great job of collecting data on
deer collisions, and we work with them on a lot
of communications. You'll also see in different times in September, October,
and November the light up signs with extra warnings. When
you see those, definitely heed those warnings because we put
(19:27):
those specifically in areas that are at highest risk.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Okay, well, Martin, thanks very very much. I had you
lean in there on that change up that I threw
at you. Mart you were thinking to yourself, does this
guy really think the deer or reading the signs? It's
an old joke. It's an old joke. Thanks very much
for your time. It's a serious subject and anytime you'd
(19:50):
like to come back on this or any other topic
dealing with wildlife. One, we want to preserve wildlife, and
we certainly don't want to have them as a new
hood ornament on our car, because that's that's a real problem.
Martin Fien He is the Dear and Moose biologist wildlife
health specialist at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
Thanks Martin, appreciate it. Good night. When we come back
(20:14):
with the release of the Israeli hostages, we're going to
talk with a neuroscientist about trauma and survival. It's the
leading neuroscientists and advisors at the Pentagon author a book
called Warhead, How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes
the Brain. Doctor Nicholas Right joins us right after this
quick break on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
It's Nightside with Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
We talked earlier tonight with not a hostage survivor, but
a Nova Festival survivor. And now we're going to speak
with doctor Nicholas Right, a leading neuroscientist, and he's an
advisor to the Pentagon. He's authored a new book called Warhead,
How the Brain Shapes the War and War Shapes the Brain,
Doctor Wright. I think that people have studied war and
(21:01):
the impact that hasn't on people's brains. We certainly talk
about PTSD, but generations before you used to talk about
shell shock. Is there much difference between shell shock of
World War One and PTSD of today?
Speaker 4 (21:17):
Hi?
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Hi, Thanks thanks for having me on that. Thank you.
That's a great question. I mean, there will almost certainly
be a new term fifty or one hundred years from now,
so I think you're absolutely right. What we have is
there have always been ways in which our brain copes
(21:38):
and sometimes can't cope with the challenges that it faces,
and doctors will always call those uh you know, those
problems are by different names. Shell shock was what they
talked about, and really that was a new thing around
World War One. And I'm sure that in the future
we will we will understand these issues even better than
(22:00):
we do today.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
So let's talk about the book, your book, Warhead. How
the brain shapes war and war shapes the brain. I
can understand the concept of war shaping the brain. How
does the brain shape shape war?
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Well, war is always violence between human groups, between humans,
and the human brain has always been the central weapon
of war. Whether you're a frontline soldier and you need
to stand and fight, or perhaps you run away. If
you need to lead others, if you are a leader,
(22:41):
like a general pattern or a nimics in World War two,
or whoever you might be, how do you lead others?
How do you get others to follow you? How can
you be a better leader? And then equally, if you
are a supreme leader, you are the president of the
United States, for example, how can you not just make
clever decisions? But why the decisions? And that couldn't matter
(23:04):
more than it does today. Because still, right today, there
are specific human brains that we'll be making decisions about
war and peace and nuclear weapons. And nothing is more
important for our human future than that, no question.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
And right now, for example, we're dealing with a guy
in Putin in Russia who is intent onjust obliterating and
what I perceive as an innocent population such as Ukraine.
Zelensky wants Tomahawk missiles, which I can understand because he
wants to strike further within Russia. I suspect that most
(23:43):
Americans would say, give him the more Tomahawk missiles. But
when you're dealing with Putin, what mde his response to
that be? That's where it gets really dangerous and complicated.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Yeah, I mean, Putin obviously is an individual, and he's
a very sophisticated individual, and he's a product of his culture,
he's a product of his training in the KGB. But
still he has a human brain. And the thing to
remember is that he is also very skilled at using
(24:19):
his knowledge about other human brains work. So, to give
you an example, he is an expert. You talked about
Tom howk Missolf, how he might respond to things. He
is an expert at understanding how humans respond to things
like fear. So it's give you an example. There was
a in his sort of quasi autobiography that he wrote
a few years ago. He talked about when he was
a young man growing up in a Leningrad, dilapidated Leningrad
(24:42):
apartment block, he used to chase rats with sticks for fun,
and then one day the rat was cornered, and then
he describes how it was the rat that started chasing
him and that is something that fear does. Though when
you can escape, you might run, but when you were cornered, fight.
And he is someone who, through his KGB training, through
(25:03):
his years of experience, is someone who deeply understands how
to manipulate others brains.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Yeah, it's too bad the rat didn't win that fight.
It would have only been only been appropriate, yes, but
but probably there would have been another megalomaniac who would
be in charge of that country. It is. There's so
much going on right now, and again, without imposing on
(25:31):
your your personal thoughts, uh be you, I'm sure must
have studied the leaders of the countries that are at
war right now, President Trump, President putin President Zelinsky.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
You have.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Jiping in China as as well. As the guy in
North Korea, you, I'm sure, look at these, are there
any that are more unpredictable than I'm not asking to
make judgments good, bad, or indifferent, But do any of
(26:11):
them share the characteristics of unpredictability, which which should not
be a characteristic associated with anyone who has their fingers
on nuclear weapons?
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Well, in a way, you have to be unpredictable. You
have to be a bit irrational if your finger is
on the nuclear button. And the reason I say that
is that what you were trying to do is you
were saying, so the presidence of the United States is
saying to the presidents of Russia or formerly the head
of the Soviet Union, if you attack me, I will
(26:48):
spite back. I will fire back, even though what that
means is is probably I will bring you know, absolute
calamity upon or the whole of humanity. So you are
making a threat that is in some ways irrational, that
is in some ways not sensible, and so you have
to be a bit crazy, you know, you have to
combine both the iceman of you know, I'm responsible and
(27:09):
one with a bit of the maverick of saying I'm
prepared to do what it takes to get the job done.
So that is that is absolutely central. And our brain's
actually like an orchestra in which we have more rational
and then we also have more emotional and lots of
other aspects to our brains that we're learning so much about.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Now, let me ask you one more pointed question, Okay,
because I don't get a chance to talk to experts
like you. Earlier this year, President Trump authorized taking out
the nuclear weapon nuclear weapon facility in Iran, and from
all that I've read, uh, it was obliterated, and that
(27:46):
Iran has been very quiet in the last few weeks,
in the last few months. What lesson does Putin take
from that strike, if any in your opinion.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
I think, I mean, Vladimir Putin has a lot going
on that specific strike on Iran. So, for example, a
while ago, I held part of a Shaheed drone. This
is an Iranian drone that they captured in Ukraine and
I held part of it. And Iran and Russia have
been working closely in Ukraine in a variety different ways
(28:22):
and more broadly, but ultimately, right now, Vladimir Putin's number
one priority is the security of Vladimir Putin in his
regime within Russia. That is absolutely number one priority. His
number two priority is probably the war in Ukraine, right,
and then the things that are happening elsewhere they are
(28:43):
lower down his priority list. And when you talked about
the unpredictability, for example, I think, actually that's one of
the things that President Trump does quite well, and using
unpredictability can actually help not just help you win in
a war, but it can also help you create peace,
which I think people don't think about. But your Unpredictable
(29:04):
novel creative moves of central to how we produce peace
just as much as out how we win wars.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Ironically, President Trump's action, in my opinion, against Iran took
a run off the stage as a nuclear player, and frankly,
I think that was a good thing, and I hope
the world feels the same way as well, because I
think that that regime above all was the most in
ways predictable and unpredictable. And then I think that if
(29:31):
they had the weaponry, they would have used it on
Israel at a moment's notice. So fascinating area of study.
Doctor Wright. Thank you very much. Your book is Warhead,
How the Brain Shapes War and War shapes the brain.
Thank you very much for being with us tonight. We
really enjoyed the conversation.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
Thank you, thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Bye bye, thank you, goodbye. When we get back, when
I talk about Halloween, going to talk with the chief
of Chroniology at Tough's Medical Center, doctor James or Eulson.
We'll get the correct pronunciation. I will leave me out.
We will. We're going to talk about scary movies and
scary activities, spooky movies, spooky activities, and what impact that
(30:13):
might have on your heart and should certain people forego
getting scared Halloween Cummings is on its way a little
little more than two weeks away. Back on Nightside right
after this.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
It's night Side with.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
My guess is doctor James Eulisson, Chief of Cardiology at
Tops Medical Center, Doctor Utlsson, how are you tonight?
Speaker 4 (30:39):
Very well, Dan, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I'm sure you must know our great mutual friend who
passed all too soon, doctor Larry Cone over at Brigham
and Women's Hospital.
Speaker 4 (30:49):
Oh yeah, yeah, he was a you know, really a
surge cardiac surgery legend for sure. Taught us all a lot.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
It's one of my closest friends and I I I
miss him so much. Every day. He used to come
on my show and take phone calls from listeners for
like two hours at a time, and he had a
great sense of humor. I mean, I told him, in
another life, you're going to become a radio talk show host.
I mean, it was not that a radio talk show
(31:16):
host can hold the candle to the intellectual capacity of
folks like you, Doctor T.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
I don't know about that. I'm not sure I could
do four hours every night like you.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
There was some nights, but I'm not sure if I've
done four hours. But anyway, so let's talk about getting
scared on Halloween. Everyone's going to be watching scary movies
or engaging in spooky activities, and I guess it does
potentially impact your heart. I'm hoping you're gonna say, hey,
this is a minimal adverse impact, because I like my
(31:50):
scary movies tell us about us.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Yeah, I think it is probably a small p problem,
although you know it is an identifiable So do you
remember about thirty years ago the north Ridge earthquakes in
southern California in the early nineties, Yes, I do. Yeah,
some clever cardiology investigators out there wanted to They wanted
(32:14):
to look at this issue, you know, does that kind
of stress impact cardiovascular health? And so what they did
is they looked at emergency departments around the region on
the day of the earthquake and compared the number of
people being brought in for a cardiac arrest on that
day compared to the same date a year before and
two years before. And what they found was that there
(32:37):
was about a four or five times increase in people
being brought in for cardiac arrests on the day of
the earthquake. And so, yeah, so something about the stress
of the earthquake triggered fatal or near fatal rhythm problems
in susceptible people. You know. Now the you know, the
reason I said smallp problem is the absolute risk. The
(33:00):
absolute number of people is still small, but it's just
larger than you would expect, you know, in from routine
everyday thing. So that was really one of the early
studies that suggested that stress or extreme stress might you know,
trigger some cardiovascular problems.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Okay, so we all go through stress during the day.
I mean, some of us go through stress watching the
Patriots on Sunday afternoon. I know, doctor Conor and.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
I less this year, right, well.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
Less this year, but then there's still some stress involved
in watching it. And doctor Calin loved the Patriots and
we went to several games together. I loved the big,
great sports guy. So just about everything you do in
life is stressful. I like to think about and I'm
not as cardiologist as I'm not even close, but I
think about good stress and bad stress. Is there good
(33:48):
stress and bad stress? Or is all stressed by definition
bad in your opinion?
Speaker 4 (33:53):
No? I mean I think you know, a good stress
on the body might be, for instance, exercise. You know,
it's a stress, ye, And that's very good and it
reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems over time, and that's
the good stress.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
You know.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
Bad stress is chronic anxiety. You know, chronic depression and anxiety.
You know these We know from many studies that these
lead to higher levels of chronically higher levels of adrenaline,
which can have a very negative impact on health for sure,
cardiovascular health.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Yeah. I learned from doctor doctor Cohn to doctor Cone
to get in the gym, spend some time every day
elevating that heart rate.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
Yeah. Well, actually the first person that told us that
was also with Paul Dudley White at the Brigham in
the nineteen forties and fifties when people didn't know that
he was the first advocate.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Absolutely, absolutely, you know, another another legend, and I just
you know, it's so great, and I mean this seriously
that there are people like you and doctor Adler at
Brigham and Women's and doctor Colin. The work that you
folks have done for so many of your patients. I mean,
(35:15):
it's extraordinary.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
It's absolutely think it's also it also represents a triumph
really of science and evidence. And you know, if you
look at what's happened in the last fifty sixty years,
you know, the risk of heart attack and stroke has
gone down as there's less smoking and better control of
high blood pressure and much better control of cholesterol and
drugs that can do that that are proven in clinical trials.
(35:40):
So you know, it's a triumph of science and a
triumph of people advocating, you know, for their patients to
be healthy.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
If I could, I'd like to tell you one story
that doctor Colnbe told me, which I've never told in
the year, but I think you'll appreciate this. Larry, as
you grew up in San Francisco and he was a
big sports fan, and as a high school student, one
day he saw Joe Demagio at a high school football
game and he was transfixed on Demasho as the height
of Demashio's career married to Marilyn Monroe, and he chased
(36:11):
after Demashu to get an autograph, and Demajhu ignored him,
and it was just Larry walking next to Demajhu in
the street, and Demashu had finally Demasio consented to give
him an autograph, and Larry treasured that for his entire
life and would show it to me periodically with great pride.
But I thought to myself that if there was there
is a god, and I hope there is, I wish
(36:33):
that that God could have looked down on him and said,
you don't shoe. You think he kind of a big
guy here in New York Yankee fifty six game history,
but see that kid who he just kind of treated badly.
He's going to do about eleven thousand heart surgeries in
his life. He's going to affect a lot more people
than you ever could imagine. But it just it just showed.
Speaker 4 (36:50):
You to me treed everybody.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Well, yes, yes, because it could have he could have
been treating Joe Demagio. But no again, my hat's off
to all you cardiologists. And as I say, I never
missed the opportunity to mention a great friend, Larryone, who
had a great deal of impact, positive impact on my life,
(37:15):
in the life of so many people, and I know
you have the same at the same time, have a
roster of people over the years that you have helped.
So once again, thank you.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
Our privilege always to take care of people, and people
should be out there exercising and taking good medications and
taking good care of themselves.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Absolutely. I was in the gym at eight oh five
this morning and I'll be there to more too.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
Thanks doctor, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
I love to have you back. Okay, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
Good night.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
When we get back, we're going to talk about Boston's
Coffee Council, a lot going on in the Boston coffee scene,
also internationally, things that I have only become aware of today,
and I would love to have you join this conversation
that's coming up on the other side of the nine
o'clock news. A night shot
It's nice with Dan Ray. I'm going easy Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
All right, we beginning new here on a Wednesday night.
It is October fifteenth. We are halfway through October, heading
towards November at breakneck speed. My name is Dan Ray.
I'm the host of Nightside, and we have a great
show for you tonight lined up. We have four really
interesting guests in the first hour. We're going to get
to the first guest in just a moment, but let
(00:28):
me reintroduce to you Brooks, our producer, who is back
in the control room. He's all set to set you
up with phone calls after nine o'clock. We will talk
after nine o'clock about some problems that Starbucks is facing
and perhaps the entire coffee industry. We'll deal with that
at nine o'clock. Is sort of an economic story, but
I think you'll find an interesting way of a special
guest lined up for that. And then today Congressman Seth
(00:50):
Moulton of the sixth district up in here in Massachusetts
said he's going to run against fellow Democrat, gonna take
on Senator Ed Markey and spend some time talking about that,
and we may have a couple of other topics as well,
but without any further ado. It was recently in Boston,
coincidentally with the release of the remaining living hostages hamas
(01:15):
hostages from that horrific day two years ago October sixth,
at the Nova Festival with us via telephone. And I'm
not exactly sure from where I might ask where if
that's possible, taal masor who is a Nova Festival survivor
good evening, tal. I believe that there was some representatives
(01:38):
of the folks who survived the attack on the Nova Festival.
The dance festival was in Boston. Did we miss you
in Boston or are you still in Boston if you're able
to tell us.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Hi, Hello, Hi, thank you for having made you welcome. Yeah,
we are still in Boston. We are supposed to be
in Boston until a couple twenty first, going to be
our last day. So if anybody haven't been here yet,
you are more than welcome. We want as many people
as possible to hear our stories and to hear about
(02:12):
what happened to us on this horrible day on Optober
seven to twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Right that Noble Exhibition is in Boston, it's entitled We
Will Dance Again. You were there as a regular Friday
night out which turned into a horrific Saturday morning. Was
there anything before you realized what was going on? Was
there anything that it was relatively early in the morning,
(02:40):
it sounded as if young people were just having a
wonderful time.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah. So basically it was one of the best parties
I've ever been been before. There were a lot of
beautiful young young women and man, we had the best
time of our life and we didn't know anything is
about to happen. We just at sunrise at approximately six
twenty nine, there began to shoot hundreds of missiles at
(03:08):
all across Israel and right above us. Some of them
actually hit the party area. But we had no idea
what's going to come. We were just going there to
dance and have fun and celebrate life.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
And so when did you realize that that, well, you
realized with missiles that the nation of Israel is again,
as it's been so many times, under attack unprovoked. When
did you, folks at the dance festival realize that there
were people who had surrounded you on motorbikes and on
foot who were firing you know, live rounds at all
(03:45):
of you.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
So for me personally, there's a different story. For its survivor,
it's one of us experienced so many horrible things. But
for me personally, it was around seven point thirty an
hour after the attacks, again, because it took some time
for the Tarrist to reach from the border all the
way through the effectival area. It was approximately four miles
(04:07):
away from the border, so they were on the vehicles
they were at first they were encountering encountering other soldiers,
but after they killed all the other soldiers that protected us,
they reached the area of the party and at.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
That point the really personal horror began. We've seen the videos.
I don't expect you to to relive them, but for
Americans who don't understand what it is like in Israel
to live under that, that mentality that at any moment
in size, I keep telling my listeners, tell that the
(04:46):
state of Israel is about the size physically of the
Nation of Israel is about the size of New Jersey.
It's it's not a huge parcel of land. And you
constantly have been for seventy seven years since the nation's
founding in May of nineteen forty eight, under constant barrage
(05:07):
psychologically and sometimes militarily. How was it that you were
able to you would not taken hostage, thank god? But
how what did you do? How in that situation were
you able to survive?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
So for me, my story was that I had a
lot of luck. At first, I tried to find a
shelter somewhere to hide because there were a lot of missiles.
So we were trying to find a safe place to
hide form and we arrived the closest community nearby called
the Kibutraim. And when we arrived there, we find a
(05:47):
safe place. But that at first we found. We figured
it's going to be safe. But after less than half
an hour, then the moment that we arrived there, the
terroristrated the entire community and started to slotherer people in
their own houses.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
And children. And you you found yourself in that situation.
You must have seen these terrorists personally. You must have
seen them, I assume correct.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Yeah, they had. They all they have was just dead
in their high eyes. They didn't care about anything. They
just came there to destroy and kill and do as
many horrible things they can as long as they have time.
They knew they the army is going to eventually kill them.
So they were on a suicide mission to kill as
(06:41):
many people as they can. They didn't care about conquering
stuff or taking care of anything. They just wanted to
kill and destroy as many as they can. They burned
down houses, they kidnapped people, they did horrible sexual stuff.
The things that I've witnessed and three thousands of us
(07:01):
have witnessed are unthinkable. I just hope that the world
is going to accept that everything that's happened to us,
it's real. It's not something that some people may say
that we deserved it maybe, or that we did it
on purpose. But they are just animals that just came
to our country. They decided to do these horrible things
(07:26):
to innocent people, not to soldiers, not to people that
tried to fight them, just for us dancers who went
to a music festival to dance, to have fun.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
It's extraordinary. Look, look I've I'm a big I don't
happen to be Jewish. I happen to be Roman Catholic.
But my dad was in World War Two and he
taught us about the Holocaust. I've been to Auschwitz. I've
(07:57):
seen the horrors of Auschwitz up close, and personal television
reporter in the nineteen eighties. So I can't tell you
how much I admire the nation of Israel and the
Israeli people for their ability to come back. No one
ever could have imagined two years ago from tonight, you know,
(08:21):
about a week and a half after the attack by
the terrorists that did today Hamas would be broken. Hispallah
eliminated the Hooties in trouble Syria, Asad having escaped. Ironically, ironically,
Israel is probably stronger today than at any point in
(08:43):
its history, particularly when you compare what they've been able
to do to their enemies, to their sworn enemies who
want nothing other than to destroy Israel. And again, to
you sound like a young man, how old do you tell?
I assume you're probably in your twenties.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Yeah, I'm plenty. And about what you just said, I
think that the awful thing for me is that the
way that our people got all together and we were
committed to the same cause of defendly are our only country.
There is only one Jewish country in the war in
the world, And it doesn't matter how many conflicts we
(09:20):
had between ourselves. The moment this war began, we were
coming together served our country, doing our best to make
sure all our enemies that are trying to eliminate us
are unable to do so. So I'm really proud to
be in Israeli right now, and I'm hoping that we
will have better days.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Well, I trust and believe that there will be better days.
I appreciate you coming to Boston. I hope you get
a chance to visit with people in Boston and to
understand that Boston is the city that supports the Israeli
people in the nation of israel. I. Don't want to
put politics into this. I happen to be I'm a
(10:01):
little older than you, quite older than you, but I
do think that Prime Minister Nyahoo and the entire Israeli
nation stood up against all odds and not only have survived,
but have prevailed. And I just wanted to say, thank
God you're still here. Please enjoy Boston and know that
(10:25):
you have friends in this country, many more friends than
you can ever imagine. Okay, thank you Tal for your time,
and thank you for doing what you've done on behalf
of freedom and on behalf of your fellow country people.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Thank you so much, Thank you very much, And I
want to say thank you to the community in Boston.
They gave us a huge hugs and everybody that comes
to the exhibition they give us strength. And we are
really thankful for everything that you guys are doing towards us.
I wish I'd be one the best. And if you
haven't come to the exhibition yet, you are mold and welcome.
(10:58):
We are welcoming everyone, and we just want to spread
the word.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
And where are you? Where is the exhibition? Well, I
have some information here. I just want to make sure
that we give this a mention. Uh it is It's
in South Boston.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
And and people can get h information I assume by
going to Jewish Boston dot com. Uh slash read slash
the Nova Exhibition.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Yeah, they can just search it on Google Nova Exhibition.
This is going to be the top result.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
That'd be great. Well again, congratulations on surviving, and may
you prosper and may Israel prosper and and let us
say once again, never again, never again.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Thank you so much, Thank you very much, John, very much.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
You also can go Nova Exhibition dot com if you
want information as well. We'll be back on Night's side
right after these brief messages. Is with a different issue,
a different topic, but certainly that presentation by talt Mas
or a Nova Festival survivor, it's it's one that I'll
(12:12):
remember for a long time. I hope you will as well.
Back on Nightside after this, You're on night Side with
Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio. Well, fall is here.
We're past the CLUBUS Day, Indigenous People's Day weekend, we're
past the official arrival of We're about a month into fall.
(12:34):
What does that mean? Well, for motorists, we have to
be a weird because we're going to see more moose
in deer on New England roadways this fall. Withing with
us as Martin Fie and he's the deer and moose
biologist wildlife health specialist at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries
and Wildlife. Martin, Welcome to Night'side. Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Tonight, Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
We're in breeding season from moose and deer, and that
means a lot of activity and a lot autom mouse
and deer have things other than automobile safety on their minds.
Speaker 5 (13:04):
Correct, Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
So.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
How much of a spike do we expect at this time?
As someone who took out a deer got to be
at least fifteen years ago on Thanksgiving night, horrifying experience.
They're everywhere.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
Yeah, about sixty to seventy percent of deer collisions happen
in the stretch from mid October through early December, So
this is definitely when there's the highest risk across the state.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
And they attribute that designer standards to the mating season.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
Yeah, so the rout cord the breeding season essentially runs
from mid October through early to mid November. For deer,
it peaks around November eleventh with Veterans Day, and then
the late rout will run all the way into early December,
and so during those periods you have heightened movement, a
(14:03):
lot more activity. We're just past the peak of the
rut for moose, so that peaks right at the end
of September, and especially their early rout behavior begins in
late August and runs through mid October. So we're kind
of at the end of it for moose, but now
is exactly when it starts picking up for deer.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Now. As bad as the deer collision is, and believe me,
I speak from perusual experience, deer collision is nothing to
shake a stick it's bad, but collisions with a moose
are actually worse, as I understand it, right or wrong.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
Yeah, absolutely. I mean you're looking at an average sized
moose weighing about five to seven times the weight of
a full grown deer, So you have a lot more risk,
a lot more weight that can fall on top of
a vehicle. And there are certain aspects of moose that
make them much more dangerous for collisions, especially their dark
(14:55):
color that makes them really hard to see at night.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Yeah. And also they have like longer legs than deer,
So if you hit a moose head on, meaning sideways,
and they're running across the road, you're gonna like like
an NBA an NFL linebacker, take out their legs, uh,
and the entire corpse of the of the body. This
(15:20):
mass of weight is certainly going to hit your windshield
and maybe even go through the windshield. I mean that
you got to really be y.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
Yeah absolutely.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
I mean one of the things that often happens when
you have collisions with a full grown moose is it'll
essentially crush the entire cab because if you're looking at
a full grown moose, their legs will be taken out
by your front bumper and then they'll fall with their
entire body weight, which can be upwards of eight hundred
to one thousand pounds, right on the top.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Of the car. Is there a breakdown in the frequency
of deer versus moose collisions? Is it like a fifty fifth?
I'm assuming there are more deer out there than moose.
Maybe I'm wrong. Tell me, well.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
So moose collisions are pretty rare. So there's only a
dozen or so moose collisions each year in Massachusetts versus
in the tens of thousands of deer collisions each year.
So your risk is wors far, far higher with white
tail deer than it is with moss.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Okay, but the damage if you do happen to draw
the moose card as opposed to the deer card, you
run substantially more risk of physical injury and automotive destruction.
What about those little deer horns. For a while, I
had deer horns, those little plastic horns that you can
(16:44):
buy in a sporting good store. I think they actually
work from my experience. I can remember driving back in
the nineties going into WBC when I was working mornings
early in the morning in some of the Western suburbs
and I would see a deer freeze on the side
of the road. Do those little plastic deer horns they
seem to help me? What do you think of them?
(17:05):
You're much of an expert.
Speaker 5 (17:08):
I think they're making you feel safer than.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
You really are.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
There's actually been a lot of really good independent testing
and a lot of researchers have spent a lot of
time and effort on a whole host of different tools.
Same thing with like deer whistles that have been deployed
throughout the nineties and two thousands. There are a lot
of different kind of products that were for sale to
help with deer collisions, but in reality they have very
(17:33):
little impact actually reduce so.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
There's nothing you can do. I guess then probably drive
a little more cautiously and pay attention. Is it does
it make sense during this time of year to back
off the speed limit and instead of going thirty, if
you're in an area where you could comfortably go thirty,
back it down to twenty five. Maybe you diminish the
chances of a collision.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
They're actually several things you can do, so certainly slowing
down is the most important thing, but it's also where
you slow down is really important. So if you're driving
along the roads, or especially on interstate areas or highways,
any place where the forests come right along the edges,
those are the areas you really want to slow down
to as soon as you're going through those, even if
(18:20):
you don't see any deer, because those create pinch points
that often deer will come to. Versus if you have
large open areas by some roadways, there you're more likely
to see deer. The other thing is, if you see
one deer, don't assume that that's the only deer there.
Deer there are very social animals, and if you see one,
there's usually going to be others right nearby, and so
(18:40):
one may stay still, but those others may jump out
into the road.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
I always slow down when I see the signs that
say deer crossing. Do you read those signs? I will
give me time, But it's if you see a deer
crossing sign, it is a good idea to slow it
down because I assume those signs are there from past
experiences or maybe even past collisions.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
Yep, those are all essentially there based on collision data.
Mass Coot does a great job of collecting data on
deer collisions, and we work with them on a lot
of communications. You'll also see in different times in September, October,
and November the light up signs with extra warnings. When
you see those, definitely heed those warnings because we put
(19:27):
those specifically in areas that are at highest risk.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Okay, well, Martin, thanks very very much. I had you
lean in there on that change up that I threw
at you. Mart you were thinking to yourself, does this
guy really think the deer or reading the signs? It's
an old joke. It's an old joke. Thanks very much
for your time. It's a serious subject and anytime you'd
(19:50):
like to come back on this or any other topic
dealing with wildlife. One, we want to preserve wildlife, and
we certainly don't want to have them as a new
hood ornament on our car, because that's that's a real problem.
Martin Fien He is the Dear and Moose biologist wildlife
health specialist at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
Thanks Martin, appreciate it. Good night. When we come back
(20:14):
with the release of the Israeli hostages, we're going to
talk with a neuroscientist about trauma and survival. It's the
leading neuroscientists and advisors at the Pentagon author a book
called Warhead, How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes
the Brain. Doctor Nicholas Right joins us right after this
quick break on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
It's Nightside with Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
We talked earlier tonight with not a hostage survivor, but
a Nova Festival survivor. And now we're going to speak
with doctor Nicholas Right, a leading neuroscientist, and he's an
advisor to the Pentagon. He's authored a new book called Warhead,
How the Brain Shapes the War and War Shapes the Brain,
Doctor Wright. I think that people have studied war and
(21:01):
the impact that hasn't on people's brains. We certainly talk
about PTSD, but generations before you used to talk about
shell shock. Is there much difference between shell shock of
World War One and PTSD of today?
Speaker 4 (21:17):
Hi?
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Hi, Thanks thanks for having me on that. Thank you.
That's a great question. I mean, there will almost certainly
be a new term fifty or one hundred years from now,
so I think you're absolutely right. What we have is
there have always been ways in which our brain copes
(21:38):
and sometimes can't cope with the challenges that it faces,
and doctors will always call those uh you know, those
problems are by different names. Shell shock was what they
talked about, and really that was a new thing around
World War One. And I'm sure that in the future
we will we will understand these issues even better than
(22:00):
we do today.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
So let's talk about the book, your book, Warhead. How
the brain shapes war and war shapes the brain. I
can understand the concept of war shaping the brain. How
does the brain shape shape war?
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Well, war is always violence between human groups, between humans,
and the human brain has always been the central weapon
of war. Whether you're a frontline soldier and you need
to stand and fight, or perhaps you run away. If
you need to lead others, if you are a leader,
(22:41):
like a general pattern or a nimics in World War two,
or whoever you might be, how do you lead others?
How do you get others to follow you? How can
you be a better leader? And then equally, if you
are a supreme leader, you are the president of the
United States, for example, how can you not just make
clever decisions? But why the decisions? And that couldn't matter
(23:04):
more than it does today. Because still, right today, there
are specific human brains that we'll be making decisions about
war and peace and nuclear weapons. And nothing is more
important for our human future than that, no question.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
And right now, for example, we're dealing with a guy
in Putin in Russia who is intent onjust obliterating and
what I perceive as an innocent population such as Ukraine.
Zelensky wants Tomahawk missiles, which I can understand because he
wants to strike further within Russia. I suspect that most
(23:43):
Americans would say, give him the more Tomahawk missiles. But
when you're dealing with Putin, what mde his response to
that be? That's where it gets really dangerous and complicated.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Yeah, I mean, Putin obviously is an individual, and he's
a very sophisticated individual, and he's a product of his culture,
he's a product of his training in the KGB. But
still he has a human brain. And the thing to
remember is that he is also very skilled at using
(24:19):
his knowledge about other human brains work. So, to give
you an example, he is an expert. You talked about
Tom howk Missolf, how he might respond to things. He
is an expert at understanding how humans respond to things
like fear. So it's give you an example. There was
a in his sort of quasi autobiography that he wrote
a few years ago. He talked about when he was
a young man growing up in a Leningrad, dilapidated Leningrad
(24:42):
apartment block, he used to chase rats with sticks for fun,
and then one day the rat was cornered, and then
he describes how it was the rat that started chasing
him and that is something that fear does. Though when
you can escape, you might run, but when you were cornered, fight.
And he is someone who, through his KGB training, through
(25:03):
his years of experience, is someone who deeply understands how
to manipulate others brains.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Yeah, it's too bad the rat didn't win that fight.
It would have only been only been appropriate, yes, but
but probably there would have been another megalomaniac who would
be in charge of that country. It is. There's so
much going on right now, and again, without imposing on
(25:31):
your your personal thoughts, uh be you, I'm sure must
have studied the leaders of the countries that are at
war right now, President Trump, President putin President Zelinsky.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
You have.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Jiping in China as as well. As the guy in
North Korea, you, I'm sure, look at these, are there
any that are more unpredictable than I'm not asking to
make judgments good, bad, or indifferent, But do any of
(26:11):
them share the characteristics of unpredictability, which which should not
be a characteristic associated with anyone who has their fingers
on nuclear weapons?
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Well, in a way, you have to be unpredictable. You
have to be a bit irrational if your finger is
on the nuclear button. And the reason I say that
is that what you were trying to do is you
were saying, so the presidence of the United States is
saying to the presidents of Russia or formerly the head
of the Soviet Union, if you attack me, I will
(26:48):
spite back. I will fire back, even though what that
means is is probably I will bring you know, absolute
calamity upon or the whole of humanity. So you are
making a threat that is in some ways irrational, that
is in some ways not sensible, and so you have
to be a bit crazy, you know, you have to
combine both the iceman of you know, I'm responsible and
(27:09):
one with a bit of the maverick of saying I'm
prepared to do what it takes to get the job done.
So that is that is absolutely central. And our brain's
actually like an orchestra in which we have more rational
and then we also have more emotional and lots of
other aspects to our brains that we're learning so much about.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Now, let me ask you one more pointed question, Okay,
because I don't get a chance to talk to experts
like you. Earlier this year, President Trump authorized taking out
the nuclear weapon nuclear weapon facility in Iran, and from
all that I've read, uh, it was obliterated, and that
(27:46):
Iran has been very quiet in the last few weeks,
in the last few months. What lesson does Putin take
from that strike, if any in your opinion.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
I think, I mean, Vladimir Putin has a lot going
on that specific strike on Iran. So, for example, a
while ago, I held part of a Shaheed drone. This
is an Iranian drone that they captured in Ukraine and
I held part of it. And Iran and Russia have
been working closely in Ukraine in a variety different ways
(28:22):
and more broadly, but ultimately, right now, Vladimir Putin's number
one priority is the security of Vladimir Putin in his
regime within Russia. That is absolutely number one priority. His
number two priority is probably the war in Ukraine, right,
and then the things that are happening elsewhere they are
(28:43):
lower down his priority list. And when you talked about
the unpredictability, for example, I think, actually that's one of
the things that President Trump does quite well, and using
unpredictability can actually help not just help you win in
a war, but it can also help you create peace,
which I think people don't think about. But your Unpredictable
(29:04):
novel creative moves of central to how we produce peace
just as much as out how we win wars.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Ironically, President Trump's action, in my opinion, against Iran took
a run off the stage as a nuclear player, and frankly,
I think that was a good thing, and I hope
the world feels the same way as well, because I
think that that regime above all was the most in
ways predictable and unpredictable. And then I think that if
(29:31):
they had the weaponry, they would have used it on
Israel at a moment's notice. So fascinating area of study.
Doctor Wright. Thank you very much. Your book is Warhead,
How the Brain Shapes War and War shapes the brain.
Thank you very much for being with us tonight. We
really enjoyed the conversation.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
Thank you, thanks so much.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Bye bye, thank you, goodbye. When we get back, when
I talk about Halloween, going to talk with the chief
of Chroniology at Tough's Medical Center, doctor James or Eulson.
We'll get the correct pronunciation. I will leave me out.
We will. We're going to talk about scary movies and
scary activities, spooky movies, spooky activities, and what impact that
(30:13):
might have on your heart and should certain people forego
getting scared Halloween Cummings is on its way a little
little more than two weeks away. Back on Nightside right
after this.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
It's night Side with.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
My guess is doctor James Eulisson, Chief of Cardiology at
Tops Medical Center, Doctor Utlsson, how are you tonight?
Speaker 4 (30:39):
Very well, Dan, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I'm sure you must know our great mutual friend who
passed all too soon, doctor Larry Cone over at Brigham
and Women's Hospital.
Speaker 4 (30:49):
Oh yeah, yeah, he was a you know, really a
surge cardiac surgery legend for sure. Taught us all a lot.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
It's one of my closest friends and I I I
miss him so much. Every day. He used to come
on my show and take phone calls from listeners for
like two hours at a time, and he had a
great sense of humor. I mean, I told him, in
another life, you're going to become a radio talk show host.
I mean, it was not that a radio talk show
(31:16):
host can hold the candle to the intellectual capacity of
folks like you, Doctor T.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
I don't know about that. I'm not sure I could
do four hours every night like you.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
There was some nights, but I'm not sure if I've
done four hours. But anyway, so let's talk about getting
scared on Halloween. Everyone's going to be watching scary movies
or engaging in spooky activities, and I guess it does
potentially impact your heart. I'm hoping you're gonna say, hey,
this is a minimal adverse impact, because I like my
(31:50):
scary movies tell us about us.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Yeah, I think it is probably a small p problem,
although you know it is an identifiable So do you
remember about thirty years ago the north Ridge earthquakes in
southern California in the early nineties, Yes, I do. Yeah,
some clever cardiology investigators out there wanted to They wanted
(32:14):
to look at this issue, you know, does that kind
of stress impact cardiovascular health? And so what they did
is they looked at emergency departments around the region on
the day of the earthquake and compared the number of
people being brought in for a cardiac arrest on that
day compared to the same date a year before and
two years before. And what they found was that there
(32:37):
was about a four or five times increase in people
being brought in for cardiac arrests on the day of
the earthquake. And so, yeah, so something about the stress
of the earthquake triggered fatal or near fatal rhythm problems
in susceptible people. You know. Now the you know, the
reason I said smallp problem is the absolute risk. The
(33:00):
absolute number of people is still small, but it's just
larger than you would expect, you know, in from routine
everyday thing. So that was really one of the early
studies that suggested that stress or extreme stress might you know,
trigger some cardiovascular problems.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Okay, so we all go through stress during the day.
I mean, some of us go through stress watching the
Patriots on Sunday afternoon. I know, doctor Conor and.
Speaker 4 (33:24):
I less this year, right, well.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
Less this year, but then there's still some stress involved
in watching it. And doctor Calin loved the Patriots and
we went to several games together. I loved the big,
great sports guy. So just about everything you do in
life is stressful. I like to think about and I'm
not as cardiologist as I'm not even close, but I
think about good stress and bad stress. Is there good
(33:48):
stress and bad stress? Or is all stressed by definition
bad in your opinion?
Speaker 4 (33:53):
No? I mean I think you know, a good stress
on the body might be, for instance, exercise. You know,
it's a stress, ye, And that's very good and it
reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems over time, and that's
the good stress.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
You know.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
Bad stress is chronic anxiety. You know, chronic depression and anxiety.
You know these We know from many studies that these
lead to higher levels of chronically higher levels of adrenaline,
which can have a very negative impact on health for sure,
cardiovascular health.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
Yeah. I learned from doctor doctor Cohn to doctor Cone
to get in the gym, spend some time every day
elevating that heart rate.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
Yeah. Well, actually the first person that told us that
was also with Paul Dudley White at the Brigham in
the nineteen forties and fifties when people didn't know that
he was the first advocate.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Absolutely, absolutely, you know, another another legend, and I just
you know, it's so great, and I mean this seriously
that there are people like you and doctor Adler at
Brigham and Women's and doctor Colin. The work that you
folks have done for so many of your patients. I mean,
(35:15):
it's extraordinary.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
It's absolutely think it's also it also represents a triumph
really of science and evidence. And you know, if you
look at what's happened in the last fifty sixty years,
you know, the risk of heart attack and stroke has
gone down as there's less smoking and better control of
high blood pressure and much better control of cholesterol and
drugs that can do that that are proven in clinical trials.
(35:40):
So you know, it's a triumph of science and a
triumph of people advocating, you know, for their patients to
be healthy.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
If I could, I'd like to tell you one story
that doctor Colnbe told me, which I've never told in
the year, but I think you'll appreciate this. Larry, as
you grew up in San Francisco and he was a
big sports fan, and as a high school student, one
day he saw Joe Demagio at a high school football
game and he was transfixed on Demasho as the height
of Demashio's career married to Marilyn Monroe, and he chased
(36:11):
after Demashu to get an autograph, and Demajhu ignored him,
and it was just Larry walking next to Demajhu in
the street, and Demashu had finally Demasio consented to give
him an autograph, and Larry treasured that for his entire
life and would show it to me periodically with great pride.
But I thought to myself that if there was there
is a god, and I hope there is, I wish
(36:33):
that that God could have looked down on him and said,
you don't shoe. You think he kind of a big
guy here in New York Yankee fifty six game history,
but see that kid who he just kind of treated badly.
He's going to do about eleven thousand heart surgeries in
his life. He's going to affect a lot more people
than you ever could imagine. But it just it just showed.
Speaker 4 (36:50):
You to me treed everybody.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Well, yes, yes, because it could have he could have
been treating Joe Demagio. But no again, my hat's off
to all you cardiologists. And as I say, I never
missed the opportunity to mention a great friend, Larryone, who
had a great deal of impact, positive impact on my life,
(37:15):
in the life of so many people, and I know
you have the same at the same time, have a
roster of people over the years that you have helped.
So once again, thank you.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
Our privilege always to take care of people, and people
should be out there exercising and taking good medications and
taking good care of themselves.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Absolutely. I was in the gym at eight oh five
this morning and I'll be there to more too.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
Thanks doctor, Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
I love to have you back. Okay, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
Good night.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
When we get back, we're going to talk about Boston's
Coffee Council, a lot going on in the Boston coffee scene,
also internationally, things that I have only become aware of today,
and I would love to have you join this conversation
that's coming up on the other side of the nine
o'clock news. A night shot
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