Today, we'll meet Tina, a half-Korean applied behavioral scientist.

Tina is the biological mother of Emerson, a 19-year-old blonde, green-eyed basketball player.

Once the virus struck, and Emerson had to come home from college,

their pre-existing political differences grew more and more dark and emotional.

As did tensions around money, chores, tattoos, family gatherings,

and which one of them is responsible for Emerson's schoolwork.

At the end of my conversation with Tina, I'll expand on the purpose of brown fat in humans.

Explain how the philosophical and psychoanalytic concept of a belief being over-determined applies to Emerson,

and introduce an untranslatable word popular with German teenagers.

First, a disclaimer. What you are about to listen to is not a professional counseling session.

Each episode is a one-time conversation, and the advice I offer does not constitute psychological treatment,

or services substitute for professional diagnosis, intervention, or behavioral health care.

In order to protect their privacy, our guests have been given pseudonyms,

and some personal details have been changed.

If you have concerns about your child's well-being or your own,

seek out guidance from a medical or mental health professional, good places to start,

your child's pediatrician, the counseling staff at your child's school,

and the American Psychological Association's Comprehensive Guide to Finding Resources in your state.

And now, onto the fun.

Hey, Tina!

Hi!

Welcome, and thank you, and I'll tell you what I know.

...