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What ails us: A unifying theory

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Since the dawn of science there has been a search for a unifying theory of life. 

In "The Four Forces of Human Nature: A Unifying Theory," Dr. Trevino Peña identifies the human forces and the specific areas of the brain responsible for processing them. He proposes an analogy between physics and human forces and explains how the interaction of these forces influences human behavior.

The four forces are affective, cognitive, communicative, and socio-environmental. The processing centers for each of these forces are, respectively, the amygdala, thalamus, cerebral cortex, and insular cortex. The aims of these are to get, keep, and increase the four necessities: health, status, wealth, and basic drives (eat, sleep, sex). Every person needs the four necessities for self-preservation. Without these, humans can die prematurely or become extinct as a species.

Guest:

Roberto Treviño Peña, MD, is the author of "The Four Forces of Human Nature: A Unifying Theory." Treviño-Peña is a medical researcher whose groundbreaking work in diabetes and obesity prevention in children appears in prestigious medical journals and receives millions in federal funding.

"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org.

*This interview will be recorded on Thursday, January 16, 2025.

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David Martin Davies can be reached at dmdavies@tpr.org and on Twitter at @DavidMartinDavi