When Ham set off on his space flight in 1961, he paved the way for the first American to go to space months later.

“Maybe that’s too soon?” I ask. “It’s never too soon,” she chides. Suitably chastened, I bury my phone at the bottom of my bag and try not to look at it for the rest of the day.

Webster, the word “aversive” means “tending to avoid or causing avoidance of a noxious or punishing stimulus.” Does that sound like a training method you’d want ...