Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD: Neuroscience for Everyone: Recent Episodes

Ginger Campbell, MD

Brain Science is hosted by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD (Podcast Hall of Fame 2022). She is an experienced physician with a passion for exploring how recent discoveries in neuroscience are revealing how our brains make us who we are. This podcast is for non-scientists, scientists, and everyone in between. It features interviews and discusses the latest books about the brain.

View Details

At the end of last month's episode I announced that it was the last regular episode of Brain Science. It has been 17 years since episode 1 was released on December 15, 2023 and I am extremely grateful to everyone who has listened and supported the show over all these years. I am also grateful that others have taken up the challenge of sharing neuroscience via podcasting.

The main reason I have chosen to bring the show to an end is that I want to have the time and energy to immerse myself into my new life in New Zealand. I moved here from the US in August 2023.

The main purpose of this post is to emphasize that Brain Science will still be available to new listeners so I hope you will continue to share it with others. All episodes released after 2016 will remaining FREE along with the annual review episodes going back to 2007.

MyLibsyn Premium will continue to provide unlimited access to the entire catalogue and episode transcripts. The income from Premium subscribers will allow me to continue to pay for web hosting and the other expenses of keeping the show available.

If you aren't already subscribed, please sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter so I can send you future updates.

Thank you so much for your support! I would love to hear from you at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

View Details

This is the FREE Transcript for BS 214: Seventeenth Annual Review. If you are a Premium (MyLibsyn) Subscriber LOGIN to access additional transcripts in your browser or in the free Brain Science mobile app. Click here if you are a Patreon supporter. Scroll up/down for the audio.

View Details

This is the 17th Annual Review episode of Brain Science, celebrating the first episode which aired on December 15, 2006. We review the highlights of 2023, which included both new guests and the return of several favorites.

Episodes Released in 2023:

  • BS 204 (Encore) and BS 205 featured molecular biologist Guy Caldwell, PhD from the University of Alabama. Caldwell uses the tiny roundworm C. Elegans to search for potential treatments of Parkinson's Disease.
  • BS 206: Paco Calvo, PhD, author of Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Intelligence.
  • BS 207 (Encore): Luiz Pessoa, author of The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration.
  • BS 208 Sander Van der Linden, author of Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity.
  • BS 209 Luiz Pessoa returned to talk about his new The Entangled Brain: How Perception, Cognition, and Emotion Are Woven Together.
  • BS 210 Basics of Neurotransmitters: a detailed introduction to neurotransmitters and the importance of receptor proteins.
  • BS 211 Seth Grant returned for a record 6th time. We reviewed his career and discussed recent discoveries about how synaptic proteins change as we age. Grant is my favorite guest because he makes complex ideas accessible to listeners of all backgrounds.
  • BS 212 (Encore) Thomas Metzinger, PhD, author of The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self.
  • BS 213 Kevin J Mitchell, PhD returned to talk about his new book Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will.
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for the FREE episode transcript.

Announcements:

  • This is the last scheduled episode of Brain Science, but all episodes will continue to be available.
    • Free content includes all review episodes, encore episodes and all episodes since December 2016.
    • The entire back catalogue of Brain Science is available to Premium MyLibysn subscribers. This includes episode transcripts.
    • Patreon supporters will continue to have access more recent transcripts and other content.
  • The mobile called Brain Science Podcast remains free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
  • Please sign up for the the free Brain Science Newsletter
    • Get updates about new content
    • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain" Just text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Mastodon: https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis
  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This is the Premium Transcript for BS 213 with Kevin Mitchell, author of Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will. If you are a Premium (MyLibsyn) Subscriber LOGIN to access this transcript in your browser or the free Brain Science mobile app. Click here if you are a Patreon supporter. You may also buy this transcript separately at https://brainsciencepodcast.com. Scroll up/down for the audio.

View Details

In the this episode of Brain Science we talk with neuroscientist Kevin Mitchell about his new book Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will. While many neuroscientists and philosophers argue that free will is an illusion, Mitchell argues that the ability to make meaningful choices is part of our evolutionary heritage. He also addresses the important issue of determinism, siding with those physicists who argue that the fundamental nature of our universe is NOT deterministic. These issues are crucial to how we see ourselves and others.

Links and References:

  • Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will by Kevin J. Mitchell
  • Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution by Carlo Rovelli
  • Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are by Kevin J. Mitchell
    • Mitchell discusses this book in BS 159.
  • Kevin Mitchell, PhD (Trinity College Dublin)
    • Mitchell's blog
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Announcements:

  • Please note: there will be no episode of Brain Science in November 2023. We will return with the 17th Annual Review episode on December 15.
  • Please FOLLOW the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube.
  • The mobile app has been updated and is now called Brain Science Podcast. The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
  • Dr. Campbell moved to Auckland, New Zealand in August 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia.
  • Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at https://brainsciencepodcast.com/premium

Connect on Social Media:

  • Mastodon: https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis
  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This is the FREE Transcript for BS 212 with is an encore presentation of an interview with Thomas Metzinger, author of The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self.

Additional transcripts are available to Premium (MyLibsyn) subscribers and some Patreon supports. Learn more at https://brainsciencepodcast.com/premium. Scroll up/down for the audio.

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science features Thomas Metzinger, author of "The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self." Metzinger is a philosopher with a longstanding interest in Philosophy of Mind with a focus on incorporating the findings of neuroscience. We discuss the implications of the discovery that consciousness is a biological process generated by the interaction of the brain, body, and external world. Metzinger also emphasized the importance of considering altered states including dreaming, out of body experiences, and even virtual reality.

Links and References:

  • The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self, by Thomas Metzinger.
  • Being No One: The Self-Model Theory of Subjectivity, by Thomas Metzinger.
  • Blanke, et al., "Stimulating Illusory Own-Body Perceptions," Nature, 419:269-270 (2002)
  • O. Blanke & T. Metzinger,"Full-Body Illusion and Minimal Phenomenal Selfhood," Trends in Cognitive Neuroscience 13(1):7-13 (2009).
  • T. Metzinger, "Out of Body Experiences as the Origin of the Concept of a 'Soul,'" Mind and Matter 3(1):57-84 (2005)
  • Beyond the Body: An Investigation of Out of Body Experiences by Susan Blackmore
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Announcements:

  • Please FOLLOW the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube.
  • The mobile app has been updated and is now called Brain Science Podcast. The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
  • Dr. Campbell's arrived in Auckland, New Zealand on August 10, 2023. She is working at Tōtara Hospice. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia.
  • Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at https://brainsciencepodcast.com/premium

Connect on Social Media:

  • Mastodon: https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis
  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This episode of Brain Science features the return of molecular biologist Seth Grant. We briefly review his decades of research into the complexity of the protein structure of the synapse and then we focus on his most recent paper, which describes how the life-span of synapse proteins appears to change as animals age. Grant reflects of the significance of this finding both for animal research and human medicine.

Papers discussed in this episode:

  • Bulovaite, E., Qiu, Z., Kratschke, M., Zgraj, A., Fricker, D. G., Tuck, E. J., Gokhale, R., Koniaris, B., Jami, S. A., Merino-Serrais, P., Husi, E., Mendive-Tapia, L., Vendrell, M., O'Dell, T. J., DeFelipe, J., Komiyama, N. H., Holtmaat, A., Fransén, E., & Grant, S. G. N. (2022). A brain atlas of synapse protein lifetime across the mouse lifespan. Neuron, 110(24), 4057–4073.e8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.009
  • Cizeron, M., Qiu, Z., Koniaris, B., Gokhale, R., Komiyama, N. H., Fransén, E., & Grant, S. G. N. (2020). A brainwide atlas of synapses across the mouse life span. Science (New York, N.Y.), 369(6501), 270–275. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba3163

Seth Grant has previously appeared on Brain Science several times including BSP 51, BSP 101, BS 137, BSP 150 and BS 176.

Announcements:

  • Please FOLLOW the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube.
  • The mobile app has been updated and is now called Brain Science Podcast. The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
  • Dr. Campbell arrived in New Zealand on August 10, 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia.
  • Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at https://brainsciencepodcast.com/premium

Connect on Social Media:

  • Mastadon: https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis
  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This episode is our first review of neurotransmitters since episode 8 way back in 2007. We start with some basics of neuron function and brain anatomy, but the meat of the episode is a discussion of neurotransmitters and how they work. The key idea is that a simple molecule, such as dopamine, can have a wide variety of effects because of the existence of multiple receptors.

This episode is appropriate for listeners of all backgrounds, but might be a little challenging for new listeners. It will be a review episode for longtime listeners and those with backgrounds in neuroscience.

Links and References:

  • Essentials of Modern Neuroscience by Franklin Amthor, W. Anne Burton Theibert, David Standaert, and Erik Roberson; 1st ed. 2020
  • Molecular & Cell Biology For Dummies, 2nd Edition by Rene Fester Kratz
  • BS 118: Beyond the Zonules of Zinn: A Fantastic Journey Through Your Brain (2008) by David Bainbridge
  • BS 169: Glial Cells with Doug Fields
  • BS 186: The Spike with Mark Humphries
  • BS 197: Neuroscience For Dummies 3rd Edition by Frank Amthor
  • The War of the Soups and the Sparks: The Discovery of Neurotransmitters and the Dispute Over How Nerves Communicate by Elliot Valenstein
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.In

Announcements:

  • Please FOLLOW the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube.
  • The mobile app has been updated and is now called Brain Science Podcast. The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
  • Dr. Campbell's move to New Zealand has been delayed, but she hopes to be in Auckland by August, 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia.
  • Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at https://brainsciencepodcast.com/premium

Connect on Social Media:

  • Mastadon: https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis
  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science is an interview with Luiz Pessoa, author of The Entangled Brain: How Perception, Cognition, and Emotion Are Woven Together.

This is Pessoa's first book aimed at a general audience and it provides a concise overview of our current understanding of basic brain function. However, he also explains the limitations of the traditional modular view of the brain. A key take home point is that emotion and cognition are deeply intertwined at every level.

Links and References:

  • The Entangled Brain: How Perception, Cognition, and Emotion Are Woven Together by Luiz Pessoa
  • The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration by Luiz Pessoa: BS 207 (encore)
  • Luiz Pessoa, PhD: Professor of Psychology,University of Maryland
    • Twitter: @PessoaBrain
    • Mastadon: @PessoaBrain
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors:
Announcements:

Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.

  • The mobile app has been updated and is now called Brain Science Podcast. The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
  • Dr. Campbell's move to New Zealand has been delayed, but she hopes to be in Auckland by August, 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia.
  • Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Mastadon: https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis
  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This month's episode is an interview with Cambridge Psychology professor Sander van der Linden, author of "Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity." We discuss the important topic of how techniques like appealing to emotion contribute to the spread of misinformation. Dr. Campbell reflects on why this topic is important.

Links and References:

  • Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity by Sander van der Linden
  • Sander van der Linden, Phd (University of Cambridge)
  • Learn more via video games at https://inoculation.science/
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Announcements: Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.

  • The mobile app has been updated and is now called Brain Science Podcast. The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
  • Dr. Campbell's move to New Zealand has been delayed, but she hopes to be in Auckland by July 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia.
  • Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This is the FREE Transcript for BS 207 with Luiz Pessoa. Go to brainsciencepodcast.com/premium to learn how you can get transcripts for every episode. Scroll up/down for the audio.

View Details

This month we have an intriguing interview with Dr. Paco Calvo from the Minimal Intelligence Laboratory at the University of Mercia in Spain. We talk with him about his new book Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Intelligence.

We discuss the scientific evidence for plant intelligence while acknowledging that intelligence and consciousness are not the same. It is interesting to think of plants as demonstrating embodied cognition in contrast to the "intelligence" demonstrated by computer software. We also consider the pioneering work of Charles Darwin, who actually studied plant behavior before the invention of time lapse photography.

Links and References:

  • Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence by Paco Calvo
  • Paco Calvo (University of Mercia, Spain)
  • Gagliano, M., Vyazovskiy, V. V., Borbély, A. A., Grimonprez, M., & Depczynski, M. (2016). Learning by Association in Plants. Scientific reports, 6, 38427. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep38427
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Announcements:

  • The Brain Science mobile app has been relaunched in iOS as the Brain Science Podcast app. Be sure to download this new version to avoid the crashing of the old app. (I am not sure if the problem has effected Android users.)
  • Support Brain Science via Patreon. If you pledge at least $10 per month you will get Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD.
  • Contact Dr. Campbell if you are interested a listener meet-up or sponsoring a talk by Dr. Campbell during her trip to Europe on April 10, 2023.
  • Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

In this follow-up interview with molecular biologist Dr. Guy Caldwell we learn more about how the tools of molecular biology are used to unravel questions in neurobiology and provide hope for better treatments for problems like Parkinson's Disease.

Links and References:

  • Guy Caldwell, PhD (University of Alabama)
    • LinkedIn
    • BS 204 Encore of 2009 interview
  • The Worm Shack
  • Mew, M., Caldwell, K. A., & Caldwell, G. A. (2022). From bugs to bedside: functional annotation of human genetic variation for neurological disorders using invertebrate models. Human molecular genetics, 31(R1), R37–R46. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddac203
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Announcements: Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.

  • Dr. Campbell is moving to New Zealand, probably in May 2023.
  • Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This is the FREE transcript for BS 204 with Guy Caldwell.

Additional transcripts are available via MyLibsyn Premium, Patreon, and at brainsciencepodcast.com. Scroll up/down for the episode audio.

© copyright 2023 Virginia Campbell, MD

View Details

This month's episode is an encore presentation of an interview with Dr. Guy Caldwell from the University of Alabama. Dr. Caldwell explains how tools from molecular biology make it possible to use the famous C. Elegans roundworm to improve our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease.

Dr. Caldwell will return to Brain Science next month to give us an update on his work.

Links and References:

  • Visit the Wormshack at the University of Alabama
  • Molecular neurodegeneration, 14(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13024-019-0329-1
  • C. elegans Alpha-Synuclein Models of Parkinson's Disease. Brain sciences, 9(4), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci9040073
  • See show notes for BSP 59 for additional references.
  • Scroll up or click here for the free episode transcript.

Listener Support is greatly appreciated: * brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Announcements:

Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.

  • Contact Dr. Campbell if you are interested a listener meet-up or sponsoring a talk by Dr. Campbell during her trip to Europe in April 2023.
  • Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This is the free episode transcript for BS 203, which is the 16th Annual Review Episode. Scroll down for the free audio file.

For transcripts to ALL EPISODES sign up for MyLibsyn Premium.   Patreon supporters ($4/month minimum) get new transcripts every month.

View Details

This month's episode (BS 203) celebrates the 16th Anniversary of Brain Science with the annual review episode. This is a listener favorite providing highlights and key ideas from the episodes of Brain Science that were posted in 2022. Topics included hearing, grief, emotion, embodied cognition, consciousness and more.

Note: This month's episode transcript is FREE.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * MasterClass at masterclass.com/ginger * TextExpander at textexpander.com/brain-science

2022 Episodes of Brain Science: * BS 192 Nina Kraus, author of Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World * BS 193 The Embodied Mind: exploring the implications of embodied cognition * BS 194 Mary-Frances O’Connor, author of The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss * BS 195 David J Anderson, author of The Nature of the Beast: How Emotions Guide Us * BS 196 Hakwan Lau, author of In Consciousness we Trust: The Cognitive Neuroscience of Subjective Experience * BS 197 Frank Amthor, author of Neuroscience for Dummies and Neurobiology for Dummies * BS 198 Evan Thompson, author of Mind in Life: Biology. Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind * BS 199 Batja Mesquita, author of Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions * BS 200 Jennifer Fugate and Sheila Macrine, editors of Movement Matters: How Embodied Cognition Informs Teaching and Learning * BS 201 Bill Harris, author of Zero to Birth: How the Human Brain Is Built * BS 202 Evan Thompson, on meditation and embodied cognition * Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for more episodes.

Connect on Social Media * Twitter: @docartemis * Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell: * Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

The idea that meditation is a "mind science" is popular, but in this interview Canadian philosopher Evan Thompson argues that this claim does not stand up to either scientific or philosophical scrutiny. As one of the pioneers of the Embodied Cognition movement Thompson reminds us that the Mind is not restricted to the Brain and we must also consider how other recent discoveries in neuroscience fail to support the claim that meditation provides neutral scientific insight into how the Mind really works.

Links and References:

  • Evan Thompson's website
  • Why I am not a Buddhist by Evan Thompson
  • Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers by Kwame Anthony Appiah
  • The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience by Francisco J. Varela, Evan T. Thompson, Eleanor Rosch
  • Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind by Evan Thompson
    • discussed in BS 198
  • Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy by Evan Thompson
    • discussed in BS 115
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast * BetterHelp at betterhelp.com/GINGER * MasterClass at MasterClass.com/ginger

Announcements:

Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.

  • Contact Dr. Campbell if you are interested a listener meet-up or sponsoring a talk by Dr. Campbell during her trip to Europe in April 2023.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science is an interview with WA (Bill) Harris, author of Zero to Birth: How the Human Brain Is Built. We explore how the human brain develops from the fertilized egg up until birth. There are some surprises along the way, including the fact that we actually have more neurons before we are born than we will ever have again!

Links and References:

  • Zero to Birth: How the Human Brain Is Built by William A Harris
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.
  • Click here for free transcript excerpt.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * MasterClass at masterclass.com/ginger * Text Expander at textexpander.com/podcast * BettterHelp at betterhelp.com/ginger

Announcements:

Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.

  • Contact Dr. Campbell if you are interested a listener meet-up or sponsoring a talk by Dr. Campbell during her trip to Europe in April 2023.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This month's episode is a discussion with the editors of a fascinating new book Movement Matters: How Embodied Cognition Informs Teaching and Learning. We explore how embodied cognition challenges long standing dualist approaches to both cognition and learning. Sheila Macrine and Jennifer Fugate also share some of the innovative approaches that improve both how we teach and how we learn.

Links and References:

  • Movement Matters: How Embodied Cognition Informs Teaching and Learning edited by Sheila L. Macrine and Jennifer M.B. Fugate
  • Recent episodes about Embodied Cognition:
    • BS 193 What does it mean to say the Mind is Embodied?
    • BS 198 Encore of interview with Evan Thompson
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextEpander at textexpander.com/podcast * BetterHelp at betterhelp.com/ginger

Announcements:

Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.

  • Contact Dr. Campbell if you are interested a listener meet-up or sponsoring a talk by Dr. Campbell during her trip to Europe in April 2023.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This month's episode is a discussion with the editors of a fascinating new book Movement Matters: How Embodied Cognition Informs Teaching and Learning. We explore how embodied cognition challenges long standing dualist approaches to both cognition and learning. Sheila Macrine and Jennifer Fugate also share some of the innovative approaches that improve both how we teach and how we learn.

Links and References:

  • Movement Matters: How Embodied Cognition Informs Teaching and Learning edited by Sheila L. Macrine and Jennifer M.B. Fugate
  • Recent episodes about Embodied Cognition:
    • BS 193 What does it mean to say the Mind is Embodied?
    • BS 198 Encore of interview with Evan Thompson
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextEpander at textexpander.com/podcast * BetterHelp at betterhelp.com/ginger

Announcements:

Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.

  • Contact Dr. Campbell if you are interested a listener meet-up or sponsoring a talk by Dr. Campbell during her trip to Europe in April 2023.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaintyby Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This is the Premium Transcript for BS 199 with Batja Mesquita, author of Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions.

If you are a Premium Subscriber LOGIN to access.
Click here if you are a Patreon supporter.

You may also buy this transcript on my website.

Scroll up/down for the audio.

View Details

This month's episode is an interview with Batja Mesquita, author of "Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions." This is an important book because it describes the evidence that Emotions are not just something people experience "from the inside out," but they also occur between people, which means that culture plays a critical role. We also explore why it is important to appreciate why people from from different cultures may experience emotions in surprisingly different ways.

Links and References:

  • Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions by Batja Mesquita
  • Follow her on Twitter: @batjamesquita
  • How Emotions Are Made: The New Science of the Mind and Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett (BS 135)
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast * BetterHelp at betterhelp.com/ginger

Announcements:

Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.

  • Contact Dr. Campbell if you are interested in organizing a listener meet-up or talk by Dr. Campbell during her trip to Europe in April 2023.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This is a free transcript for BS 198 with Evan Thompson, author of "Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind." Since this is an encore episode the transcript if being provided for free to give a sample of the content available to Premium subscribers.

Premium subscribers also get the entire back catalogue of audio content.  You can sign up at: https://my.libsyn.com/auth/login/show_id/18369

Integration with Apple subscriptions is coming in the Fall!

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science is a free encore playing of my interview with Evan Thompson about his book Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind. We discuss how the enactive approach to embodied cognition offers potential clues to the mystery of how the brain can generate Consciousness. A free episode transcript is also available.

This is the 2nd of two free encore episodes that are being shared to give listeners a taste of the diverse content available to Premium subscribers. Premium subscribers have access to over 100 additional episodes of Brain Science along with episode transcripts.

The embodied cognition movement is an approach within cognitive neuroscience that includes philosophers, neuroscientists, psychologists and computer scientists. The key idea is that cognition, which includes thinking and decision-making, is inseparable from embodiment. This is not just because it requires sensory inputs to the brain, but also because moving in the world is a key component. Thus embodied cognition does not see this as a passive input/output process, but as something that requires constant interaction with the world via the body.

Links and References:

  • Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind by Evan Thompson
  • The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience by Francisco J. Varela, Evan T. Thompson, Eleanor Rosch
  • Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy by Evan Thompson (follow-up interview BSP 115)
  • Evan Thompson, PhD, University of British Columbia
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast * Wren at wren.co/brainscience

Announcements:

  • Submit audio feedback to be part of BS 200!
  • Please visit brainsciencepodcast.com and let me know what you think of the updated website.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This is the free transcript for Episode 197 with Frank Amthor, author of Neuroscience for Dummies.

For unlimited access to all transcripts and the entire back catalogue of Brain Science sign up for our Premium Subscription.

You can cancel any time.

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science features an encore playing of my interview with Dr. Frank Amthor, author of Neuroscience for Dummies and Neurobiology for Dummies. It is a great episode for newbies and will be a good review for longtime listeners.

This is a FREE sample of my Premium content and the episode transcript is also FREE.

Links and References:

  • Essentials of Modern Neuroscience by Franklin Amthor, W. Anne Burton Theibert, David Standaert, and Erik Roberson
  • Neurobiology For Dummies by Frank Amthor
  • Neuroscience For Dummies, 2nd Ed. by Frank Amthor
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Want to be part of BS 200? Just email me at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com to learn more.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube for episode excerpts and summaries.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science is an interview with Hakwan Lau, author of In Consciousness we Trust: The Cognitive Neuroscience of Subjective Experience. Lau talks about shortcomings in current theories about how the brain generates consciousness, but he also introduces something he calls perceptual reality monitoring.

Although this is a somewhat technical discussion it is accessible to listeners who are new to the neuroscience of consciousness.

Links and References:

  • In Consciousness we Trust: The Cognitive Neuroscience of Subjective Experience by Hakwan Lau
  • Hakwan Lau's Lab at UCLA
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpancer.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Check episode extras for free transcript excerpt!
  • Episode 200 is coming in September 2022! Listener feedback is invited. Email brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com to learn more.
  • Please visit brainsciencepodcast.com and let me know what you think of the updated website.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube for episode excerpts and summaries.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This month's episode is an interview with David J Anderson from Cal Tech. We talk about his new book The Nature of the Beast: How Emotions Guide US. We talk about how emotion CAN be studied in animals by using methods that focus on brain states rather than verbal descriptions. Dr. Anderson also explains why this experimental work is essential to developing more effective treatment of mental illnesses.

This episode is a follow up to my discussion of The Neuroscience of Emotion: A New Synthesis by Ralph Adolphs and David J. Anderson in BS 151 (2018)

Links and References:

  • The Nature of the Beast: How Emotions Guide US by David J Anderson
  • David Anderson,PhD. , California Institute of Technology
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * The Minor Consult podcast at theminorconsult.com * TextExpander at textexpander.com/brain-science

Announcements:

  • Watch Dr. Campbell's induction into the Podcast Hall of Fame on Youtube.
  • Please visit brainsciencepodcast.com and let me know what you think of the updated website.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

The neuroscience of grief and grieving is a relatively new field, but one that offers practical discoveries for people of all backgrounds. This month we talk with Mary-Frances O’Connor, author of The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How we Learn from Love and Loss.

We talk about what has been learned from a variety of approaches, including both brain imaging and, surprisingly even from animal studies. We learn why it is so hard for our brains to accept the loss of a loved one and this work offers hope for helping those who struggle with prolonged or complicated grief.

The incredible loss of life cause by the COVID pandemic makes this work especially timely.

Links and References:

  • The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss by Mary-Frances O'Connor
    • Author website
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast * The Minor Podcast

Announcements:

  • Please visit brainsciencepodcast.com and let me know what you think of the updated website.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube for episode excerpts and summaries.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

In this month's episode of Brain Science I explore two big picture questions: What does it mean to claim that the Mind is "embodied?" and How does this change our understanding of our place in the world? The conversation was inspired by the book "Out of the Cave: A Natural Philosophy of Mind and Knowing" by Mark L Johnson and Donald M Tucker.

This episode builds on several previous discussions of "embodied cognition" so it might be challenging to newer listeners. I have included a list of these earlier episodes below.

Links and References:

  • Out of the Cave: A Natural Philosophy of Mind and Knowing by Mark L Johnson and Donald M Tucker
  • Embodied Cognition (2nd. ed) by Lawrence Shapiro (BSP 73)
  • Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson
  • Previous episodes about Embodied Cognition
    • BSP 25 with Rolf Pfeifer, co-author of How the Body Shapes the Way We Think
    • BSP 36 with Arthur Glenberg
    • BSP 73 with Lawrence Shapiro, author of Embodied Cognition
    • BSP 89 with Evan Thompson, author of Mind in Life: Biology. Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast * GreenChef at greenchef.com/ginger130

Announcements:

  • Join me for my induction into the Podcast Hall of Fame on March 25, 2022. Attendance is free. If you live in Los Angeles I hope you will attend the live event, but I hope everyone else will attend online. Click here to learn more.
  • Please visit brainsciencepodcast.com and let me know what you think of the updated website. If you are a teacher please check out the new page for Educators and let me known what you think.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube for episode excerpts and summaries.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science is an interview with Nina Kraus, author of "Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World." Dr. Kraus has spent 30 years exploring how the brain processes sound. We explore why sound processing involves much more that just the auditory cortex as well how the sounds we experience change our brains, both for better and for worse.

Links and References:

  • Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World by Nina Kraus
  • Nina Kraus, PhD, Northwestern University
    • BrainVolts website
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Please visit brainsciencepodcast.com and let me know what you think of the updated website.
  • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube for episode excerpts and summaries.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This is our 15th annual review episode, which highlights the guests and key ideas we have shared in 2021. Interviews included return visits from Jeff Hawkins and David Eagleman. New guests including Anil Seth and Antonio Damasio, who both emphasized the importance of our bodies (not just our brains) in understanding Consciousness.

Available soon: Free Transcript!

Full Episode List:

BS 180 Bruce Goldstein, author of The Mind: Consciousness, Prediction, and the Brain

BS 181 Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, author of The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention

BS 182 Iris Berent, author of The Blind Storyteller: How We Reason About Human Nature

BS 183 Jeff Hawkins, author A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence

BS 184 Mark Solms, author The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Origins of Consciousness

BS 185 Stephen Fleming, author of Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness

BS 186 Mark Humphries, author of The Spike: An Epic Journey Through the Brain in 2.1 Seconds

BS 187 David Eagleman, author of Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain

BS 188 Anil Seth, author of Being You: A New Science of Consciousness

BS 189 Antonio Damasio, author of Feeling & Knowing: Making Minds Conscious

BS 190 David Badre, author of On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * Text Expander at textexpander.com/podcast * Storyworth at storyworth.com/brain * The Neurology Podcast in your favorite audio app

Announcements:

  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube for episode excerpts and summaries.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science features David Badre, author of "On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done." He gives us an overview of recent research in the field of cognitive control, which has has actually overturned some popular assumptions about things like willpower. Our focus is on the practical implications of this research.

Links and References:

  • On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done by David Badre
  • David Badre, PhD, Professor at Brown University
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: AAN: Neurology Minute Podcast

Storyworth at storyworth.com/brain

TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube for episode excerpts and summaries.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

Neurologist and best-selling author Antonio Damasio is one of our most requested guests. This month we finally had the opportunity to talk about his newest book "Feeling & Knowing: Making Minds Conscious," which he explained is somewhat different from his previous efforts. His goal was to write something "briefer" and more accessible. Thus it is definitely a book that requires no background in neuroscience.

The key theme is that feelings and emotions are foundational aspects of Consciousness.

Links and References:

  • Feeling & Knowing: Making Minds Conscious by Antonio Damasio
  • Self Comes to Mind by Antonio Damasio (BS 90)
  • Antonio Damasio, MD, PhD, Professor USC
    • Twitter: @damasiousc
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Autographed copies of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD are now available. Email Dr. Campbell to learn more
  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube for episode excerpts and summaries.
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

BS 188 features neuroscientist Anil Seth discussing his new book "Being You: A New Science of Consciousness." We have had many guests talk about consciousness, but Seth represents the newer generation who have actually been able to devote their careers to this fundamental question: How does the brain generate conscious experience. His perspective is both practical and illuminating.

Links and References:

  • Being You: A New Science of Consciousness by Anil Seth
  • Making up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental World by Chris Frith (BSP 57)
  • See also the recent Brain Science series on Consciousness: BS 160-163.
  • AnilSeth.com
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast * HelloFresh at hellofresh.com/14ginger

Announcements:

  • Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube for episode excerpts and summaries.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

BS 187 features bestselling author and neuroscientist David Eagleman. We talk about his latest book "Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain." It is a great overview of the current science of brain plasticity appropriate for both new listeners and longtime fans.

Links and References:

  • Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain by David Eagleman
  • More from David Eagleman
    • author website at https://eagleman.com
    • Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman (interviewed in BSP 75: see extras in the mobile app)
    • The Brain (PBS, DVD)
    • The Brain: The Story of You by David Eagleman (companion to TV series)
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * Green Chef greenchef.com/ginger100 * TextExpander at text expander.com/podcast * NordVPN at NordVPN.com/brainscience

Announcements:

  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.) Extras for this episode include access to BSP 75.
  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This month's episode features Mark Humphries, author of "The Spike: An Epic Journey Through the Brain in 2.1 Seconds." We explore how the brain uses electrical signaling in surprising ways, beginning with a look at how an action potential (aka. "the spike") is produced. Then we consider what Humphries calls "the dark neurons," which are neurons that rarely generate spikes. We explore their role and also how it relates to the brain's spontaneous activity. One of the more surprising recent discoveries in neuroscience is that most of the brain's activity does not appear to be caused by external stimuli. It is not a passive receiver of information and this has profound implications for our understanding of things like how the brain generates conscious experience.

This episode is for listeners of all backgrounds.

Links and References:

  • The Spike: An Epic Journey Through the Brain in 2.1 Seconds by Mark Humphries
  • Humphries Lab at the University of Nottingham
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast * NordVPN at nordvpn.com/brainscience

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science is an interview with Dr. Stephen Fleming, author of "Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness." We explore the concept of metacognition and learn that while explicit metacognition (thinking about thinking) may be unique to humans, it is built on building blocks shared with other species. We also explore what can go wrong and why it matters.

Special Offer: sign up for free newsletter and get a Free Gift

Links and References:

  • Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness by Stephen M Fleming
  • Making up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental World by Chris Frith (2007). Frith was interviewed in BSP 57
  • Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking by Cecilia Heyes (2018). Heyes was interviewed in BS 168.
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast * NordVPN at NordVPN.com/brainscience

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This is the premium episode transcript for BS 184 with Mark Solms author of The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness.

To access make sure you are signed into your MyLibsyn account.

This transcript can also be purchased at brainsciencepodcast.com.

© copyright 2021 Virginia Campbell, MD

View Details

In this month's episode of Brain Science, neuroscientist Mark Solms talks about his new book "The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Origins of Consciousness." Solms was inspired by the pioneering work of Jaak Panksepp who argued that the origins of consciousness can be traced to the brainstem. In his new book Solms presents the evidence for this viewpoint and explains how the work of computational neuroscientist Karl Friston has provided additional support. We consider the implications for our understanding of both human consciousness and our appreciation for the consciousness of other animals.

Links and References:

  • The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness by Mark Solms
    • Mark Solms: University of Cape Town, South Africa
  • Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions by Jaak Panksepp (BS 134)
  • The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions by Jaak Panksepp and Lucy Biven (BSP 91)
  • Solms, M; Friston, K; (2018) How and why consciousness arises: Some considerations from physics and physiology. Journal of Consciousness Studies , 25 (5-6) pp. 202-238. (Download PDF)
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * GreenChef * TextExpander

Announcements:

  • Email Dr. Campbell if you want to help with improving the Brain Science website or request new features.
  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

Jeff Hawkins has spent nearly twenty years on a quest to discover how the brain's cortex generates intelligence. In this episode he talks about his new book A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence, which describes some of his most recent research in a way that is accessible to readers of all backgrounds.

Links and References:

  • A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins
  • Detailed References on Numenta website
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Email Dr. Campbell if you want to help design the new website for Brain Science. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science features Iris Berent, author of "The Blind Storyteller: How We Reason About Human Nature." We explore how our deeply entrenched biases toward dualism and essentialism impact our attitudes toward neuroscience and toward problems like mental illness.

Links and References:

  • The Blind Storyteller: How We Reason About Human Nature by Iris Berent
  • A Skeptic's Guide to the Mind: What Neuroscience Can and Cannot Tell Us About Ourselves by Robert Burton
  • In BS 96 Dr. Burton raised similar issues to those mentioned in this episode
  • Iris Berent at Northeastern University: publications
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast * Green Chef at greenchef.com/90ginger: use coupon code 90ginger

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science features Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, one of the world's leading researchers on the neuroscience of autism. We discuss his latest book "The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention." This book reminds us that many different kinds of science can enrich our lives and our understanding of what it means to be human.

Sir Baron-Cohen explores the overlap between the human ability to invent and experiment and the condition that is currently called autism. Autism is often seen as a deficit in social cognition or empathy, but Baron-Cohen shows convincingly that there is a significant overlap between autism and what he calls extreme systemizing. Because systemizing or pattern recognition drives the human ability to constantly invent new technologies, it appears to compliment social skills such as empathy. Sir Baron-Cohen share the evidence that people tend to be stronger in one area or the other. Most importantly, he emphasizes that autism is not necessarily a disabling condition because those with extremely strong pattern recognition skills can make many valuable contributions. Links and References:

  • The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention by Simon Baron-Cohen
  • Greenberg DM, Warrier V, Allison C, Baron-Cohen S. Testing the Empathizing-Systemizing theory of sex differences and the Extreme Male Brain theory of autism in half a million people. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Nov 27;115(48):12152-12157. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1811032115. Epub 2018 Nov 12. PMID: 30420503; PMCID: PMC6275492.
  • Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, PhD. University of Cambridge (UK)
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.

Bonus Content:

  • Listen to BS 99 with Temple Grandin via the free Brain Science mobile app. Download the app from your favorite App Store.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at https://textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.
  • Please check out Dr. Campbell's other podcasts: Books and Ideas and Graying Rainbows where ever you get your favorite audio.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science is an interview with neuroscientists E. Bruce Goldstein, author of "The Mind: Consciousness, Prediction, and the Brain."

We review some key ideas about how the brain creates the Mind, the important role of unconscious processes and prediction. It is a great starter episode for new listeners and a concise review for longtime fans.

Links and References:

  • The Mind: Consciousness, Prediction, and the Brain by E. Bruce Goldstein
  • Author website
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * Text Expander at textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

View Details

Here is a free transcript of Brain Science 179, which is our 14th Annual Review Episode.

You can buy additional episode transcripts at brainsciencepodcast.com.

View Details

It's time for our 14th Annual Review Episode! Despite the challenges of 2020, it has been an outstanding year for Brain Science: the show passed 11 million downloads and Dr. Campbell released of second edition of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty.

This episode is also a great introduction for new listeners. It can be enjoyed even if you haven’t listened to the episodes being discussed. A free transcript is also available for this episode.

Here is a list of this year's episodes:

  • BS 165 (encore) Stephen L. Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde, authors of Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions
  • BS 166 Stephen Macknik describes new a visual prosthesis
  • BS 167 Stanislas Dehaene, author of How We Learn: Why Brains Learn Better Than Any Machine . . . for Now
  • BS 168 Cecelia Heyes, author of Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking
  • BS 169 (encore) R. Douglas Fields The Other Brain
  • BS 170 Andreas Nieder, author of The Number Instinct
  • BS 171 Matthew Cobb, author of The Idea of the Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience
  • BS 172 György Buzsáki, author of The Brain from Inside Out
  • BS 173 Excerpt from Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell
  • BS 174 Georg Northoff, author of The Spontaneous Brain: From the Mind–Body to the World–Brain Problem
  • BS 175 Carol Tavris, co-author of Mistakes Were Made (but not by me)- an exploration of cognitive dissonance
  • BS 176 Seth Grant explains synapse complexity
  • BS 177 Bernard Baars and David Edelman talk about consciousness
  • BS 178 Peter Sterling, author of What Is Health?: Allostasis and the Evolution of Human Design

Note: the transcript for this episode is Free. Additional show notes and more episode transcripts are available at brainsciencepodcast.com.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/pocasts * The Neurology Podcast at ann.com/podcasts

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (autographed copies are available)
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science features neuroscientist Peter Sterling sharing the key ideas for his new book What Is Health? Allostasis and the Evolution of Human Design. In recent years neuroscientists have developed a growing appreciation of the predictive functions of the brain. Sterling takes this principle to the next level by asking what this means for human health. He argues that medicine's traditional focus on homeostasis ignores the much larger role of what he calls allostasis, which is a word he actually coined many years ago to capture the idea that the brain's predictive function is critical to health.

His book explores the ancient origins of both allostasis and homeostasis with an emphasis on why recent changes in the human life style contribute to the health problems of modern life.

One goal of this episode is to remind listeners that understanding how the brain works may be the key to our future survival.

Links and References:

  • What Is Health? Allostasis and the Evolution of Human Design by Peter Sterling
  • Principles of Neural Design by Peter Sterling and Simon Laughlin
  • Peter Sterling (University of Pennsylvania)
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast * The Neurology Minute (podcast) from the American Academy of Neurology

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. Autographed copies are now available.
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

Bernard Baars is a pioneer in the neuroscience of consciousness. He first proposed Global Workspace Theory back in 1980, which was before consciousness was considered an acceptable topic of scientific research. His approach inspired others including the current Global Neuronal Workspace Theory, which I discussed briefly in episode 160. This episode is an interview with Dr. Baars that focuses on his most recent book On Consciousness. He is joined by his colleague David Edelman.

Links and References:

  • ON CONSCIOUSNESS: Science & Subjectivity - Updated Works on Global Workspace Theory by Bernard J. Baars
  • On Consciousness podcast: on YouTube
  • The Ancient Origins of Consciousness: How the Brain Created Experience by Todd E. Feinberg and Jon M. Mallatt (Dr. Mallatt was interviewed in BS 128.)
  • Consciousness and the Brain: Deciphering How the Brain Codes Our Thoughts by Stanislas Dehaene (BS 160 and BS 167)
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander at http://textexpander.com/podcast * The Neurology Minute in your favorite podcasting app

Announcements:

  • November 17, 2020 at 4PM Eastern Time: Join Dr. Campbell for a special webinar entitled Embracing Uncertainty: How to Thrive in Uncertain Times. Click here to learn more.
  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This is my fifth interview with molecular biologist and neuroscientist Dr. Seth Grant from The University of Edinburgh. Dr. Grant was recently recognized for his pioneering work by the Federation of European Neuroscientists. He continues to make fundamental discoveries about the structure and function of the synapse and this month we discuss the discovery that synapse complexity and diversity is greater than expected, along with the implications of these discoveries.

Links and References:

  • Seth Grant: University of Edinburgh
  • FENS EJN Award 2020
  • Cizeron M, Qiu Z, Koniaris B, et al. A brainwide atlas of synapses across the mouse life span. Science. 2020;369(6501):270-275. doi:10.1126/science.aba3163
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * GreenChef: at http://greenchef.com/ginger80 * TextExpander at http://textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Coming November 17, 2020: Webinar: "Embracing Uncertainty: How to Thrive in Uncertain Times." Listen to closing announcements to learn more.
  • Coming soon! episode compilations based on topic or guest. Look for all Seth Grant's interview next month.
  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This extremely timely episode of Brain Science features an interview with Dr. Carol Tavris, co-author of the newly released third edition of Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts. Cognitive Dissonance was actually discovered back in 1956 and it is one of the most well-replicated phenomena in experimental psychology. It also impacts many aspects of our lives, including politics, which is why I am grateful to have Dr. Tavris back on the podcast to help us explore this fascinating, but also disturbing topic.

Links and References:

  • Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson--- add aerio link
  • Books and Ideas 43 with Carol Tavris
    • Find this under episode extras in the mobile app
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors:

  • TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcasts

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. Click here to buy an autographed copy.
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

BS 174 is an interview with neuroscientist and philosopher Georg Northoff about his fascinating book "The Spontaneous Brain: From the Mind–Body to the World–Brain Problem." We explore the significance of the growing evidence that most of the brain's activity occurs independently of external stimuli with a focus on the implications of this finding for our understanding of how the brain generates consciousness.

Links and References:

  • The Spontaneous Brain: From the Mind–Body to the World–Brain Problem by Georg Northoff
  • The Brain from Inside Out by György Buzsáki (BS 172)
  • Surfing Uncertainty: Prediction, Action, and the Embodied Mind by Andy Clark (BS 126)
  • Northoff G, et al. Is temporal-spatial dynamics the “common currency” of brain and mind? In Quest of “Spatiotemporal Neuroscience”. Why Life Rev (2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2019.05.002 (Link to Abstract)
  • Georg Northoff website: http://www.georgnorthoff.com (for videos, talks and additional papers
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors:

  • The Great Courses Plus at thegreatcoursesplus.com/ginger
  • TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD
    • Post a review on by August 31 to receive an invitation to a special webinar with Dr. Campbell
  • Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

In this special episode of Brain Science host Dr Ginger Campbell reads an excerpt from her bestseller "Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origin of Certainty." While it might seem ironic to talk about certainty during these extremely uncertain times, understanding how our brain generates the feeling of knowing or certainty is actually more relevant than ever.

Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty is based on several early episodes of Brain Science and highlights the work of retired neurologist Dr. Robert Burton. Both physicians are fascinated by the surprising discovery that most of what our brain does is outside conscious awareness. They explore the evidence behind this claim as well as its implications. Ultimately they agree that this discovery could encourage us all to have more compassion and tolerance for both ourselves and others.

Links and References:

  • Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD (Click here to buy)
  • A Skeptic's Guide to the Mind: What Neuroscience Can and Cannot Tell Us About Ourselves (2013) by Robert Burton
  • On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not (2008) by Robert Burton
  • Project Implicit at implicit.harvard.edu
  • Dr. Campbell video with Jenn Grace: https://youtu.be/-ZY2Tah8EIU
  • Recent podcast appearances by Ginger Campbell
    • Neural Implant Podcast
    • Brain Inspired #74
    • More coming soon

Please Visit Our Sponsors:

  • TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast
  • The Great Courses Plus at thegreatcoursesplus.com/ginger

Announcements:

  • Thanks to the support of loyal Brain Science listeners, Are You Sure? was the number 1 release in Neuroscience on Amazon for several days and it reached #4 on the Neuroscience best seller list. Click here to buy the book.
  • Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text the word brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

In this episode I talk with neuroscientist György Buzsáki about his new book The Brain from Inside Out. We explore how abandoning what he calls the "Outside In" approach to understanding the brain can lead to surprising new insights.

Links and References:

  • Buzsaki's Lab
  • The Brain from Inside Out by György Buzsáki MD PhD
  • Rhythms of the Brain by György Buzsáki (BSP 31)
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors:

  • The Great Courses Plus: https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/ginger
  • TextExpander: https:textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Please mark your calendar for June 16, 2020 to buy the second edition of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger Campbell, MD. Everyone who buys the book in June is eligible for a live webinar later this summer.
  • Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. Don't forget to confirm your subscription!
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.) BSP 31 with Dr. Buzsaki is available FREE as an extra for this episode.
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This episode of Brain Science is an interview with neuroscientist Matthew Cobb author of "The Idea of the Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience."

Cobb approaches the history of neuroscience from a different perspective than previous writers. He writes from the perspective of a working scientist with a deep interest in the history of ideas and the interaction between science and culture. This approach makes for a fascinating discussion.

Through out history assumptions about the brain have been influenced by both culture and contemporary science. For example, before the discovery of electricity it was impossible to image that the brain uses both chemical and electrical signals to communicate. Similarly, our current understanding is heavily influenced by the computer metaphor, which actually misses much about how real brains function.

Another aspect of our discussion involves several ongoing debates with neuroscience such as the importance of localization versus network properties. We also touch on the tendency toward neuromythology, which is the tendency to think that understanding the brain is the only tool for understanding what it means to be human. Dr. Cobb reminds of the importance of being aware of the work in a wide varieties of fields include science and the humanities.

Links and References:

  • The Idea of the Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience by Matthew Cobb
    • Complete Bibliography at theideaofthebrain.com.
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors:

  • The Great Courses Plus at thegreatcoursesplus.com/GINGER
  • TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
  • The new expanded edition of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty will be released in early May 2020. Anyone who purchases the book in the first 2 weeks after release will be invited to special live webinar. Subscribe to the free Newsletter for updates.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

BS 170 is an interview with Andreas Nieder, author of "A Brain for Numbers: The Biology of the Number Instinct." We talk about the surprising discovery that a wide variety of animals have a number instinct, which is called the approximate number system. This appears to provide the basis for the more abstract mathematical abilities that are seen in humans. We also explore the relationship between mathematics and language.

Links and References:

  • A Brain for Numbers: The Biology of the Number Instinct by Andreas Nieder
  • The Number Sense: How the Mind Creates Mathematics, Revised and Updated Edition (2011) by Stanislas Dehaene
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors:

TextExpander at http://textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • In April 2020 Brain Science returns to a monthly schedule: it return to the 4th Friday of every month.
  • The expanded 2nd Edition of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty will be published in late April or early May. See newsletter below for updates.
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This episode is an exploration of glial cells with R Douglas Fields, author of "The Other Brain: The Scientific and Medical Breakthroughs That Will Heal Our Brains and Revolutionize Our Health." Glial Cells outnumber the neurons in our nervous system, but until the last few years they were thought to merely support cells. Dr. Fields takes us through the discovery that they have their own signaling methods and are much more important than we ever imagined.

This interview first aired in 2010, but Dr. Fields reviewed the original transcript and made no significant corrections. What was once controversial is now mainstream. I recorded a new introduction and summary and I have included some more recent references below.

Links and References:

  • The Other Brain: The Scientific and Medical Breakthroughs That Will Heal Our Brains and Revolutionize Our Health by R. Douglas Fields
  • Fields, R.D., Bukalo, O. Myelin makes memories. Nat Neurosci(2020).https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-020-0606-x
  • Fields, R.D., The Brain Learns in Unexpected Ways. Scientific American, March 2020.
  • See the episode transcript at http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional links and references.

Please Support Brain Science:

  • Learn more at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Announcements:

  • The second, expanded edition of Dr. Campbell's book Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty, will be released on April 28, 2020. Please mark your calendar!
  • Brain Science comes out on the 2nd and 4th Friday each month.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • The
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

BS 168 is an interview with psychologist Cecilia Heyes from Oxford University in the UK. We talk about her fascinating book "Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking." Our focus is on exploring the evidence that several cognitive skills that appear to be unique to humans are learned from other people rather than being inherited genetically as is often assumed. The proposal that language is a cognitive gadget NOT a cognitive instinct is controversial and has very important implications.

Links and References:

  • Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking by Cecilia Heyes
  • Oostenbroek J, Slaughter, V, et. Al. (2016). Comprehensive longitudinal study challenges the existence of neonatal imitation in humans. Current Biology 26(10), 1334-1338.
  • See show notes at http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional links and references.

Please Visit Our Sponsors:

TextExpander at http://textexpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on the 2nd and 4th Friday each month.
  • The expanded 2nd. Ed. of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty will be coming out April 28, 2020.
  • Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Join the Brain Science Group on Goodreads at: http/brainscienceforum.com
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This is an interview with Stanislas Dehaene about his new book How We Learn: Why Brains Learn Better Than Any Machine . . . for Now. According to neuroscientist Dehaene neuroscience has revealed that human babies are incredible "learning machines" whose abilities exceed those of the best current artificial intelligence. We explore why this is so and how this information could be used to help learners (and teachers) of all ages.

Links and References:

  • How We Learn: Why Brains Learn Better Than Any Machine . . . for Now by Stanislas Dehaene
  • Visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Announcements:

  • A 2nd expanded edition of Dr. Campbell's book Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty will be released in May 2020.
  • Please join the Brain Science podcast Group on Goodreads at http://brainscienceforum.com.
  • Brain Science comes out on the 2nd and 4th Friday each month.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast
  • Group on Goodreads at http://brainscienceforum.com

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

Brain Science 166 features the return of neuroscientist Stephen Macknik. We talk about his recent work that is focused on developing a new visual prosthesis based on recent discoveries and techniques like optogenetics.

This episode is more technical than usual but Dr. Macknik makes the material accessible to all listeners.

Links and References:

  • http://macknik.neuralcorrelate.com
  • YouTube video: https://youtu.be/TiA1W1OnU9c
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsor:

The Great Courses Plus: http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/ginger

Announcements:

  • Brain Science comes out on the 2nd and 4th Friday each month.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This episode is an encore presentation of an interview with neuroscientists Stephen L. Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde. We talk about their international bestseller "Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions." Macknik and Martinez-Conde are neuroscientists who study vision, but several years ago they had the innovative idea of collaborating with magicians to explore how their use of both visual and cognitive illusions reveals secrets about how our brains work.

This may sound esoteric, but it has practical consequences, especially for making sound decisions in our complex world.

I will be back in 2 weeks with a new interview with Stephen Macknik.

Links and References:

  • Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions by Stephen Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde
  • Stephen Macknik
  • Susana Martinez-Conde

Please Visit Our Sponsors:

BetterHelp at http://betterhelp.com/ginger

TextExpander at TextExpander.com/podcast

Announcements:

  • Brain Science will be coming out twice a month in 2020 on the second and 4th Friday.
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Learn you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Learn about Dr. Campbell's new coaching efforts at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/coaching
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

I am including the transcript of this episode for free because it is an encore presentation of an interview that originally aired as BSP 72. It features Stephen Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde, authors of Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions.

View Details

Brain Science is entering its 14th year and for the first time since 2008 I will be producing two episodes a month. They will come out  on the 2nd and 4th Friday every month.

This trailer provides a brief introduction to new listeners and a few announcements. The next full episode will be released on January 10, 2020.

View Details

This is our 13th annual review episode. I share a few highlights from episodes 153-163 and include a few extra reflections on the recent 4-part series about the neuroscience of Consciousness.

This month's episode transcript is included for FREE.

Partial list of Books/Authors featured in 2019:

  • Understanding the Brain: From Cells to Behavior to Cognition by John E. Dowling (BS 153)
  • Better with Age: The Psychology of Successful Aging by Alan D. Castel (BS 154)
  • Brain Inspired (podcast) with Paul Middlebrooks (BS 155)
  • The New Mind Readers: What Neuroimaging Can and Cannot Reveal about Our Thoughts by Russell A. Poldrack (BS 156)
  • Remembering: What 50 Years of Research with Famous Amnesia Patient H.M. Can Teach Us about Memory and How It Works by Donald G. MacKay (BS 157)
  • Conscience: The Origins of Moral Intuition by Patricia Churchland (BS 158)
  • Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are by Kevin J. Mitchell (BS 159)
  • Consciousness and the Brain: Deciphering How the Brain Codes Our Thoughts by Stanislas Dehaene (BS 160)
  • See show notes for BS 160 for additional sources.
  • The Deep History of Ourselves: The Four-Billion-Year Story of How We Got Conscious Brains by Joseph LeDoux (BS 161)
  • Rethinking Consciousness: A Scientific Theory of Subjective Experience by Michael S A Graziano (BS 162)
  • The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can't Be Computed by Christof Koch (BS 163)

Please Visit Our Sponsors:

TextExpander at http://textexpandercom/podcast

BetterHelp at http://betterhelp.com/ginger

Announcements:

  • Brain Science will be coming out twice a month starting in January 2020!
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Learn about Premium Content at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Learn about Dr. Campbell's new coaching efforts at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/coaching
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This episode of Books and Ideas is an interview with Susan Schneider, author of a fascinating new book called Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind. Schneider's book goes beyond the question of whether AI might become conscious to issues that might affect us on a more personal level. I am cross posting this in the feed for Brain Science because there is an obvious overlap with the issue of consciousness, which we often discuss on Brain Science. Links and References: * Susan Schneider (personal website) * Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind by Susan Schneider

Announcements: * Plesae complete a brief audience survy. * Send email to docartemis@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis. * Please support Books and Ideas via Patreon at http://patreon.com/booksandideas. * To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Books and Ideas in iTunes and send me a screenshot.

Connect on Social Media: * Twitter: @docartemis * Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/booksandideas

View Details

Christof Koch returns to Brain Science for the 3rd time and in this episode he shares his new book The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can't Be Computed. He tells us why he doesn't think the Neural Correlates of Consciousness (NCC) are enough to explain subjective experience and he gives us a brief overview of the Integrated Information Theory (IIT) of Consciousness.

Links and References:

  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for references and episode transcripts.

Please Visit Our Sponsors:

  • TextExpander @http://textexpander.com/podcast
  • BetterHelp @http://betterhelp.com/ginger

Announcements:

  • Please complete a brief audience survey.
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Learn about Premium Content at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Learn about Dr. Campbell's new coaching efforts at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/coaching
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

  • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
  • Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

View Details

This episode is an interview with Dr. Michael Graziano, author of Rethinking Consciousness: A Scientific Theory of Subjective Experience. We discuss how his Attention Schema Theory compliments several current theories and how it answers the question of how the brain generates subjective experience ("qualia"). Links and References: * Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for references and episode transcripts.

Announcements: * Please complete a brief audience survey. * Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis. * To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot. * Learn about Premium Content at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations * Learn about Dr. Campbell's new coaching efforts at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/coaching * Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. * Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander * BetterHelp

Connect on Social Media: * Twitter: @docartemis * Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

View Details

Respected neuroscientist Dr. Joseph Ledoux's new book is The Deep History of Ourselves: The Four-Billion-Year Story of How We Got Conscious Brains. In this episode we discuss Dr. Ledoux's ideas about the relationship between emotion and consciousness. His conclusions are controversial, but thought provoking.

Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for complete show notes with links and episode transcripts.

Links and References:

  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for references and episode transcripts.

Announcements:

  • Please complete a brief audience survey.
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Learn about Premium Content at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Learn about Dr. Campbell's new coaching efforts at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/coaching
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows.

Please Visit Our Sponsors: * TextExpander * BetterHelp

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

View Details

This month's episode is the beginning a four part series about the Neuroscience of Consciousness. This month I am discussing and comparing the ideas from several recent books on the subject in preparation for several upcoming interviews on the subject. Many people consider consciousness to be the biggest mystery of all, but in this episode we explore how progress has been made in unraveling the ultimate "mystery of how our brain makes us human."

Books featured in BS 160 (listed in the order cited):

  • Consciousness and the Brain: Deciphering How the Brain Codes Our Thoughts by Stanislas Dehaene (2014)
  • The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself by Sean Carroll (2016)
  • The Strange Order of Things: Life, Feeling, and the Making of Cultures by Antonio Damasio (2018)
  • From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds by Daniel C. Dennett (2017)
  • Consciousness Demystified by Todd E. Feinberg, MD and Jon M. Mallatt, PhD

Links and References:

  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Announcements:

  • Please complete a brief Audience Survey.
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Learn about Premium Content at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Learn about Dr. Campbell's new coaching efforts at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/coaching
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Please Visit This month's sponsors:

  • TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast
  • Audible at audible.com/ginger

Please Visit Our Sponsors * TextExpander * Audible

View Details

BS 159 is an interview with Dr. Kevin Mitchell, author of Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are. We discuss the fact that our brain-based behavior is actually more innate than is commonly realized. Even identical twins are innately different despite having nearly identical genomes. This is because of events that occur during brain development. Listen now to learn more about what science is revealing about this fascinating topic. (PS: we also talk about the role of brain plasticity.)

Links and References:

  • Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are by Kevin J. Mitchell
  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Announcements:

  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Learn about how to support the show at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
  • Learn about Dr. Campbell's new coaching efforts at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/coaching
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Please Visit This month's sponsors:

  • TextExpander
  • Babbel

View Details

This month marks the return of popular Brain Science guest Dr. Patricia Churchland (BS 55 and BS 81). We talk about her new book, Conscience: The Origins of Moral Intuition. This book is a great combination of up to date neuroscience and critical thinking. It is recommended for listeners of all backgrounds.

Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for detailed show notes and episode transcripts.

Links and References:

  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for references and episode transcripts.

Announcements:

  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Learn about Premium Content at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations.
  • You can now donate via Venmo.
  • Learn about Dr. Campbell's new coaching efforts at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/coaching
  • Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
  • Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Please Visit This month's sponsors:

  • Audible
  • Babbel
  • TextExpander

View Details

This episode of Brain Science features Dr. Donald MacKay, author of Remembering: What 50 Years of Research with Famous Amnesia Patient H.M. Can Teach Us about Memory and How It Works. H.M. may have been the most studied patient in history, but Mackay's work uncovers some surprising discoveries about the role of the hippocampus in language, as well as important implications for the aging brain.

Please go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com for complete show notes and episode transcripts.

Announcements:

  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Learn about Premium Content at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Please Visit Our Sponsors:

  • Babbel: the worlds leading language learning app
  • TextExpander: an app for Mac and Windows that saves you lots of time

View Details

This month's episode of Brain Science is an interview with Stanford psychologist, Dr Russell A. Poldrack, author of The New Mind Readers: What Neuroimaging Can and Cannot Reveal about Our Thoughts. We discuss a brief history of the use of fMRI brain imaging with an emphasis on how to avoid the mistakes that plagued the field early on. Listeners will come away with an appreciation of both the promise and limitations of brain imaging, including an understanding of why it is NOT ready for use as a lie detector.

Announcements:

  • Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for complete show notes and episode transcripts.
  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
  • Please visit this month's sponsor: TextExpander

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

View Details

BS 155 is an interview with neuroscientist Paul Middlebrooks, host of the Brain-Inspired podcast. We explore the main theme of his show, which is the intersection between neuroscience and artificial intelligence.

For complete show notes and episode transcripts please go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Announcements:

  • Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.
  • To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.

Connect on Social Media:

  • Twitter: @docartemis
  • Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

View Details

BS 154 is an interview with Dr. Alan Castel, author of Better with Age: The Psychology of Successful Aging. In the past we have discussed how our brain changes as we age, but it turns out successful aging requires more than "good genes." Our attitudes and our behaviors have a huge impact. More importantly, it is never too early to begin preparing for successful aging.

For detailed show notes and episode transcripts please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Send you feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or submit voicemail at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis. 

Please visit our sponsors:

  • Babbel
  • TextExpander

View Details

Episode 153 of Brain Science is an interview with Harvard neuroscientist John Dowling. We talk about his latest book Understanding the Brain: From Cells to Behavior to Cognition with a special focus on Vision.

If you listen to this episode in the Free Brain Science mobile app you can also listen to BSP 4, which featured one of Dowling's earlier books, The Great Brain Debate: Nature Or Nurture?. Just look under Extras.

For complete show notes and episode transcripts please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Please visit our sponsor: Babbel

Send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or submit voice feedback via Speakpipe.

View Details

BS 152 is our 12th annual review episode.   In 2018 nine new books were featured and the subjects covered included memory, peri-personal cells, creativity, language, reading, the cerebral mystique, synapses, happiness, emotion and work of Eve Marder.  We had 4 new guests and 4 returning guests along with an encore interview with Dr. Eve Marder.   This episode includes highlights from all 11 episodes that were released between January and November 2018.   Go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com for complete show notes and episode transcripts.   Please visit our sponsor: http:thegreatcoursesplus.com/ginger

View Details

BS 151 is a discussion of The Neuroscience of Emotion: A New Synthesis by Ralph Adolphs and David J. Anderson. We talk about key ideas from the book and relate them to several previous episodes about emotion including interviews with Jaak Panksepp, Lisa Feldman Barrett and Luis Pessoa.

Details show notes and episode transcripts will be available in a few days.

Please visit our sponsors:

The Great Courses Plus

Babbel promo code ginger

Leave voice feedback via Speakpipe or send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

View Details

BS 150 is my 4th interview with Dr. Seth Grant, the molecular biologist who has discovered surprising things about the evolution of the synapse, including the fact that vertebrates have much more complex synapses than invertebrates. In this interview we talk about his latest paper in Neuron in which his team has developed a method for mapping the synapses across the entire mouse brain. This is called a synaptome and reveals that there is surprising diversity depending on which part of the brain is examined. We discuss the implications of this discovery and how it suggests a new theory of how memory works.

Even though this is a follow up to last year's interview (BS 137), Dr. Grant provides all the background that a new listener will need to appreciate his work.

For complete show notes and episode transcripts please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Please visit our sponsors Babbel and The Great Courses Plus.

Please send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or leave voicemail via http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

View Details

This brief announcement is to correct a mistake I made in BS 148.

For several months I have been talking about my trip to Australia in 2019. I have posted this brief audio to clarify that October 1 was the first day to put down your deposit for the trip (not the deadline).

The dates in Australia will be May 20-30, 2018 and I have included the PDF with details with this announcement. There is room for 16 listeners. Please write to a brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com for more details.

Also, I will be in Boston November 1-3 for the Sound Education event at Harvard. If you would like to get together just drop me an email.

View Details

Brain Science 149 is an episode for listeners of all backgrounds. It is an interview with Dr. Dean Burnett, author of Happy Brain: Where Happiness Comes From, and Why. We look beyond the hype about dopamine and consider how our social nature impacts our happiness.

Complete show notes and episode transcripts are available at http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Please visit our sponsor: http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/ginger

Send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

View Details

BS 148 is the interview with pioneering neuroscientist Dr. Eve Marder, which I originally recorded back in 2009. I am reposting it now as a follow-up to last month's review of Charlotte Nassim's excellent biography Lessons from the Lobster: Eve Marder's Work in Neuroscience. The topics discussed in this interview are just as relevant as they were back then. A highlight of this interview is Dr. Marder's insights into what it was like to be part of the first large cohort of women entering science back in the sixties and seventies.

Send feedback about this episode to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com. Feedback received before December 1, 2018 may be included in the December episode of Brain Science Live on Facebook. Brain Science Live is on Facebook Live the first Thursday of every month at 8PM Central Time, but the audio is recorded for Premium and Patreon supporters.

Please visit this month's sponsors:

http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/ginger

http://babbel.com/ginger

View Details

BS 147 is a discussion of the new biography Lessons from the Lobster: Eve Marder's Work in Neuroscience by Charlotte Nassim. This is an intellectual biography of one of neuroscientists least know pioneers. Dr. Marder was interviewed on this podcast back in BSP 56, which is also now free to download.

In this episode I take you through some of Dr. Marder's key discoveries. Her work is unique because even as a graduate student she was challenging long held assumptions in her field. Although Nassim never mentions it, I strongly believe that Marder deserves a Nobel Prize and I explain why in this episode.

This episode is more technical than usual and will be of special interest to students and working neuroscientists.

For complete show notes and transcripts please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Please visit our sponsors at http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/ginger and http://babbel.com. (An ad free version of this episode is available to Premium and Patreon supporters.)

View Details

This is an interview with MIT neuroscientist, Dr. Alan Jasanoff about his book The Biological Mind: How Brain, Body, and Environment Collaborate to Make Us Who We Are. We talk about what he calls the "cerebral mystique" and why it is important to remember because the brain is embodied it is not autonomous. The Mind is the result of the interaction of the brain, body, and its environment.

Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for full show notes and episode transcripts.

Try a free month of The Great Courses Plus at http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/ginger.

View Details

BS 145 celebrates the return of Dr. Maryanne Wolf who was featured back in BSP 29 when we talked about her bestseller Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. In this episode we talk about her recent book Tales of Literacy for the 21st Century.

Our focus is two-fold. First we consider the implications of the fact that while language is acquired naturally, reading is a cultural invention that must be taught. Second, we explore how the brain is changed by reading and consider the consequences of the shift toward digital media.

This is a thought provoking conversation that will interest listeners of all backgrounds.

For complete show notes and episode transcripts, please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

This episode of Brain Science is sponsored by Audible. Please show your support this podcast by visiting http://audible.com/ginger.

View Details

This is an interview with Dr. Angela Friederici, author of Language in Our Brain: The Origins of a Uniquely Human Capacity. Her book is an extensive review of decades of research, but this interview provides an accessible introduction to listeners of all backgrounds.

Don't miss our new monthly Facebook live sessions where listeners can submit questions about past episodes. Learn more at our Facebook Fan Page.

Full episode show notes and episode transcripts are available at brainsciencepodcast.com.

View Details

BS 143 is an interview with Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, author of Creativity: The Human Brain in the Age of Innovation. We explore the roles of both the pre-frontal lobes and the right cerebral hemisphere, and we consider how the rapid rate of change may actually be decreasing the incidence of dementia by forcing older people to learn new skills rather than getting stuck in the rut of years of "auto-pilot."

Show notes and episode transcripts are available at http:brainsciencepodcast.com.

Important new announcement: Starting on the first Thursday in April (April 5, 2018) at 8PM Central Time, Dr. Campbell will be hosting a monthly Facebook Book Live session which will be available on her profile page and the Brain Science podcast Fan Page.

Questions and comments can be submitted ahead of time or during the session. A recorded version will be available for Premium subscribers and Patreon supporters.

Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

View Details

BS 142 is an interview with neuroscientist Michael Graziano about his latest book The Spaces Between Us: A Story of Neuroscience, Evolution, and Human Nature. We explore the discovery of peripersonal neurons and discover how deeply they are imbedded in our daily lives.

For show notes and complete transcripts go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com

Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or submit audio feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

This episode will be discussed on the Brain Science Podcast Fan Page via Facebook live on  Thursday April 12 at 8PM Central Time.

View Details

BS 141 is an interview with Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, author of The Forgetting Machine: Memory, Perception, and the "Jennifer Aniston Neuron."We explore how our brains construct both perception and memory, with an emphasis on meaning over exact detail. We also explore why this is important and how it makes humans very different from artificial intelligence.

For detailed show notes and episode transcripts please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

This show relies on listener support. Please click here to learn how you can support the show.

View Details

BS 140 is our 11th Annual Review episode. We look back at the highlights from 2017. New listeners will get a good feel for the ideas and guests that appeared, while regular listeners will have a chance to review a few key ideas. This year I also include a few highlights from the 2017 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.

Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for detailed show notes and episode transcripts.

Listeners can get a free month of access to The Great Courses at http://thegreatcourses.com/ginger

Send email feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

View Details

Jeff Hawkins founded Numenta in 2005, shortly after publishing his best seller "On Intelligence." Numenta's goal is to create a computer model of how the human cortex functions and more importantly advance our theoretical understanding of why it has the structure that it does. In BS 139 Hawkins describes some of his team's latest research and some exciting new ideas.

Complete show notes and transcripts are available at http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Send feed back to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or via Speakpipe.

View Details

In BS 138 Dr. John Medina returns to discuss his latest book Brain Rules for Aging Well: 10 Principles for Staying Vital, Happy, and Sharp. This is a lively discussion full of useful information for listeners of all ages.

If you listen via the free Brain Science mobile app you also listen to Dr. Medina's original interview (BSP 37), which is included as Bonus content.

Full show notes and episode transcripts are available at http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Note to Premium Subscribers: Premium content including episode transcripts is accessed via the free mobile app or by logging in at https://my.libsyn.com/auth/login/show_id/18369.

View Details

In BS 137 neuroscientist Seth Grant describes his surprising new discovery that brain complexity is controlled by a "genetic lifespan calendar" that determines the timing of brain changes through out the lifespan. We also explore the exciting implications of this discovery.

Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for detailed show notes and episode transcripts.

Our new sponsor is The Great Courses Plus. For a free month of video streaming and downloads go to http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/ginger.

Note for Premium Subscribers: The episode transcript for BS 137 will be released later this week.

View Details

In Brain Science 136 we discuss "Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can’t, and What Can Be Done About It" by Mark Seidenberg. We consider the disturbing gap between our scientific knowledge of reading and current education practices in the US.

This episode will provide the listener with some important basics about how reading changes our brains and what is known about how children learn to read. Learning to read is not as automatic as learning to talk and when problems arise, early intervention is essential.

We also consider some of the fascinating differences between written languages and how they reflect underlying differences between spoken languages. Plus---- Why speed reading is as myth!

Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for extra content.

Send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

For more references and episode transcripts please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

View Details

This episode features Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, author of How Emotions Are Made. We discuss the evidence AGAINST the classical theory that emotions are universal and hardwired, as well as her new theory of Constructed Emotions. This new theory has significant implications for how we understand ourselves and others.

Detailed show notes are available at http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Bonus Content is available for Premium Subscribers and Patreon supporters.

Please send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

View Details

Dr. Jaak Panksepp, pioneer of Affective Neuroscience died in April 2017 at the age of 73. Because he was one of our most popular guests we are replaying his first interview from 2010.

Please visit Brain Science website for detailed show notes and links to transcripts.

Here are links to the show notes for his other free interviews.

BS 91

Books and Ideas 51

In the next episode we will explore newer theories of emotion, but I think Dr. Panksepp's legacy is worth honoring.

Send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

Follow Dr. Campbell on Twitter @docartemis.

View Details

How many neurons does the typical human brain contain? The oft-quoted number of 100 billion turns out to have been a guess that was wrong! By a lot! Dr. Suzana Herculano-Houzel is the Brazilian neuroscientist who developed a revolutionary new technique for accurately counting the neurons in brains of all sizes. She shocked the scientific community when she determined that the average human brain contains only 86 billion neurons, but we still have more neurons in our cerebral cortex than any other species. Learn what all this means in Brain Science 133.

Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for detailed show notes and episode transcripts.

Send email to Dr. Campbell at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or leave voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis. 

View Details

Dr. William Uttal first appeared on the Brain Science Podcast back in 2012. He was a long time critic of over reliance of certain types of brain imaging, especially fMRI, in cognitive neuroscience. Sadly, he died in February 2017, so in his honor I am replaying that original interview. The points he made are just as relevant now as they were 5 years ago.

Links and References * Uttal, W. R. (2011) Mind and Brain: A Critical Appraisal of Cognitive Neuroscience. * Uttal, W. R. (2009) Neuroscience in the Courtroom: What Every Lawyer Should Know About the Mind and the Brain. * Ihnen, S. K. Z., Church, J. A.. Petersen, S. E., & Schlaggar, B.L. (2009) Lack of generalizability of sex difference in the fMRI Bold Activity associated with language processes in adults. NeuroImage, 45, 1020-1032. * Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2005). "Why Most Published Research Findings Are False". PLoS Medicine 2 (8): e124. * BSP 46: How fMRI works.

Announcements * You can now record your voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis. * Brain Science is now 100% listener supported. You can support the show via direction donations, Premium Subscription, or Patreon. * I am planning to attend this year's Society of Neuroscience Meeting, which is being held in Washington DC November 11-15, 2017. Please email at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com if you are going to be in Washington during those dates. If there is enough interest I will arrange a listener meet-up. * I am also in the early stages of planning a trip to Australia in 2018 and would love to hear from Australian listeners for ideas and advice, including leads on speaking opportunities.

Please send email feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for more episodes and transcripts.

View Details

In this episode we focus on the most recent 5 years of Brain Science, looking back at our guests and topics with a focus on the question What is Mind? Since there is no consensus about this deeply human question, I am sharing how my own thoughts have grown and evolved over 10 years of reading, talking to scientists and philosophers and creating this podcast.

Since this is part 2 of our 10 years celebration, I have also included some more listener feedback. Thanks to everyone who has sent me feedback since the show started in December 2006. You are the reason I hope to continue to create new episodes in 2017 and beyond.

For detailed show notes and episode transcripts go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Send email feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

View Details

In this episode, Dr. Ginger Campbell celebrates The Brain Science Podcast/Brain Science's 10 year anniversary. This episode focuses on the first 5 years of the podcast. Find out how the show got started and listen as Dr. Campbell shares some of her most memorable episodes. We also have some listener feedback, so join us for the celebration!

For complete show notes and episode transcripts go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com. Send Dr. Campbell feedback at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com. Post a review in iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite app store and send us a screen shot to enter the drawing of a year of free Premium Content.

View Details

In December, Brain Science (podcast) will celebrate its 10th Anniversary. I want to include listener feedback so I posted this brief call to action.

Please send your mp3 or email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

Also, if you enjoy our sponsor Audible.com, please check out Permanent Present Tense: The Unforgettable Life of the Amnesic Patient, H. M. by Suzanne Corkin.

View Details

In episode 129, Dr. Brenda Milner comes on the show to talk about her life's work and her most famous experiments. Dr. Milner was a pioneer in the field of neuropsychology and in the study of memory and other cognitive functions in humankind. She studied the effects of damage to the medial temporal lobe on memory and systematically described the deficits in the most famous patient in cognitive neuroscience, Henry Molaison, formerly known as patient H.M.She has made major contributions to the understanding of the role of the frontal lobes in memory processing, in the area of organizing information.

For complete show notes and episode transcripts go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com. Send Dr. Campbell feedback at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com. Post a review in iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite app store and send us a screen shot to enter the drawing of a year of free Premium Content.

View Details

In episode 128, Jon Mallat is here to talk about the book he co-authored, "The Ancient Origins of Consciousness: How the Brain Created Experience". The focus on this conversation is on primary consciousness, the most base form of consciousness. We differentiate between the types of consciousness and utilize and inter-disciplinary approach to the science behind how the brain creates experiences, thus attempting solving the hard problem of consciousness. Are humans the only sentient beings? Find out in this insightful discussion! For complete show notes and episode transcripts go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com. Send Dr. Campbell feedback at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com. Post a review in iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite app store and send us a screen shot to enter the drawing of a year of free Premium Content.

View Details

Brain Science (formerly the Brain Science Podcast) has been on a 6 month hiatus. This short audio provides information for both new listeners and longtime fans. I talk briefly about the background and content of the show. Then I explain how to get more out of our website at http://brainsciencepodcast.com. Finally I review all the options for supporting the show.

Feel free to send questions and feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

View Details

BSP 127 is a follow-up to BSP 122, which was an interview with Fabrizio Benedetti, author of Placebo Effects: Understanding the mechanisms in health and disease. in this new interview we discuss some of Dr. Benedetti's most recent research into placebo effects involving pain and high altitude headaches. We also discuss some of the ethical issues surrounding the use of placebos.

Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for complete show notes and episode transcripts. Send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

The next episode of the Brain Science Podcast will be published in September 2016. If you need something to listen to while you are waiting checking our website for back episodes or visit http://booksandideas.com to listen to my other podcast. Thanks for listening.

Ginger Campbell, MD March 1, 2016

View Details

Episode 126 is an interview with Andy Clark, author of Surfing Uncertainty: Prediction, Action, and the Embodied Mind. Our focus is on integrating a predictive model of the brain with the principles of embodied cognition. Clark makes these topics accessible to listeners of all backgrounds.   For complete show notes and episode transcripts go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com.   Send Dr. Campbell feedback at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.   Post a review in iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite app store and send us a screen shot to enter the drawing of a year of free Premium Content.

View Details

BSP 125 is our ninth annual review episode. I briefly review a few key ideas from each episode and then look forward to 2016. Check out the show notes at http://brainsciencepodcast.com for a list of all of this year's guests and a list of what books were featured.

The transcript for this episode is FREE.

View Details

This is a replay of the interview with Dr. Fabrizio Benedetti, author of Placebo Effects: Understanding the mechanisms in health and disease and The Patient's Brain: The neuroscience behind the doctor-patient. We talk about the neurobiology of placebos, including the fact that they produce objective changes in the brain and body.

For complete show notes and episode transcripts please go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post comments in our discussion forum on Goodreads.

Follow Dr. Campbell on Twitter where she is @docartemis.

View Details

Due to circumstances beyond my control the next full episode of the Brain Science Podcast will be delayed until mid-late September. This announcement explains why and also includes important information about BSP 121 (a revised version is available). It also explains some recent changes in the Premium Subscription. Finally the last 16 minutes shares some personal memories about my husband Dr. Dennis G Smith.

For detailed show notes please go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

View Details

BSP 118 provides an accessible introduction to neuroantomy for listeners of all backgrounds. It is an edited version of BSP 32, which was a discussion of "Beyond the Zonules of Zinn: A Fantastic Journey Through Your Brain"  by David Bainbridge.

Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for complete show notes and episode transcripts.

Send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

View Details

The Brain Science Podcast celebrated its eighth anniversary on December 5, 2014, which makes this our 8th annual review episode. Topics discussed in 2014 included brain plasticity, the interaction of cognition and emotion, sleep, consciousness, "neuromania," exercise and the brain, and mirror neurons. This episode provides a review for regular listeners and gives new listeners an idea of what's available in episodes 105-113.

Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for complete shownotes and episode transcripts.

Send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

Special Note: The transcript for this episode is FREE. It is included in the Episode Extras on our Free Mobile app or JUST CLICK HERE.

View Details

BSP 111 is an interview with Dr. John Ratey, author of "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain." This is an edited version of an interview that was first posted back in 2008 (BSP 33), but the content remains extremely relevant.

Detailed show notes and episode transcripts are available at http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Please share your feedback about this episode by sending email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or going to the Brain Science Podcast Discussion Forum at http://brainscienceforum.com.

You can also post to our fan pages on Facebook or Google+.

Click here to learn more about how to all the older episodes of the Brain Science Podcast.

View Details

This is an episode of my other podcast, Books and Ideas. It is an interview with Dr. John Ratey about his latest book "Go Wild: Free Your Body and Mind from the Afflictions of Civilization." It isn't about neuroscience per sebut I think it will interest many of you, especially if you are interested in how your lifestyle choices effect your brain and overall health.

This transcript for this episode is FREE.

Please visit http://booksandideas.com for more episodes.

The next episode of the Brain Science Podcast will be released in late July 2014.

View Details

Episode 104 of the Brain Science Podcast is our Seventh Annual Review Episode. We review the key ideas that we explored in 2013 and I explain the new Premium Subscription launching at the end of December.

Please visit brainsciencepodcast.com for complete show notes.

View Details

Episode 94 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Bejamin Bergen, author of "Louder Than Words: The New Science of How the Mind Makes Meaning."

Please visit our newly redesigned website at http://brainsciencepodcast.com for complete show notes and free episode transcripts.

Send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

View Details

This episode is a followup interview with Dr. Jaak Panksepp, pioneer of Affective Neuroscience. In a recent episode of the Brain Science Podcast we talked with Dr. Panksepp about his latest book "The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions." In this episode of Books and Ideas we talk about the implications of his research with a focus on how learning that we share basic emotional circuits with other mammals should influence how we treat the animals in our lives.

Click here for complete show notes or visit bookandideas.com.

Click here for free episode transcript.

Send email feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

The main brain website is http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

View Details

Episode 92 is the Sixth Annual Review Episode of the Brain Science Podcast. If you have been listening all year you will find this is a great way to revisit and remember some highlights and key ideas. IF you are a new listener this episode provides a nice overview of 2012, which included 10 interviews and 2 additional book reviews. Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for links to all the episodes and the free episode transcripts.

View Details

Episode 47 of Books and Ideas is being released simultaneously in the Brain Science Podcast feed. It is an interview with Terrence Deacon, PhD., author of "Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter." We talk about the ongoing quest to explain the emergence of life, mind, and purpose using the known laws of physics (with out the need for any supernatural extras).

Click here for complete show notes or visit booksandideas.com.

Click here for free episode transcript.

You can send Dr. Campbell feedback at gincampbell at mac dot com or post feed on the Books and Ideas Fan Page on Facebook.

View Details

Episode 83 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with William Uttal, PhD, author of "Mind and Brain: A Critical Appraisal of Cognitive Neuroscience." We look critically at the current role of brain imaging and why it falls short as a tool for unraveling the mystery of how mind emerges from the brain.

For detailed show notes and episode transcripts go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com/.

Send feedback to Dr. Campbell at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com. She is also @docartemis on Twitter.

View Details

In BSP 80 we look back at Year 5 of the Brain Science Podcast. We also reflect on what we have learned about brain health. This episode contains useful information for both new listeners and long-time fans.

For detailed show notes and episode transcripts go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com/.

Send feedback to Dr. Campbell at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com. She is also @docartemis on Twitter.

View Details

I am putting Episode 43 of Books and Ideas into the Brain Science Podcast feed because it should be of interest to BSP fans. This episode is an interview with Carol Tavris, PhD, co-author of . We talk about the relationship between psychology and neuroscience as well as cognitive dissonance, which is the subject of Dr. Tavris's recent book Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts.

For detailed show notes including references go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Click here for free episode transcript.

Send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

View Details

I have included Episode 25 of Books and Ideas in the feed for the Brain Science Podcast because it is a discussion of the alleged connection between vaccines and autism. In this episode I interview Dr. Paul Offit, author of "Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure." Despite overwhelming scientific evidence against a relationship between vaccines and autism, vaccine opponents continue to frighten and confuse parents. Meanwhile we are beginning to see the re-emergence of preventable and potentially life-threatening diseases among the increasing numbers of unvaccinated children.

Dr. Offit's book provides a thorough discussion of the science and politics of the controversy. I hope this interview with motivate you to read "Autism's False Prophets" and to share it with others.

Download Episode

For detailed show notes go to http:gingercampbellmd.com/.

Send email to docartemis@gmail.com.

Download Episode

View Details

Episode 52 of the Brain Science Podcast is our Second Annual Review Episode. We review the highlights of 2008 and also talk briefly about our plans for 2009. The episode is aimed at all listeners, but should be especially helpful for newer listeners because there is an extensive discussion of the other on-line resources available to listeners including our website and Discussion Forum.

Go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com for detailed show notes and links.

Send email to docartemis at gmail.com or post feedback in the Discussion Forum at http://brainscienceforum.com/.

The Brain Science Podcast is supported by listener donations via PayPal. Donations can also be mailed to:

Virginia Campbell,MD
Brain Science Podcast
9340 Helena, RD, Suite F #320
Birmingham, AL, 35244

View Details

This is a brief promo to remind you to check out my other podcast Books and Ideas. Episode 19 is an interview with Dan Ariely best-selling author of Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions.

You can find all the episodes in iTunes or by going to http://booksandideas.com/.

View Details

27 Brain Science Podcast: This episode is a brief review of the first year of the Brain Science Podcast. I review some of the major topics that we have explored including memory, consciousnesses, decision-making, body maps, and plasticity. Then we look ahead to next year.

What was your favorite episode? What was the most important or interesting thing that you learned this year from listening to the Brain Science Podcast? Share your thoughts at the Discussion Forum at http://brainscienceforum.com.

For detailed show notes including a list of all the episodes aired in the past year go to http://brainsciencepodcast.com.

Send email to gincampbell at mac dot com.

Episode length is approximately 24 minutes. There is a promo on the end for Mur Lafferty's new novel, Playing for Keeps. I want to thank Mur for inspiring me to start podcasting.