Minding the Brain: Recent Episodes
Jim Davies & Kim Hellemans
Kim interviews Dr. Jodi Pawluski about mommy brain and the mental load of motherhood. How is society failing mothers? Is it okay to take anti-depressants [...]
Dr. Kim Hellemans interviews Dr. Pete Kelly about personality disorders. What are personality disorders and what are some common symptoms? What does therapy look like for [...]
Jim talks to Dr. Doug Oman, a scientist and scholar with a special interest in spirituality and health. They discuss the practice of mantra meditation, [...]
Jim and Kim explore the role of cultural evolution in shaping human behavior and survival. What has enabled humans to dominate the globe more successfully [...]
Jim and Kim answer student questions about magic mushrooms, Chat GPT in academia, ice baths, caffeine, the impact of listening to music, self-efficacy and reducing [...]
Jim interviews Gordon Pennycook about the phenomenon of fake news. What types of misinformation tend to spread? What role will generative AI play in the [...]
Kim interviews Orsha Magyar about the emerging field of nutritional neuroscience. How can we combat nutritional pseudoscience on social media? Are there such things as [...]
Kim interviews Dr. Robert Coplan about aloneliness and the value of solitude. What are the benefits of solitude? How should we balance solitude and social [...]
Jim interviews Darren McKee, author of Uncontrollable: The Threat of Artificial Superintelligence and the Race to Save the World. What are the long-term dangers of [...]
Jim interviews Kim about the topic of eating disorders. They discuss clinical and behavioral symptoms of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and the [...]
Jim interviews Hollywood composer Joe Kraemer about the psychology of soundtracks. Joe is responsible for the music in films such as The Way of the [...]
Jim interviews Johanna Peetz about money and spending. Why does money cause so many problems in relationships? What does the research say about how best [...]
How are false memories created? Do children believe their imaginary friends really exist? Why aren’t we always mistaking our imaginings for reality? Join Jim and [...]
Are other animals conscious? Why is animal consciousness important to understand? What function does consciousness serve? Take a deep dive into the fascinating world of [...]
Kim and Jim discuss the scientific evidence surrounding multitasking. Does multitasking make you more or less efficient? When should you multitask? Is it safe to [...]
What does it feel like to have schizophrenia? What is the history of the schizophrenia diagnosis and are there effective treatments for the condition? Find [...]
In this episode of Minding the Brain, Jim and Kim explore various theories of consciousness. What are the most popular theories of consciousness? What is [...]
Some people are left handed and some people are right handed, why? Join Kim and Jim as they explore the science behind the phenomenon of [...]
Do brain training apps work? Is reading fiction a waste of time? How dangerous is artificial intelligence? Join Kim and Jim for a special Q&A [...]
Why does time seem to pass slowly when you’re a child and more quickly when you’re an adult? How does the brain measure time? What [...]
Why are goals important? Why are we successful in the pursuit of certain goals, but not others? Jim Davies interviews Marina Milyavskaya about how science [...]
Can someone get addicted to video games? Join Kim and Jim as they talk about the science of addiction as applied to video games. Featuring [...]
Do video games increase aggression? Are they addictive? Can video games make you smarter? Jim and Kim discuss the research on video games in this [...]
Why did plants evolve to be caffeinated? When did humans start using caffeine? What are the benefits of caffeine? Can caffeine be dangerous and is [...]
If the universe is teeming with life, and even a fraction of that life is intelligent, where are all the aliens? Join Jim and Kim [...]
Alcohol is, by far, the most commonly used addictive drug, but how much do you really know about it? How does alcohol interact with the [...]
Kim and Jim tell you how to hack your reward system! What is the brain’s reward system and why did it evolve? Is it possible [...]
Kim interviews Dr. Benicio Frey about the future of depression treatment. What is depression and what are the symptoms? How is depression treated? How important [...]
Jim Davies and Darren McKee talk about happiness. What is happiness? What does science say about how people can be happier? Find out the answers [...]
Jim interviews Dr. Richard E. Nisbett about Eastern and Western thinking. What are the differences between Eastern and Western thinking? How do economic differences impact [...]
Kim interviews Michael Hildebrand about the topic of pain. Does everyone experience pain the same way? Why do we experience pain? Is there such a [...]
Kim interviews Jim about the phenomenon of geniuses. Are there as many geniuses born today as there were previously? Are groundbreaking scientific discoveries still being [...]
Jim interviews Carole Hooven, Harvard evolutionary biologist and author of the new book T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us. [...]
Jim interviews Kim about the phenomenon known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Why do searches for “depression” peak in November and February? What kinds of [...]
What is free will? Can humans make conscious decisions? What does the scientific evidence tell us about the existence of free will? Find out on [...]
The idea of brain lateralization has attained a high degree of popularity in culture. People will often refer to themselves as being “right brained” or [...]
Kim interviews Jim about conspiracy theories. What makes conspiracy theories so appealing? What is the relationship between scientific literacy and the likelihood that someone will [...]
Is there a scientific explanation for the alien abduction phenomenon? Is there a link between nocturnal alien visitations and the many similar stories that have [...]
Dr. Jim Davies and Dr. Kim Hellemans interview two experts on the topic of concussions, Andree-Anne Ledoux, a Research Associate at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario [...]
Dr, Jim Davies interviews Dr. Iva Ivanova about the psychology of talking. Do different languages change the way we formulate meaning? What is syntax and how [...]
Dr. Kim Hellemans discuses neurodiversity with Tara Connolly, Patricia Berube and Kait Bowser. What is neurodiversity? Why is it important to recognize neurodiversity in higher education? How [...]
Kim and Jim discuss the science of why we do what we do. How long does it take to form a habit? How is it [...]
Some people perceive colors when they see certain words, letters or numbers, and some people experience geometric shapes as associated with certain tastes. These are [...]
Kim and Jim take a deep dive into the topic of behavioral addiction. What is behavioral addiction? Can you be addicted to food? What about [...]
Kim interviews Jim about dreams. What are dreams and why did we evolve to have them? Are dreams symbolic representations of events in our lives? [...]
Jim interviews Kim about Depression. What exactly is Depression, and how many people have it? What’s the difference between being depressed, and being diagnosed with [...]
Dr. Kim Hellemans interviews Dr. O. Pete Kelly about personality disorders. What are personality disorders and what are some common symptoms? What does therapy look like [...]
Why does stress sometimes make us choke at the most critical moment? Jim interviews cognitive scientist Sian Beilock about this phenomenon and they discuss psychological tools [...]
Kim and Jim discuss how sleep relates to the mind and the brain. Why did sleep evolve? What is the function of dreaming? How do [...]
Kim interviews Jim about imagination and imagines a future podcast all about star nosed moles. Can imagination make us miserable? Does fantasizing about future events [...]
Jim interviews Kim about the important topic of student mental health. What is the impact of substances of like alcohol and marijuana, on mental health? [...]
Jim, Kim and special guest, Florence Daviet, CPAWS’ National Forest Program Director, discuss the important topic of climate change. What is the best way to [...]
Kim and Jim help are here to help you wrap your brain around the Coronavirus. Why are people drawn to Coronavirus conspiracy theories? What is [...]
Dr. Davies interviews Gerald Cupchik about emotions. What do people misunderstand about emotions? How does emotional expression differ between cultures? Do childhood events have ramifications [...]
Kim interviews Jim about imaginary people. Why do people we meet in our dreams seem to have a mind of their own? Why do authors [...]
Kim and Jim sit down with Gareth Rurak and Matt Al-Anizy to talk about gender and the brain. What is the difference between sex and [...]
Dr. Davies interviews Dr. Hellemans about ADHD. What is the difference between ADHD and ADD? How is ADHD diagnosed? Are there risks associated with the [...]
Dr. Hellemans interviews Dr. Davies about hallucinations. What are the neural correlates of hallucinations? How many types of hallucinations are there? What is the difference [...]
Dr. Davies interviews Cheryl Harasymchuk about relationships. What types of people tend to start relationships with each-other? What makes people physically attracted to each-other? Find out [...]
Dr. Hellemans interviews psychologist Matthew Rippeyoung about trauma. What is trauma and how does it impact us? Where does trauma come from and what is [...]
Kim and Jim discuss the apparent phenomenon of morning people and night people. Is there a biological difference between “morning people” and “night people”? Why [...]
Kim and Jim interview Dr. Colleen Dell and Shannon Noonan about their work with therapy dogs. Why do dogs make such good therapy animals? Can [...]
Dr. Davies interviews Gregory Shankland about his experiences with hearing voices in his head. Gregory tells the fascinating story of how he began to hear voices, how [...]
Jim and Kim explore the science of having religious experiences, with the help of special guest Dr. Ann Taves. Why do people have religious experiences? [...]
Kim and Jim dive into the topic of social media and addiction. Can you be addicted to social media? Does using social media too much affect [...]
Kim and Jim discuss the scientific evidence surrounding multitasking. Does multitasking make you more or less efficient? When should you multitask? Is it safe to [...]
Jim and Kim are joined by special guest Audrey McFarlane to discuss the impact of alcohol on the developing brain. What are the effects of [...]
Many people think beauty is something ephemeral, subject to the arbitrary whims of individual taste and cultural trends. But philosophers have been studying beauty and [...]
People love to watch sports. The Superbowl, for example, is incredibly popular. About 111 million people, a third of everyone in the united states, watched [...]
According to the world health organization, obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than 1 billion adults overweight, and at least 300 million of [...]
Is there a scientific explanation for the alien abduction phenomenon? Is there a link between nocturnal alien visitations and the many similar stories that have [...]
This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at an event sponsored by Carleton University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The audience [...]
Jim interviews Kim on the topic of exercise. What is the impact of exercise on the brain? Can exercise be used to treat depression? The [...]
What role does estrogen play in the brain? Why do people experience PMS? Is PMS a real phenomenon? For this episode we’ve partnered with the [...]
Welcome to a special bonus episode of Minding the Brain! Follow Dr. Hellemans and Dr. Davies to the Canadian Museum of Nature as they explore [...]
Can cannabis products be used to treat epilepsy? Can ketamine be used to treat depression? For this episode we’ve partnered with the Canadian Museum of [...]
For this episode we’ve partnered with the Canadian Museum of Nature in conjuncture with their special exhibition, Brain: The Inside Story, for an in depth discussions [...]
Kim interviews Jim on the topic of social networks. Does social media make us happy? How does it compare with face-to-face interaction or a phone [...]
Jim interviews Kim on the topic of marijuana. Is marijuana addictive? Is it an effective method for reducing anxiety? What does the legalization of marijuana [...]
Kim interviews Jim about imagining the future. How does the way we imagine the future impact our lives? What is temporal discounting and how can [...]
Jim interviews Kim about the phenomenon of stress. What are the neural correlates of stress? Are there gender differences in levels of stress? What steps [...]