In part 2 of our look back at 10 years of Brain Science we consider the last 5 years from the perspective of What is Mind? This is a question that His Holiness the Dalai Llama asked several times during his historic visit to Alabama in November of 3014. (For highlights listen to BSP 113.)

Brain Science was launched, as the Brain Science Podcast, in December 2006, making it one of the longest running shows among all genres. Our overriding goal has been to explore how recent discoveries in neuroscience are unraveling the mystery of how our brains make us human. BS 130 looked back at the first 5 years and this month BS 131 concludes our retrospective.

What is mind? After talking with over 80 scientists in the last 10 years, I realize that there is no consensus about how to answer this question, but in this episode I include my personal reflections based on my years of reading and talking with scientists and philosophers about this intriguing question. 

This episode also includes listener feedback and I emphasize that listener feedback has really helped keep the show going over the years.

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• Episode Transcript [Buy for $1]

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• New episodes of the Brain Science Podcast are ALWAYS FREE. All episodes posted after January 1, 2013, are free. See the individual show notes for links to the audio files.

Links and References

• BSP 113 Highlights from the Dalai Llama's visit to Alabama

• BSP 81: Patricia Churchland on the evolution of social and moral behavior

• BSP 82: Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain by Michael S. Gazzaniga

• BSP 90: Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain by Antonio Damasio

• BSP 84: Christof Koch from the Allen Brain Institute

• BSP 89: Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind by Evan Thompson

• Norman Doidge (BSP 116 ) and Ed Taub (BSP 119 and 120) on clinical applications of brain plasticity: BSP

• BSP 106: Luis Pessoa on the Cognitive-Emotional Brain

• BSP 108: Michael Graziano on the Attention Schema Theory of Consciousness

• BSP 121: Bud Craig on the Insula and Interoception

• BS 126: Andy Clark on the brain as a prediction machine

• BS 127: Fabrizio Benedetti updates us on the neurobiology of placebos

• BS 128: Jon Mallett on the evolution of Consciousness

• Please see the episode transcript for additional links and references.

Annual review episodes (always free):

• First 5 years: BSP 27, BSP 52, BS 64, BSP 71, BSP 80

• 2012-present: BSP 92, BSP 104, BSP 114, BSP 125, BS 130