BS 169 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.

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Links and References:

• R Douglas Fields: author website

• 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 for additional links and references.

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