Brain Science Podcast Celebrates 8 Years of Neuroscience

Ginger CampbeLL, host of the Brain Science Podcast (L>R: Greta, Rusty, & Jake)

The first episode of the Brain Science Podcast appeared on December 5, 2006, which makes it one of the longest running shows in any genre, not just science or medicine. I am especially proud of the fact that we have reached listeners in 219 different countries. BSP 114 is our 8th annual review episode and as a part of our year-end celebration all previous annual review episodes have been added to the FREE feed that also includes our most recent 25 episodes.

The goal of our annual review episode is to highlight some of the key ideas that we have explored during the last years. For 2014 this included discussions of brain plasticity with Dr. Michael Merzenich, the integration of cognition and emotion with Dr. Luis Pessoa, the science of sleep with Dr. Penny Lewis, the hazards of neuromania, consciousness with Dr. Michael Graziano, exercise and the brain with Dr. John Ratey, neurobiology with Dr. Frank Amthor, and mirror neurons with Dr. Greg Hickok. We ended the year with highlights from the event "Neuroplasticity and Healing," which featured the Dalai Lama and three previous Brain Science Podcast guests.

How to get this episode:

• FREE: audio mp3 (click to stream, right click to download)

• Download FREE Episode Transcript

• Premium Subscribers have unlimited access to all old episodes and transcripts.

• 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 the audio files.

2014 Episodes:

• BSP 105: interview with Michael Merzenich, author of Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life

• BSP 106: interview with Luiz Pessoa, author of The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration

• BSP 107: interview with Penelope Lewis, author of The Secret World of Sleep: The Surprising Science of the Mind at Rest

• BSP 108: interview with Michael Graziano, author of Consciousness and the Social Brain

• BSP 109: Avoiding Neuromania (see original show notes for references)

• BSP 110: interview with Frank Amthor, author of Neurobiology For Dummies

• BSP 111: interview with John Ratey, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

• BSP 112: interview with Greg Hickok, author of The Myth of Mirror Neurons: The Real Neuroscience of Communication and Cognition

• BSP 113: Highlights from "Neuroplasticity and Healing," featuring the Dalai Lama

• Announcements:

• Upcoming episodes of the Brain Science Podcast will feature Evan Thompson, Norman Doidge, and Edward Taub.

• All Annual Review Episodes of the Brain Science Podcast are now free. Check the episode listing in your podcasting app to find the ones you may have missed.

• The most recent 25 episodes of the Brain Science Podcast are always FREE. Older episodes and episode transcripts are available for $1 each. Premium subscribers have unlimited access to all 100+ episodes and transcripts.

• Reminder: The Brain Science Podcast mobile app is now FREE for iOS, Android and Windows Mobile.  Check newer episodes for extra free content!

• Don't forget to check out my other podcast Books and Ideas.

• 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+. I am looking for help with these community pages so please email me at brainsciencepodcast.com if you are interested.

"The Cognitive-Emotional Brain" (BSP 106)

Luiz Pessoa of the University of Maryland

In The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration neuroscientist Luiz Pessoa argues that emotion and cognition are deeply intertwined throughout many levels of the brain. In a recent interview (BSP 106) Pessoa and I focused on recent discoveries about the amygdala and Thalamus that challenge traditional assumptions about what these structures do. The amygdala processes more than fear (and other negative stimuli) and the Thalamus is more than  a mere relay station.

This a fairly technical discussion but Pessoa did a good job of making the material accessible to all listeners. The reason I think these concepts matter is that not only do they challenge overly simplistic notions of how the brain works, but they also challenge our tendency to see emotion and cognition as separate and often opposing processes.

How to get this episode:

• Buy Audio MP3 for $2.

• Buy Episode Transcript for $1.

• Premium Subscribers now have unlimited access to all old episodes and transcripts.

• New episodes of the Brain Science Podcast are always FREE. The 50 most recent episodes are also free. Just subscribe in your favorite podcasting app.

References and Additional Reading

• The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration by Luiz Pessoa

• Pessoa L, Adolphs R. (2010) "Emotion processing and the amygdala: from a 'low road' to 'many roads' of evaluating biological significance.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(11):773-83. doi: 10.1038/nrn2920.

• Networks of the Brain by Olaf Sporns

• In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind by Eric R. Kandel (BSP 3)

• Beyond Boundaries: The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines---and How It Will Change Our Lives by Miguel Nicolelis (BSP 79)

• Visit Dr. Pessoa's lab at emotioncognition.org to learn more.

Related Episodes

• BSP 11: Emotion

• BSP 32: a brief introduction to Neuroanatomy

• BSP 65 and BSP 91 are interviews with Jaak Panksepp about the subcortical origins of emotion

• I spoke with Olaf Sporns about the Human Connectome and the use of Network Theory in BSP 74 and BSP 103.

• BSP 90: a discussion of Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain by Antonio Damasio.

Announcements

• Please check out my other podcast Books and Ideas. I will be posting a new episode by the end of February.

• Visit the Brain Science Podcast Group on Goodreads to learn what books are coming and to post comments about this or any other episode.

• If you have signed up for our new Premium Subscription you can get your Premium content via your web browser or via the BSP Mobile app. Unfortunately other podcasting apps like Downcast and Stitcher can not play premium content, but they will continue to get New episodes. Click here for short cut to Premium Login.

• Sign up for our Free Newsletter to get show notes like these automatically every month.

Pain is a Complex Emotional and Sensory Experience (BSP 93)

Dr. Fernando Cervero of McGill University has been studying pain since the beginning of his career back in the 1960s.  These decades have seen tremendous advances in our neuroscientific understanding of what causes different types of pain, as well as changing attitudes.  Pain was once regarded as something that most people had to endure, but now most of us demand adequate pain relief, sometimes even to the point of not tolerating minor pain.  Dr. Cevero's new book, Understanding Pain, provides an accessible account of both the history of pain research and a thoughtful consideration of the challenges facing the field.

The latest episode of the Brain Science Podcast  (BSP 93) is an interview with Dr. Cervero.  This is Part 1 of a planned two-part series.

How to get this episode:

• Buy Audio mp3 for $2.

• Buy Transcript for $2.

• Premium Subscribers now have unlimited access to all old episodes and transcripts.

• 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 the audio files.

Listen in your Favorite Audio app: Audible, Amazon music, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube and many more.

References:

• Understanding Pain: Exploring the Perception of Pain, by Fernando Cervero.

• International Association for the Study of Pain.

• Life Before Death (video)

Meet Dr. Campbell in Person:

• Downtown Atlanta, Georgia February 19-21, 2013.

• South by SouthWest: March 7-10, 2013 (Austin, TX, USA).

• Johannesburg, South Africa April 8,9 2013.

I would love to some listener meetups, so please drop me an email at gincampbell at mac dot com, if you will be at any of these places on the right days.

Other Announcements:

• Needed: at least 250 listeners to complete a VERY SHORT listener survey.

• New: Brain Science Podcast listener campaign to get Dr. Campbell on Triangulation, which is an interview show on Leo Laporte's TWiT network: click here for contact information or send an email to pitches@twit.tv with BRAIN SCIENCE PODCAST in the subject line.

• Next month's episode will be an interview with Benjamin Bergen, author of Louder Than Words: The New Science of How the Mind Makes Meaning; and I will be posting my follow-up interview with Jaak Panksepp on Books and Ideas.

• Part 2 about Pain will be available in March.

Reminders:

• Don't forget to get your copy of my eBook, Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty, from Amazon.com. If you don't have the Kindle app, just send me your Amazon receipt and I will send you the PDF.

• The Brain Science Podcast is supported by listener donations. It also relies on your word of mouth, so don't forget to share it with others.

• Join the Brain Science Podcast Fan Page on Facebook, Google+, and share your thoughts in our Discussion Forum on Goodreads. Of course, you can also send me email at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

• To get show notes automatically and never miss an episode of the Brain Science Podcast, sign up for the BSP Newsletter.

The Origin of Emotions with Jaak Panksepp (BSP 91)

Dr. Jaak Panksepp

In his new book, The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions, Jaak Panksepp set out to make his life's work more accessible to a general audience.  To be honest, reading this book requires a significant commitment, but I think he does a wonderful job of updating his classic textbook, Affective Neuroscience.  Anyone who is interested in this field will definitely want this book as a reference.

The other strength of Archeology of Mind is its evolutionary approach.  The primary emotional processes that Panksepp has spent his career studying have their origins in the ancient parts of the brain that are shared by all mammals.  This contradicts longstanding assumptions in neuroscience, but it has important implications for both humans and other animals.

In Episode 91 of the Brain Science Podcast, Dr. Panksepp and I talked about some of the new information contained in Archaeology of Mind, with a particular focus on FEAR, which, contrary to what many researchers claim, does NOT begin in the amygdala, but begins much lower.  We do talk briefly about the experimental evidence, but this was covered in more detail during Dr. Panksepp's previous appearance on the Brain Science Podcast in BSP 65.

How to get this episode:

• Buy mp3 for $1.

• Buy Transcript for $1.

• Premium Subscribers now have unlimited access to all old episodes and transcripts.

• New episodes of the Brain Science Podcast are always FREE. All episodes posted after January 1, 2013 are FREE. Please see individual show notes for links to audio files and transcripts.

Listen in your Favorite Audio app: Audible, Amazon music, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube and many more.

References:

• The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions, by Jaak Panksepp and Lucy Biven.

• Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions, by Jaak Panksepp.

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

Related Episodes:

• BSP 32: An introduction to brain anatomy.

• BSP 47: A review of brain evolution.

• BSP 65: Previous interview with Jaak Panksepp (click here for Premium version).

• BSP 89: Interview with Evan Thompson, author of Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind.

• BSP 90: Review of Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain, by Antonio Damasio.

Announcements:

The earliest episodes of the Brain Science Podcast  are now disappearing from iTunes but they remain freely available here.  They are also available within the Brain Science Podcast  app for mobile devices.  By the way, the mobile app has been updated, and I need users to post new reviews.

Don't forget to get your copy of my eBook, Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty, from Amazon.com.  You can also buy the PDF version HERE.

The Brain Science Podcast is supported by listener Donations.  It also relies on your word of mouth, so don't forget to share it with others.

Next month's Brain Science Podcast  will be our annual review episode. Meanwhile don't forget to check out my other podcast, Books and Ideas.  The most recent episode is an interview with Emily Reese from Minnesota Classical Radio.

Join the Brain Science Podcast Fan Page on Facebook, Google+, and share your thoughts in our Discussion Forum on Goodreads.  Of course, you can also send me email at gincampbell at mac dot com.

To get show notes automatically and never miss an episode of the Brain Science Podcast sign up for the BSP Newsletter.

Review of "Self Comes to Mind" by Antonio Damasio (BSP 90)

Episode 90 of the Brain Science Podcast is a discussion of Self Comes To Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain, by Antonio Damasio. Damasio's book focuses on the answer to two key questions: How does the brain generate the Mind? and, How does the Brain generate Consciousness? His approach is unusual because many scientists and writers treat the Mind and Consciousness as identical. In contrast, Damasio argues that Mind precedes Consciousness. Listen to this podcast to learn how the Mind becomes Conscious.

How to get this episode:

• Buy audio mp3 for $1.

• Buy Transcript for $1.

• Premium Subscribers now have unlimited access to all old episodes and transcripts.

• 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 the audio files.

Listen in your Favorite Audio app: Audible, Amazon music, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube and many more.

References:

• Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain, by Antonio Damasio.

• The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness, by Antonio Damasio.

• Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions, by Jaak Panksepp.

• The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions, by Jaak Panksepp and Lucy Biven.

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

• Psychology (10th Edition) by Carole Wade and Carol Tavris.

• I of the Vortex: From Neurons to Self, by Rodolfo R. Llinas.

• For more references see the episode transcript.

Related Episodes of the Brain Science Podcast: 

• BSP 21 and BSP 23 How the Brain Creates Maps of the Body

• BSP 65: Jaak Panksepp talks about the subcortical origins of emotions

• BSP 89: Evan Thompson talks about his book, Mind in Life

Announcements:

• Next month's Brain Science Podcast will be a return interview with Jaak Panksepp to talk about his new book, The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions.

• Please check out my other podcast, Books and Ideas.

• The earliest episodes of the Brain Science Podcast are no longer available from iTunes but you can get them here or by buying the Brain Science Podcast app, which is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

• Get my eBook, Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty, from Amazon.com for only $3.99.

• Social Websites for the Brain Science Podcast: Discussion Forum on Goodreads, Facebook Fan Page, Google+ page.

• Don't forget to get some high quality Brain Science Podcast Logo gear from Printfection.

• Sign up for the Brain Science Podcast Newsletter so you never miss a new episode.

Send me feedback at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter (@docartemis).

Disgust with Rachel Herz (BSP 86)

Disgust is an universal emotion, but unlike emotions like fear and anger, disgust must be learned.  This is the main conclusion of Dr. Rachel Herz's latest book, That's Disgusting: Unraveling the Mysteries of Repulsion.  In a recent interview (BSP 86), Dr. Herz told me why she spent the last several years studying this rather unusual subject.  We also discussed what the study of disgust can tell us about how our brains process emotion.

This is Dr. Herz's second visit to the Brain Science Podcast.  Back in BSP 34 we talked about her first book, The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell.

How to get this episode:

• Buy mp3 for $1.

• Buy Transcript for $1.

• Premium Subscribers now have unlimited access to all old episodes and transcripts.

• 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 the audio files.

Announcements:

• The episode transcript contains additional links and references.

• My new eBook, Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty, is now available at Amazon.com.  If you want the PDF version, just send me a copy of your Amazon receipt and I will send you the PDF for no additional cost.

• Please post reviews of Are You Sure? on Amazon, Goodreads, or on your blog.

"Why Neuroscience Matters"

On May 11, 2011 I gave a talk entitled "Why Neuroscience Matters" at the London Skeptics in the Pub.  Episode 42 of Books and Ideas is an edited version of that talk, including the lively Q and A with the audience.

References

• Bayes, A., Grant, S., et al. "Characterization of the proteome, diseases and evolution of the human postsynaptic density." Nature Neuroscience 14, 19–21 (2011) (Published online 12/23/2010).

• Libet, B. "Do We Have Free Will?"Journal of Consciousness Studies, 6. No. 8-9, 1999, pp. 47-57.

• On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not (2008), by Robert Burton; p 127.

• Philosophy in the Flesh : The Embodied Mind and Its Challenge to Western Thought (1999), by George Lakoff, Mark Johnson; p 4.

• Brain Waves Module 2: Report on Education and Neuroscience from the Royal Society (2011). 

From the Brain Science Podcast

• BSP 25: Rolf Pfeifer, PhD, author of How the Body Shapes the Mind.

• BSP 26: Norman Doidge, MD, author of The Brain That Changes Itself.

• BSP 42:On Being Certain; and BSP 43: Interview with Robert Burton, MD

• BSP 51: Evolution of the Synapse, with Seth Grant, PhD.

• BSP 59: Use of C. elegans in Neuroscience, with Guy Caldwell, PhD.

• BSP 65: Subcortical Origins of Basic Emotions, with Jaak Panksepp, PhD.

Announcements:

• Dr. Campbell will be a speaker at The Amazing Meeting 9, which is coming up in Las Vegas, Nevada July 14-17.

Please send your feedback to Dr. Campbell at gincampbell at mac dot com, or post a comment on the Facebook Fan Page.

Don't forget to sign up for Ginger Campbell's Newsletter so you can get show notes for every podcast.

Celebrating 4 Years of the Brain Science Podcast (BSP 71)

The latest episode of the Brain Science Podcast (BSP 71) is our 4th annual review episode.  As usual, I review highlights from this year's interviews, but this year I added a new feature: my personal reflections on how the Brain Science Podcast has impacted my life.  This episode also contains a special announcement for UK listeners.

How to get this episode:

• Buy mp3 for $1.

• Buy Transcript for $1.

• Premium Subscribers have unlimited access to ALL old episodes and transcripts, as well as extra content for selected episodes. All content is available browser or the free Brain Science mobile app.

• Patreon supporters have access to new transcripts ($3+/month) and ad-free audio files ($10+/month). You can also access your bonus content via the free Patreon mobile app.

  New episodes of Brain Science are ALWAYS FREE and remain FREE for approximately 6 years. See the individual show notes for more information

Listen in your Favorite Audio app: Audible, Amazon music, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube and many more.

Major Topics from Season 4:

• Emotions with Jaak Panksepp (BSP 65).

• Memory with Randy Gallistel (BSP 66).

• Consciousness with Thomas Metzinger (BSP 67).

• Alzheimer's Disease with Peter Whitehouse (BSP 68 and Books and Ideas 36).

• Glia Cells with R. Douglas Fields (BSP 69).

• Pop Psychology Myths with Scott Lilienfeld (BSP 70).

References:

• Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions, by Jaak Panksepp (BSP 65).

• Memory and the Computational Brain: Why Cognitive Science will Transform Neuroscience, by C. R. Gallistel, Adam Philip King (BSP 66).

• The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self,by Thomas Metzinger (BSP 67)

• The Myth of Alzheimer's: What You Aren't Being Told About Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosis, by Peter J. Whitehouse and Daniel George (BSP 68 and Books and Ideas 36).

• The Other Brain: From Dementia to Schizophrenia, How New Discoveries about the Brain Are Revolutionizing Medicine and Science, by R. Douglas Fields (BSP 69).

• 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions about Human Behavior, by Scott O. Lilienfeld, Steven Jay Lynn, John Ruscio, Barry L. Beyerstein (BSP 70).

• For additional references: follow links to episode show notes.

Announcements:

• The Brain Science Podcast app is now available for both iPhone and ANDROID (NEW!)

• Be sure to subscribe to my Books and Ideas podcast. The next episode will come out in December.

• The next episode of the Brain Science Podcast will come out in January 2010. 

Send me feedback at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.