A Podcast that Explores how neuroscience is unraveling the mystery of how our brain makes us human
Brain Science is a monthly podcast Brain Science, hosted by Ginger Campbell, MD. We explore how recent discoveries in neuroscience are helping unravel the mystery of how our brain makes us human. The content is accessible to people of all backgrounds.
BSP 125 is our ninth annual review episode. We review some key ideas from each of the 10 episodes that were released in 2015, and then take a look ahead to 2016. Check out the show notes for a complete lists of this year's guests and the books we covered. The transcript for this episode is FREE.
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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.
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Understanding Pain: Exploring the Perception of Pain, by Fernando Cervero.
Life Before Death (video)
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
BSP 65: Jaak Panksepp talks about the subcortical origins of emotions
BSP 89: Evan Thompson talks about his book, Mind in Life
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).
Bruce Hood, PhD
The Self Illusion: How the Social Brain Creates Identity, by Bruce Hood, is a fascinating look at how our brains create both our experience of the world and our sense of being a single, coherent self. As the word "illusion" in the title indicates, neither is exactly what it seems. When I interviewed Dr. Hood (BSP 88), he explained that The Self Illusion is a broad introduction to this somewhat surprising idea. TheSelf Illusion was written with a general audience in mind. For those already familiar with the topic, he also puts a new emphasis on the role of development. All readers should come away with a new appreciation for the critical role social interactions play through out human life.
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Books and Ideas #34: Bruce Hood talks about his first book, SuperSense. (mp3)
BSP 29: Dr. Maryanne Wolf, author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. (mp3)
BSP 57: Dr. Chris Frith, author of Making up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental World. (mp3)
BSP 67: Thomas Metzinger, PhD, author of The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self. (mp3)
Books and Ideas #43: Dr. Carol Tavris explains the basics of cognitive dissonance. (mp3)
BSP 72: The Neuroscience of Magic. (Listen Now)
BSP 75: Dr. David Eagleman, author of Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain. (mp3)
Books and Ideas #48: Jonathan Gottschall, author of The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human. (mp3)
SuperSense: Why We Believe in the Unbelievable, by Bruce M. Hood. (Audible link)
The Self Illusion: How the Social Brain Creates Identity, by Bruce Hood (Audible link)
Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, by Roy F. Baumeister & John Tierney (Audible link)
Please see the FREE episode transcript for many additional references, including references to the scientific studies discussed in this podcast.
I will be in Philadelphia, PA October 16-21 to attend the AAFP annual meeting. Listeners who live in the area and physicians who are attended this meeting are invited to drop me an email if interested in getting together in person.
The latest episode of Books and Ideas is an interview with Jonathan Gottschall, author of The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human. This episode continues some of the same themes explored in BSP 88.
Upcoming episodes: Discussion of Self Comes to Mind, by Antonio Damasio, and interviews with Evan Thompson (Mind in Life) and Jaak Panksepp (The Archaeology of Mind).
Sign up for the Brain Science Podcast Newsletter: You will get the show notes automatically and never miss a new episode.
Don't forget to post your review of my eBook, Are Your Sure? The Unconscious Originis of Certainty, on Amazon.com, Goodreads.com or your favorite website. (Send me your Amazon receipt to get a free PDF.)
Connect with other BSP fans: BSP Facebook Fan Page, Google +, Discussion Forum on Goodreads.com.
Follow me on Twitter: @docartemis.
Send me feedback at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
In his new book, Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter, Terrence Deacon writes that his goal is to “demonstrate how a form of causality depending specifically on absent features and unrealized potential can be compatible with our best science.” (page 16). But in a recent interview (Books and Ideas #47) he also contends that his book "grew out of a dissatisfaction with the systems theory approach."
He feels strongly that "to understand the origin of end-directed phenomena, representational phenomena, or mental phenomena, you need to take one further step; you need to figure out what’s beyond self-organization that needs to be explained to account for these things." Thus, his ambitious goal is to find a place for meaning within science.
Incomplete Nature is a dense but compelling book, and the goal of this interview is to introduce listeners to the idea that life and meaning are compatible with a scientific world view.
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.
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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 the audio files.
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.
Dr. Sebastian Seung (MIT) is an ambitious young scientist; his goal is to unravel the entire wiring diagram of the human brain. Considering that it took over a decade to determine the wiring diagram for the roundworm C elegans, which has a mere 302 neurons, it is clear that scientists can't leap directly to the 80 billion neuron human brain. Even so, in his new book Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are, Seung makes a very good argument for the value of this long-term project. In Episode 85 of the Brain Science Podcast I talked with Dr. Seung both about the challenges and potential benefits of this work.
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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 the audio files.
Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are, by Sebastian Seung.
Sporns O, Tononi G, Kötter R (2005) The Human Connectome: A Structural Description of the Human Brain. PLoS Comput Biol 1(4): e42. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.0010042.
White, J. G., E. Southgate, J. N. Thomson and S. Brenner. (1986) The Structure of the Nervous System of the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences, 314 (1165) 1-340. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1986.0056.
EyeWire.org: where you can help unravel the wiring diagram of the human retina.
Send me feedback at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.
Christof Koch, PhD
he scientific study of consciousness was once viewed with skepticism, but this has changed dramatically in recent years. According to pioneering neuroscientist, Christof Koch, "the great thing is we’re not condemned to just sort of philosophical speculation, but we can make some predictions, and then go out and measure them. And those are the things I talk about in this book, Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist." In Brain Science Podcast #84, Koch reflects on the progress that has been made since I interviewed him back in 2007 (BSP 22), and he also talks about the latest initiatives at the Allen Institute for Brain Research, where he as recently become the chief science officer.
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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 the audio files.
Consciousness: Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist, by Christof Koch.
The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach, by Christof Koch.
BSP 22: Interview with Christof Koch.
BSP 61: Interview with Allan Jones of the Allen Institute for Brain Research.
Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain, by Michael S. Gazzaniga.
BSP 82: Discussion of Who's in Charge?
Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter, by Terrence W. Deacon.
Tononi, G. An Information Integration Theory of Consciousness. BMC Neuroscience 2004, 5:42.
Complete the Brain Science Podcast Audience Survey for a chance to win a free book.
Next month's podcast will be an interview with Sebastian Seung, author of Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are.
The Brain Science Podcast is supported by listener Donations.
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I would love to hear from you. You can send me email at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.
In his latest book, Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain, respected neuroscientist, Michael S. Gazzaniga, explores how the discoveries of neuroscience impact how we see ourselves as human beings. After providing a brief review of 20th century neuroscience, and even some of the work from the past decade, Dr. Gazzaniga concludes that nothing neuroscience has discovered changes the fact that "we are personally responsible agents and are to be held accountable for our actions."
Gazzaniga's position contrasts with those who think that recent discoveries show that the brain creates the mind in solely "upwardly causal" way, and who argue that since much of what our brain does is outside our conscious awareness or control, we should not be held responsible for our actions. Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain presents what I think is a convincing argument against this common position.
In the latest episode of the Brain Science Podcast (BSP 82) I present a detailed discussion of Dr. Gazzaniga's book.
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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 the audio files.
Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain, by Michael S. Gazzaniga.
The Ethical Brain: The Science of Our Moral Dilemmas, by Michael S. Gazzaniga.
A Different Universe: Reinventing Physics from the Bottom Down, by Robert B. Laughlin (2006).
Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter, by Terrence W. Deacon.
Anderson, P. W., (1972). "More is different." Science, 177(20470, 393-396.
See the free episode transcript for additional references.
Links to episodes of the Brain Science Podcast that are mentioned in BSP 82.
BSP 81: Interview with Patricia Churchland about the brain and morality.
BSP 53: Discussion of Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?: Philosophical and Neurobiological Perspectives on Moral Responsibility and Free Will by Nancey Murphy, Warren S. Brown. (Also BSP 62)
BSP 35: Discussion of Mirror Neurons.
BSP 66: For more on scrub jays.
BSP 3: Memory and the use of animal models.
BSP 38: Interview with Jeff Hawkins.
BSP 47: Brain Evolution.
BSP 74: "Small world architecture" in brain networks (Olaf Sporns).
BSP 75: Interview with David Eagleman (arguments for legal reform).
BSP 76: "Choking" with Dr. Sian Beilock.
BSP 56: Interview with Eve Marder (implications of muliple realizability in neuronal circuits).
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Next month's episode will be an interview with Bill Uttal, author of Mind and Brain: A Critical Appraisal of Cognitive Neuroscience
This podcast is supported by listener donations. Thank you!
Send feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.
Patricia Churchland (photo by Nines Minquez)
BSP 81 marks the return of philosopher Patricia Churchland, who I first interviewed back in Episode 55. Our recent conversation focuses on her latest book, Braintrust: What Neuroscience Tells Us about Morality. We discuss the historical background and contrast Churchland's approach to that of Sam Harris in The Moral Landscape. Then Professor Churchland discusses how recent discoveries in neuroscience are shedding light on the evolutionary origins of morality.
It's a fascinating conversation that you won't want to miss.
I launched the Brain Science Podcast in December 2006, so to celebrate I am posting my Fifth Annual Review Episode (BSP 80). This podcast includes a review of the highlights from this year's episodes along with my reflections on what we have learned about brain health over the last few years. I also take a look ahead to 2012 when I hope to continue to produce a Brain Science Podcast every month.
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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 the audio files.
BSP 72: Stephen L. Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde, authors of Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions.
Extra: Books and Ideas with Dr. Paul Offit, author of Deadly Choices: How The Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All.
BSP 73: Lawrence Shapiro, author of Embodied Cognition.
BSP 74: Olaf Sporns, author of Networks of the Brain.
BSP 75: David Eagleman, author of Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain.
BSP 76: Sian Beilock, author of Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To.
BSP 77: Fabrizio Benedetti, author of Placebo Effects and The Patient's Brain
Extra: Books and Ideas with Carol Tavris, co-author of Mistakes were Made (But Not By Me).
BSP 78: Review of Beyond Boundaries: The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines---and How It Will Change Our Lives by Miguel Nicolelis.
BSP 79: Interview with Miguel Nicolelis.
Check out the new BSP page on Google+
We also have a BSP Fan Page on Facebook and a Discussion Forum at Goodreads.com.
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Read episode transcripts on your iPhone, Ipad, or Android device with the BSP app.
Your iTunes reviews are greatly appreciated.
See the episode transcript for additional links and more information about 2012.
In his book Beyond Boundaries: The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines---and How It Will Change Our Lives neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis puts his recent work with brain machine interfaces into historical context and explains why this work should change the way we understand how brains work.
Nicolelis challenges several long-standing assumptions including the primacy of the single neuron and strict localization, which is the idea that each area of the brain has a relatively fixed function.
Episode 78 of the Brain Science Podcast is a brief discussion of the key ideas presented in Beyond Boundaries, including a look at the implications of experiments such as the wide publicized work that culminated in demonstrating that a monkey in Nicolelis' lab at Duke (North Carolina, USA) could control a robot arm in Japan using only its brain.
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.
Beyond Boundaries: The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines---and How It Will Change Our Lives by Miguel Nicolelis (2011).
In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind by Eric R. Kandel (2006).
Nicolelis, Miguel A.L., Rick C. S. Lin, et al. "Peripheral block of ascending cutaneous information induces immediate spatiotemporal changes in thalamic networks.: Nature 361 (1993): 533-536. (Abstract)
Nicolelis, Miguel A.L, and John K. Chapin. "Controlling robots with the Mind." Scientific American 287, no. 4 (2002) 24-31.
BSP 3: a discussion of In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind by Eric Kandel.
BSP 21: introduction to Body Maps
BSP 23: interview with Sandra Blakeslee author of The Body Has a Mind of Its Own: How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You Do (Almost) Everything Better.
BSP 74: interview with Olaf Sporns, author of Networks of the Brain.
I hope to interview Miguel Nicolelis for a future episode of the Brain Science Podcast. If you would like to ask him a question please post it in the thread I have started on our GoodReads page.
I will be attending ScienceOnline 2012. If you want to come be sure to sign up NOW.
The Brain Science Podcast is supported by donations from listeners like you.
David Eagleman, PhD
In his new book, Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain, neuroscientist, David Eagleman, describes consciousness as "the smallest player in the operations of the brain" (page 5) because most of what the brain does is outside conscious awareness (and control). In a recent interview (BSP 75), Dr. Eagleman reviews some of the evidence for this startling position, as well as the implications both for the average person and for social policy.
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.
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain, by David Eagleman.
Eagleman, D. "The Brain on Trial," the Atlantic Monthy; July/Aug 2011 ONLINE.
BSP 13: Our first discussion of unconscious decisions.
BSP 15: Interview with Read Montague, PhD, author of Why Choose This Book?: How We Make Decisions.
BSP 19: Review of Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious, by Gerd Gigerenzer.
BSP 42: Review of On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not, by Robert Burton.
BSP 43: Interview with Robert Burton, MD.
Send me feedback at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Networks of the Brain by Olaf Sporns is an excellent comprehensive introduction to the use of Network Theory to study both the brain and the nervous systems of invertebrates.
In Episode 74 of the Brain Science Podcast, I interviewed Dr. Sporns (Indiana University) about some of the key ideas in his book. Network Theory is becoming increasingly important as a tool for dealing with the massive amounts of data being generated by current techniques, such as brain imaging. It is also a valuable tool for dealing with the fact that nervous systems consist of multiple scales (from the molecular level up to billions of neurons), which can not be reduced to a single scale.
While Networks of the Brain will be of greatest interest to those working in neuroscience and to those with a background in fields like engineering, mathematics, and computer science, this interview provides an introduction for listeners of all backgrounds.
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.
Olaf Sporns, PhD (Indiana University): website, email: osporns at indiana.edu.
Networks of the Brain, by Olaf Sporns (MIT Press, 2011).
Rhythms of the Brain, by György Buzsáki.
Watts, DJ, Strogatz SH. "Collective Dynamics of 'small-world' networks." Nature 393: 440-442 (1998).
Fodor, JA. The Modularity of the Mind. (1983).
BSP 31: Interview with György Buzsáki, author of Rhythms of the Brain.
BSP 46: Discussion of Brain Imaging, including Diffusion Imaging.
BSP 56: Interview with Dr. Eve Marder about the use of circuit theory in neuroscience.
BSP 61: Mapping the Brain (and generating huge amounts of data).
The Brain Science Podcast will be returning to a monthly schedule on July 1, 2011.
Please join the new Brain Science Podcast Discussion Forum at GoodReads.com.
Dr. Campbell gave a talk in London last month entitled "Why Neuroscience Matters." (Available here.)
Dr. Campbell will be a speaker at The Amazing Meeting 9, July 14-17,2011 in Las Vegas, NV.
Don't forget to check out the Books and Ideas podcast and SCIENCEPODCASTERS.ORG.
The Brain Science Podcast app is available for iPhone, Android, and iPad. If you have purchased the iPhone version, it will now work on your iPad (no additional purchase needed). The iPad is the perfect device for reading episode transcripts, especially if you want to read along as you listen.
Send Dr. Campbell email at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.
Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde
Neuroscientists Dr. Stephen Macknik and Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde have an unusual hobby: Magic! Actually, it is more than a hobby since for the last several years they have been working with leading magicians from around the world to create a new field: the neuroscience of magic. In Episode 72 of the Brain Science Podcast, I talked with them about their new book Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions, which is the first book to explore the neuroscience of magic.
With the help of their co-author Sandra Blakeslee, Macknik and Martinez-Conde provide an excellent overview of this new and exciting field. Their book also provides an excellent review of many of the principles that I have introduced in the last 4 years.
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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 the audio files.
Stephen Macknik, PhD: Director, Director, Laboratory of Behavioral Neurophysiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona.
Susan Martinez-Conde: Director, Laboratory of Visual Science, Barrow Neurological Institute.
Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions, by Stephen L. Macknik, Susana Martinez-Conde, Sandra Blakeslee.
http://sleightsofmind.com: for videos and links to their Scientific American articles.
David Hubel: Nobel Prize for vision research.
Margaret Livington (Harvard).
Zachary Mainen (Cold Springs Harbor, NY).
Daniel Simons (University of Illinois): change blindness.
Derren Brown (London): memory fallibility.
Jose-Manual Alonso (SUNY): neural basis of visual attention.
James Randi: famous proponent of skeptical thinking.
Juan Tamariz: This Spanish magician is an important magic theorist.
Penn and Teller: Go to http://sleightsofmind.com to see a video of the balls and cup illusion discussed in BSP 72..
I will be giving a live talk at the London Skeptics in the Pub on May 11, 2011. Stay tuned for more details or visit http://london.skepticsinthepub.org/.
The Brain Science Podcast Discussion Forum is moving to Goodreads.com. Click here to visit our new group.
Send me feedback at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.
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.
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
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).
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.
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.
BSP 70 is an interview with Dr. Scott Lilienfeld, co-author of 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions about Human Behavior. This episode was recorded live at Dragon*Con 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. We focused our conversation on the fact that scientific reasoning and critical thinking do NOT come naturally; instead, we all tend to make similar errors, such as mistaking correlation for causation. Dr. Lilienfeld shared his experiences, and an extensive question and answer session with the live audience allowed him to explore additional examples.
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.
Twitter: @docartemis
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast
Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
Recent research has discovered that glial cells (the non-neuronal cells that make up about 85% of the cells in the human nervous system) actually do more than just support neurons. In Episode 69 of the Brain Science Podcast, I explore some of these recent discoveries with pioneering researcher, R. Douglas Fields, PhD. Dr. Fields is the author of The Other Brain: From Dementia to Schizophrenia, How New Discoveries about the Brain Are Revolutionizing Medicine and Science. The Other Brain provides a compelling introduction to this exciting new field. It is aimed at general readers, but it should also be on the must-read list for all students of neuroscience.
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.
The Other Brain: From Dementia to Schizophrenia, How New Discoveries about the Brain Are Revolutionizing Medicine and Science, by R. Douglas Fields (2010).
Glial Neurobiology: A Textbook, by Alexei Verkhratsky and Arthur Butt (2007).
Bullock, T. H., Bennett, M. V., Johnston, D., Josephson, R., Marder, E., Fields, R. D. "Neuroscience. The neuron doctrine, redux." Science 310. 5749 (2005): 791-3.
Perspectives.
Bullock, T. H. (2004) The Natural History of Neuroglia: an agenda for comparative studies. Neuron Glial Biology 1:97-100.
Fields, R. D. (2006) Beyond the Neuron Doctrine. Scientific American Mind June/July 17:20-27.
The Other Brain website.
R. Douglas Fields: Chief and Senior Researcher of the Section on Nervous System Development and Plasticity at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which is part of NIH.
Dr. Ichiji Tasaki; worked at NIH for over 50 years and was a pioneering researcher of nerve conduction. (See the episode transcript for links to the other researchers that were mentioned in this episode.)
The Brain Science Podcast application for iPhone/Touch now contains transcripts for all episodes. Your reviews are greatly appreciated.
The next new episode of the Brain Science Podcast will come out in September, 2010.
Be sure to check out my other podcast Books and Ideas.
For more science podcasts go to http://sciencepodcasters.org.
Stay informed by subscribing to the BSP Newsletter.
Correction: Barbara Strauch is the author of The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain: The Surprising Talents of the Middle-Aged Mind. (Note the correct spelling of STRAUCH)
Send me feedback at brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.
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