Brain Science With Ginger Campbell, Md: Neuroscience For Everyone

The neuroscience of grief and grieving is a relatively new field, but one that offers practical discoveries for people of all backgrounds. This month we talk with Mary-Frances O’Connor, author of The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How we Learn from Love and Loss. We talk about what has been learned from a variety of approaches, including both brain imaging and, surprisingly even from animal studies. We learn why it is so hard for our brains to accept the loss of a loved one and this work offers hope for helping those who struggle with prolonged or complicated grief. The incredible loss of life cause by the COVID pandemic makes this work especially timely. Links and References: The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss by Mary-Frances O'Connor Author website Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.   Please Visit Our Sponsors: TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast The Minor Podcast Announcements: Pl

In this month's episode of Brain Science I explore two big picture questions: What does it mean to claim that the Mind is "embodied?" and How does this change our understanding of our place in the world? The conversation was inspired by the book "Out of the Cave: A Natural Philosophy of Mind and Knowing" by Mark L Johnson and Donald M Tucker. This episode builds on several previous discussions of "embodied cognition" so it might be challenging to newer listeners. I have included a list of these earlier episodes below. Links and References: Out of the Cave: A Natural Philosophy of Mind and Knowing by Mark L Johnson and Donald M Tucker Embodied Cognition  (2nd. ed) by Lawrence Shapiro (BSP 73) Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson Previous episodes about Embodied Cognition BSP 25 with Rolf Pfeifer, co-author of How the Body Shapes the Way We Think BSP 36 with Arthur Glenberg BSP 73 with Lawrence Shapiro, author of Embodied Cognition BSP 89 with Evan Thompson, author of Mind in Life: Biology.

This month's episode of Brain Science is an interview with Nina Kraus, author of "Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World." Dr. Kraus has spent 30 years exploring how the brain processes sound. We explore why sound processing involves much more that just the auditory cortex as well how the sounds we experience change our brains, both for better and for worse. Links and References: Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World by Nina Kraus Nina Kraus, PhD, Northwestern University BrainVolts website Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.   Please Visit Our Sponsors: TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast Announcements: Please visit brainsciencepodcast.com and let me know what you think of the updated website. Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 554

This is our 15th annual review episode, which highlights the guests and key ideas we have shared in 2021. Interviews included return visits from Jeff Hawkins and David Eagleman. New guests including Anil Seth and Antonio Damasio, who both emphasized the importance of our bodies (not just our brains) in understanding Consciousness. Available soon: Free Transcript! Full Episode List: BS 180 Bruce Goldstein, author of The Mind: Consciousness, Prediction, and the Brain BS 181 Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, author of The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention BS 182 Iris Berent, author of The Blind Storyteller: How We Reason About Human Nature BS 183 Jeff Hawkins, author A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence BS 184 Mark Solms, author The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Origins of Consciousness BS 185 Stephen Fleming, author of Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness BS 186 Mark Humphries, author of The Spike: An Epic Journey Through the Brain in 2.1 Seconds BS 187 David Eagleman, author of Livew

This month's episode of Brain Science features David Badre, author of "On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done." He gives us an overview of recent research in the field of cognitive control, which has has actually overturned some popular assumptions about things like willpower. Our focus is on the practical implications of this research. Links and References: On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done by David Badre David Badre, PhD, Professor at Brown University Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.   Please Visit Our Sponsors: AAN: Neurology Minute Podcast Storyworth at storyworth.com/brain TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast Announcements: Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube for episode excerpts and summaries. Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available) Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes au

Neurologist and best-selling author Antonio Damasio is one of our most requested guests. This month we finally had the opportunity to talk about his newest book "Feeling & Knowing: Making Minds Conscious," which he explained is somewhat different from his previous efforts. His goal was to write something "briefer" and more accessible. Thus it is definitely a book that requires no background in neuroscience. The key theme is that feelings and emotions are foundational aspects of Consciousness. Links and References: Feeling & Knowing: Making Minds Conscious by Antonio Damasio Self Comes to Mind by Antonio Damasio (BS 90) Antonio Damasio, MD, PhD, Professor USC Twitter: @damasiousc Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.   Please Visit Our Sponsors TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast Announcements: Autographed copies of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty  by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD are now available. Email Dr. Cam

BS 188 features neuroscientist Anil Seth discussing his new book "Being You: A New Science of Consciousness." We have had many guests talk about consciousness, but Seth represents the newer generation who have actually been able to devote their careers to this fundamental question: How does the brain generate conscious experience. His perspective is both practical and illuminating. Links and References: Being You: A New Science of Consciousness by Anil Seth Making up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental World by Chris Frith (BSP 57) See also the recent Brain Science series on Consciousness: BS 160-163. AnilSeth.com Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.   Please Visit Our Sponsors: TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast HelloFresh at hellofresh.com/14ginger Announcements: Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube for episode excerpts and summaries. Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certaint

BS 187 features bestselling author and neuroscientist David Eagleman. We talk about his latest book "Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain." It is a great overview of the current science of brain plasticity appropriate for both new listeners and longtime fans.  Links and References: Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain by David Eagleman More from David Eagleman author website at https://eagleman.com Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman (interviewed in BSP 75: see extras in the mobile app) The Brain (PBS, DVD) The Brain: The Story of You by David Eagleman (companion to TV series) Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.   Please Visit Our Sponsors: Green Chef greenchef.com/ginger100 TextExpander at text expander.com/podcast NordVPN at NordVPN.com/brainscience Announcements: Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and

This month's episode features Mark Humphries, author of "The Spike: An Epic Journey Through the Brain in 2.1 Seconds." We explore how the brain uses electrical signaling in surprising ways, beginning with a look at how an action potential (aka. "the spike") is produced. Then we consider what Humphries calls "the dark neurons," which are neurons that rarely generate spikes. We explore their role and also how it relates to the brain's spontaneous activity. One of the more surprising recent discoveries in neuroscience is that most of the brain's activity does not appear to be caused by external stimuli. It is not a passive receiver of information and this has profound implications for our understanding of things like how the brain generates conscious experience. This episode is for listeners of all backgrounds. Links and References: The Spike: An Epic Journey Through the Brain in 2.1 Seconds by Mark Humphries Humphries Lab at the University of Nottingham Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal

This month's episode of Brain Science is an interview with Dr. Stephen Fleming, author of "Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness." We explore the concept of metacognition and learn that while explicit metacognition (thinking about thinking) may be unique to humans, it is built on building blocks shared with other species. We also explore what can go wrong and why it matters. Special Offer: sign up for free newsletter and get a Free Gift Links and References: Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness by Stephen M Fleming Making up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental World by Chris Frith (2007). Frith was interviewed in BSP 57 Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking by Cecilia Heyes (2018). Heyes was interviewed in BS 168. Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.   Please Visit Our Sponsors: TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast NordVPN at NordVPN.com/brainscience Announcements: Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each

In this month's episode of Brain Science, neuroscientist Mark Solms talks about his new book "The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Origins of Consciousness." Solms was inspired by the pioneering work of Jaak Panksepp who argued that the origins of consciousness can be traced to the brainstem. In his new book Solms presents the evidence for this viewpoint and explains how the work of computational neuroscientist Karl Friston has provided additional support. We consider the implications for our understanding of both human consciousness and our appreciation for the consciousness of other animals. Links and References: The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness by Mark Solms Mark Solms: University of Cape Town, South Africa Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions by Jaak Panksepp (BS 134) The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions by Jaak Panksepp and Lucy Biven (BSP 91) Solms, M; Friston, K; (2018) How and why consciousness arises: Some c

Jeff Hawkins has spent nearly twenty years on a quest to discover how the brain's cortex generates intelligence. In this episode he talks about his new book A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence, which describes some of his most recent research in a way that is accessible to readers of all backgrounds. Links and References: A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins Detailed References on Numenta website Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.   Please Visit Our Sponsors TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast Announcements: Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month. Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available) Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text bra

This month's episode of Brain Science features Iris Berent, author of "The Blind Storyteller: How We Reason About Human Nature." We explore how our deeply entrenched biases toward dualism and essentialism impact our attitudes toward neuroscience and toward problems like mental illness. Links and References: The Blind Storyteller: How We Reason About Human Nature by Iris Berent A Skeptic's Guide to the Mind: What Neuroscience Can and Cannot Tell Us About Ourselves by Robert Burton In BS 96 Dr. Burton raised similar issues to those mentioned in this episode Iris Berent at Northeastern University: publications Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts. Please Visit Our Sponsors: TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcast Green Chef at greenchef.com/90ginger: use coupon code 90ginger Announcements: Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month. Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campb

This month's episode of Brain Science features Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, one of the world's leading researchers on the neuroscience of autism. We discuss his latest book "The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention." This book reminds us that many different kinds of science can enrich our lives and our understanding of what it means to be human. Sir Baron-Cohen explores the overlap between the human ability to invent and experiment and the condition that is currently called autism. Autism is often seen as a deficit in social cognition or empathy, but Baron-Cohen shows convincingly that there is a significant overlap between autism and what he calls extreme systemizing. Because systemizing or pattern recognition drives the human ability to constantly invent new technologies, it appears to compliment social skills such as empathy.   Sir Baron-Cohen share the evidence that people tend to be stronger in one area or the other. Most importantly, he emphasizes that autism is not necessarily a disabling condi

This month's episode of Brain Science is an interview with neuroscientists E. Bruce Goldstein, author of "The Mind: Consciousness, Prediction, and the Brain." We review some key ideas about how the brain creates the Mind, the important role of unconscious processes and prediction. It is a great starter episode for new listeners and a concise review for longtime fans. Links and References: The Mind: Consciousness, Prediction, and the Brain by E. Bruce Goldstein Author website Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts. Please Visit Our Sponsors: Text Expander at textexpander.com/podcast Announcements: Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month. Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available) Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automat

It's time for our 14th Annual Review Episode! Despite the challenges of 2020, it has been an outstanding year for Brain Science: the show passed 11 million downloads and Dr. Campbell released of second edition of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty. This episode is also a great introduction for new listeners. It can be enjoyed even if you haven’t listened to the episodes being discussed. A free transcript is also available for this episode. Here is a list of this year's episodes: BS 165 (encore) Stephen L. Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde, authors of Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions BS 166 Stephen Macknik describes new a visual prosthesis BS 167 Stanislas Dehaene, author of How We Learn: Why Brains Learn Better Than Any Machine . . . for Now BS 168 Cecelia Heyes, author of Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking BS 169 (encore) R. Douglas Fields The Other Brain BS 170 Andreas Nieder, author of The Number Instinct BS 171 Matth

This month's episode of Brain Science features neuroscientist Peter Sterling sharing the key ideas for his new book What Is Health? Allostasis and the Evolution of Human Design. In recent years neuroscientists have developed a growing appreciation of the predictive functions of the brain. Sterling takes this principle to the next level by asking what this means for human health. He argues that medicine's traditional focus on homeostasis ignores the much larger role of what he calls allostasis, which is a word he actually coined many years ago to capture the idea that the brain's predictive function is critical to health. His book explores the ancient origins of both allostasis and homeostasis with an emphasis on why recent changes in the human life style contribute to the health problems of modern life. One goal of this episode is to remind listeners that understanding how the brain works may be the key to our future survival. Links and References: What Is Health? Allostasis and the Evolution of Human Design

Bernard Baars is a pioneer in the neuroscience of consciousness. He first proposed Global Workspace Theory back in 1980, which was before consciousness was considered an acceptable topic of scientific research. His approach inspired others including the current Global Neuronal Workspace Theory, which I discussed briefly in episode 160. This episode is an interview with Dr. Baars that focuses on his most recent book On Consciousness. He is joined by his colleague David Edelman. Links and References: ON CONSCIOUSNESS: Science & Subjectivity - Updated Works on Global Workspace Theory by Bernard J. Baars On Consciousness podcast: on YouTube The Ancient Origins of Consciousness: How the Brain Created Experience by Todd E. Feinberg and Jon M. Mallatt (Dr. Mallatt was interviewed in BS 128.) Consciousness and the Brain: Deciphering How the Brain Codes Our Thoughts by Stanislas Dehaene (BS 160 and BS 167) Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts. Please Visit

This is my fifth interview with molecular biologist and neuroscientist Dr. Seth Grant from The University of Edinburgh. Dr. Grant was recently recognized for his pioneering work by the  Federation of European Neuroscientists. He continues to make fundamental discoveries about the structure and function of the synapse and this month we discuss the discovery that synapse complexity and diversity is greater than expected, along with the  implications of these discoveries.  Links and References: Seth Grant: University of Edinburgh FENS EJN Award 2020 Cizeron M, Qiu Z, Koniaris B, et al. A brainwide atlas of synapses across the mouse life span. Science. 2020;369(6501):270-275. doi:10.1126/science.aba3163 Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additonal references and episode transcripts.   Please Visit Our Sponsors: GreenChef: at http://greenchef.com/ginger80 TextExpander at http://textexpander.com/podcast Announcements: Coming November 17, 2020: Webinar: "Embracing Uncertainty: How to Thrive in Unc

This extremely timely episode of Brain Science features an interview with Dr. Carol Tavris, co-author of the newly released third edition of Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts. Cognitive Dissonance was actually discovered back in 1956 and it is one of the most well-replicated phenomena in experimental psychology. It  also impacts many aspects of our lives, including politics, which is why I am grateful to have Dr. Tavris back on the podcast to help us explore this fascinating, but also disturbing topic. Links and References: Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson--- add aerio link Books and Ideas 43 with Carol Tavris Find this under episode extras in the mobile app Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts. Please Visit Our Sponsors: TextExpander at textexpander.com/podcasts Announcements: B