Posted on August 23rd, 2008 by docartemis
I have posted my schedule of appearances for Dragon*Con 2008, which is being held in Atlanta, GA, August 28- September 1. Send me an email at docartemis at gmail.com if you would like to get together during the Con. Please mark your schedule for the LIVE Brain Science Podcast Sunday at 2:30 PM and my presentation “The New Brain Science” on Monday at 2:30 PM. Click here for a detailed list of my appearances.
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Posted on August 22nd, 2008 by docartemis
Daniel Siegel, MD
In Episode 44 of the Brain Science Podcast I talk with Daniel Siegel, MD about meditation and the brain. Dr. Siegel is the author of several books including The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being. In this interview we review the scientific evidence about how mindfulness meditation changes the brain, both in terms of short term activity and in terms of long-term structural changes. The evidence is convincing that a regular mindfulness practice can be an important element of brain health.
Listen to Episode 44 of the Brain Science Podcast
Click here for detailed show notes and links
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Posted on August 9th, 2008 by docartemis
Episode 43 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Robert A Burton, MD, author of On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You’re Not, which I discussed in Episode 42. Dr. Burton tells us what inspired him to write this book and we explore some of the implications of the fact that what he calls the “feeling of knowing” comes from our unconscious, including the fact that it is not as reliable as it feels.
Listen to Episode 43 of the Brain Science Podcast
Show Notes and Links
Robert A Burton, MD
Previous Episodes of the Brain Science Podcast:
- Episode 42: Part 1 of our discussion of On Being Certain
- Episode 13: Unconscious Decisions-featuring Blink by Malcom Gladwell
- Episode 15: Interview with Read Montague about unconscious decisions
Other scientists/writers mentioned in this episode:
Other terms mentioned in the interview:
Cotard’s Syndrome: when the patient believes they do not exist or that they are dead
cognitive dissonance: a mismatch between what one believes and what the evidence supports
Listen to Episode 43 of the Brain Science Podcast
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Posted on July 29th, 2008 by docartemis
Since I am busy preparing for my upcoming presentations at Dragon*Con I have decided to postpone the next episode of the Books and Ideas Podcast until September, 2008. I have just posted a brief audio annoucement in my regular feed.
I also included a song by the Beatnik Turtle called “The Open Door,” which I intend to use as the new them music for Books and Ideas. If you have feedback on the music please send me email at docartemis at gmail.com or visit the Books and Ideas section of the Brain Science Podcast Discussion Forum.
Listen to the audio announcement
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Posted on July 25th, 2008 by docartemis
Episode 42 of the Brain Science Podcast is a discussion of On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You’re Not by Robert Burton, MD. This part 1 of a two part discussion of the unconscious origins of what Dr. Burton calls “the feeling of knowing.” In Episode 43 I will interview Dr. Burton. Today’s episode provides an overview of Dr. Burton’s key ideas.
In past episodes I have discussed the role of unconscious decision-making. On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You’re Not by Robert Burton, MD takes this topic to a new level. First, Dr. Burton discusses the evidence that the “feeling of knowing” arises from parts of our brain that we can neither access or control. Then he discusses the implications of this finding, including the fact that it challenges long-held assumptions about the possibility of purely rational thought.
Listen to Episode 42 of the Brain Science Podcast
References and Links:
On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You’re Not by Robert Burton, MD
Neisser, U., and Harsh, N. “Phantom Flashbulbs: False Recollections of Hearing the News about Challenger,” in Affect and Accuracy in Recall: Studies of “Flashbulb” Memories, Winograd, E., and Neisser, U., (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992)
The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers by Daniel L. Schacter
The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness by Antonio Damasio
Philosophy in the Flesh : The Embodied Mind and Its Challenge to Western Thought by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson
Other Scientists Mentioned in this Episode:
- Leon Festinger-proposed the theory of cognitive dissonance in 1957
- Joseph Ledoux-research with rats and the role of the amygdala in the fear response
- Michael Merzenich-showed how the auditory cortex in young rats is affected by experience
Listen to Episode 42 of the Brain Science Podcast
Subscribe via iTunes™
Subscribe in a reader or podcatcher
Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email
Donations and Subscriptions are appreciated
Send email feedback to Ginger Campbell, MD at docartemis at gmail.com
Share your comments on the Discussion Forum
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Posted on July 11th, 2008 by docartemis
Episode 41 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Alice Gaby, PhD, from the University of California-Berkeley. Dr. Gaby is a linguist who studies the role of language in cognition as well as the aboriginal languages of Australia. In this episode Dr. Gaby introduces some of the basic areas of linguistics. We also talk about why linguistics is important to understanding brain function, as well as the importance of interdisciplinary communication to advancement in both fields. Dr. Gaby’s infectious enthusiasm makes this potentially intimidating subject accessible to everyone.
Listen to Episode 41 of the Brain Science Podcast
Visit the Brain Science Podcast website for more information, including detailed show notes and links.
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Posted on June 30th, 2008 by docartemis
Eugenie Scott, the Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, was interviewed in Episode 21 of Books and Ideas. The focus of our conversation was the importance of teaching evolution in the public schools. Dr. Scott and the NCSE have worked for over 20 years to promote the teaching of evolution because it is an essential component of a modern education in the life sciences. Unfortunately, nearly 150 years after Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859) many Americans still reject this fundamental idea and much of Scott’s work is focused on trying to keep creationism and so-called Intelligent Design out of school curriculum.
Recently the NCSE launched a very valuable site called Expelled Exposed, which focuses on exposing the many inaccuracies presented in Ben Stein’s recent pro-intelligent design “documentary” Expelled. One of the things that has come out in numerous interviews is that the producers of the film mislead all the pro-evolution guests that appear in the film. We discuss this briefly near the end of the interview, but it was not the focus of our discussion. (see below for more links regarding Expelled)
Since Dr. Scott has been interviewed about Expelled and Expelled Exposed on several other podcasts, I wanted to focus our interview more on the importance of accurate science education. Also, we discussed the fact that despite the claims of right-wing fundamentalists there are many Christians and people of other faiths who accept the theory of evolution as scientifically valid. Accepting evolution does not mean one is choosing atheism. I think this is a very important distinction because while atheists are outspoken in their support of evolution they represent a small minority. I was encouraged to learn from Dr. Scott that the NCSE is working closely with religious leaders and scientists of faith to try to educate their members.
Since Books and Ideas reaches an international audience I thought that it was important that we discuss the origins of the evolution versus creationism controversy, which is unique to the United States. Scott does an excellent job of explaining how our unique religious heritage along with our locally controlled school systems combine to create a situation that most of the world find’s rather mystifying. Her book Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction also provides an excellent overview of the subject from both an historical and scientific prospective.
Finally, we talk about the importance of evolution as a basic idea in modern biology. While we didn’t dwell on this, I think we are both concerned about the implications for the future if a majority of young Americans are reaching college without a solid foundation in the principles of evolution. We also talked about why intelligent design fails to meet the basic definition of a scientific theory since it provides no testable hypotheses. Dr. Scott also provides a excellent review of the basic writings for those who want to learn more.
Listen to Dr. Scott’s Interview
Visit the Books and Ideas website for links and references.
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Posted on June 27th, 2008 by docartemis
Episode 40 of the Brain Science Podcast is a look back at the highlights from the last six months. We have talked about numerous topics including brain plasticity, mirror neurons, language, brain rhythms, and the sense of smell. We talked with 9 guests and we have also explored the practical implications of neuroscience, including the importance of sleep and exercise to brain health. This brief review episode is intended for both new listeners and long-time subscribers.
Listen to Episode 40
For detailed show notes including links to all the resources discussed in the episode
please visit the Brain Science Podcast website
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Posted on June 13th, 2008 by docartemis
Episode 39 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Dr. Michael Arbib from the University of Southern California. Dr. Arbib’s work with functional brain imaging has established the presence of mirror neurons in the human brain. In our interview we focused on the role of mirror neurons in imitation and language. In particular I questioned Dr. Arbib about the Mirror System Hypothesis (MSH) of Language Evolution that he proposed in 1998 with Giacomo Rizzolatti. We also explored how this hypothesis diverges from the universal grammar proposed by Noam Chomsky. Dr. Arbib also shared his enthusiasm for future research and we talked about the special challenges caused by the interdisciplinary nature of modern neuroscience.
Listen to the Interview
Related Episodes:
Click here for detailed show notes including links and references
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Posted on May 30th, 2008 by docartemis
Episode 38 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Jeff Hawkins, author of On Intelligence. Hawkins is well-known for founding Palm Computing and Handspring. He invented the Grafitti handwriting recognition system and helped develop the Palm Trio SmartPhone. Since he published his bestseller On Intelligence, he has devoted his work to his passion for neuroscience. His current company Numenta is developing software that models the hierarchal structure of the neocortex. In this interview we talk about the ideas in Hawkins book and how he is applying them to develop a computer model of cortical function. This is a follow-up to Episode 2, which first aired in December of 2006.
Listen to Dr. Campbell interview Jeff Hawkins.
Links and References:
Jeff Hawkins: wikipedia entry
Vernon Montcastle: pioneer who proposed that all parts of the brain’s cortex work the same way.
- Vernon Mountcastle (1978), “An Organizing Principle for Cerebral Function: The Unit Model and the Distributed System”, The Mindful Brain (Gerald M. Edelman and Vernon B. Mountcastle, eds.) Cambridge, MA: MIT Press (Please let me know if you find this paper on-line!)
- Perceptual Neuroscience: The Cerebral Cortex by Vernon B. Mountcastle. This 1998 is recommended by Jeff Hawkins, especially for those interested in the technical details of cortical function.
Redwood Institute for Theoretical Neuroscience (UC-Berkeley) founded by Jeff Hawkins
Numenta: company website includes extensive educational information about hierarchical temporal memory system (HTM). The company’s focus is practical implementation of HTM Theory.
Listen to Episode 38
Share your comments on the Discussion Forum
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