BSP Show Notes - Brain Science Podcast

Robert Burton's "Skeptic's Guide to the Mind" (BSP 96)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:32:43 +0000

Robert Burton, MD

In On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not Robert Burton showed that the feeling of certainty, which is something we all experience, has its origin in brain processes that are both unconscious and inaccessible to consciousness. Now in his new book A Skeptic's Guide to the Mind: What Neuroscience Can and Cannot Tell Us About Ourselves he extends these ideas to other mental sensations such as our feeling of agency and our sense of causation. The idea that much of what our brain does is not accessible to our conscious awareness is NOT new, but Dr. Burton considers the implications for our understanding of the MIND.

When we talked recently (BSP 96) Dr. Burton explained that his new book has two main parts. In the early chapters, he extends the principles he developed in On Being Certain to other mental sensations. We tend to take things like our feeling of certainty, agency, and causation for granted, but he points out that these are generated in parts of the brain that we can neither access or control. What makes A Skeptic's Guide to the Mind stand out is that Burton then explores the implications of this reality. He argues that while we can become ever more knowledgeable about how our brain works, the MIND, which is something that we each experience subjectively, is much more elusive.

The fact that we are trying to study the MIND with the MIND has inherent limitations and I think that Dr. Burton is right when he says our response should be HUMILITY.

Download BSP 96 (mp3)

Free Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

References:

A Skeptic's Guide to the Mind: What Neuroscience Can and Cannot Tell Us About Ourselves by Robert Burton
On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not (2008) by Robert Burton
Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Ginger Campbell
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume (1748)
See the free episode transcript for additional links and references.

Related Episodes:

BSP 42: A discussion of On Being Certain
BSP 43: Interview with Robert Burton about On Being Certain
BSP 67: Interview with Thomas Metzinger, author of The Ego Tunnel
BSP 85: Interview with Sebastian Seung, author of Connectome.

Understanding Pain (BSP 95)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:37:00 +0000

In Understanding Pain: Exploring the Perception of Pain, Dr. Fernando Cervero does a wonderful job of condensing his 40+ years of research and immersion in the field of pain research into a concise but readable account. It's a great introduction, and it's bound to inspire a new generation of physicians and researchers.

I interviewed Dr. Cervero in BSP 93, and this month's podcast (BSP 95) is the promised second part of our discussion of pain. I focus on some of the topics that Dr. Cervero and I did not have time to discuss, including a look at how the mechanisms of acute pain differ significantly from those of chronic pain. The growing appreciation of these differences offers hope to the millions of people around the world who suffer from chronic pain, but the ongoing efforts of researchers like Dr. Cervero also offer hope of improved pain relief for everyone.

Unfortunately, for those of you who love audiobooks, Understanding Pain, is not available in audio; but it is a relatively short book (under 200 pages) that I recommend to everyone.

References and Links:

Understanding Pain: Exploring the Perception of Pain, by Fernando Cervero.
BSP 93: Interview with Dr. Cervero.
McGill Pain Questionnaire (Wikipedia). Note: there are many links to PDFs on the web.
BSP 77: Interview with Dr. Fabrizio Benedetti about the neurobiology of placebos.
Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning, by Gary Marcus (this month's Audible.com title).

Announcements:

Please complete the very short BSP audience survey.
Never miss a new podcast: sign up for the BSP Newsletter to get episode show notes automatically via email.
Your support of the Brain Science Podcast is greatly appreciated. Please consider making a donation, or visit the BSP Store to learn more.
I am traveling to South Africa from April 7-19 (2013), but I plan to post the next episode of the Brain Science Podcast on April 26. It will be an interview with Dr. Robert Burton about his new book, A Skeptic's Guide to the Mind: What Neuroscience Can and Cannot Tell Us About Ourselves.

How the Brain Makes Meaning (BSP 94)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:00:00 +0000

In his first book, Louder Than Words: The New Science of How the Mind Makes Meaning, linguist Benjamin K. Bergen manages to make a large amount of scientific research both accessible and entertaining. Dr. Bergen is one of the new breed of linguists who are working with neuroscientists to explore some of the key questions about language and the brain. When I interviewed him recently (BSP 94), we talked about the challenges of writing about how science is really done, but we focused on one of the key questions facing cognitive neuroscience: how does the brain understand language?

References:

Louder Than Words: The New Science of How the Mind Makes Meaning, by Benjamin K. Bergen.
Embodied Cognition, by Lawrence Shapiro (BSP 73).
Philosophy in the Flesh : The Embodied Mind and Its Challenge to Western Thought, by George Lakoff, Mark Johnson.

Related Episodes:

Evolution of Language (BSP 30).
Introduction to Embodied Cognition with Art Glenberg (BSP 36).
Linquist Alice Gaby (BSP 41).
Lawrence Shapiro, author of Embodied Cognition (BSP 73).
Evan Thompson, co-author of The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience (BSP 89).

Announcements:

I will be at South by SouthWest in Austin, TX March 7-10. If you are going to be there, please send me an email or message via Twitter.
Please do our short audience survey.
Visit the new Announcements page to learn how you can help with the campaign to get me invited onto the TWiT show Triangulation.
Since this website is brand new please send me your feedback and let me know if you find any bad links or other problems.

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

Ginger Campbell, MD — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:00:29 +0000

Dr. Fernando Cervero

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.

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:

Coming Very Soon! Completely new Brain Science Podcast website!

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:

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.
Attention Psychologists! CEUs are now available for selected episodes of the Brain Science Podcast. Click here for a complete list.
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 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.

Neuroscience Highlights for 2012 (BSP 92)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 12:35:00 +0000

The Brain Science Podcast recently passed 4 million downloads and it remains entrenched at or near the top of the iTunes rankings for Science and Medicine. So now it's time for our 6th Annual Review Episode. The purpose of this year-ending podcast is to review some of the year's highlights and key ideas. As I reviewed the transcripts of this year's episodes, I was struck by the fact that although each episode stands alone, they also inform one another. One unifying theme was the importance of taking an evolutionary approach to understanding how the human brain generates complex features like mind and consciousness.

Interviews have become an outstanding feature of the Brain Science Podcast. This year I interviewed 10 scientist, including five who have appeared in past podcasts.

Scientists Interviewed in 2012:

Patricia Churchland, PhD (Professor Emeritus, University of California-San Diego)#*
William Uttal, PhD (Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan)*
Christof Koch, PhD (Chief Science Officer, Allen Institute for Brain Research)#*
Sebastian Seung, PhD (Masschusetts Institute of Technology)*
Rachel Herz, PhD (Brown University)#*
Pamela Greenwood, PhD (George Mason University)*
Terrence Deacon, PhD (University of California-Berkeley)*
Bruce Hood, PhD (University of Bristol, UK)#*
Evan Thompson, PhD (University of Toronto, Canada)*
Jaak Panksepp, PhD (Washington State University)#*

#Indicates returning guest. See Guest List for previous episode.

*See the Bibliography page for books featured on the Brain Science Podcast.

In addition to discussing the books by these guests, I also reviewed Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain, by Michael S. Gazzaniga, and Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain, by Antonio Damasio.

Related Episodes:

BSP 32: Brief Introduction to brain anatomy.
BSP 47: Basics of brain evolution.
BSP 57: Chris Frith, author of Making up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental World.
BSP 67: Thomas Metzinger, author of The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self.

Announcements:

Pschologists can now earn CEUs for listening to selected episodes of the Brain Science Podcast.
I am closing down the website SCIENCEPODCASTERS.ORG, which I founded back in2008. If you are looking for more high quality science podcasts I suggest the NSF-funded Science 360 Radio.

Ways to Support the BSP:

Donations via PayPal, check, or wire transfers: click here to learn how.
Buy the BSP app for your iOS or Android mobile device: a great way to get ALL the episodes and transcripts.
Buy my eBook:
Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty
(send me your Amazon receipt to get the PDF version).
Buy T-shirts and other Brain gear here.
Share the show with everyone you know!

Tell me what you think:

Join the brain 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)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 12:00:43 +0000

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.

CEUs for Psychologists (Coming Soon from Mensana)

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 FREE 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.

Attention Psychologists! CEUs are now available for selected episodes of the Brain Science Podcast. Click here for a complete list.

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.

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)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:35:54 +0000

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.

For Psychologists:CEUs are now available for this episode.

Subscribe to the Brain Science Podcast:

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 FREE 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.
NEW! Psychologists can get CEUs for listening! Click here to learn more.
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 gincampbell at mac dot com or follow me on Twitter (@docartemis).

"Mind in Life" with Evan Thompson (BSP 89)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 09:33:00 +0000

Evan Thompson, PhD

Embodied Cognition is a movement within cognitive science that argues that the mind is inseparable from the fact that the brain is embedded in a physical body. This means that everything that the brain does, from the simplest perception to complex decision-making, relies on the interaction of the body with its environment. Evan Thompson's book, Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind, is an in-depth look at what he calls the "enactive" approach to embodied cognition. The enactive approach was pioneered by Thompson's mentor Francisco Varela, and it emphasizes the importance of the body's active engagement with its environment.

In a recent interview (BSP 89) I talked with Thompson about some of the key ideas in Mind in Life. Unlike most episodes of the Brain Science Podcast, this is not really a stand-alone episode. It is part of my ongoing exploration of both embodied cognition and the controversial topic of emergence. It is also intended as a follow-up to my recent interview with Terrence Deacon.

Buy Psychology CEU's for this episode.

References:

Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind, by Evan Thompson (2007).
The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience, by Francisco J. Varela, Evan T. Thompson, & Eleanor Rosch (1991).
Embodied Cognition, by Lawrence Shapiro (2010).
Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter, by Terrence W. Deacon (2011).
Dynamic Patterns: The Self-Organization of Brain and Behavior, by J. A. Scott Kelso (1995).
Friston, K.J. (1995) "Transients, Metastability, and Neuronal Dynamics."Neuroimage5 (164-171).
See FREE episode transcript for additional references.

Related Episodes:

BSP 5: A bried introduction to philosphy of mind
BSP 25: Embodied Intelligence with Rolf Pfeifer
BSP 36: Art Glenberg on Embodied Cognition
BSP 53: Discussion of Did My Neurons Make Me Do It? (emergence and free will)
BSP 62: Warren Brown, co-author of Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?
BSP 73: Lawrence Shapiro, author of Embodied Cognition.
Books and Ideas #47: Terrence Deacon, author of Incomplete Nature.

Announcements:

Continuing education credit is now available for selected episodes of the Brain Science Podcast. Click here to learn more.
I will be in Philadelphia, PA October 16-21 to attend the annual meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Please contact me if you would like to get together.
My eBook Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty is on sale for only $2.99. Please post your review.
Next month's Brain Science Podcast will be a discussion of Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain by Antonio Damasio. Self Comes to Mind is also available from our sponsor Audible.com.
Please visit the Brain Science Podcast on Facebook or Google+, or join the BSP Discusion Forum at Goodreads.com.
Never miss an episode of the Brain Science Podcast! Sign up for the newsletter.
Send me (Dr. Campbell) email at gincampbell at mac dot com or follow me on Twitter (@docartemis).

CEUs for Psychologists

"The Self Illusion" with Bruce Hood (BSP 88)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:00:00 +0000

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 (for BSP 88) he explained that The Self Illusion is a broad introduction to this somewhat surprising idea. The Self 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.

Related Podcasts:

Books and Ideas #34: Bruce Hood talks about his first book Supersense. (audio)
BSP 29: Dr. Maryanne Wolf, author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. (audio)
BSP 57: Dr. Chris Frith, author of Making up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental World. (audio)
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. (audio)
Books and Ideas #48: Jonathan Gottschall, author of The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human. (Listen now)

Additional References:

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.

Announcements:

Because the Brain Science Podcast is free to everyone, it relies on listener donations. Click here to learn how you can help.
Continuing educations credit is now available for selected episodes of the Brain Science Podcast. Please send me an email if you would like to learn more.
I will be in Philadelphia, PA October 16-21 to attend the AAFP annual meeting. Listeners who live in the area and physcians 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 Archeology 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 (or respond to any of these announcements) at gincampbell at mac dot com.

Brain Aging Research with Dr. Pamela Greenwood (BSP 87)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Pamela Greenwood, PhD

Nuturing the Older Brain and Mind, by Pamela M. Greenwood and Raja Parasuaman provides a comprehensive review of the current research in cognitive aging. In the latest Brain Science Podcast, Dr. Greenwood explains that brain aging and cognitive aging are not the same thing; the typical brain changes that are associated with normal brain aging (such as shrinkage) are not reliable predictors of cognitive decline. Fortunately, even though normal brain aging is still not well understood, the discovery of brain plasticity is shifting the focus of research. Not only does brain plasticity offer new hope for people who suffer strokes and other brain injuries, it also suggests that life style choices influence cognitive function at all ages.

Nurturing the Older Brain and Mind is intended for an academic audience but it is accessible to everyone. This month's interview with Dr. Greenwood (BSP 87) focuses on dispelling the most stubborn myths about brain aging. We also talk about the practical steps we can all take to help maintain our cognitive performance.

Related Episodes:

BSP 10: Introduction to Brain Plasticity.
BSP 26: Norman Doidge, author of The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science.
BSP 28: Edward Taub: applying brain plasticity to stroke rehabilitation.
BSP 68: Peter Whitehouse on dementia versus normal brain aging.

References:

Nurturing the Older Brain and Mind. by Pamela M. Greenwood and Raja Parasuraman (2012).
The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, by Norman Doidge.
Greenwood, P. M. (2007) Functional Plasticity in Cognitive Aging: Review and Hypothesis. Neuropsychology 21(6) 657–673.
Greenwood, P. M., and Parashauraman, R. (2010) Neuronal and cognitive plasticity: A neurocognitive framework for ameliorating cognitive aging. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 2: 150.
Gould, E. and Gross, C.G. (2002) Neurogenesis in adult mammals: Some progress and problems. Journal of Neuroscience 22 (3): 619-623.
Taub, E., Uswatte, G., and Elbert, T. (2002) New treatments in neurorehabilitation founded on basic research. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 3 (3): 228-236.
Grady, C. L., McIntosh, A.R., and Craik, F.I. (2003) Age-related differences in the functional connectivity of the hippocampus during memory encoding. Hippocampus 13 (5): 572-586.
Colcombe, S.J., A.F. Kramer, K.I. Erickson, P. Scalf, E. McAuley, N.J. Cohen, A. Webb, et al.,
Cardiovascular fitness, cortical plasticity, and aging. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2004. 101(9): p. 3316-21.
Hertzog, C., Kramer, A. F., Wilson, R. S. and Lindenberger, U. (2009) Enrichment effects on adult cognitive development: Can the functional capacity of older adults be preserved and enhanced? Psychological Science in the Public Interest 9 (1): 1-65.
Kramer, A.F., Larish, J. F., and Strayer, D. L. (1995) Training for attentional control in dual tasking settings: A comparison of young and older adults. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied 1: 50-76.
Nagamatsu, L.S., Handy, T. C., et. al. 2012. Resistance Training Promotes Cognitive and Functional Brain Plasticity in Seniors With Probable Mild Cognitive Impairment.Archives of Internal Medicine 172 (8) 666-668.
Liu-Ambrosea, T., Nagamatsua, L.S., Vosse, M.W., Khanc, K.M., and. Handy, T. C. (2012) Resistance training and functional plasticity of the aging brain: a 12-month randomized controlled trial. Neurobiology of Aging 33: 1690 –1698.
Willis, S.L. et. al (2006) Long-term effects of cognitive training on everyday functional outcomes in older adults. Journal of the American Medical Association 296 (23): 2805-2814.
For more references: see Nurturing the Older Brain and Mind and the free transcript of BSP 87.

Announcements:

Don't forget to check out my new eBook Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty. It is available from Amazon.com for only $2.99. (Just send me your receipt to get the PDF version.)
Send me feedback at gincampbell at mac dot com.
Post your comments on the Brain Science PodcastFacebook Fan Page, Google+, or in the BSP Discussion Forum (on Goodreads).

Terrence Deacon (Podcast Interview)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:00:33 +0000

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.

Note: This episode is also being released in theBrain Science Podcast feed.

Disgust with Rachel Herz (BSP 86)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 09:00:14 +0000

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.

Announcements:

The FREE 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.

"Are You Sure?" Hits Kindle today!

Ginger Campbell, MD — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:45:56 +0000

I have just published my first eBook: Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty. It is available for the Kindle now, and will be out for iBooks and Nook shortly. This is based on two of my favorite episodes of the Brain Science Podcast.

A free PDF version is available to anyone who sends me a copy of their Amazon receipt.

This is Volume 1 of a new series called Brain Talk: Conversations with Neuroscientists, which I hope will bring the content of the Brain Science Podcast to a broader audience.

I have also started a newsletter for people who only want news about my writing, but who don't want to get podcast announcements.

Sebastian Seung Explores the Brain's Wiring (BSP 85)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:00:51 +0000

Dr. Sebastian Seung

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.

New! CEU's are available for this episode

References and Links:

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.
See free episode transcript for additional references.

Announcements:

My new eBook Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty will be released on June 12. Listen to BSP 85 to find out how your can get a free pre-release copy or sign up for the BSP Newsletter so that I can remind you to buy it on June 12.

Send me feedback at gincampbell at mac dot com or leave voice mail at 205-202-0663.

Update on Consciousness Research with Christof Koch (BSP 84)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:10:44 +0000

Christof Koch, PhD

The 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.

References:

Consciousness: Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist, by Christof Koch.
The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach, by Christof Koch.
BSP 22: Interview with Cristof 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.

Announcements:

Complete the Brain Science PodcastAudience 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.
Post comments on the BSP Facebook Fan Page, in our Goodreads Discussion Group, or the BSP Google+ page or add comments to the BSP Guest Book.
Sign up for the BSP Newsletter to receive episode announcements and show notes automatically.

I would love to hear from you. You can send me email at gincampbell at mac dot com.

"Mind and Brain" with William Uttal (BSP 83)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:00:56 +0000

William Uttal, PhD

There is nothing more exciting than the mind/brain problem" according to Dr. William Uttal, author of Mind and Brain: A Critical Appraisal of Cognitive Neuroscience. In the latest episode of the Brain Science Podcast (BSP 83) I talked with Dr. Uttal about why he feels that brain imaging can not solve this mystery.

First, there is the problem that brain imaging represents the wrong level of analysis because every spot you see on a brain scan actaully represents thousands of neurons. This means that the activity and interaction between individual neurons has been lost. Then there is the problem of reproducibility, with divergent results between studies.

The evidence is accumulating that "much of the brain responds to any stimulus, and every area of the brain participates in multiple functions." This means that asking where a given function occurs may be the wrong question.

BSP 83 represents an on-going discussion of these issues, so I have included links to related episodes in the show notes.

References:

Uttal, W. R. (2011) Mind and Brain: A Critical Appraisal of Cognitive Neuroscience.
Uttal, W. R. (2009) Neuroscience in the Courtroom: What Every Lawyer Should Know About the Mind and the Brain.
Ihnen, S. K. Z., Church, J. A.. Petersen, S. E., & Schlaggar, B.L. (2009) Lack of generalizability of sex difference in the fMRI Bold Activity associated with language processes in adults. NeuroImage, 45, 1020-1032.
Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2005). "Why Most Published Research Findings Are False". PLoS Medicine 2 (8): e124.

Related Podcasts:

BSP 46: How fMRI works.
BSP 78: Discussion 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.
BSP 82: Discussion of Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain, by Michael S. Gazzaniga.

Reminders:

For a chance to win a free book: complete the new audience survey.
Sign up for the Brain Science Podcast Newsletter and never miss a new episode.
Join other BSP fans on Facebook or Google Plus.
Check out the BSP Discussion Forum at Goodreads.com.
Buy the BSP app for your iPhone, iPad or Android device.
Check out the new BSP t-shirts and other gear at Printfection.com
The Brain Science Podcast relies on donations from listeners like you.
Don't forget to share this post on Twitter. Dr. Campbell is @docartemis.

Send me feedback at gincampbell at mac dot.com.

How Mind Emerges from Brain (BSP 82)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:53:14 +0000

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.

References:

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.

Related Episodes:

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).

Announcements:

Continuing Education Credit is now available for this episode. Click here to learn more.
Complete the new audience survey and enter the drawing to win a free book
Post comments on the BSP Facebook Fan Page or on the BSP Google+ page.
Join the BSP Group at Goodreads.com.
Don't forget to sign up for the Brain Science Podcast Newsletter.
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!

Patricia Churchland on Neuroscience and Morality (BSP 81)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:04 +0000

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.

References:

On Liberty (1859), by John Stewart Mill (Available free from Project Gutenberg).
Neurophilosophy: Toward a Unified Science of the Mind-Brain, by Patricia Smith Churchland.
Braintrust: What Neuroscience Tells Us about Morality, by Patricia S. Churchland.
The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values, by Sam Harris.

Announcements:

Enter the new drawing to win a free copy of Braintrust by Patricia Churchland by completing the new Brain Science Podcast Audience Survey.
Post feedback to the BSP Fan Page on Facebook, or the Brain Science Podcast page on Google+.
Join the Discussion in the BSP Group on Goodreads or send me email at gincampbell at mac dot com.

Brain Science Podcast Turns Five Years Old (BSP 80)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Original Logo from 2006

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.

This Year's Episodes:

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 Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain.
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.

Free Transcripts are available for all episodes. This is made possible by donations from listeners.

Announcements:

Check out the new BSP page on Google+
We also have a BSP Fan Page on Facebook and a Discussion Forum at Goodreads.com.
Please check out the new Brain Science Podcast T-shirts.
Read episode transcripts on your iPhone, Ipad, or Android device with the BSP app.
Your iTunes reviews are greatly appreciated.
Get the Free Episode Transcript for additional links and more information about 2012.

Send your feedback to Dr. Campbell at gincampbell at mac dot.com.

Miguel Nicolelis, MD, PhD (BSP 79)

Ginger Campbell, MD — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:21:58 +0000

Dr. Miguel Nicolelis

Miguel Nicolelis at Duke University is pioneering brain-machine interfaces. In his book, Beyond Boundaries: The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines---and How It Will Change Our Lives, he puts his groundbreaking work into an historical context. I discussed his book briefly in BSP 78, but I have now posted an in-depth interview. The focus of our conversation is on why his work challenges longstanding assumptions about the primacy of the single neuron in brain function.

References:

Don't miss Dr. Nicolelis interview on Triangulation.
Detailed references are available in the show notes for BSP 78.
Additional references are included in the episode transcript.

Announcements:

Post your comments on the BSP Fan Page on FaceBook or in the discussion thread on Goodreads.
Listener donations are greatly appreciated.
Please check out my other podcast Books and Ideas.
Send feedback to me at gincampbell at mac dot com.