Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD: Neuroscience for Everyone

Latest Episodes:

BS 176 Seth Grant on Synapse Complexity Sep 25, 2020

Show notes

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.

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Announcements:

Coming November 17, 2020: Webinar: "Embracing Uncertainty: How to Thrive in Uncertain Times." Listen to closing announcements to learn more.
Coming soon! episode compilations based on topic or guest. Look for all Seth Grant's interview next month.
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
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 brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
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Contact Dr. Campbell:

Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
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BS 175 Premium Episode Transcript Aug 28, 2020

Show notes

This is the transcript of BS 175 with Carol Tavris co-author of "Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me) Third Edition: Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts."

Scroll up/down for free audio and shownotes

BS 175 Carol Tavris explains Cognitive Dissonance Aug 28, 2020

Show notes

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.

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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. Click here to buy an autographed copy.
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 brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

Twitter: @docartemis
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
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BS 174 Georg Northoff, author of "The Spontaneous Brain" Jul 24, 2020

Show notes

BS 174 is an interview with neuroscientist and philosopher Georg Northoff about his fascinating book "The Spontaneous Brain: From the Mind–Body to the World–Brain Problem." We explore the significance of the growing evidence that most of the brain's activity occurs independently of external stimuli with a focus on the implications of this finding for our understanding of how the brain generates consciousness.

Links and References:

The Spontaneous Brain: From the Mind–Body to the World–Brain Problem by Georg Northoff
The Brain from Inside Out by György Buzsáki (BS 172)
Surfing Uncertainty: Prediction, Action, and the Embodied Mind by Andy Clark (BS 126)
Northoff G, et al. Is temporal-spatial dynamics the "common currency" of brain and mind? In Quest of "Spatiotemporal Neuroscience". Why Life Rev (2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2019.05.002 (Link to Abstract)
Georg Northoff website: http://www.georgnorthoff.com (for videos, talks and additional papers
Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

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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
- Post a review on by August 31 to receive an invitation to a special webinar with Dr. Campbell
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 brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)

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Twitter: @docartemis
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Contact Dr. Campbell:

Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
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BS 173 Exploring the Unconscious Origins Of Certainty Jun 26, 2020

Show notes

In this special episode of Brain Science host Dr Ginger Campbell reads an excerpt from her bestseller "Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origin of Certainty." While it might seem ironic to talk about certainty during these extremely uncertain times, understanding how our brain generates the feeling of knowing or certainty is actually more relevant than ever.

Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty is based on several early episodes of Brain Science and highlights the work of retired neurologist Dr. Robert Burton. Both physicians are fascinated by the surprising discovery that most of what our brain does is outside conscious awareness. They explore the evidence behind this claim as well as its implications. Ultimately they agree that this discovery could encourage us all to have more compassion and tolerance for both ourselves and others.

Links and References:

Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD (Click here to buy)
A Skeptic's Guide to the Mind: What Neuroscience Can and Cannot Tell Us About Ourselves (2013) by Robert Burton
On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not (2008) by Robert Burton
Project Implicit at implicit.harvard.edu
Dr. Campbell video with Jenn Grace: https://youtu.be/-ZY2Tah8EIU
Recent podcast appearances by Ginger Campbell
- Neural Implant Podcast
- Brain Inspired #74
- More coming soon

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Announcements:

Thanks to the support of loyal Brain Science listeners, Are You Sure? was the number 1 release in Neuroscience on Amazon for several days and it reached #4 on the Neuroscience best seller list. Click here to buy the book.
Learn how you can 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 the word brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

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Twitter: @docartemis
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Contact Dr. Campbell:

Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
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BS 172 "The Brain from the Inside Out" with György Buzsáki May 22, 2020

Show notes

In this episode I talk with neuroscientist György Buzsáki about his new book The Brain from Inside Out. We explore how abandoning what he calls the "Outside In" approach to understanding the brain can lead to surprising new insights.

Links and References:

Buzsaki's Lab
The Brain from Inside Out by György Buzsáki MD PhD
Rhythms of the Brain by György Buzsáki (BSP 31)
Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

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Announcements:

Please mark your calendar for June 16, 2020 to buy the second edition of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger Campbell, MD. Everyone who buys the book in June is eligible for a live webinar later this summer.
Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. Don't forget to confirm your subscription!
Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.) BSP 31 with Dr. Buzsaki is available FREE as an extra for this episode.
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Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
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BS 171 Premium Episode Transcript Apr 24, 2020

Show notes

This is the Premium episode transcript for BS 171 with Matthew Cobb, author of The Idea of the Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience.

Scroll to find audio mp3.

BS 171 Matthew Cobb, author of "The Idea of the Brain" Apr 24, 2020

Show notes

This episode of Brain Science is an interview with neuroscientist Matthew Cobb author of "The Idea of the Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience."

Cobb approaches the history of neuroscience from a different perspective than previous writers. He writes from the perspective of a working scientist with a deep interest in the history of ideas and the interaction between science and culture. This approach makes for a fascinating discussion.

Through out history assumptions about the brain have been influenced by both culture and contemporary science. For example, before the discovery of electricity it was impossible to image that the brain uses both chemical and electrical signals to communicate. Similarly, our current understanding is heavily influenced by the computer metaphor, which actually misses much about how real brains function.

Another aspect of our discussion involves several ongoing debates with neuroscience such as the importance of localization versus network properties. We also touch on the tendency toward neuromythology, which is the tendency to think that understanding the brain is the only tool for understanding what it means to be human. Dr. Cobb reminds of the importance of being aware of the work in a wide varieties of fields include science and the humanities.

Links and References:

The Idea of the Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience by Matthew Cobb
- Complete Bibliography at theideaofthebrain.com.
Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

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Announcements:

Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
The new expanded edition of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty will be released in early May 2020. Anyone who purchases the book in the first 2 weeks after release will be invited to special live webinar. Subscribe to the free Newsletter for updates.
To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

Twitter: @docartemis
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

BS 170 Numbers in the Brain with Andreas Nieder Mar 27, 2020

Show notes

BS 170 is an interview with Andreas Nieder, author of "A Brain for Numbers: The Biology of the Number Instinct." We talk about the surprising discovery that a wide variety of animals have a number instinct, which is called the approximate number system. This appears to provide the basis for the more abstract mathematical abilities that are seen in humans. We also explore the relationship between mathematics and language.

Links and References:

A Brain for Numbers: The Biology of the Number Instinct by Andreas Nieder
The Number Sense: How the Mind Creates Mathematics, Revised and Updated Edition (2011) by Stanislas Dehaene
Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

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Announcements:

In April 2020 Brain Science returns to a monthly schedule: it return to the 4th Friday of every month.
The expanded 2nd Edition of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty will be published in late April or early May. See newsletter below for updates.
Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

Twitter: @docartemis
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com
Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

BS 169 Glial Cells with Doug Fields (Encore) Mar 13, 2020

Show notes

This episode is an exploration of glial cells with R Douglas Fields, author of "The Other Brain: The Scientific and Medical Breakthroughs That Will Heal Our Brains and Revolutionize Our Health." Glial Cells outnumber the neurons in our nervous system, but until the last few years they were thought to merely support cells. Dr. Fields takes us through the discovery that they have their own signaling methods and are much more important than we ever imagined.

This interview first aired in 2010, but Dr. Fields reviewed the original transcript and made no significant corrections. What was once controversial is now mainstream. I recorded a new introduction and summary and I have included some more recent references below.

Links and References:

The Other Brain: The Scientific and Medical Breakthroughs That Will Heal Our Brains and Revolutionize Our Health by R. Douglas Fields
Fields, R.D., Bukalo, O. Myelin makes memories. Nat Neurosci(2020).https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-020-0606-x
Fields, R.D., The Brain Learns in Unexpected Ways. Scientific American, March 2020.
See the episode transcript at http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional links and references.

Please Support Brain Science:

Learn more at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Announcements:

The second, expanded edition of Dr. Campbell's book Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty, will be released on April 28, 2020. Please mark your calendar!
Brain Science comes out on the 2nd and 4th Friday each month.
To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
The
Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
Send email to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.