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Copyright: © Richard Jacobs
Arthur S. Reber, cognitive psychologist, professor of psychology, and prolific author discusses implicit learning and consciousness on the cellular level.
Reber is a Fulbright Fellow and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) as well as the Association for Psychological Science (APS). Reber earned his BA in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA and Ph.D. from Brown University.
Reber discusses the origin of his fascination with implicit learning. He recounts an interesting story in which he observed a caterpillar in his garden that seemed to be so obviously making conscious choices—which leaf to chew on, should I check for predators, etc. This experience intrigued him and he pushed his research further. As he began to research and write about the topic of conscious cells, he found there seemed to be, initially, no interest in the scientific community for his research. But as time passed, he dug deeper relating his research to all his knowledge in cognitive function, and the scientific community took note.
Reber is celebrated for his work in the nexus between biology and psychology and he is widely known in the scientific community for introducing the concept of implicit learning, and for utilizing the elementary principles of biology to demonstrate how implicit or unconscious cognitive functions contrast with those that are conducted consciously.
The Ph.D. discusses prokaryotes and their functioning. A prokaryote, simply defined, is a unicellular organism lacking a supporting membrane-bound nucleus and mitochondria, as well as any other membrane-bound organelle. He talks about prokaryotes, the simplest living organisms, and their astonishing skills in learning. He relates some information on various experiments that provided insight into cells and how they function while defending themselves from viruses and toxins. He discusses daughter cells and the metabolic adjustments that are made and how it all impacts a cellular colony.
Reber provides further information on bacteria and how they are sensitive. He talks about the effects of anesthetics on bacteria' behaviors, and the remarkable skills they have to minimize their suffering. He relates this information to plants and discusses how plants have experiences that cause them to produce anesthetics. While we tend to not think of plants as being sentient, able to feel or perceive, Reber states that they probably are. As he explains, plant roots are sensitive to nutrient contents and will shift depending upon the circumstance within the soil. And as he states, this brings up an interesting point in regard to ethics, specifically for vegans, for if plants are sentient, they feel and have consciousness.
"Today, whether it's an increase in narcissism, a reduction in time, or an obsession with technology, there are many reasons why people are understanding themselves to be and seeming to feel that there's less empathy out there," says Minter Dial, keynote speaker and author of Heartificial Empathy: Putting Heart into business and Artificial Intelligence. He goes on to explain the effects that this minimal amount or complete lack of empathy has in the world of business, one of which leaves customers feeling as though their needs and desires aren't being heard, understood, or addressed. As a result of this, people, on the whole, are beginning to lose their loyalty for certain companies, and are unable to establish it for new ones.
A seemingly obvious answer to this problem might be to program empathy into the machines with which we increasingly interact, to encode our experiences with empathy in order to ensure that it's there—whether in an application online, an AI-driven personal shopper or automated checkout stands at the market. And while integrating empathy in AI might be a good idea, is it possible? Are we capable of encoding machines to show empathy when we are incapable of showing it ourselves? According to Minter Dial, this is an important question to ask, as it will force us to turn the mirrors on ourselves and consider why empathy is so important and whether we are capable of practicing it once again.
Tune in to hear Minter Dial discuss a range of issues on this topic, and visit minterdial.com for more of his work.
"The realm of the invisible and the ancestral realm opened up to me, and the fundamental principles of reality were suddenly obvious to me, just about the nature of reality itself and the big picture, and I felt more connected to source—whatever term you want to use, god, goddess, the great mystery—than I ever did in my years as a clergyman," says Bruce Sanguin, who for 30 years practiced as a minister in a progressive church, preaching every Sunday and living life as a true clergyman before realizing that there was still something missing, some sort of personal unrest, something preventing him from expressing deep love. Separated from his life and duties as a clergyman, he didn't hesitate to go when a friend invited him to an ayahuasca ceremony. Soon after, he found himself immersed in the world of psychedelic psychotherapy, undergoing at least a dozen sessions under the influence of MDMA and LSD, each session lasting four to five hours. "I was taken into dimensions and domains that ordinary consciousness doesn't make available," he says, explaining how it was in this space that he not only achieved a more profound gratitude for life than ever before, but also identified, and dismantled the core unconscious beliefs that were for so many years holding him back from being his truest and best self. Sanguin delivers an enlightening and inspiring message about overcoming past trauma, learning to love truly and deeply, finding peace, and practicing empathy.
Adam Brown, the author of Bright Spots & Landmines, shares his thoughts on managing diabetes in a modern world.
Adam doesn't just write about diabetes, he has firsthand experience—16 years in fact—from his personal life, living with and managing his diabetes. His popular book, Bright Spots & Landmines, is a must-read for anyone who seeks to properly manage their diabetes, or for those who have loved ones dealing with diabetes and simply want a better understanding. The book provides useful information and diabetes tips. It answers questions that many have when they embark on their diabetes management journey, from what foods one should eat to reduce or minimize blood sugar shifts, how to handle stress, and how to improve sleep quality and exercise performance.
Adam discusses his life before and after, as he talks about his diagnosis in 2001 with type 1 diabetes. He shares his experiences dealing with diabetes, and highlights some impactful moments that occurred during his college years upon discovering bodybuilding; he was intrigued by the intense monitoring and tracking that many bodybuilders rely upon to regulate their body's performance and overall health. After taking some nutrition classes he came to realize that eating is one of the most important tools that can help manage diabetes.
The diabetes writer discusses continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), which is a method that can be used to track glucose levels all through the day and night. CGM systems can take important glucose measurements at consistent intervals around the clock, and translate those readings into actionable data, as it generates glucose direction as well as the rate of change reports, to help manage diabetes optimally. Adams explains how CGM users can take a more proactive approach, and manage their glucose highs and lows, as well as get a better understanding of how food and exercise are affecting their body chemistry.
Adam discusses fasting and time-restricted eating, as well as other issues often discussed in the diabetes community. And he details some of the CGM devices that are on the horizon, smaller and less expensive, making body monitoring even easier for individuals with diabetes.
Adam is a senior editor with diaTribe, an online community for those with diabetes, and his column, "Adam's Corner," is a popular feature of the site that offers truly amazing diabetes tips to many people across the globe. In his column, he shares a wealth of knowledge on mindset, foods, exercise, and strategies for getting better sleep—all of which have helped him live a fuller, healthier life as he manages his diabetes effectively.
Fatima AlZahra´a Alatraktchi holds a Ph.D. in nanophysics and is creating a buzz in the science and technology world. In this interesting, informative podcast she discusses her work and how we can learn so much from bacteria.
Fatima AlZahra´a Alatraktchi of DTU Nanotech is a celebrated nanophysicist and she was recently awarded the PhD thesis of the year award for the groundbreaking work entitled, Micro- and nano-sensors for early diagnosis of bacterial infections. Fatima's buzzworthy PhD project was completed in collaboration with DTU Bioengineering, DTU Biosustain, as well as DTU Nanotech.
Fatima discusses her background and how she found her way into her current area of research. She recounts how she was extremely fascinated by the idea that bacteria actually communicate, talk to each other in a language that they can utilize to coordinate their activities. Over the years, her interest in this topic never waned and eventually, with a wealth of knowledge and education to her credit, she began to strategize on methods to isolate these molecules that enable bacteria communication, as a means to develop prediagnostic tools with the goal of diagnosing infections at an early stage. Fatima explains how the bacteria world parallels to the human world. She details how bacteria communicate and how they exhibit collective behavior, performing tasks to benefit the group or community and allowing it to thrive.
The nanophysics Ph.D. and science tech entrepreneur explains the ways that bacteria communicate and the sensors that she and her team have developed to understand the colonization. As she explains, bacteria behavior can even sometimes be seen with the naked eye in an exciting visual manner. The bacteria expert goes on to discuss cooperation between bacteria strains, explaining competition and domination within the bacterial communities. Fatima talks about how they work with their samples, regarding the molecules that bacteria secrete. She discusses her work in relation to the medical practices doctors use to detect infection, and as she states, it's best to detect and treat infections early on.
Further, Fatima provides information on the types of bacteria they work with and their potential for furthering medical care. In her groundbreaking thesis, Fatima developed a method for detecting one of the most troubling and problematic types of bacteria. Her method is based upon a nanosensor and is simpler, quicker, and extremely more sensitive than any of the current methods that exist.
To put it mildly, Dr. Lawrence Bonassar is an expert on tissue engineering; prior to working as a professor at the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University, he served as a faculty member of the Center For Tissue Engineering at UMass Medical School and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in orthopedic research at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Center for Biomedical Engineering at MIT. He's also on the editorial board of the journal Tissue Engineering, and head of The Bonassar Research Group.
His work is focused on bringing engineered tissues to the clinic as a way of treating tissue degradation that occurs with aging and disease. The tissues he and his team are engineering are responsible for providing mobility and mechanical functions in the body and include articular, meniscus, and intervertebral disk cartilage. He explains the complexity of intervertebral disks, which are composed of a combination of different types of cartilage and an end plate, and the challenges present in creating them in the lab and ensuring that they will fit any individual patient. The engineering of these tissues is aided by imaging technology that allows Dr. Bonassar and his team determine the correct length, width, depth, and overall shape of an implant based on a patient's existing anatomy.
Dr. Bonassar discusses the science and technique underlying the development, implantation, and effect and function of these tissues once in the body, as well as the results they've seen in studies using these implants in Beagles with intervertebral disk disease. Tune in to hear all the details and learn about the future direction of this research.
Learn more by visiting https://bonassar.research.engineering.cornell.edu/.
Media coverage on the prospect of self-driving cars leading the future of transportation has been almost entirely positive, highlighting the potential benefits and avoiding discussion of the numerous questions that remain. At first, Christian Wolmar, a pundit and author who's been an authoritative source on transport matters for over 25 years, swallowed the hype surrounding this new form of technology. But he didn't have to look too closely to realize that the hype was undue, with too many technical and social objections to ignore.
On today's episode, he delivers an overview of the many concerns with driverless cars, and the many challenges that would need to be overcome in order to realistically and safely consider a future in which they are the primary means of transportation. Tune in for an important and informative conversation on this emerging form of technology that's generating excitement, fear, and uncertainty.
Visit http://www.christianwolmar.co.uk/ to read all of Wolmar's recent articles.
Unexplained and profound fatigue, a general feeling of achiness in the muscles, higher perceptions of pain to touch and pressure, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, poor sleep, never feeling rested, gut issues…the list could go on. These are many of the symptoms experienced by those who have fibromyalgia, a condition that for much of its history in the world of conventional medicine has been poorly understood, misdiagnosed, untreated, or altogether dismissed as unreal. But for those who deal with these symptoms on a daily basis, it is very much real and can make life next to unbearable. Dr. David Brady didn't learn much about the condition during medical school, and what he did learn proved to be incorrect or overshadowed by doubt in the legitimacy of the condition. But as he continued to see patients who presented with the same or similar collections of signs, he was compelled to take a deeper look into how the condition should be characterized, understood, and treated.
As the author of The Fibro Fix: Get to the Root of Your Fibromyalgia and Start Reversing Your Chronic Pain and Fatigue in 21 Days, Dr. Brady has developed a toolbox of treatments and methods to address the needs and alleviate the symptoms of his patients, and the very last tool he ever uses is often the immediate go-to in conventional medicine: pharmaceuticals, which are not designed specifically for fibromyalgia, but merely repurposed and relabeled drugs used for other conditions, such as depression or epilepsy. Not only are these drugs largely ineffective, but linked to countless side effects. Dr. Brady discusses how he approaches the assessment of patients who may have fibromyalgia, the elimination process that leads him to feel confident in his diagnoses, and the alternative approaches he takes to the treatment of the condition, which includes heart rate variability exercises, improving quality of sleep, naturally increasing the levels of serotonin in the body, using herbal medicines that calm the central nervous system, making dietary changes, and implementing meditative and other relaxation practices in the daily routines of his patients.
Interested in learning more? Visit https://www.fibrofix.com/ and https://drdavidbrady.com/.
At the Institute of Molecular Biology at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Christopher Reinkemeier is a Ph.D. student who's involved with a project that's providing breakthrough evidence of the ability of synthetic organelles to carry out complex tasks in living cells. How complex? One of the most complex and important processes that cells carry out: translation or the synthesis of proteins. In the body, translation involves hundreds of organic molecules, but the synthetic organelle Reinkemeier has helped to develop requires just five components, which, once in a living cell, recruit all of the other necessary components of translation.
Reinkemeier provides an in-depth discussion about the science behind what they've created, and the significance of the fact that it's capable of modifying one messenger RNA (mRNA) for the production of one, specifically modified protein. Tune in for all the details.
Dr. Volodymyr Koman, a postdoc at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), discusses his work with cell-sized robots and explains their many possible uses in our ever-increasing technological world.
Dr. Koman received a BS in Applied Physics from the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, then an MS in Photonics from Ghent University, before moving on to earn and complete his Ph.D. in Photonics at the prestigious Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne. Dr. Koman has a particular fascination with cell-sized robots and his work is focused in this area currently.
Dr. Koman discusses their cell-sized robots and how they arrived at the name of 'colloidal nanoelectronic state machines' for their groundbreaking tiny robots. He describes state machines as simple robots with several states on board, essentially state machines that are doing computations on board of the particle. Dr. Koman describes his team's fascination with nature, which caused them to pose questions such as, can we think like nature? Their work takes the question into the test phase, as they seek to make advanced cell-size 'state machines' or robots that can form tissues and create bigger structures.
These minuscule robots can sense their environment, store data, and complete computational tasks. They consist of tiny electronic circuits comprised of two-dimensional materials, riding along atop minuscule particles known as colloids. Dr. Koman explains how these tiny state machines can communicate with each other while completing tasks. He expounds upon their vision for the future of these infinitesimal robots.
Dr. Koman provides details on the structures and circuits of their tiny state machines, and how they hope to effectively allow them to transform and change shape. These machines will look very different from our current machines and from our cells, Dr. Koman states.
The cellular-size technology expert provides further information on uses within the bloodstream. One particular area of expansion for the technology could be for diagnostics. By combining these tiny objects with complex circuitry, it may open up possibilities for the creation of devices that could be utilized to carry out diagnostic journeys into the human digestive system. Colloids can exist in environments and move about in ways that other materials simply cannot, which makes them particularly attractive for specialized tasks. Dr. Koman talks about the future of robotics and his team's outlook for their advanced tiny robots. From bloodstream to tissue, the uses and possibilities are nearly limitless.
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