The Broken Brain

Latest Episodes:

Dances With Cranes with Megan Wennberg Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

Megan Wennberg is a Filmmaker and Director who joins to talk about her documentary "Dances With Cranes," which tells the story of the innovative way in which a team of conservationists and scientists managed to bring the Whooping Crane from the brink of extinction to a thriving species. You may be surprised how they did it.

This is the monthly Thursday Thistory available to all listeners, our look at psychological and cultural history. Weekly History episodes are available to Patreon members the rest of each month. Go to www.patreon.com/brokenbrain to sign up and hear them all.

Politics & Family Relationships with Nick Beaulieu, Director of My Omaha Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

Filmmaker & journalist Nick Beaulieu talks about his documentary "My Omaha," where he recorded communication with his father while Nick covered racial equality issues in West Omaha. Very much opposed in their politics, Nick and his dad face the challenges of holding different political & ethical beliefs from someone deeply close and loved. Follow Nick's @nick.beaulieu on IG

The highlighted charity this month is www.baketheirday.org, a nonprofit bakery in Guam that helps youth in custody feel normal by bringing them birthday cakes.

Monday Mental Tip: Do the Important Thing First (and Happy Mario Day( Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

What are the most important things you would like to do? We often have a difference between our philosophical values and our behavioral priorities. Today's quick tip is about how we can use things (like Mario Day) to put the highest value activities first.

Oh yeah, and HAPPY MARIO DAY!

The highlighted charity this month is www.baketheirday.org, a nonprofit bakery in Guam that makes birthday cakes for youth in custody. Share and support them, they're pretty cool!

Tiffany Kim Stevens: Director of Trigger Happy Mar 04, 2025

Show notes

Tiffany Kim Stevens is the Director and Co-Writer of the film "Trigger Happy," an indie film set in an alternate society where gender roles are reversed, gun ownership is required to qualify for health insurance, and a murder is being planned.

Tiffany describes the process of telling a quirky story with many unlikeable characters and balancing the humor and the darkness of the tale.

Visit www.baketheirday.org to see the highlighted charity for this month. Bake Their Day is a nonprofit bakery in Guam that bakes and delivers birthday cakes to youth in custody.

Musical Artists Named Williams Portrayed by Creatures in Film Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

David Rosen is a composer, musician, and the creator of the Piecing It Together Podcast. He and I sat down to discuss a strange new sub-genre of Biopic: Musical Artists with the surname Williams who are portrayed as a nonhuman. In the case of "A Better Man," Robbie Williams is portrayed as a CGI Chimp Man (think Planet of the Apes), while "Piece by Piece" presents Pharrell Williams and his surrounding world in Lego.

Visit www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support a wonderful nonprofit that helps kids pursue their education through athleticism and scholarship.

Patreon Sample: Science Experiments Are Good Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

What's with all of these weird science experiments? Waste of money and time, right? wellllllll.......probably not.

This week history dive looks at 2 examples of when science sounded crazy but delivered something cool. A full half of the episode this week is available to non-subscribers, the rest is on the Patreon feed for you super-cool supporters of the show.

Check out www.dcoffeyfoundation.org for this month's highlighted charity.

Rocky's: A Coming-of-Age Film, with Writer/Directors Benjamin Cohen & Max Strand Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

Benjamin Cohen & Max Strand are the Writers and Directors of "Rocky's" a new coming-of-age film focused on the lives of several young adults spending time in the local hangout, Rocky's Deli. They joined me to discuss their film, character development, growing up, and storytelling.

Check out our February Nonprofit-of-choice: The D Coffey Foundation, which helps youth in need to find athletic scholarships to advance their education.

Monday Mental Health Tip: Do We Listen to People with Disabilities? Feb 24, 2025

Show notes

Telling inspirational stories about disabled people is all over the internet, which raises the question: do we treat them as individuals, listening and learning from them? Or do we fall into the trap of identifying people by their disability, or as an inspirational meme?

Reaction to The Fantastic Four Trailer, with Sharon Blady Feb 22, 2025

Show notes

Sharon & Dwight are reacting to the teaser trailer for the upcoming Marvel movie, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," focused on the psychological and cultural aspects of the project.

Visit www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support this month's highlighted charity.

Patreon Sample: How Black Americans helped solidify access to public education Feb 21, 2025

Show notes

Following the Civil War in the USA, during what became known as the Reconstruction Era, freed Black Americans fought hard to establish communities and defend their rights. None of these struggles were more important than access to education, and the efforts of Black American pioneers of public education helped to form the model of publicly funded school for children in the US, as well as codify this into law.

Check out www.dcoffeyfoundation.org to support this month's charity-of-choice, helping young people in need to further their education through athletic scholarships.

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