This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg

Latest Episodes:

May We Have Your Attention ... and Keep It? Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

Do you scroll on your phone for hours but then quit a meaty news story in 15 seconds? Maybe your attention span isn't the problem!

Dr. Ronald Yaros thinks the way to get people to pay attention is better content delivery that's designed to work with their busy lives.

Find out what actually captures and keeps our attention... and why.

Is AI Making Us Dumber? Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

Every time AI answers for you, part of your brain may switch off. Theoretical neuroscientist Dr. Vivienne Ming explains why, including a striking claim about GPS use and Alzheimer's risk.

Dr. Ming shares her own fix for using AI. She calls it the nemesis prompt, a technique for turning AI into your harshest critic instead of your biggest fan.

Vivienne joins Dr. Stieg to unpack what it actually takes to come out of the AI age sharper, not dumber.

Profiling The Criminal Mind - James Fitzgerald Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

For 17 years, the Unabomber skillfully eluded investigators, leaving behind no fingerprints, DNA, or usable forensic evidence but in the end it was his own words that gave him away.

Dr. Phil Stieg speaks with retired FBI criminal profiler James Fitzgerald, a pioneer of forensic linguistics whose analysis of Ted Kaczynski's writings helped crack one of the most notorious investigations in FBI history.

Fitzgerald reveals how investigators constructed a personality profile from the bomber's writings, identified the unusual turn of phrase that became a "linguistic smoking gun," and used patterns in language and behavior to identify this notoriously elusive criminal mind.

Plus, an exclusive glimpse into a family's traumatic moment when they discover their relative is a serial bomber.

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Archival audio courtesy of Videos For Change Productions

Excerpt from documentary in progress "Life Or Death" featuring David Kaczynski and Linda Patrik, Producers Mike Camoin and John Carlson.

A Memory Workout Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

Can't remember the fourth item on your grocery list? Nelson Dellis, a professional "memory athlete," can remember 100 things or more (though he still may forget the butter).

Hear how Dellis learned to memorize lists so long that he became a five-time USA Memory Champion, and how you can use some of his strategies to improve your own memory.

Dellis explains how he uses tricks like the "memory palace" and mnemonic devices to recall lengthy lists with perfect accuracy.

In an era when cell phones are making memory superfluous, you can regain some of those lost skills by using his techniques.

Plus… those rare folks who can never forget a day in their lives.

https://www.nelsondellis.com/

Click here for a transcript and further information on this episode.

"Awestruck!" - Part 2 with Beau Lotto, PhD Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

The human brain resists uncertainty — whether it's an approaching tiger or a global pandemic, we've evolved to move from fear and chaos to order and resolution.

Dr. Beau Lotto, founder of the Lab of Misfits, explains why the brain takes small steps instead of large leaps, and why we need to teach kids to think more like scientists.

Plus... why we react to a pandemic by hoarding toilet paper!

https://www.beaulotto.com/

Since this episode was first released in 2021, Dr. Lotto has launched a new project - "Evolvable.Me"

"Our interactive AI-powered platform reveals precise, science-backed insights into how you think, relate, and behave – drawn from your responses and real-life conversations."

Try it for free at https://www.evolvable.me/

"Awestruck!" - Part 1 - with Beau Lotto, PhD Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

What is awe? It's not wonder, or surprise, or pleasure — it's a state of mind that Dr. Beau Lotto calls "finding the impossible in the common."

Dr. Lotto is a neuroscientist who specializes in perception; he once actually measured awe in the brains of people watching Cirque du Soleil. Learn where awe originates, why it evolved, and even how military leaders might weaponize it.

Plus... why Dr. Lotto says babies are born "useless".

https://www.beaulotto.com/

Since this episode was first released in 2021, Dr. Lotto has launched a new project - "Evolvable.Me"

"Our interactive AI-powered platform reveals precise, science-backed insights into how you think, relate, and behave – drawn from your responses and real-life conversations."

Try it for free at https://www.evolvable.me/

The Mercurial Genius of Candace Pert Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

Candace Pert discovered the opioid receptor, created a drug to stop AIDS in the brain, and identified stress as a cause of disease. She also inadvertently unleashed the overdose epidemic, got kicked out of the NIH, and was denied credit for much of her work.

Largely forgotten, Pert was a trailblazing yet mercurial neuroscientist.

Emmy award winning writer and producer Pamela Ryckman shines a light on Pert's breakthroughs and her fascinating legacy on the podcast.

For a transcript and more information about this episode use this link: https://bit.ly/4vuMoiG

For more about our guest's book:

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/pamela-ryckman/

The Mother of all Brain Changes - Chelsea Conaboy Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

New parents - especially moms - experience profound changes in the brain when they are expecting and welcoming a new baby. Health journalist Chelsea Conaboy explains how the caricature of "mommy brain" and its cognitive fog has it all wrong - parenthood actually has a neuroprotective effect, as the brain adapts to meeting the needs of children. It happens to all parents, not just mothers, but it's most dramatic in gestating parents.

Plus... how it takes a troop to raise a monkey.

For a transcript and further information use this link: https://bit.ly/4ovUTay

Cultivating Confidence Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

Where in the brain is that little something that makes top performers feel so confident in their ability? Can that confidence be developed in someone who is naturally more timid? Dr. Nate Zinsser, director of West Point's Performance Psychology Program and author of The Confident Mind, explains how a sense of mastery develops, and why butterflies in your stomach are a signal from the brain when you're about to do something great.

Plus… why Ted Lasso wants us all to be a little more like goldfish.

For transcript and further information, use this link:

https://bit.ly/4ocC0cE

Why We Procrastinate -- with Joseph Ferrari May 28, 2026

Show notes

We all do it - put things off, tell ourselves we'll start tomorrow, and somehow still miss the deadline. But chronic procrastination isn't just a bad habit; it's self-sabotaging behavior that can derail our goals, relationships, and even our health. Psychologist Dr. Joseph Ferrari, a leading expert on procrastination, breaks down the emotional roots of procrastination, debunks the myth that we "work best under pressure," and offers science-backed strategies for change. Plus - meet one of history's most legendary procrastinators: Leonardo da Vinci. Find out how his epic delays shaped the Mona Lisa, and why some believe he never truly finished it.

Thanks for enjoying this archive episode of This Is Your Brain. For a transcript and further background information please use this link.

https://bit.ly/4uDBUgM

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