This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg

Latest Episodes:

Making Sense of Music Sep 24, 2021

Show notes

Sound may be the least understood of the five senses, with music the most mysterious of all. Neuroscientist Nina Kraus of Northwestern University takes us on a tour of how the brain processes music, and explains the lifelong benefits of music education. Find out how music can help offset the effects of poverty, and how concussion distorts the perception of music in the brain. Plus… Why you really should make your child take piano lessons!

Dr. Kraus' Lab - www.brainvolts.northwestern.edu

Dr. Kraus' new book - Of Sound Mind - https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/sound-mind

Do-It-Yourself Neuroscience Sep 10, 2021

Show notes

Worried about dementia, depression, or the zombie apocalypse? Greg Gage, PhD, has a solution for all of these – teach more kids about neuroscience, stat. His company, Backyard Brains, makes do-it-yourself brain kits that wow students with robo-roaches, nerve takeovers, and the sounds of neurons popping. One of these aspiring neuroscientists just may save us from brain disorders (or zombies) some day. Plus… listen in as Gage demonstrates how to take over an unsuspecting audience member's arm.

www.backyardbrains.com

In Search of Creativity Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

True creative genius may well be the last frontier in human evolution - the only trait that can't be replaced with technology. Dr. Robert Bilder, who directs the Tennenbaum Center for the Biology of Creativity at UCLA, reveals what his study of artists and scientists tell us about how creative brains work, and how some creative people manage to bring their brains to the very edge of chaos without crossing into madness. Plus… Are we educating the creative genius out of our kids?

https://www.semel.ucla.edu/creativity

Menopause: The Change Is Gonna Come Aug 13, 2021

Show notes

Menopause can wreak havoc on mood and body temperature as it signals the end of fertility, but some of the biggest changes it causes are in the brain. Emily Jacobs, assistant professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences at UC Santa Barbara, explains how the precipitous decline in estrogen during the "change of life" disrupts the endocrine system and makes a woman's brain more like... a man's! Plus: Hear from real women describing the wide range of effects they experienced.

Take our survey to help us shape Season 3 of this podcast!

Who Do You Trust? Jul 30, 2021

Show notes

Is there a "trust spot" in the brain? How do we balance the human desire to trust against the fear of betrayal? Dr. Frank Krueger, a psychologist, physicist, and neuroscientist at George Mason University, explains how our brain circuits teach us to navigate the social dilemma of who deserves our trust. Plus... why men are more trusting (and take more risks) than women, and why those with autism have so much trouble deciding whom to trust.

https://centec.gmu.edu/people/fkrueger

How Gabby Giffords Found Her Voice Jul 16, 2021

Show notes

After the shocking 2011 shooting that sent a would-be assassin's bullet through her brain, former U.S. Rep. Giffords had to re-learn how to breathe, walk, and talk. In this reprise of our Season 2 premiere episode, Dr. Stieg talks with neurologic music therapist Maegan Morrow, whose innovative techniques helped Giffords "rewire" her brain and regain her voice. Bonus: Special appearance by Ms. Giffords herself.

https://giffords.org/about/gabbys-story/

Brain Games Jul 02, 2021

Show notes

Does "brain training" work? Dr. Susanne Jaeggi and Dr. Aaron Seitz are experts who are developing and studying brain apps in a nationwide study of their effectiveness. Together they are exploring how cognitive skills and working memory can both be improved -- not just in older people, but especially in them. Plus... sample a brain game yourself!

For information on how to participate in the Brain Games Study go to: https://bgc.ucr.edu/trainmymemory/

Your Brain Is Not for Thinking Jun 18, 2021

Show notes

...and 7 other lessons about the command center that runs all our body's systems. Lisa Feldman Barret, professor of psychology at Northeastern University and a director of the Interdisciplinary Affective Science Laboratory there, talks about how the 128 billion neurons in the brain act like the air traffic control system. They are knit together into a pattern that's capable of a remarkable range of functions, from satisfying thirst to making morally responsible choices. Plus... Why Plato was wrong about the brain.

https://lisafeldmanbarrett.com/

Into the Woods... to Heal Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

The gentle sounds of the surf, or sweet birdsong in the trees, are more than just refreshing -- they have actual, proven power to heal the brain. Dr. David Strayer, professor of cognition and neural science at the University of Utah's Applied Cognition Lab, is exploring how our over-stressed, technologically bombarded, multi-tasking brains are restored when we immerse ourselves in nature. Plus... meet a man who discovered that listening to the sounds of wilderness calmed his ADHD, and led him to a whole new career path.

David Strayer: https://psych.utah.edu/people/faculty/strayer-david.php

Wild Sanctuary soundscapes - https://www.wildsanctuary.com/

Getting Into the Flow May 21, 2021

Show notes

Can you train your brain to perform better, feel happier, focus more? Stephen Kotler says you can. The bestselling author of The Art of the Impossible and Stealing Fire and founder of the Flow Research Collective, Kotler explains what's behind "flow states" and how we can all learn to harness the power of biology to reach peak performance. Learn what's going on in the brain when you're firing on all cylinders, and how to reach emotional states that are "north of happy."

www.stevenkotler.com