WaterCooler Neuroscience

Latest Episodes:

WCNeuro S4, EP5 – What is dopamine with Michael J Frank Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

In Season 4 of WaterCooler Neuroscience, we have spoken a lot about the abstract ways to use AI to understand the brain. In this episode, we talk with Michael J Frank about a more grounded, clinical use of AI in understanding the study and uses of dopamine across the brain. What is dopamine? What do disorders of dopamine teach us and how can we better understand it in this modern age of neuroscience?

WCNeuro S4, EP4 – Making a computational neuroscience lab with Thomas Carlson Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

Computational Neuroscience is a toolbox for researchers to use on whatever they want. AI can mean using a basic analysis program all the way to programs that can simulate and create new faces or new models of information. In this episode, we talk with Thomas Carlson about how to build a modern computational neuroscience lab from the ground up.

WCNeuro S4, EP3 – Teaching AI to see with Nikolaus Kriegeskorte Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

Even simple phones can tell if they are looking at a face or at least a photo of a face, and that is thanks to developments in teaching AI how to understand the makeup of a human face. This technology however originated in labs as researchers tried to use the enormous data processing capabilities of AI to understand how humans see faces. In this episode, we talk with Nikolaus Kriegeskorte about how his labs use AI to study the many different ways we see images. We also learn about how AI competition works, many AI can be made to do a task but we need to test and understand which is better to make better machines and programs in the future.

WCNeuro S4, EP2 – Can AI read your mind with John Dylan Haynes? Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

Computational Neuroscience has had many massive claims in the future mostly around being able to disprove free will or use AI code to mindread what people are thinking in courtrooms and airports. In this episode, we bring you the neuroscientist who is the basis for many of these claims, and he never said any of those things. We delve into what we can really say using AI about how people make decisions and what they think about by talking with John about his illustrious career.

BTAB S1, EP11 – Burnout, according to psychologist Jul 11, 2021

Show notes

Burnout is a topical psychological condition but many people in the workplace do not meet the criteria for burnout, according to psychologists. Burnout has a very set definition and while psychology recognises stress, disenfranchisement, cynicism and the desire to leave work.... are any of those by themselves burnout? Jordana and Wilf break down for you how academics define burnout, engagement and how those ideas move through to psychiatric help.

WCNeuro S4, EP1 – How to Build an AI with John Laird Jul 09, 2021

Show notes

AI are always in the news and regularly credited with amazing advancements in the data processing. AI has become so capable of handling complex data the field of computational neuroscience is now flourishing around the world. This series will talk with experts on computational neuroscience to see how AI and brains are coming together. We start the series with a discussion with John Laird and while he is not a neuroscientist he does make AI from the ground up. John is an expert in making AI and he talks with us about what they can and can't do, what he uses them for in his lab and why he isn't worried about AI trying to kill us all.

Think Fast S2, EP27 – What is boredom to a psychologist with Dr Erin Westgate Jul 07, 2021

Show notes

Boredom is an incredibly powerful human emotion and drives us to not rest, to try new things and is the power behind our curiosity. Dr Erin Westgate is an expert on what boredom is, how it manifests in our lives and what is it that triggers boredom. If you are interested in this show you should also check out Dr Nick Buttrick's work on S2 EP2 of WCNeuro where Nick talks about his work with boredom which was with Erin a few years ago (https://watercoolerneuroscience.co.uk/wc-neuro-season-two/) Sponsored by I Know What Scares You.

BTAB S1, EP10 – Men are from Mars and women are from Venus, in another universe Jul 04, 2021

Show notes

Jordana and Wilf talk in-depth about a recent neuroscience review of hundreds of papers that show that the biological differences between men and women when it comes to brains are minimal if there are at all. We talk about how size differences can result in false reports of sex differences, how poor study design results in bad results and most important why very complex neuroscience shouldn't be boiled down into one headline. Listen in for our discussion about sex, brains, size and even maths, language and all those things you've been told are different just because of a chromosome.

Think Fast S2, EP26 – The hunter gatherer’s best tool in the dark with Dr Marc van Wanrooij Jun 30, 2021

Show notes

Sound is caused by vibration, something has to be moving to cause sound so when you are hunting sound is very important because it tells you things your eyes are going to miss. Humans can track sounds, we all know that, but how do we track sounds and what would be the best ways to track sounds? It turns you you need some mathematicians to make your code, some engineers to build a very impressive sound chamber and then psychologists and neuroscientists to make sense of the whole thing. Our guest on this episode walks us through it.

BTAB S1, EP9 – How serotonin makes you more sensitive Jun 27, 2021

Show notes

This episode delves into the world of neuroscience posters which are shorthand for presenting research to the academic world. Posters provide a way for scientists to have their work reviewed for a conference but it is not as rigorous as an academic journal. In this episode, Jordana and Wilf are looking at how the neurotransmitter serotonin and varieties of serotonin receptors can alter how people score on professional personality scores. Jordana breaks down her experiences with people who are on the most extreme scores of sensitivity and Wilf talks about how academic personality tools differ a lot from those available both online and for business.

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