Nature Relaunches its neuroscience podcast

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I am happy to report that Nature has relaunched its neuroscience podcast under the new name NeuroPod. If you like the Nature podcast but would rather hear a show devoted to the latest Nature articles on neuroscience, you will want to check this out at http://www.nature.com/neurosci/neuropod. If you prefer blogs, you might want to check out Action Potential (also from the editors of Nature). I am not very good at keeping my blogroll up-to-date, but another site worth checking out (suggested to me by Adam Rutherford at Nature) is Mind Hacks. As always, remember that you can submit your favorite podcasts, blogs, and other neuro-related websites at the Brain Science Podcast Discussion Forum.
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Christof Koch discusses Consciousness (BSP 22)

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questforconsciousness.jpg Listen to the Interview Now Brain Science Podcast #22 is an interview with Dr. Christof Koch of Cal Tech, one of the pioneers in the neurobiological study of consciousness. About two decades ago when Koch and Francis Crick began looking for what they called the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC), such a quest was considered controversial, but now the field is increasing in popularity. In our interview we talked a little about his book, The Quest for Consciousness, as well as his on-going research and his thoughts about what the future might bring. Show Notes Here is a list of some of the topics we discussed:
  • Why Francis Crick was an outstanding mentor and colleague
  • A Working definition of consciousness
  • How consciousness relates to awareness
  • What are neural correlates of consciousness
  • Why vision is the focus of Koch's research
  • The search for the "footprints" of consciousness
  • The role of functional imaging and the use of monkeys
  • Neurons-"the atoms of perception"
  • Why we need a theory of consciousness
  • The role of the frontal lobes in consciousness
  • Is consciousness an emergent property?
  • What about zombies?
  • Why do we need consciousness?
  • Will artificial intelligence become conscious?
  • The hard problem: how does the brain generate subjective experience (qualia)
Links: Christof Koch's homepage The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach (2004) Listen to the Episode Now Share your comments on the Discussion Forum Audience Survey

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Meet me at the Podcast and New Media Expo

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expo125×125.gif I am looking forward to my first Podcast and New Media Expo this week in Ontario, California. My goals are to learn a lot and to meet lots of new people. Obviously, I will be promoting the Brain Science Podcast and Books and Ideas, but I also hope to make contacts that could lead to new opportunities in the field since my longterm goal is to build a new full-time career. I will be meeting with fellow health and science podcasters on Thursday evening at 8PM at the  entrance to the D Street Bar & Grill (located in the Marriott). (Updates) I will be helping out at at the iProng booth on Saturday from noon until 2 PM. If you stop by to say Hi you can also play with an iPhone™ or the new iPod Touch™.
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Body Maps (BSP 21)

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Featured in this episode: The Body has a Mind of Its Own: How Body Maps in Your Brain Help You Do (Almost) Everything Better (2007), by Sandra Blakeslee and Matthew Blakeslee. (Also available on from Audible.com) Listen to the podcast now

SHOW NOTES Topics:
  • Body Maps and the role of embodiment
  • Basic ideas about the body maps in the brain
  • Mapping the world around us
  • How Body maps differ between species
  • Body Schema and Body image
  • The role of body maps in disease
  • The role of belief in health and illness
  • How body maps explain non-traditional healing methods and unusual experiences
  • The role of motor imagery in improving motor skills
  • Mirror Neurons
  • Place and grid neurons in the hippocampus (see more on Scholarpedia)
  • How sensation and emotions come together (the role of the insula)
Scientists mentioned in the podcast: Other scientists mentioned in The Body has a Mind of Its Own: Note: This list is not exhaustive. I know I left off VS Ramachandran and several others, but those listed above did work that was addressed, directly or indirectly, in my podcast. Brain Structures (links include diagrams of the brain): Listen to the podcast now

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"The Female Brain" with Dr. Louann Brizendine (BSP 20)

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Click here to here episode #20 I still can't get the link to the audio to show up in WordPress although the link in the sidebar works just fine. For those of you who get this as a Feed or Email and therefore can't see the sidebar, here is an alternative link: http://brainsciencepodcast.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=253174
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Review: "Gut Feelings" (BSP 19)

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gutfeelings.jpgClick here to listen to this episode. Listen to Brain Science Podcast #19: Gut Feelings Show Notes for Brain Science Podcast #19: Gut Feelings This episode is a discussion of Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious (2007) by Gerd Gigerenzer Dr. Gigerenzer argues that unconscious decision-making or intuition is actually based on the use of hueristics (rules of thumb) that can be explored, and even brought into awareness. In this episode I discuss his basic arguments with an emphasis on the differences between intuitive reasoning and formal logic. Then we explore some examples including the application of these ideas to more controversial areas like morality and social instincts. Listen to episode. Some of his ideas are provocative and I hope you will discuss them on the Brain Science Podcast Discussion Forum. References Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious (2007) by Gerd Gigerenzer Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (2005) by Malcolm Gladwell See also Brain Science Podcast #13: Unconscious Decision Making Links of Interest Gerd Gigerenzer-wikipedia Gerd Gigerenzer-home page at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development Jonathan Haidt-social psychologist mentioned in this episode Listen to Brain Science Podcast #19: Gut Feelings itunes-chicklet.gif Subscribe via iTunes™ Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email Visit the new Brain Science Podcast Forum
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Wizzard Media chooses the Brain Science Podcast as a featured podcast

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wizzard.jpg I am proud to announce that Wizzard Media, the new owner of Libsyn, has chosen the Brain Science Podcast to be part of its network. You can find the Brain Science Podcast on the Wizzard.tv Science and Medicine page, and I have been told that it will also appear on the Wizzard Media page of the iTunes Store when it is updated. Since Rob Walch has recently been named vice-president in charge of podcaster relations at Wizzard Media, I am hopeful that this will help the Brain Science Podcast reach a larger audience, and perhaps give me a chance to make a little advertising revenue. Obviously, a podcast like mine is never going to appeal to a mass audience, but it does have a very loyal following. Potential advertisers like to reach audiences that are intelligent and well-educated. However, I need some data to show who is listening to the show. Wizzard Media has set up an anonymous survey that I hope you will take a few minutes to complete. Complete the Survey Now
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Dr. Eric Kandel talks about Memory on Futures in Biotech

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fib-thumbnail.jpg The lastest episode of Futures in Biotech (FiB 20) is an interview with Dr. Eric Kandel, who won a Nobel Prize in 2000 for his discoveries about how memory works. I think you will enjoy listening to Dr. Kandel's interview. I discussed Dr. Kandel's book In Search of Memory in episode 3 of the Brain Science Podcast. I also discussed his textbook, Memory: From Mind to Molecules in episode 12. For anyone who would like to go back and listen to these episodes, I have provided direct links to the audio files below: #3: In Search of Memory #12: Memory: From Mind to Molecules
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More on Neuroplasticity from author Sharon Begley

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Science writer Sharon Begley was interviewed about neuroplasticity. on the August 7 episode of Science Talk, the podcast from Scientific American. I discussed her book Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves on episode 10 of the Brain Science Podcast. Listen to Science Talk interview of Sharon Begley Listen to the Brain Science Podcast #10: Neuroplasticity You can also find more on neuroplasticity, including links to some of the scientists she mentions in her interview here.
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Interview with Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg (BSP 18)

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Brain Science Podcast #18 is an interview with Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, PhD.elkhonongoldberg.gif Listen to Brain Science Podcast #18 Now Show Notes:
  • I apologize for the uneven sound quality of this episode. If any one out there has any suggestions please drop me an email.
  • Dr. Goldberg shared a little bit about the breadth of his work as a neuropsychologist.
  • We talked about his rather unique perspective on the difference between the right and left brain hemispheres. He explained why he feels that as we get older we move from reliance on the right hemisphere, which he feels is the novelty hemisphere, to a reliance on the left hemisphere, where our lifetime store of patterns enables us to use pattern recognition as a short cut in problem solving.
  • We talked about the importance of constant mental challenge, and Dr. Goldberg gives his advice about how we can keep our brains healthy through out our lives.
Links: The following are two companies that Dr. Goldberg is working with to provide information to the public and also tools for cognitive enhancement:
  • SharpBrains-this is a clearing house for information and they evaluate many of the products currently being offered.
  • HeadStrong Cognitive Fitness-this Australian company offers a net-based program for cognitive enhancement based on Dr. Goldberg's research. I am hoping to test their products in the near future.
Listen to Brain Science Podcast #18 Now itunes-chicklet.gif Subscribe via iTunes™ The Brain Science Podcast feed is available here. Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email Visit the new Brain Science Podcast Forum
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