Pre-script.... We recorded this episode in May 2020 and I got so engaged I started calling Michael, "Steven" during the episode.  I was so engaged.  Well, fortunately for me, Steven is his 2nd name!  I so enjoyed this episode and I think you will, too!

Michael S. A. Graziano is a professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Princeton University. He is also a novelist, composer, and occasional ventriloquist. In addition to running a research lab and writing scientific papers, he is the author of five neuroscience books and has written for the Atlantic, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, and other media outlets. 

In his scientific work he has covered three main topics: how the brain reconstructs the space around the body, how we coordinate complex movements within that space, and most recently, the brain basis of consciousness. His current research is focused on how the social mechanisms in the brain may allow us to attribute the property of consciousness to ourselves and to others. His ventriloquist puppet Kevin sometimes accompanies him in his scientific talks, to illustrate social perception. You can learn about his work and his writing at https://grazianolab.princeton.edu.