All In The Mind

Ever heard of Cotard's delusion – the belief that you are dead, or Capgras delusion – that your loved one is an imposter?  These persistent beliefs can have serious consequences. In some fascinating work, researchers at Macquarie University are now using hypnosis to recreate some delusions in healthy volunteers in the lab, to help understand and treat them more effectively.  And Lynne Malcolm finds out if she’s hypnotisable.

For centuries scientists have grappled with the concept of memory—what is it, how does it work and can we really rely on it? US historian Alison Winter traces the history of the way we have conceptualised memory—from the use of truth serums and hypnotism to the science of forgetting. She describes the way memory has been compared to filing cabinets, flashbulbs and motion pictures over the past century.

Craig now lives as a man, and Julie lives as a woman. They have no doubts about their gender identity. The science now says it's reflected in the brain.

Many heads are now coming together to improve the lives of those who experience schizophrenia. Join Lynne Malcolm for this public discussion on art, science and schizophrenia.

New empirical research suggests that language has a powerful influence over the way we think and perceive the world.

We explore how speaking more than one language influences our cognitive capacity.

Dr Judy Willis applies new knowledge in neuroscience to develop better learning strategies for children.

Barbara Arrowsmith-Young tells the inspiring story of how she overcame her severe learning difficulties with specific brain exercises. We also hear the moving accounts of two Australians who’ve taken a leaf out of her book.

Are we getting smarter? We know our IQ scores have been steadily rising since we began measuring intelligence, but that’s not the full story. Moral philosopher James Flynn joins us to tackle the controversial questions of IQ in relation to race, gender and class. 

Leonard Mlodinow is a theoretical physicist who’s turned his mind to the unconscious. Not the unconscious mind of Freudian fame which was examined through psychoanalysis in the 19th century – but a new science of the unconscious made possible by technologies which reveal the physiology of our brains. We discuss the hidden forces that rule our behaviour.