BS 174 is an interview with neuroscientist and philosopher Georg Northoff about his fascinating book "The Spontaneous Brain: From the Mind–Body to the World–Brain Problem." We explore the significance of the growing evidence that most of the brain's activity occurs independently of external stimuli with a focus on the implications of this finding for our understanding of how the brain generates consciousness.

Links and References:

• The Spontaneous Brain: From the Mind–Body to the World–Brain Problem by Georg Northoff
• The Brain from Inside Out by György Buzsáki  (BS 172)
• Surfing Uncertainty: Prediction, Action, and the Embodied Mind by Andy Clark (BS 126)
• Northoff G, et al. Is temporal-spatial dynamics the “common currency” of brain and mind? In Quest of “Spatiotemporal Neuroscience”. Why Life Rev (2019), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plrev.2019.05.002 (Link to Abstract)
• Georg Northoff website: http://www.georgnorthoff.com (for videos, talks and additional papers
• Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

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Announcements:

• Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
• Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD
  • Post a review on by August 31 to receive an invitation to a special webinar with Dr. Campbell
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• Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
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In this special episode of Brain Science host Dr Ginger Campbell reads an excerpt from her bestseller "Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origin of Certainty." While it might seem ironic to talk about certainty during these extremely uncertain times, understanding how our brain generates the feeling of knowing or certainty is actually more relevant than ever.

Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty is based on several early episodes of Brain Science and highlights the work of retired neurologist Dr. Robert Burton. Both physicians are fascinated by the surprising discovery that most of what our brain does is outside conscious awareness. They explore the evidence behind this claim as well as its implications. Ultimately they agree that this discovery could encourage us all to have more compassion and tolerance for both ourselves and others.

Links and References:

• Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD (Click here to buy)
• A Skeptic's Guide to the Mind: What Neuroscience Can and Cannot Tell Us About Ourselves  (2013) by Robert Burton
• On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not (2008) by Robert Burton

• Project Implicit at implicit.harvard.edu

• Dr. Campbell video with Jenn Grace: https://youtu.be/-ZY2Tah8EIU
• Recent podcast appearances by Ginger Campbell
  • Neural Implant Podcast
  • Brain Inspired #74
  • More coming soon

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Announcements:

• Thanks to the support of loyal Brain Science listeners, Are You Sure? was the number 1 release in Neuroscience on Amazon for several days and it  reached #4 on the Neuroscience  best seller list. Click here to buy the book.
• Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
• Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text the word brainscience to 55444 to sign up. 
• Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
• Send email to [email protected] or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

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In this episode I talk with neuroscientist György Buzsáki about his new book The Brain from Inside Out. We explore how abandoning what he calls the "Outside In" approach to understanding the brain can lead to surprising new insights.

Links and References:

• Buzsaki's Lab
• The Brain from Inside Out by György Buzsáki MD PhD
• Rhythms of the Brain by György Buzsáki (BSP 31)
• Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

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Announcements:

• Please mark your calendar for June 16, 2020 to buy the second edition of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger Campbell, MD. Everyone who buys the book in June is eligible for a live webinar later this summer.
• Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
• Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month. Don't forget to confirm your subscription!
• Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.) BSP 31 with Dr. Buzsaki is available FREE as an extra for this episode.
• Send email to [email protected] or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

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This episode of Brain Science is an interview with neuroscientist Matthew Cobb author of "The Idea of the Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience."

Cobb approaches the history of neuroscience from a different perspective than previous writers. He writes from the perspective of a working scientist with a deep interest in the history of ideas and the interaction between science and culture. This approach makes for a fascinating discussion.

Through out history assumptions about the brain have been influenced by both culture and contemporary science. For example, before the discovery of electricity it was impossible to image that the brain uses both chemical and electrical signals to communicate. Similarly, our current understanding is heavily influenced by the computer metaphor, which actually misses much about how real brains function.

Another aspect of our discussion involves several ongoing debates with neuroscience such as the importance of localization versus network properties. We also touch on the tendency toward neuromythology, which is the tendency to think that understanding the brain is the only tool for understanding what it means to be human. Dr. Cobb reminds of the importance of being aware of the work in a wide varieties of fields include science and the humanities.

Links and References:

• The Idea of the Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience by Matthew Cobb
  • Complete Bibliography at theideaofthebrain.com.
• Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

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Announcements:

• Brain Science comes out on 4th Friday each month.
• The new expanded edition of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty will be released in early May 2020. Anyone who purchases the book in the first 2 weeks after release will be invited to special live webinar. Subscribe to the free Newsletter for updates.
• To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
• Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
• Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
• Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
• Send email to [email protected] or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

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BS 170 is an interview with Andreas Nieder, author of "A Brain for Numbers: The Biology of the Number Instinct." We talk about the surprising discovery that a wide variety of animals have a number instinct, which is called the approximate number system. This appears to provide the basis for the more abstract mathematical abilities that are seen in humans. We also explore the relationship between mathematics and language.

Links and References:

• A Brain for Numbers: The Biology of the Number Instinct by Andreas Nieder
• The Number Sense: How the Mind Creates Mathematics, Revised and Updated Edition (2011) by Stanislas Dehaene
• Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

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Announcements:

• In April 2020 Brain Science returns to a monthly schedule: it return to the 4th Friday of every month.
• The expanded 2nd Edition of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty will be published in late April or early May. See newsletter below for updates.
• Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
• To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
• Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
• Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
• Send email to [email protected] or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

• Twitter: @docartemis
• Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast

Contact Dr. Campbell:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

This episode is an exploration of glial cells with R Douglas Fields, author of "The Other Brain: The Scientific and Medical Breakthroughs That Will Heal Our Brains and Revolutionize Our Health." Glial Cells outnumber the neurons in our nervous system, but until the last few years they were thought to merely support cells. Dr. Fields takes us through the discovery that they have their own signaling methods and are much more important than we ever imagined.

This interview first aired in 2010, but Dr. Fields reviewed the original transcript and made no significant corrections. What was once controversial is now mainstream. I recorded a new introduction and summary and I have included some more recent references below.

Links and References:

• The Other Brain: The Scientific and Medical Breakthroughs That Will Heal Our Brains and Revolutionize Our Health by R. Douglas Fields
• Fields, R.D., Bukalo, O. Myelin makes memories. Nat Neurosci(2020).https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-020-0606-x
• Fields, R.D., The Brain Learns in Unexpected Ways. Scientific American, March 2020.
• See the episode transcript at http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional links and references.

Please Support Brain Science:

• Learn more at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations

Announcements:

• The second, expanded edition of Dr. Campbell's book Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty, will be released on April 28, 2020. Please mark your calendar!
• Brain Science comes out on the 2nd and 4th Friday each month.
• To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
• The 
• Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
• Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
• Send email to [email protected] or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

• Twitter: @docartemis
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Contact Dr. Campbell:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

BS 168 is an interview with psychologist Cecilia Heyes from Oxford University in the UK. We talk about her fascinating book "Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking." Our focus is on exploring the evidence that several cognitive skills that appear to be unique to humans are learned from other people rather than being inherited genetically as is often assumed. The proposal that language is a cognitive gadget NOT a cognitive instinct is controversial and has very important implications.

Links and References:

• Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking by Cecilia Heyes
• Oostenbroek J, Slaughter, V, et. Al. (2016). Comprehensive longitudinal study challenges the existence of neonatal imitation in humans. Current Biology 26(10), 1334-1338.
• See show notes at http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional links and references.

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TextExpander at http://textexpander.com/podcast Announcements:

• Brain Science comes out on the 2nd and 4th Friday each month.
• The expanded 2nd. Ed. of Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty will be coming out April 28, 2020.
• Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
• Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
• Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
• Send email to [email protected] or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

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• Join the Brain Science Group on Goodreads at: http/brainscienceforum.com
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Contact Dr. Campbell:

• Email: [email protected]
• Voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/docartemis

This is an interview with Stanislas Dehaene about his new book How We Learn: Why Brains Learn Better Than Any Machine . . . for Now.  According to neuroscientist Dehaene neuroscience has revealed that human babies are incredible "learning machines" whose abilities exceed those of the best current artificial intelligence. We explore why this is so and how this information could be used to help learners (and teachers) of all ages.

Links and References:

• How We Learn: Why Brains Learn Better Than Any Machine . . . for Now by Stanislas Dehaene
• Visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.

Announcements:

• A 2nd expanded edition of Dr. Campbell's book Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty will be released in May 2020.
• Please join the Brain Science podcast Group on Goodreads at http://brainscienceforum.com.
• Brain Science comes out on the 2nd and 4th Friday each month.
• To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
• Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
• Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
• Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
• Send email to [email protected] or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

Connect on Social Media:

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• Group on Goodreads at http://brainscienceforum.com

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Brain Science 166 features the return of neuroscientist Stephen Macknik. We talk about his recent work that is focused on developing a new visual prosthesis based on recent discoveries and techniques like optogenetics.

This episode is more technical than usual but Dr. Macknik makes the material accessible to all listeners.

Links and References:

• http://macknik.neuralcorrelate.com
• YouTube video: https://youtu.be/TiA1W1OnU9c
• Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for  additional references and episode transcripts.

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The Great Courses Plus: http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/ginger Announcements:

• Brain Science comes out on the 2nd and 4th Friday each month.
• To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
• Learn how you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
• Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
• Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
• Send email to [email protected] or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.

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Contact Dr. Campbell:

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This episode is an encore presentation of an interview with neuroscientists Stephen L. Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde. We talk about their international bestseller "Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions." Macknik and Martinez-Conde are neuroscientists who study vision, but several years ago they had the innovative idea of collaborating with magicians to explore how their use of both visual and cognitive illusions reveals secrets about how our brains work.

This may sound esoteric, but it has practical consequences, especially for making sound decisions in our complex world.

I will be back in 2 weeks with a new interview with Stephen Macknik.

Links and References:

• Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions by Stephen Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde
• Stephen Macknik
• Susana Martinez-Conde

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• Brain Science will be coming out twice a month in 2020 on the second and 4th Friday.
• Send email to [email protected] or post voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis.
• To win an Amazon gift certificate: post a review of Brain Science in iTunes and send me a screenshot.
• Learn you can support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations
• Learn about Dr. Campbell's new coaching efforts at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/coaching
• Sign up for the free Brain Science Newsletter to get show notes automatically every month.
• Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows.

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