Dead Medium

Download: Psychology in Mind – Episode 3

A new series in which psychologist Dr Andrew P. Allen and writer and broadcaster Gareth Stack, turn to psychology for answers about our minds, brains and personalities.

Todays Question – Is Psychology Unethical? We take a dive into the history of ethical abuses within the discipline, discussing infamous experiments like the Milgram Obedience Studies, Harry Harlow’s monkey attachment research, and the Stanford Prison Experiment. We also take a look at how psychology has been applied unethically, in programmes like the CIA’s MK Ultra research, in ‘conversion’ therapy with gay people, and more recently as part of the American black site torture programme. Has this history of ethical abuses made psychology too cautious today – blocking useful avenues of research? Or, by contrast have we yet to atone and do enough to prevent future ethical controversies.

Finally we’ll discuss the process researchers need to go through today to have their studies approved.

Credits

Presented by Gareth Stack and Andrew P. Allen. Music by Marc Remillard.

Special thanks to Richard Roache.

Logo rendered in Blender, based on Brain by dgallichan, Bulldog smoking pipe beyondmatter and Felonous Fedora by Jacob Ragsdale.

Probably my final two radio productions (at least under the sound and vision scheme), were both completed last year. By coincidence they’re both coming to air really soon.

Download: The Listening Stage and Mic Drop Trailer

Each year, legendary radio dramatist Roger Gregg teaches a unique intensive course in radio drama. The Listening Stage follows students of The Gaiety School of Acting’s radio drama course, as they pursue their hopes and dreams of fame. This fly on the wall doc embeds us in Roger’s annual weeklong workshop, introducing actors to the exciting world of audio theatre. The course culminates in a live performance of a radio comedy. We follow the crafting of this production from initial script reading to rehearsals, to the development of sound effects and music, the creation of memorable characters, all the way through to the final performance. Taking a look, for the first time ever, behind the curtain of this legendary drama school’s radio drama workshop.

Broadcasts: Saturday March 31st: 9pm, on Newstalk 106-108 FM.

You’ll also be able to stream the show from Soundcloud, or download it from the Dead Medium Podcast right after broadcast.

Mic Drop is a new one off drama, starring Adam Tyrell, fleshing out the play of the same name that debuted to critical acclaim at the ‘Scene + Heard’ Festival in Summer 2017. This one-man show tells the story of Irish web entrepreneur Perry Pardo. Perry is the living embodiment of the new Ireland. A working class boy made good, Perry moved to San Francisco to make his fortune, and now he’s back to teach a room full of eager listeners how to replicate his success. This satirical business seminar rapidly descends into a dark exploration of contemporary Ireland, as Perry’s hard partying catches up with him and he undergoes a breakdown – revealing his background and failings through fragments of story and song. In the process Perry reveals the anxieties and hypocrisies that can underlie the success stories of Irish entrepreneurship, and the dark side of wealth.

Broadcasts: Tuesday 17th April at 2PM, on Phoenix FM.

You’ll also be able to stream the show from Soundcloud, or download it from the Dead Medium Podcast right after broadcast.

Download: Psychology in Mind – Episode 2

A new series in which psychologist Dr Andrew P. Allen and writer and broadcaster Gareth Stack, turn to psychology for answers about our minds, brains and personalities.

Todays Question – Can we trust our memories?

Our guest today, Dr Richard Roche, neuroscientist and Senior Lecturer at Maynooth University Psychology Dept.

Credits

Presented by Gareth Stack and Andrew P. Allen. Music by Marc Remillard.

Special thanks to Richard Roache.

Logo rendered in Blender, based on Brain by dgallichan, Bulldog smoking pipe beyondmatter and Felonous Fedora by Jacob Ragsdale.

Download: Psychology in Mind – Episode 1 – Creativity

A new series in which psychologist Dr Andrew P. Allen and writer and broadcaster Gareth Stack, turn to psychology for answers about our minds, brains and personalities.

In this episode we discuss creativity. What is creativity? Is it possible to become more creative? Do people innately differ in how naturally creative they are? How do we measure creativity? Why did creativity evolve? Can animals be creative? And is creativity good for us? 

Credits

Presented by Gareth Stack and Andrew P. Allen. Music by Marc Remillard.

Logo rendered in Blender, based on Brain by dgallichan, Bulldog smoking pipe beyondmatter and Felonous Fedora by Jacob Ragsdale.

Show Notes

http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/354593255-garethstack-the-free-school.mp3

The Free School, Dead Medium Productions’ new documentary about Ireland’s first ‘Sudbury Valley School’, broadcast this morning on Newstalk. Wicklow Sudbury is an experiment in alternative education, bringing ‘free schooling’ and ‘unschooling’ to Ireland. You can stream the programme above, or download at our podcast link below. It will also be rebroadcasts at 10PM on Saturday 18th November.

More information – Sudbury Valley Schools, the free school movement, the history of alternative education [PDF].

Special thanks to all the staff and students at Wicklow Sudbury School, including Aaron, Ciara, Sonja, Isthara, Mia, Kashmira, Rick, Fionn, Ed and Faye; and to the national school students featured at the beginning and end of the programme Sophie, Conor, Emma, Aoibhin, Tadhg, Donal and their parents Clare and Keith; to Joanne Lane who was kind enough to speak to me while visiting Wicklow Sudbury; and to Emer Nowlan of Educate Together, and environmental educator Joesph Campbell.