Incredible Mind

We are in information overload. AI, social media, 24-hour news cycles, and even podcasts. How do you sift the good information from the bad? In this episode, host Michelle Cross Smith walks you through the foundations of critical thinking, with a focus on the critical thinking skill of evaluating information. There’s lots to learn, so check out the Resources page of incredible-mind.org for videos and downloadable infographics to support your learning. 

Episode Guide:

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:26 What is Critical Thinking
• 3:34 Evaluating Info- the Detective
• 5:17 Evaluating Info- The Judge
• 6:57 Going Deeper into Red Flags and Fallacies
• 7:30 Partial Pictures: Incomplete Info, False Dilemma & Circular Argument
• 9:48 But, Numbers! Questionable Data, Cherry-Picking & Random Numbers
• 11:36 Emotional Crutches: Blame Game, Pity Party and Moral Equivalence
• 14:45 Straight-Up Lies: Conspiracy Theories and Disinformation
• 16:49 Other Common Fallacies: Bandwagon, False Authority, Straw Man & Slippery Slope
• 19:41 Conclusion and Credits

Where does knowledge live in our brains? And how do we mentally connect areas of knowledge to solve problems and come up with new ideas? In this fascinating conversation with neuroscientist Yoed Kenett, he answers these questions and more, sharing insights into creative thinking, aging and the brain, and how the limits of AI’s knowledge impacts its users. This episode is an awesome introduction to many important neuroscience concepts- you won’t want to miss it!

NOTE: Season 2 episodes will be released every two weeks.

Episode Guide

0:00 Introduction

2:52 Cognitive and neural components of memory / knowledge

9:50 What is association?

12:35 Cognitive Network Science

15:56 Semantic memory in creative people

22:41 How to make your memory structure more flexible

23:48 Aging and knowledge

25:40 The limitations of AI’s knowledge

27:07 AI creativity studies

33:39 The Riddle studies- knowledge networks evolving 

39:04 Conclusion & Credits

Ready to change how you see the space around you? In this Season 1 closer for Incredible Mind, Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics post-doc researcher Vasiliki Meletaki explains neuroaesthetics from the perspective of architecture and nature. In this conversation, we revisit the aesthetic triad, explore the three psychological dimensions of architecture and design, and learn how we can apply these insights in the real world. You’ll be surprised how this information changes your awareness of the built environment!

Episode Guide

0:00 Intro

2:03 Architecture, nature, and the Aesthetic Triad

9:30 Impact of personal experience on our perception of spaces

11:17 Philadelphia’s unique architecture

14:54 What people generally like or dislike in building design

16:08 Coherence, fascination and hominess

22:24 Biophilia and nature

29:33 Applying neuroarchitecture to improve quality of life

31:58 The nuance of research results and how to use them

34:24 Conclusion

What does it mean to be an artist in today’s world? How do you practice your art and survive? This episode features Simon van der Ven, ceramicist and owner of van der Ven Studios. Siem walks us through the life of an artist-craftsman, the ceramic process, and what it means to follow a deep calling to create. If you know an aspiring artist, you’ll want to share this with them!

Episode Guide

0:00 Intro

1:45 Sim’s journey to ceramics

6:08 Clay wants to be itself

09:38 Ceramics, humanity & philosophy

14:34 The ceramic-making process

18:30 Workflow strategies during repetitive processes

24:16 What is a professional artist, really?

25:53 Potter-Artist or Artist-Potter

32:14 Conclusion

You interact with the human-made world every day, from apps and login accounts to furniture and supermarket checkouts. Behind all these things is a designer, crafting the product with your experience in mind. In this episode we hear from Cathy Bergstrom, a Director of Product Design with deep knowledge of the process. If you want to learn how products are born, this episode is for you!

Episode Guide

00:00 Intro

02:18 What is product design?

06:55 Product design vs. UX design

07:50 Elements of good design: Apple Notes

11:00 Cathy’s journey to product design

12:50 The product design process

17:38 How new products are born: Amazon Prime

22:51 Defining the problem

27:52 Great design: familiarity or novelty?

30:40 Alternate use: Segway

32:23 Cathy’s final thoughts on product design

34:36 Conclusion

Alyssa Bowser’s Second Chance Dance offers true dance education to adults, providing both novices and experienced dancers the opportunity to learn and move in community with others. In this episode, Alyssa shares the unexpected way Second Chance Dance (SCD) came to be, why dance matters, and how people travel across state lines to fulfill their heart’s desire to practice ballet, modern, tap and other genres. You’ll leave this conversation inspired! 

Episode Guide

0:00 Intro 

01:34 Meet Second Chance Dance (SCD)

03:11 The origins of SCD

07:06 Recitals and their Impact at SCD

10:49 Michelle’s transcendent recital experience

13:27 Learning dance- emotional, mental, and physical work

16:55 Choreography

22:56 Experience of dancer versus audience

24:53 SCD as its own living entity and how to maintain its heart

30:01 Juggling community mission with dance education

32:01 Alyssa says: answer the call

34:50 Credits

What would you like to create? Creative ideas come in many forms, from a screenplay to a new cookie recipe. While emotions can keep us from getting started or completing our work, we can harness our emotions to overcome a variety of creative challenges. In this episode, we hear from Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, author and Senior Research Scientist at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Zorana’s book, The Creativity Choice is an insightful and inspirational guide to getting us through the emotional and cognitive hurdles we face as creative beings.

Episode Guide

0:00 Introduction

02:15 Why Zorana wrote The Creativity Choice

04:39 Uncertainty is part of creativity

05:26 Defining creativity

07:56 Big C, little C and pro C creativity

11:37 Creativity in unexpected places

14:57 Making your creative idea happen

18:43 Exploration of the idea and willingness to change

21:04 Expanding or refining your idea

26:26 Challenges of the creative process

32:36 Dealing with blocks

34:22 Harnessing our emotions

38:41 The Power of frustration

42:30 Creativity is social- strong and weak ties

45:24 Conclusion

How are music and imagination linked? Is it possible to transmit images and even stories using music? In this episode, post-doc researcher Itamar Jalon shares the mind-expanding research happening at the Music Cognition Lab, part of Princeton University’s Neuroscience Institute. Whether you like neuroscience, music, or simply letting your mind wander, you’re going to love this conversation.

Link to the research article: https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10690083 

Episode Guide

0:00  Intro

1:53 Itamar describes the research project

7:05 Why the comparison data of spoken story is important

09:21 Defining Neural Patterns

16:32 Extramusical Thoughts 

17:56 Areas of the brain activated by imagining musical narratives

19:29 Default Mode Network

20:06 Association cortices

22:22 How do we apply this information in our daily lives?

23:45 Attention harvesting

24:45 Boredom 

27:27 Other ways to experience music

28:31 Controlled vs naturalistic studies

29:49 Shared meaning-making and conversations

33:22 Closing Remarks

Today’s episode explores neurology, Parkinsons’s Disease, brain science and creativity with Dr. Jonathan Reiner,  a neurologist who is also an artist. Johnathan specializes in Parkinson’s Disease, so our conversation explores neurology and brain science through the Parkinson’s lens, while also delving into movement and creativity as critical to brain health. 

Episode Guide

• 0:00  Intro
• 1:42 What is a Neurologist?
• 4:39 Defining Parkinson’s Disease 
• 8:17 Dopamine deep dive
• 11:04 Is Parkinson’s a male disease?
• 11:40 Deep Brain Stimulation DBS origins, how it works
• 16:57 Brain anatomy in context
• 23:45 Maintaining quality of life w/Parkinson’s
• 28:04 Creative Urges with Parkinsons
• 29:22 Johnathan’s Creative life
• 31:08 Conclusion

From improv classes and stage acting to cosplay conventions, renaissance fairs, and sharing skits on social media, many of us love to act. In Episode 4 of Incredible Mind, Thalia Goldstein shares fascinating and widely applicable insights from her work on the 8 Acting Habits of Mind. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in psychology and its application in the real world. 

To check out Thalia’s book and get a printable copy of her Acting Habits of Mind, visit

https://www.thaliagoldstein.com/why-theatre-ed-matters 

Episode Guide

• 0:00  Intro
• 1:48 Thalia’s Journey 
• 4:17  Defining Habits of Mind
• 8:02  Acting Habits of Mind Origins
• 12:17  Body Awareness and Control (interoception, emotion)
• 13:38  Release Inhibitions and be playful (creativity, divergent thinking)
• 15:28  Commit to Choices
• 17:05  Reflect and Think Metacognitively (providing feedback)
• 22:32  Consider Others (empathy, theory of mind, default social network)
• 26:37  Collaborate, the 21st century skill
• 29:07  Collaboration in the digital space
• 31:57  Emotion contagion and embodies awareness
• 33:37  Imagine and Envision
• 36:32  Bringing Acting Habits of Mind into our lives
• 39:51  Releasing our inhibitions to play as adults
• 43:57  Conclusion