In this special episode, created by one of our student podcast fellows, NYU student Sandro Schwyzer speaks with neuroscientist Joseph Ledoux, a former NYU professor and the band leader of The Amygdaloids. They discuss how he came to study neuroscience and the journey music has taken him on, revealing secrets about emotions through his creative process.

Joseph LeDoux is an American neuroscientist known for his groundbreaking work on the nature of consciousness and the study of emotion. He wrote remarkable books such as “The Deep History of Ourselves: The Four-Billion-Year Story of How We Got Our Conscious Brains” where he discusses the relationship between emotion, consciousness, and the different parts of the human brain. This year, Professor LeDoux retired from his position as a professor of neuroscience and psychology at New York University. But LeDoux not only came into science in an unconventional way, he has also been very successful as the band leader of The Amygdaloids. He’s been a guest on renowned podcasts like Joe Rogan and Lawrence Krauss, has had an Amazon documentary made about him, and features in Werner Herzog’s latest documentary “Theatre of Thought.” He is currently working on his memoirs.

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