Author: This Is Your Brain producer
Artificial intelligence is ushering in a new era of mind reading, with advanced brain scans revealing much of what we’re thinking about. Dr. Marvin Chun, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Yale, explains how researchers in his lab are using fMRI and other new technologies to see what’s going on in your brain, even as you sleep. This holds great promise for those in persistent vegetative states, even as it raises ethical questions about just who gets to read your mind. Dr. Stieg: I’m really excited about our topic of mind reading today because it seems right out of sci-fi movies.…
Frayed social bonds, toxic and demanding work environments, and even helicopter parenting are all contributing to an American epidemic of burnout. Dr. Richard Friedman, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Director of the Student Mental Health Program at Weill Cornell Medical College, explains how we can better deal with everyday adversity, stress, and discomfort without succumbing to burnout – and how we can prepare our kids for the workplace of the future. Dr. Stieg: Hi, I’m Dr. Phil Stieg. It seems that workers young and old, whether part-time, self-employed or corporate executives are experiencing increasing levels of stress and burnout. The World…
New York Times journalist Rod Nordland is confronting his glioblastoma diagnosis with positivity, not despair. In this inspiring episode, he speaks with Dr. Stieg about coming to terms with the disease, what it’s like to live with his everyday challenges, and why he hasn’t shed a tear over it. Dr. Stieg: Hi, this is Dr. Phil Stieg. Senators Ted Kennedy and John McCain brought nationwide attention to their battles with an incurable aggressive brain cancer called glioblastoma, or GBM for short. GBM is a top target in a worldwide research effort to find cures. We, as neurosurgeons working with our neurooncologist…
Dr. Richard Isaacson, Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine, shares the just-published results of his groundbreaking clinical trial which show that a personalized prevention plan can dramatically lower the risk or progression of Alzheimer’s. Also joining the discussion is one of Dr. Isaacson’s patients who is living proof that this new approach works. Dr. Stieg: Dr. Richard Issacson, one of the leading authorities on Alzheimer’s disease joins me today to talk about Alzheimer’s disease and the results from his groundbreaking clinical trial. I’m also especially pleased to welcome one of Dr. Isaacson’s patients from the trial, Karen…
Mass shootings, bullying and retaliation, and other acts of violence — why did the human brain evolve to be so aggressive? Dr. Heather Berlin, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine, talks about the genetics of violence, the “mean girl” phenomenon, and why some psychopaths end up in jail while others land in the corner office. Dr. Stieg: It seems like every time we turn on the TV or go to our computer or onto our cell phone, we learn about another terrible act of public violence to help us better understand what’s happening in society and…
How have sexual behaviors changed in our Millennial, #MeToo era? Biological anthropologist Helen Fisher, PhD, explains the nuances of being just friends, friends with benefits, or a casual hookup — and tells us how the trend toward longer courtships may change everything. Dr. Stieg: We are here today with Dr. Helen Fisher. She is one of the world’s leading experts on love and author and biological anthropologist. She is a senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute of Indiana university as well as a member of the center for human evolutionary studies in the department of anthropology at Rutgers University.…