Author: This Is Your Brain producer
Brain science is everywhere, even in the stories we tell. Hear from neuroscientists and storytelling experts Paula Croxson and Uri Hasson about how the brain processes stories, how a listener’s mind resonates with the storyteller’s, and why some stories have the power to transport you to a different place. Plus… If facts can’t change someone’s mind, can stories? Phil Stieg: Hello! In today’s episode we’ll meet two guests who are going to help us explore the science of storytelling — and storytelling about science. First, is Dr. Paula Croxson. Dr. Croxson is the Director of Public Programs at The Zuckerman…
Dr. Tony Nader, an academic, author, and the leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement, knows how you can find inner peace. TM is like a deep dive to the stillness at the bottom of the ocean, leaving the turbulent waves far above. Learn how the body and mind are inextricably bound, and how meditation can improve mental and physical health. Plus… what the Beatles taught us about meditation.Phil Stieg: Hello, and welcome to Dr. Tony Nader, head of the Transcendental Meditation Organization, globally and successor to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. How can we explain the brain body interaction? What can we…
Where in the brain is that little something that makes top performers feel so confident in their ability? Can that confidence be developed in someone who is naturally more timid? Dr. Nate Zinsser, director of West Point’s Performance Psychology Program and author of The Confident Mind, explains how a sense of mastery develops, and why butterflies in your stomach are a signal from the brain when you’re about to do something great. Plus… why Ted Lasso wants us all to be a little more like goldfish. Phil Stieg: Hello, and welcome to Dr. Nate Zinsser, director of performance psychology for the…
Where were you on 9/11, and why do you remember it so clearly? Dr. Elizabeth Phelps, a Harvard neuroscience professor who studies the effect of trauma on memory, explains how highly emotional events get stored in our brains. Find out why we are so confident that these “flashbulb memories” are completely accurate, even though the evidence suggests otherwise. Plus… the “Michael Moore effect” that can influence what we think we remember.Phil Steig: Hello. And welcome to Professor Elizabeth Phelps here to speak with us about how we form memories and their relationship to trauma. Dr. Phelps is currently a professor…
After witnessing a childhood friend suffer from a severe eating disorder, Dr. Lauren Breithaupt dedicated her career to exploring the causes of anorexia, bulimia, and related syndromes. Now a PhD in psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Breithaupt explains that eating disorders – once thought to be a plague of teenage girls – can affect men and women of all ages and share a genetic link with other psychiatric disorders. Plus… how dinnertime conversations help your child’s brain develop. Phil Stieg: Hello and welcome to Dr. Lauren Breithaupt, co-director of the Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital.…
Is it possible to relieve depression or PTSD using electricity? Kelly Bijanki, PhD, runs a lab at Baylor College of Medicine, where her team is using deep brain stimulation to induce happiness in patients who need it the most. Her fascinating work shows that “emotional” issues are as biologically based as “neurological” ones, and that depression can be treated with the same techniques used for epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease. Plus … the evolution of the smile.Phil Stieg: Hello, I want to welcome Dr Kelly Bijanki, a scientist in the departments of neurosurgery, psychiatry and neuroscience at the Baylor College of…