Author: This Is Your Brain producer
More than an evolutionary waste of energy, dreams are one of the last mysteries of human cognition. Dr. Raphael Vallat, a neuroscientist and sleep researcher at UC Berkeley, explains what we know about what happens during REM sleep, why we have recurring nightmares, and even how that evening cocktail affects your dreams. Plus… the weirdest things some people do while they’re asleep. Phil Stieg: I’m happy to introduce Dr. Rafael Vallat. He’s a neuroscientist at the Walker Sleep Lab in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. You will quickly notice he’s not from the United States,…
A brain experiment on abstract vs representational art reveals the secrets of how we make decisions, and how we impulsive humans may finally learn to delay gratification. Psychologist Daphna Shohamy, Professor of Psychology at the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute at Columbia University, explains “construal level theory” and what that means about art — and dessert. Plus… The Stendahl Syndrome (aka an Art Attack), in which great works can quite literally knock you flat. Phil Stieg: Hello, today, I have with me Dr. Daphna Shohamy. She’s a professor of psychology at Columbia University and in the Zuckerman Institute. Her background…
Delve into a comedian’s brain to discover what makes people laugh — and when the comic is also a neuroscientist, it’s no joke! Dr. Ori Amir studies what goes on in the brain as jokes are born, and he’s also learned how to “get out of his head” to write some pretty funny stuff. Be afraid: He is working on using artificial intelligence to come up with new puns to make us groan. Phil Stieg: Welcome! Today I have with me Dr. Ori Amir, Dr. Amir is a neuroscientist at the University of California. He is a leading researcher on the way our brains…
Welcome to the International Brain Bee, where the innovators of tomorrow — most of them still too young to drive — are spending their days memorizing brain parts, studying neurons, and even dissecting cadaver brains. Meet Norbert Mylinski, who founded the worldwide competition, and Julianne McCall, a Brain Bee alum who is now co-director of the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine. Plus… How many Brain Bee questions could YOU answer? Phil Stieg: I’m excited to welcome Dr. Norbert Myslinski, founder of the U.S. Brain Bee, a program designed to help motivate teenagers and inspire interest in the neurosciences. In…
Menopause can wreak havoc on mood and body temperature as it signals the end of fertility, but some of the biggest changes it causes are in the brain. Emily Jacobs, assistant professor in the department of psychological and brain sciences at UC Santa Barbara, explains how the precipitous decline in estrogen during the “change of life” disrupts the endocrine system, and why menopause makes some women feel like they’re going crazy while others sail through unscathed. Plus: Hear from real women describing the wide range of effects they experienced. Phil Stieg: Hello, today, I have with me Dr. Emily Jacobs.…
After the shocking 2011 attack that sent a would-be assassin’s bullet through her brain, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had to re-learn how to breathe, walk, and talk. In the Season 2 premiere episode of This Is Your Brain, Dr. Stieg talks with neurologic music therapist Maegan Morrow, whose innovative techniques helped Giffords regain her voice. Plus: A bonus interview with Ms. Giffords herself Phil Stieg: With me today is Maegan Morrow. She is a board-certified music therapist and a member of the American Music Therapy Association and currently works at TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital. Maegan is well known for her…