Author: This Is Your Brain producer

Babies and toddlers have truly outstanding brains — they absorb information broadly, quickly, and indiscriminately as they learn about the world, with processing speeds that leave AI-powered robots in the dust. Alison Gopnik, professor of psychology and affiliate professor of Philosophy at U.C. Berkeley, has been studying baby brains for decades, and she joins us today to talk about how we could look to them to make computers smarter. Phil Stieg: Hello, I’d like to welcome Allison Gopnik, a global authority in cognitive science and an expert in the study of children’s learning and development. She is a professor of…

Your early experiences literally change the way you think and feel about the world — they even shape what you see and hear. Dr. Chantel Prat, a cognitive neuroscientist and professor at the University of Washington, studies how variations in brain wiring make each of us unique individuals and drive our understanding of each other, and of the world.In this episode, learn which parts of the brain are “experience-expectant” (waiting for input on how to develop), and why trade-offs in the brain are responsible for our personalities, our learning styles, and our values. The answers begin to explain how three…

Bonus clip from Training to Be Yourself with Dr. Chantel Prat. In this bonus segment, Dr. Chantel Prat describes in detail some of the research she conducts at the University of Washington including how to determine if you are a “carrot” learner or a ”stick” learner. You can test yourself at home using the on-line versions of her experiments (see the links on the right). She emphasizes that understanding how our brains are different – and the “tradeoffs” that result from those differences – can be crucial to our mental health. Phil Stieg: You talk a little bit about the…

Our brains evolved for a simpler life, and today they struggle to cope with a deluge of distraction from technology.  Dr. Adam Gazzaley, professor of neurology at the University of California San Francisco, reveals why the brain loves multi-tasking even though it’s so bad for productivity; why “single-tasking” is so hard to relearn; and why 60-year-olds can’t filter out irrelevant information. Plus… a prescription video game that can help kids with ADHD and others change their brains to find better focus. Phil Stieg: Hello, I’d like to welcome Dr. Adam Gazzaley, the distinguished professor of neurology, physiology and psychiatry at…

Bonus clip from Drowning in Distraction, with Dr. Adam Gazzaley.Dr. Adam Gazzaley, professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco addresses how our “ancient” brains struggle to cope with the deluge of distraction from modern-day technology and offers solutions.In this bonus segment, Dr. Gazzaley shares what multitasking really means, and why some people prefer working from a coffee shop when they want to focus. Phil Stieg: One of my pet peeves is when I used to go on interviews and somebody would ask me whether I could multitask. My personal feeling is your brain cannot multitask. And I’m curious…

Speech therapists have long used music to help patients regain their voices after stroke or brain injury. Today’s music therapists are going even further, developing strategies that use music on patients with Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, cognitive issues, and more. Hear from Neurologic Music Therapist Caitlin Hebb about how the rhythm and rhyme of music work on memory, gait, and language. Plus… what’s that earworm? Phil Stieg: Hello. I’d like to welcome Caitlin Hebb, Clinical Operations Manager and a neurologic music therapy fellow at Med Rhythms Therapy. She graduated from Berkeley College of Music with a degree in music…