The Armen Show 206: Alan Jasanoff | The Connection Between Brain And Body, And More From “The Biological Mind”
The connection between the brain, body, and mind is the connection between the subunits of our living world. Professor Alan Jasanoff, director of the Center for Neurobiological Engineering at MIT, explored this topic in his book The Biological Mind.
Professor Jasanoff obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemical Sciences at Harvard College. After completing his Masters in Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, UK, he returned to Harvard University to commit to his PhD studies in Biophysics. Jasanoff joined the faculty of the Department of Biological Engineering at MIT in 2004.
In my episode with Professor Jasanoff, we discussed:
- his career and the steps that led him to where he is
- the philosophy of neuroscience, and the reductionist mindset
- the use of fMRI for brain imaging and understanding of the pathways
- some of the analogs between a brain and a computer
- how the external world is linked to the internal
- ways that imaging has changed in the field in recent years
- how parts of the brain are activated by emotions, but are not the only regions involved in such activity
- the way that emotions light up sensations throughout the body
- how the processes performed by the brain are connected to stimuli
- scientists keeping track of the current research in their industry
Glad to have Professor Jasanoff on the show. You can check out his faculty page, look at his PubMed Publications list, or check out The Biological Mind on Amazon.
