This podcast highlights the annual review of Brain Science. Topics covered include the exploration of free will and its connection to evolution, the stories of various neuroscientists and their research on plant behavior and intelligence, the integration of cognitive and emotional processes in the brain, an overview of neurotransmitters and their role in signaling, the complexity of synapses and protein lifespan, reflection on consciousness with a philosopher, and the encouragement of subscribing to the show and accessing early episodes.

Neuroscientist Kevin Mitchell explores the concept of free will, arguing that it is part of our evolutionary heritage. He challenges determinism and discusses the two-stage model of free will. Mitchell also explores the behavior of bacteria and the concept of emergence. Overall, he argues that free will is not an illusion and is a result of evolution.

Philosopher Thomas Metzinger discusses the discovery that consciousness is a biological process. Topics include altered states, dreaming, out of body experiences, and virtual reality. The relationship between consciousness and biology, as well as the nature of the self as a process, are explored. The disconnection between the body and the brain in lucid dreams and out-of-body experiences is also discussed. The relationship between sense of self and body models, advancements in neurotechnology, and the future understanding of ourselves are considered.

Molecular biologist Seth Grant discusses the lifespan of synapse proteins and its implications for aging, memory, and diseases. The podcast explores the role of molecular biology in neuroscience, the challenges of choosing research projects, and the complexities of synapses in vertebrates and invertebrates, including octopuses.

This episode is our first review of neurotransmitters since episode 8 way back in 2007. We start with some basics of neuron function and brain anatomy, but the meat of the episode is a discussion of neurotransmitters and how they work. The key idea is that a simple molecule, such as dopamine, can have a wide variety of effects because of the existence of multiple receptors. This episode is appropriate for listeners of all backgrounds, but might be a little challenging for new listeners. It will be a review episode for longtime listeners and those with backgrounds in neuroscience. Links and References: Essentials of Modern Neuroscience by Franklin Amthor, W. Anne Burton Theibert, David Standaert, and Erik Roberson; 1st ed. 2020 Molecular & Cell Biology For Dummies, 2nd Edition by Rene Fester Kratz BS 118: Beyond the Zonules of Zinn: A Fantastic Journey Through Your Brain (2008) by David Bainbridge BS 169: Glial Cells with Doug Fields BS 186: The Spike with Mark Humphries BS 197: Neuroscience For Dummies 3rd Edition by Frank Amthor The War of the Soups and the Sparks: The Discovery of Neurotransmitters and the Dispute Over How Nerves Communicate by Elliot Valenstein Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.In Announcements: Please FOLLOW the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube. The mobile app has been updated and is now called Brain Science Podcast. The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content. Dr. Campbell's move to New Zealand has been delayed, but she hopes to be in Auckland by August, 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia. Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others. Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up. Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available) Learn more ways to support Brain Science at https://brainsciencepodcast.com/premium Connect on Social Media: Mastadon: https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis Twitter: @docartemis Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast Contact Dr. Campbell: Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

This month's episode of Brain Science is an interview with Luiz Pessoa, author of The Entangled Brain: How Perception, Cognition, and Emotion Are Woven Together. This is Pessoa's first book aimed at a general audience and it provides a concise overview of our current understanding of basic brain function. However, he also explains the limitations of the traditional modular view of the brain. A key take home point is that emotion and cognition are deeply intertwined at every level. Links and References: The Entangled Brain: How Perception, Cognition, and Emotion Are Woven Together by Luiz Pessoa The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration by Luiz Pessoa: BS 207 (encore) Luiz Pessoa, PhD: Professor of Psychology,University of Maryland Twitter: @PessoaBrain Mastadon: @PessoaBrain Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.   Please Visit Our Sponsors: Announcements: Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey. The mobile app has been updated and is now called Brain Science Podcast. The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content. Dr. Campbell's move to New Zealand has been delayed, but she hopes to be in Auckland by August, 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia. Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others. Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up. Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available) Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations Connect on Social Media: Mastadon: https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis Twitter: @docartemis Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast Contact Dr. Campbell: Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

This month's episode is an interview with Cambridge Psychology professor Sander van der Linden, author of "Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity." We discuss the important topic of how techniques like appealing to emotion contribute to the spread of misinformation. Dr. Campbell reflects on why this topic is important. Links and References: Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity by Sander van der Linden Sander van der Linden, Phd (University of Cambridge) Learn more via video games at https://inoculation.science/ Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.   Announcements: Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey. The mobile app has been updated and is now called Brain Science Podcast. The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content. Dr. Campbell's move to New Zealand has been delayed, but she hopes to be in Auckland by July 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia. Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others. Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up. Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available) Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations Connect on Social Media: Twitter: @docartemis Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast Contact Dr. Campbell: Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

This month's episode is an encore presentation of an interview with neuroscientist Luiz Pessoa discussing his fascinating book "The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration." We explored the surprising role of the amygdala in decision making and learned that cognition and emotion are deeply intertwined at every level. Links and References: The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration by Luiz Pessoa Luiz Pessoa, PhD (University of Maryland) Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts. Announcements: Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey. Dr. Campbell is moving to New Zealand and would love to connect with listeners from New Zealand and Australia. Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others. Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up. Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available) The mobile app is now called "Brain Science Podcast" and can be used to get both premium and free content Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations Connect on Social Media: Twitter: @docartemis Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast Contact Dr. Campbell: Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

This month we have an intriguing interview with Dr. Paco Calvo from the Minimal Intelligence Laboratory at the University of Mercia in Spain. We talk with him about his new book Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Intelligence. We discuss the scientific evidence for plant intelligence while acknowledging that intelligence and consciousness are not the same. It is interesting to think of plants as demonstrating embodied cognition in contrast to the "intelligence" demonstrated by computer software. We also consider the pioneering work of Charles Darwin, who actually studied plant behavior before the invention of time lapse photography. Links and References: Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence  by Paco Calvo Paco Calvo (University of Mercia, Spain) Gagliano, M., Vyazovskiy, V. V., Borbély, A. A., Grimonprez, M., & Depczynski, M. (2016). Learning by Association in Plants. Scientific reports, 6, 38427. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep38427 Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.   Announcements: The Brain Science mobile app has been relaunched in iOS as the Brain Science Podcast app. Be sure to download this new version to avoid the crashing of the old app. (I am not sure if the problem has effected Android users.) Support Brain Science via Patreon. If you pledge at least $10 per month you will get  Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD.  Contact Dr. Campbell if you are interested a listener meet-up or sponsoring a talk by Dr. Campbell during her trip to Europe on April 10, 2023. Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others. Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up. Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations Connect on Social Media: Twitter: @docartemis Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast Contact Dr. Campbell: Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

In this follow-up interview with molecular biologist Dr. Guy Caldwell we learn more about how the tools of molecular biology are used to unravel questions in neurobiology and provide hope for better treatments for problems like Parkinson's Disease. Links and References: Guy Caldwell, PhD (University of Alabama) LinkedIn  BS 204 Encore of 2009 interview The Worm Shack Mew, M., Caldwell, K. A., & Caldwell, G. A. (2022). From bugs to bedside: functional annotation of human genetic variation for neurological disorders using invertebrate models. Human molecular genetics, 31(R1), R37–R46. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddac203 Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts. Announcements: Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey. Dr. Campbell  is moving to New Zealand, probably in May 2023. Please subscribe or follow Brain Science in your favorite audio app and please share it with others. Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the free Brain ScienceNewsletter to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up. Check out the Brain Science podcast channel on YouTube Support Brain Science by buying Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available) Check out the free Brain Science Mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.) Learn more ways to support Brain Science at http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations Connect on Social Media: Twitter: @docartemis Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast Contact Dr. Campbell: Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com