This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg
Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery
This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg provides a fascinating look into the human brain, with each episode asking new questions — and finding new answers — about our most mysterious organ. Together with his expert guests, Dr. Stieg takes us on a journey that reveals unexpected secrets at every turn, and redefines what we know about ourselves and our place in the world.
The podcast explores the many fascinating aspects of neuroscience, ranging from how the brain is wired for both sudden bursts of violence and the pervasive inner calm of meditation. Where does confidence come from? How do we remember traumatic events – or do we? How do other animals experience consciousness? Does storytelling change our brains?
Take the journey with us as we explore the very foundation of what makes us human.
The podcast explores the many fascinating aspects of neuroscience, ranging from how the brain is wired for both sudden bursts of violence and the pervasive inner calm of meditation. Where does confidence come from? How do we remember traumatic events – or do we? How do other animals experience consciousness? Does storytelling change our brains?
Take the journey with us as we explore the very foundation of what makes us human.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 1, 2022 • 27min
Decoding Brainwaves Into Language
Language originates as brain signals — mysterious lines of squiggles — that somehow turn into speech. Meet the neuroscientist who is turning those squiggles into conversations, using artificial intelligence to translate brain activity into words and sentences. Dr. Edward Chang of UCSF talks with Dr. Stieg about the painstaking "magic" of decoding that has allowed a paralyzed man to speak after 20 years of aphasia, essentially live-streaming signals from his brain and transforming them into language. Plus... Why are A.I. voices always female? Sign up for our newsletter at www.ThisIsYourBrain.com
Jun 17, 2022 • 28min
The Power at the End of Your Fork
Depression, anxiety, low libido… your mood is directly related to what you eat. Nutritional psychiatrist (and chef) Uma Naidoo, MD, examines the “gut-brain romance” and explains the delicate balance between your diet and your mental health. If you haven’t given up junk food to lose weight or reduce the risk of diabetes, maybe you’ll do it to feel happier? Plus… what happens when obsessing about healthy eating becomes UNhealthy : https://umanaidoomd.com/
Jun 3, 2022 • 26min
Maps in Your Head
From the outside, a human brain appears fairly uniform – but what’s inside is very different depending on where you look. Your brain has complex maps within that allow you to see, understand, imagine, and recognize everything from faces to objects to abstract concepts like love, time, and debt. This week, neuroscientist Rebecca Schwarzlose of Washington University explains what parts of your brain are at work when you pick up an object, see someone you know, or read a book. Plus... is your GPS map app weakening your brain? www.rebeccaschwarzlose.com https://gardenofthemind.com
May 20, 2022 • 24min
While You Were Sleeping
Can you communicate with someone who's sound asleep, and is it possible to influence their dreams? Ken Paller, professor of psychology at Northwestern and a leading sleep researcher, talks about "lucid dreaming" — the state of dreaming while knowing you're in a dream — as well as about how researchers can reach into the brain of a sleeping person and actually create the experience they have in their dreams. Is it ethical to influence the dream state? What are the implications for brain health if we can never turn off Plus... "Sleep Learning" with the 1920s Psycho-Phone.
May 6, 2022 • 24min
The Brink of Death
Near-death experiences may seem like the stuff of supermarket tabloids, but there are real patterns to what people report after coming close to departing this life. Dr. Bruce Greyson has been studying near-death experiences for decades and has stories to tell about out-of-body phenomena, that light at the end of the tunnel, and a near-universal finding of new meaning in life after coming close to death. Plus... a glimpse of what happens to your brain after death. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250265869/after
Apr 22, 2022 • 29min
Whispers & Tingles
ASMR, or the autonomous sensory meridian response, is a state of deep calm accompanied by a sense of “brain tingles.” Not everyone experiences it, but if you do, you know what triggers it: a whisper or other soft sounds, a gentle touch or movement, even watching a Bob Ross video. Physiologist Craig Richard explains the science behind ASMR, and why in some people induces a deeply relaxing response that can resolve insomnia, relaxation, and stress. Plus: Who are the top “artists” of ASMR? https://asmruniversity.com/about-dr-Richard
Apr 8, 2022 • 27min
Searching for the "God Spot"
Whether you're a believer or not, God is taking up space in your head — the prefrontal cortex, to be exact. Jordan Grafman, PhD, of Northwestern University has been studying where religious belief systems are stored in the brain and how they overlap with moral, political, and social systems. This fascinating episode explores near-death experiences, how brain injury can influence belief, and how religion has been used to enforce cultural and social rules. Plus — the disappearing boundary between religion and politics in America. To read the transcript: https://thisisyourbrainpodcast.com/category/podcast-season-3/ For more information about Dr. Grafman: https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/faculty-profiles/az/profile.html?xid=26439
Mar 25, 2022 • 25min
Exploring The Magic Mushroom
It's effective against depression, can help you stop smoking, even ease end-of-life distress. It's non-addictive, naturally occurring, and has been used for thousands of years -- but you can't have it. It's psilocybin, the compound that creates the "magic" in dozens of species of mushrooms. Johns Hopkins researcher Albert Garcia-Romeu, Ph.D. knows just how magical it is. He's conducting research on psilocybin's therapeutic value for everything from persistent Lyme disease to a range of mental health conditions. Find out what this psychedelic drug can do, and why it got such a bad reputation. Plus... revisiting Timothy Leary's rise and fall as he turned on, tuned out, and dropped out. https://hopkinspsychedelic.org/garcia-romeu
Mar 11, 2022 • 25min
Why Your Brain Hates Exercise
We all know exercising is good for us – it reduces anxiety and inflammation, boosts the immune system, and may even ward off dementia, all while it helps keep us fit. But our brains don’t want us to do it! Meet Dr. Jennifer Heisz, a neuroscientist who learned how overcome the brain's resistance and used exercise to conquer depression - and complete a triathlon! Plus… why those who fear exercise the most have the most to gain from it. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/move-the-body-heal-the-mind-jennifer-heisz?variant=39999874367522
Feb 25, 2022 • 23min
The Science of Storytelling
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? https://pni.princeton.edu/faculty/uri-hasson https://www.storycollider.org/
