The Giants Shoulder

Dr. Dean Haycock is a neuroscientist and author of Murderous Minds and Tyrannical Minds, two of the most compelling books ever written on psychopathy and the biology of evil.From serial killers to world leaders, Dean has spent his career uncovering how the brains of psychopaths differ from the rest of us — and what that means for free will, justice, and the future of society.Expect to learn what brain scans reveal about the minds of psychopaths, why fear and empathy circuits often go silent in their brains, how genetics and childhood environments combine to create violent personalities, why some psychopaths end up in prison while others rise to power, what separates a manipulative CEO from a serial killer, whether science can predict who will kill again, the moral dilemmas of using neuroscience in the courtroom, whether psychopaths truly have free will, and much more…Timestamps: 00:00 Intro03:30 Understanding Psychopathy: Definitions and Controversies06:30 Cultural Perspectives on Psychopathy09:16 Psychopathy in Business and Leadership12:21 The Nature of Psychopathy: Traits and Misconceptions15:25 Psychopathy and Violence: Myths vs. Reality18:22 Self-Awareness and Psychopathy20:55 Gender Differences in Psychopathy24:15 Neuroscience of Psychopathy: Brain Function and Emotion39:24 Understanding Psychopathy and Its Biological Basis42:46 The Role of Genetics and Environment in Psychopathy45:35 Brain Imaging and Predicting Psychopathic Traits48:44 Neuroethics and the Future of Brain Scanning51:15 Dopamine, Serotonin, and Psychopathic Behaviour54:34 Gene-Environment Interactions in Behaviour56:56 The Complexity of Genes and Behaviour01:00:33 The Influence of Genetics on Political Ideology01:03:54 Consciousness and Its Biological Underpinnings01:07:04 Psychopathy and Romantic Relationships01:10:31 Dissociative Identity Disorder and Psychopathy01:12:15 Exploring Dissociative Identity Disorder01:13:52 Legal Implications of Psychological Disorders01:16:13 Understanding Psychopathy and Responsibility01:17:33 Ethical Culpability and Biological Predispositions01:20:10 Sentencing and Biological Considerations01:23:32 Case Study: The Teacher with a Tumor01:28:18 The Complexity of Free Will01:30:20 Learning from Criminal Behavior01:34:20 The Importance of Understanding History01:36:07 Future Research Directions in Psychopathology📚 RECOMMENDED READINGMurderous Minds: https://amzn.to/4mnWgG5Tyrannical Minds: Psychological Profiling, Narcissism, and Dictatorship: https://amzn.to/4ogPBPI…Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )[Brain.FM](http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)[Consensus.AI](http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Dr. Joanna Moncrieff is a psychiatrist, researcher, and author of The Myth of the Chemical Cure and Chemically Imbalanced, whose work has radically challenged one of the most powerful ideas in modern psychiatry — that depression is caused by a serotonin imbalance. Her landmark 2022 review in Molecular Psychiatry dismantled the serotonin hypothesis, exposing how Big Pharma turned a shaky theory into a multi‑billion‑dollar industry.Read the review: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01661-0Expect to learn why the serotonin “chemical imbalance” story became the biggest myth in mental health, how SSRIs actually work — and why their benefits may be no greater than placebo, the shocking prevalence of emotional blunting and sexual dysfunction, why nearly 1 in 4 women in the UK are now on antidepressants, how Big Pharma engineered one of the most influential disinformation campaigns in medicine, what depression really is if not a brain disorder, why environmental factors far outweigh genes, the overlooked power of placebo, and why Joanna believes SSRIs may be doing more harm than good.Timestamps:00:03:10 The Serotonin Hypothesis of Depression00:06:13 Challenging Conventional Psychiatric Narratives00:09:08 The Role of Big Pharma in Mental Health00:12:02 Public Reaction to New Findings00:15:14 The Impact of Misinformation on Patients00:18:10 Understanding SSRIs and Their Effects00:21:07 The Pharmaceutical Industry's Influence00:23:40 The Relationship Between Healthcare and Pharma00:26:28 Current State of Antidepressant Research00:29:26 Efficacy and Side Effects of SSRIs00:32:19 Emotional Blunting and Sexual Dysfunction00:35:45 Long-term Effects of Antidepressants00:43:57 Concerns Over Antidepressants and Sexual Dysfunction00:49:01 Understanding Depression: A Complex Emotional Reaction0:54:33 The Role of Serotonin in Mood Disorders01:00:11 Genetic Influences on Depression01:13:25 Rethinking Treatment Approaches for Depression01:19:27 Psychedelics: Potential and Pitfalls in Mental Health Treatment..._Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )[Brain.FM](http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)[Consensus.AI](http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Johnjoe McFadden is a molecular geneticist, consciousness theorist, and best-selling co-author of Life on the Edge — the book that brought quantum mechanics into biology and shattered how we think about life itself.He pioneered the first fully electronic rapid diagnostic test for deadly diseases like meningitis and COVID, and his groundbreaking work helped create the field of quantum biology — showing how enzymes, photosynthesis, even bird migration rely on quantum weirdness to function.His bold CEMI Field Theory claims that your consciousness isn’t locked in your neuron's at all — it’s broadcast through your brain’s electromagnetic field. If true, it could finally solve the binding problem and change everything we know about the mind.Expect to learn why life depends on quantum particles dancing through your cells, how robins literally see the Earth’s magnetic field, why DNA mutations may be driven by quantum tunnelling, why quantum biology might hold the key to free will, and how the brain’s invisible field could be the seat of your conscious experience — plus what that means for AI, evolution, and the very nature of reality...Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:50 Introduction to Quantum Biology04:49 Bird Navigation and Quantum Mechanics16:47 The Spark of Interest in Quantum Biology24:38 Quantum Mechanics in Biological Processes26:48 Challenges of Quantum Mechanics in Biology32:34 Consciousness and Quantum Mechanics50:00 The Nature of Light and Time50:30 Photon Journey: From Sun to Retina51:27 Consciousness and Electromagnetic Fields53:18 Unified Information in the Brain54:47 The Brain's Electromagnetic Field and Consciousness56:16 Fields vs. Matter: Understanding Consciousness57:39 Quantum Mechanics and Consciousness58:50 The Interaction of Neural Circuits and EM Fields61:06 Conscious Behaviour and EM Field Dynamics01:03:25 Neuron's as Receivers of Electromagnetic Information01:05:42 The Relationship Between Brain and EM Field01:06:40 Unconscious Information and EM Field Integration01:13:53 Non-Conscious vs. Conscious Processing01:17:25 Intuition and Unconscious Integration01:22:46 The Role of EEG in Consciousness Research01:23:36 Consciousness in Bacteria and Animals01:28:16 Panpsychism and the Nature of Consciousness01:28:23 The Future of AI and Consciousness...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGLife on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology: https://amzn.to/4lQQey0Life is Simple: How Occam's Razor Set Science Free And Unlocked the Universe: https://amzn.to/3IMuCEkQuantum Evolution: Life in the Multiverse: https://amzn.to/450UvsR…_Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )[Brain.FM](http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)[Consensus.AI](http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Dr. Evelina Fedorenko, a cognitive neuroscientist at MIT, is at the forefront of understanding how our brain processes language. In this conversation, she reveals that our inner monologue might be an illusion and discusses how AI models like GPT mimic human cerebral activity. The exploration covers the relationship between language and thought, the distinct regions in our brains responsible for them, and the process hyperpolyglots use to learn multiple languages. Lastly, the podcast dives into the philosophical questions around AI consciousness and its implications for neuroscience.

Nick Lane is a biochemist, Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry at University College London, and author of Transformer, The Vital Question, and Power, Sex, Suicide — books that have revolutionised how we think about the origin of life, complexity, and the deep chemistry powering consciousness.Life, Lane argues, didn’t begin in a soup but in the cracks of the seafloor — powered not by sunlight, but by geochemical gradients, ancient electricity, and the quiet inevitability of metabolism. And astonishingly, those same forces still flow through your cells — and possibly your mind.Expect to learn how life may have started in alkaline hydrothermal vents, why proton gradients might be more fundamental than DNA, how ATP synthase works like a microscopic motor powered by a field strength equal to a bolt of lightning, why mitochondria changed everything for complex life, how consciousness could emerge from electrical charge flow, whether bacterial cells might have feelings, why Lane rejects panpsychism but entertains “cellular sentience,” how the structure of life reflects planetary energy flow, and what this all means for AI, aging, and the nature of being alive.Timestamps: 00:00 A Deep Dive into the Origins of Life03:57 The Cathedral of Life: Hydrothermal Vents as the Cradle09:45 Thermodynamics, CO₂, and the Secret of Organic Chemistry13:40 From Geochemistry to Biochemistry18:32 The First Energy Systems and Proton Gradients24:00 ATP Synthase and the Universal Energy Machine28:57 Why Life Isn’t Just Chemistry—It’s System Design32:34 Life Beyond Carbon? The Case for Biochemical Inevitability39:04 Mitochondria, Endosymbiosis, and the Rise of Complexity46:02 Why Mitochondria Hold the Key to Eukaryotic Life51:28 The Real Reason Complex Life Took So Long to Emerge56:21 Scaling Energy: How Big Cells Became Possible01:02:30 Death, Aging, and the Bioelectric Clock01:08:04 Why Mitochondria Can Be a Double-Edged Sword01:14:25 Are We Overrating Neural Complexity?01:20:48 Bioelectricity and the Architecture of Development01:27:13 Could Consciousness Emerge Without a Brain?01:34:00 Mitochondria, Voltage Maps, and the Future of Bioelectric Science01:39:03 Feelings as Electric Readouts of Metabolic State01:44:12 Can Anesthetics Unlock the Mystery of Consciousness?01:50:00 A Spectrum of Consciousness—Even Bacteria Feel?01:56:15 Karl Friston, Free Energy, and the Bayesian Cell02:02:15 The Neural Correlates of Consciousness — A Failed Bet?02:07:04 Metabolism-First Consciousness: Nick’s Radical Hypothesis02:08:38 Is It ATP or Electrical Fields That Matter Most?02:13:20 Why Studying Fruit Flies Could Answer the Consciousness Question02:20:54 How Naming Genes Distorts Scientific Thinking02:23:45 Making Science Poetic — Lane’s Legacy02:24:17 Nick Lane’s Next Book: From CO₂ to Cells02:28:52 Final Reflections on the Story of Life and Consciousness...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGVital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life: https://amzn.to/4lrrBb6Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the meaning of life: https://amzn.to/4nVV6DBTransformer: The Deep Chemistry of Life and Death: https://amzn.to/3IbT69QLife Ascending: The Ten Great Inventions of Evolution: https://amzn.to/4eF3v9S…_Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )[Brain.FM](http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)[Consensus.AI](http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Dr. Michael Levin is a biologist, computer scientist, and co-creator of the Xenobot — the world’s first living, programmable organism, built entirely from frog skin and heart cells. These tiny constructs can move, heal, and even replicate — making them the first-ever synthetic life forms capable of self-replication.But this is just the beginning.Dr. Levin’s research into bioelectricity is flipping biology on its head. He’s shown that cells use electrical signals — not just genes — to communicate, store memories, and make decisions. He’s grown eyes on tadpole tails, regenerated limbs, and reprogrammed cancer — all by changing cellular voltage, not DNA.Expect to learn why intelligence might exist in every tissue of your body, how cells solve problems without brains, why memory can persist even after decapitation, how Xenobots replicate without a genetic blueprint, why bioelectricity may be the true architecture of consciousness, how Levin’s discoveries could transform medicine, ethics, and AI — and why your liver might be more self-aware than you think.Timestamps:00:00 Intro05:30 Introduction to Xenobots 08:17 The Discovery and Behavior of Xenobots 11:16 Understanding Agential Material and Intelligence 14:19 Sensory Capabilities and Environmental Interaction 17:28 The Continuum of Cognition and Language Challenges 20:27 The Nature of Transformation and Development 23:44 The Relationship Between Cells and Xenobots 33:40 The Development of Xenobots 37:18 The Role of AI in Xenobot Experimentation 38:14 Collective Behavior and Interaction of Xenobots 40:08 Exploring the Potential of Different Cell Types 42:02 Human Cells and Their Capabilities 43:54 Predicting Behavior in Xenobots and Anthropobots 45:44 The Healing Abilities of Anthropobots 47:08 Consciousness and Cognitive Capacity in Xenobots 48:57 The Criteria for Attributing Consciousness 51:49 The Hard Problem of Consciousness 53:32 The Emergence of Subjectivity in Simple Organisms 55:23 The Theory of Consciousness and Its Implications 60:29 The Ethical Responsibilities of Scientific Advancements...Video credits: Xenobots: Douglas Blackiston and Sam KriegmanAnthrobots: Gizem Gumuskaya, Levin lab_Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )[Brain.FM](http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)[Consensus.AI](http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

James Glattfelder is a physicist and complexity theorist turned philosopher of mind and reality, and author of The Sapient Cosmos — a provocative attempt to rethink the universe as fundamentally conscious and informational.Forget what you think you know about space, time, matter, or even consciousness. Glattfelder believes that reality isn’t built from particles, but from information — and that consciousness might not emerge from brains, but be the very substrate of the cosmos itself.Expect to learn what information really is and why it might be more fundamental than matter, how quantum field theory dismantles our intuitions about physical reality, why space and time might be illusions, how Integrated Information Theory bridges consciousness and physics, whether psychedelics are revealing a deeper layer of reality or just distorting it, how idealism offers an alternative to materialism, what syncretic idealism actually means, and why the hard problem of consciousness might only be hard because we’re asking the wrong questions.This is an episode for anyone who’s ever wondered whether the universe might be thinking — and whether we’re just the thoughts.Timestamps: 03:11 Exploring Consciousness: The Fundamental Question06:10 The Shift in Scientific Perspectives on Consciousness09:07 Idealism vs. Physicalism: A Philosophical Debate12:10 Cultural Influences on Beliefs about Consciousness14:56 The Role of Psychedelics in Understanding Consciousness18:12 Agency and Free Will: The Biological Perspective21:02 The Intersection of Religion and Idealism24:04 Meaning and Purpose: Idealism vs. Nihilism27:17 The Nature of Reality: Bridging Science and Philosophy30:02 The Emergence of Consciousness: A Biological Framework33:06 Challenges in Understanding Consciousness36:13 Expanding Knowledge: Beyond Rational Understanding42:22 Exploring Consciousness Beyond Biology43:52 The Cosmic Play: Understanding Consciousness47:08 Information as the Foundation of Reality48:56 The Nature of Information in Physics55:53 Quantum Mechanics and the Observer Effect01:00:15 The Illusion of Objective Reality01:04:42 Understanding the Observer Effect in Quantum Mechanics01:09:49 The Resistance to New Ideas in Science01:14:52 The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Knowledge01:16:10 Are Quantum Fields Conscious?01:17:07 Exploring the Philosophy of Psychedelics01:20:02 The Impact of Psychedelics on Ego and Consciousness01:22:45 Metaphysical Beliefs and Their Influence on Perception01:28:01 Telepathy and Collective Intelligence01:33:15 The Nature of Life and Consciousness01:38:53 Transforming Consciousness and Societal Values...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGInformation—Consciousness—Reality: How a New Understanding of the Universe Can Help Answer Age-Old Questions of Existence: https://amzn.to/4exvmc3The Sapient Cosmos: What a modern-day synthesis of science and philosophy teaches us about the emergence of information, consciousness, and meaning: https://amzn.to/4ezGUvt…_Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )[Brain.FM](http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)[Consensus.AI](http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Dr. Mark Williams is a cognitive neuroscientist, author of The Connected Species, and one of the world’s leading experts on how we learn, connect, and perceive reality — and why modern life may be rewiring our brains in ways we don’t fully understand.Your brain is not showing you the world as it is — it’s hallucinating a version that helps you survive. And that illusion is breaking down. Especially for children.Expect to learn why reality itself is a convincing hallucination created by your brain, how technology is disrupting emotional development and attention in kids, why screen time is linked to lower empathy and memory, how facial expressions are learned (and what happens when they aren’t), why multitasking ruins learning, how AI could both help and harm education, why sleep is critical for memory, why writing is better than typing, and how to reimagine schools based on what the brain actually needs.Plus — the incredible story of how Dr. Williams went from high-school dropout to MIT neuroscientist, and what it taught him about human potential.Timestamps:00:02:55 The Illusion of Reality: How Our Brain Constructs Perception00:09:26 Mark Williams: A Journey from Struggles to Neuroscience00:16:46 Reimagining Education: Connection Over Curriculum00:20:58 The Role of AI in Education: Opportunities and Challenges00:29:45 Neuroscience Insights: Learning, Memory, and Effective Education00:36:16 The Role of Ancillary Learning in Neuroscience00:37:25 Effective Learning Strategies and Common Mistakes00:40:29 The Impact of AI on Learning00:42:47 Engagement vs. Entertainment in Education00:42:58 The Distraction of Mobile Devices in Classrooms00:45:52 The Importance of Handwriting and Note-Taking00:48:25 The Value of Effort in Learning00:51:05 Teaching Neuroscience to Educators00:54:51 The Importance of Social Interaction for Learning00:57:06 Attention Spans and Mental Health Concerns01:02:21 The Loneliness Epidemic Among Youth01:03:39 Applying Neuroscience to Daily Life...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGThe Connected Species: How the Evolution of the Human Brain Can Save the World: https://amzn.to/44gSTcv…_Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )[Brain.FM](http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)[Consensus.AI](http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Peter Godfrey-Smith is a philosopher of biology, diver, and author of Other Minds and Metazoa — two of the most important works on animal consciousness ever written. His research explores the octopus not just as an animal, but as an alien intelligence that evolved a complex mind entirely separate from our own.Octopuses have distributed brains in their arms, no cultural learning, no social lives — and yet they solve problems, play, and even throw objects in rage. They live just 1 to 2 years, mate once, and die — raising a profound question: why would evolution build a mind this sophisticated, only to delete it almost immediately?Expect to learn why octopus intelligence forces us to rethink consciousness, how their nervous system creates agency without central control, what their bizarre lifespan reveals about the trade-offs of intelligence, why cultural learning might not be necessary for sentience, whether octopuses might dream, and what this means for how subjective experience evolved on Earth. You'll also learn how consciousness may have emerged from sensory integration, how language reshaped the human mind, why inner speech might be the key to unified awareness, whether arms can think, if AI can ever feel — and why octopuses might be the only creatures smart enough to understand what they are, but not live long enough to tell us.Timestamps:03:25 The Puzzling Lifespan of Octopuses06:26 Evolutionary Strategies and Reproductive Behavior09:24 Intelligence and Learning in Octopuses12:15 Exploratory Behavior and Individual Learning15:38 Social Interactions and Octopus Communities18:36 Diving Adventures and Empathy for Octopuses21:12 The Nervous System of the Octopus24:23 Consciousness and Subjective Experience in Octopuses45:22 Exploring Subjectivity in Non-Human Animals48:16 The Role of Nervous Systems in Consciousness53:51 The Evolution of Subjectivity59:32 Language as a Transformative Tool01:03:56 The Complexity of Human Consciousness01:12:47 Challenges in Consciousness Research01:17:39 Ethics in Neuroscience Research...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGOther Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness: https://amzn.to/466QILhMetazoa: Animal Life and the Birth of the Mind: https://amzn.to/3SXBSiDLiving on Earth: Forests, Corals, Consciousness, and the Making of the World: https://amzn.to/3T2QMUJTheory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science, Second Edition: https://amzn.to/3SZpiPK…_Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM(http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI(http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Professor David Nutt is the neuro­psychopharmacologist who built the world’s first science-based drug-harm scale, led the pioneering LSD brain-scan, and lost his post as the UK government’s chief drug adviser after declaring that alcohol is deadlier than LSD. He’s the author of Drugs Without the Hot Air, Drink, Cannabis, and Psychedelics, and he’s now engineering a hangover-free alternative to booze.Drug policy isn’t broken by accident—it’s broken by design. From kids denied life-saving cannabis to a global war on psychedelics that stalled mental-health breakthroughs for half a century, Professor Nutt reveals how politics trumped evidence, how psychedelic science is staging a comeback, and why the next revolution in public health might be an alcohol you can enjoy without poisoning your liver.Expect to learn why alcohol tops the real league table of harm, how the famous drug-harm chart was built (and banned), what happened inside the MRI during the first LSD scan, the truth about cannabis and schizophrenia, how MDMA treats PTSD and ketamine tackles addiction, why prohibition breeds deadlier drugs like fentanyl, how hangover-free “Alcarelle” targets GABA without the toxic fallout, the regulatory red tape still strangling psychedelic research, practical advice for safer drug policy, and much more.Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:35 The Truth About Drugs: A Controversial Revelation05:32 The Political Landscape of Drug Policy08:23 The Evidence vs. Beliefs: A Scientific Approach11:36 The Role of Alcohol in Drug Policy14:32 The Impact of Political Decisions on Drug Legislation17:27 The Historical Context of Drug Bans20:34 The Case of Medical Cannabis: A Heartbreaking Story30:59 The Politics of Cannabis Legislation33:06 Medical Cannabis: A Health Scandal36:25 The Role of Medical Professionals38:35 Neuroscience and Cannabis: Risks and Benefits42:36 The Consequences of Drug Prohibition50:47 Successful Drug Policies: Lessons from Portugal55:38 The Case for Recreational Cannabis Legalization…📚 RECOMMENDED READINGBuy Nutt's Books Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health: https://amzn.to/4dZTP9ZPsychedelics: The Revolutionary Drugs That Could Change Your Life―A Guide from the Expert: https://amzn.to/3SJXAX6Drugs without the hot air: Making sense of legal and illegal drugs: https://amzn.to/4kyu7eSCannabis (Seeing Through the Smoke): The New Science of Cannabis and Your Health: https://amzn.to/3FOiLo2..._Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249..._Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM(http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI(http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)...