The Giants Shoulder

Dr. Stephen Grossberg, a pioneer in computational neuroscience and the mind behind Adaptive Resonance Theory, dives into the incredible world of brain science. He shares how he derived the first neural network equations at just 17 and discusses the plagiarism scandal that overshadowed his groundbreaking work. The conversation explores the flaws in modern AI like ChatGPT, the neuroscience of consciousness, and how his theories could reshape AI’s future. Grossberg also reveals his insights on learning without forgetting and the intricate ties between emotion and attention.

Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley, a pioneering neuroscientist and psychedelics researcher focused on trauma and women's health, shares her groundbreaking insights. She discusses the contrasting risks of cannabis and alcohol, dispels myths about cannabis and psychosis, and highlights the therapeutic potential of MDMA for PTSD. Grace reveals why the FDA rejected MDMA trials and explores how psychedelics can treat addiction by rewiring the brain. She emphasizes the importance of cultural contexts and community in healing, and anticipates exciting future developments in psychedelic research.

Dr. Sarah McKay is a neuroscientist, author, and science communicator whose work is redefining what we know about women’s brains — from hormones and birth control to motherhood and mental health. She’s the author of The Women’s Brain Book, Baby Brain, and Brain Health for Dummies, and host of ABC’s Catalyst, where she brings neuroscience to life on screen.Check Out Sarahs Books The Women's Brain Book: The neuroscience of health, hormones and happiness: https://amzn.to/3LiixYNBaby Brain: The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood sculpt our brains and change our minds: https://amzn.to/47SIG9fBrain Health For Dummies: https://amzn.to/47C70uCSarah has spent her career debunking the myths that hormones “run the show,” revealing instead how the female brain is adaptable, resilient, and constantly changing through puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.Expect to learn how the pill reshapes the brain and influences attraction, why mood changes during the menstrual cycle are far more complex than we think, how pregnancy and motherhood physically rewire neural circuits for empathy and care, why “baby brain” might actually be a superpower, how men’s hormones change after fatherhood, how AI is helping scientists uncover hidden “pregnancy signatures” in the brain, and what neuroscience gets wrong — and right — about women.Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction – What Men Don’t Know About Women’s Brains03:14 Myths About Hormones and Emotion08:29 How Scientists Actually Measure Emotion12:26 The Constructed Nature of Feelings17:05 PMS, Expectation, and the Power of Belief20:18 How the Pill Changes the Brain26:20 The Pill, Mood, and Depression Risk33:35 Attraction, Personality, and the Hormone Myth39:04 Are We Rewiring Evolution Through the Pill?44:02 Maternal Instinct and the Neuroscience of Motherhood52:16 How Pregnancy Rewires the Brain57:26 AI, Plasticity, and the “Pregnancy Signature”01:03:26 What Happens to the Father’s Brain01:08:03 The Future of Women’s Brain Health...Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow 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

Michael Cohen is a neurofeedback pioneer and director of the Center for Brain Training, where he’s spent over two decades helping people rewire their brains — not with medication, but with real-time feedback from their own brainwaves.According to Michael, Neurofeedback could one of the most powerful — and misunderstood — tools in mental health. It uses EEG signals to teach your brain how to regulate itself, improving mood, sleep, focus, trauma recovery and more. And the results can be shockingly fast.Expect to learn how brainwaves like alpha, beta, and theta shape your mental state, what happens when your brain becomes dysregulated, why left-frontal brain activity is key to mood, how elite athletes use neurofeedback to gain a competitive edge, how trauma and anxiety show up in EEG patterns, the difference between neurofeedback and traditional therapy, what a brain map actually reveals, why your brain is programmable, and how you can begin training yours to heal, adapt and thrive — in just minutes.Timestamps: 02:15 Introduction to Neurofeedback Training 06:57 Personal Journey and Motivation Behind Neurofeedback 11:34 Understanding Neurofeedback and Brain Function 18:52 Neurofeedback in the Context of Depression 26:08 How Neurofeedback Sessions Work 33:46 Variability in Brain Maps and Attention Circuits 37:55 Understanding Neurofeedback and Its Efficacy 41:35 Research Insights on Neurofeedback for ADHD and Seizures 45:39 Barriers to Acceptance in the Medical Community 47:31 Neurofeedback in Professional Sports 54:03 Transformative Case Studies in Neurofeedback 01:01:40 Sustaining Benefits of Neurofeedback Over Time 01:10:42 The Future of Neurofeedback and AI Integration ...Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow 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

Dr. Nikolay Kukushkin, a neuroscientist and molecular biologist at NYU, challenges our understanding of memory, revealing that every cell in our body can learn and adapt like neurons. He discusses how consciousness might emerge from cellular interactions, arguing that this memory is foundational to life itself. Nikolay explores the links between emotions and cellular behavior, the mysterious 'obelisks' within cells, and the potential of synthetic biology in understanding consciousness. The implications for mental health and AI ethics add a thought-provoking twist to this fascinating conversation.

Get Professional High Quality Talk Therapy at BetterHelp. 10% off your first month of therapy with this link - https://betterhelp.com/giantsshoulder (Paid Partnership by BetterHelp)Dr. Camilla Nord is a neuroscientist at Cambridge University and author of The Balanced Brain, a groundbreaking book reframing how we understand mental illness — not as something “in the mind,” but as something deeply rooted in the body.Buy the Balanced Brain: https://amzn.to/4nkWSfRIn this episode, we dive into how emotions, trauma, and even depression are embodied experiences — and why our brains’ predictions about the body may lie at the heart of mental health. Expect to learn how interoception connects gut feelings to mood, why inflammation and immune responses can trigger depression-like symptoms, how predictive processing reshapes therapy and recovery, what brain stimulation treatments like TMS and ultrasound are really doing, and why no single cure for mental illness will ever exist — but personalized, body-brain approaches could change everything.We also explore antidepressants, psychedelics, gut bacteria, and the future of “hybrid” treatments that blend biology with talk therapy. This is a conversation that could completely rewire how you think about your emotions, your body, and your mind.Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:22 The Mind-Body Connection05:35 Interoception and Its Impact on Behavior08:12 The Predictive Brain: Understanding Our Bodily Signals11:09 Embodiment and Mental Health14:31 The Variability of Mental Health Conditions17:12 The Role of Treatment in Mental Health20:22 The Future of Mental Health Treatment35:13 The Role of Treatment in Mental Health35:24 Exploring the Microbiome's Impact on Mental Health38:43 Gut Health and Mental Health Connections40:36 Augmentative Treatments for Mental Health43:06 Understanding Brain Stimulation for Mental Health45:24 The Science Behind Targeted Brain Stimulation50:29 The Future of Brain Stimulation and Personalization54:46 SSRIs: Efficacy and Controversies01:03:53 The Future of Mental Health Treatments...Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow 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

Dr. Amy Williams is a NASA geobiologist and astrobiologist searching for one of the biggest answers in human history — are we alone in the universe?As part of the Curiosity and Perseverance rover teams, Amy helped uncover the largest organic molecules ever found on Mars — long-chain alkanes up to 12 carbons long, potentially fragments of ancient fatty acids, the same molecular building blocks that make up living cells on Earth.Her work on NASA’s Sample Analysis at Mars instrument and upcoming Mars Sample Return mission could soon bring those ancient Martian molecules back to Earth — offering humanity its first real chance to detect extraterrestrial life.Expect to learn how scientists distinguish living from non-living chemistry on other planets, what these discoveries mean for the origin of life on Earth, why Mars may once have been a twin of our planet, how life might survive deep underground today, and how finding life beyond Earth could transform our understanding of who we are.Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:20 Exploring Life on Mars: Recent Discoveries05:18 Understanding Organic Carbon: A Clue to Life?08:20 The Significance of Long-Chain Alkanes11:12 Potential Biosignatures: Evidence from Perseverance14:06 Dating Potential Life: Challenges and Methods17:28 Mars Sample Return: The Future of Martian Exploration20:20 Panspermia vs. Independent Life: The Debate23:14 The Quest for Life: Optimism and Evidence26:13 The Importance of Earth: Stewardship and Survival33:48 The Challenges of Human Mars Exploration38:12 Funding and Research in Space Science39:49 The Search for Life on Mars45:11 Implications of Discovering Life Beyond Earth56:11 Future of Space Exploration and Responsible Research...Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow 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

Dr Kent Kiehl is a neuroscientist and clinical psychologist whose groundbreaking work has transformed how we understand psychopathy, morality, and the criminal mind.He’s the man who put an MRI scanner inside a truck and drove it into prisons across America — scanning over 5,000 inmates to uncover what makes a psychopath’s brain different. His discoveries reveal what happens when empathy, fear, and conscience fail to activate, and how these neural differences shape crime, punishment, and free will itself.Expect to learn how psychopathy develops in the brain, why psychopaths can understand right from wrong but don’t feel it, what brain areas govern impulse control and empathy, how neuroscience is being used to predict reoffending, and what treatments are showing promise — from cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness to emerging ideas like psychedelic-assisted therapy and neuromodulation.We also explore the ethics of brain-based sentencing, whether “evil” is a medical condition, how early interventions could prevent psychopathy before it forms, and what Kent’s research means for the future of law, morality, and the human condition.Timestamps: 00:00 Intro — Meet the Psychopath Whisperer04:35 What It’s Like to Sit Across from a Killer09:20 How Psychopathy Is Measured (The PCL-R Explained)14:15 Inside the Criminal Mind: Empathy, Fear & Free Will19:40 Building a Mobile MRI Lab to Study 5,000 Inmates25:30 What Brain Scans Reveal About Conscience and Control31:25 Predicting Crime: The Neuroscience of Recidivism37:50 Brain Circuits of Morality and the “Oh Damn” Signal44:10 Can Psychopaths Change? Punishment vs Treatment50:55 The Prison Programs That Actually Work57:30 Mendota: The Model That Cut Youth Homicides to Zero01:03:45 Neuroplasticity, Mindfulness & the Science of Change01:10:05 tDCS, Psychedelics & Future Prison Therapies01:16:40 Trauma, Brain Injury & The Two Types of Psychopaths01:23:25 Ethics of Neuroscience Behind Bars01:29:55 Retribution vs Rehabilitation: Rethinking Justice01:36:50 AI, Brain Data & The Future of Neurolaw01:43:30 Can Neuroscience Rewrite the Legal System?01:50:20 Dream Study: Scanning Death Row01:56:30 What Psychopathy Teaches Us About Being Human01:59:15 Outro...Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow 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

Jonny Miller is the creator of Nervous System Mastery, a transformative training program that teaches thousands of people how to regulate stress, unlock emotional resilience, and reconnect with their bodies. He’s also the host of The Inner Frontier podcast and a TEDx speaker whose work bridges neuroscience, trauma, and the physiology of calm.Emotions aren’t what you think they are — they don’t live in your “mind,” but in the dynamic language of your body. Jonny’s journey from burnout and grief to embodied mastery reveals that the key to peace, creativity, and connection lies not in suppressing emotion, but in learning to listen to it.Expect to learn why emotions are predictions from the body, not reactions from the brain, how interoception and the vagus nerve shape your inner world, what really causes anxiety and how to retrain your nervous system to feel safe again, why emotional suppression creates “debt” in the body, the hidden physiology of flow states, how blood flow and micro-constriction may encode our sense of control, why co-regulation with others is the most powerful stress medicine, how to build real resilience instead of numbness — and much more…Timestamps: 03:00 Mastering the Nervous System05:53 The Impact of a Chaotic Nervous System08:51 Agency and Nervous System Regulation11:33 Personal Journey and Life Events14:48 Grief and Emotional Mastery17:45 Introspection and Self-Regulation20:44 Emotional Fluidity and Processing23:48 Navigating Rejection and Fear26:41 The Role of Relationships in Regulation37:47 Understanding Loneliness and Connection39:09 Nervous System Mastery Practices42:03 The Relational Dojo: Practicing Connection42:51 Descriptive Experience Sampling: Inner Awareness44:27 Interoception and Self-Understanding47:04 Emotions, Sensations, and Decision Making48:58 Flow States and Central Nervous System Optimization54:47 The Body's Predictive Processing59:08 Connection Between Body and Mind01:04:19 Meditation Practices and Overcoming Box-Ticking01:09:34 Exploring Meditative Practices01:10:34 The Role of Psychedelics in Personal Growth01:12:36 Therapeutic Benefits of MDMA and Ketamine01:15:01 Navigating Risks and Benefits of Psychedelics01:17:49 Psychedelics and Personal Pathways01:20:15 The Intersection of Psychedelics and Meaning01:23:28 Legislating Psychedelics: A New Approach01:26:39 The Future of Psychedelics and AI01:29:15 Exciting Frontiers in Neuroscience and Parenting...Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow 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

Terrence Deacon, a neuro-anthropologist and author, explores the intricate relationship between thermodynamics, evolution, and consciousness. He discusses how the brain isn't just a computer, and why meaning emerges from information. Deacon dives into the origins of life, considering alternative chemistry and the evolution of genetic codes. He tackles concepts like normativity and agency, explaining how language shapes human experience. Finally, he challenges the notion of sentient AI, emphasizing the dynamic nature of life and consciousness.