The Giants Shoulder

Evan McGloughlin
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Sep 16, 2025 • 1h 33min

#57 Meet the Neuroscientist Building the Internet of Brains! Dr Ryota Kanai

Dr. Ryota Kanai is a neuroscientist, AI entrepreneur, and CEO of Araya—lead investigator in Japan’s Moonshot to free humans from the limits of body and brain by 2050. He’s a pioneer of non-invasive brain–machine interfaces, the Internet of Brains, and architectures aimed at conscious AI, and he’s the author of Will AI Become Conscious?.Consciousness, he argues, isn’t magic—it’s the brain’s internal simulation engine. Kanai is turning that insight into technology: thought-controlled cybernetic avatars, emotion-aware robots that sense and respond to our feelings, and mind-to-mind links that could transform how we communicate, learn, and work.Expect to learn why the brain is a prediction machine and what that means for building conscious AI, how non-invasive BMIs already decode intent and where the big breakthroughs must come from, what the Internet of Brains actually enables beyond faster chat, whether “skill upload” is science or sci-fi, why cybernetic avatars might change jobs before they change bodies, how emotion robots read human states (and how not to be fooled by them), the simplest way to grasp the global workspace and free-energy ideas, how to test for machine consciousness without a Turing Test, what neurorights and “neural firewalls” should protect, the cultural differences shaping neurotech in Japan vs. the West, the milestones to 2030/2050, and much more…Timestamps: 00:00 Intro03:05 The Moonshot Goal: Liberating Humanity06:00 Understanding Brain-Machine Interfaces09:00 The Future of Thought Decoding12:01 Envisioning 2050: A Technological Landscape14:55 Connecting Brains to AI: Implications and Possibilities17:52 The Ethics of Neural Technology20:38 Adoption and Acceptance of Neural Implants23:46 Medical Applications vs. Augmentation26:46 The Future of Memory Augmentation29:54 Exploring Personality Modification32:45 Long-term Safety and Efficacy of Neural Implants35:38 General Purpose Neural Implants38:28 The Quest for Consciousness in Neural Technology47:47 Decoding Multimodal Information49:36 The Concept of the Internet of Brains51:50 Exploring Brain-to-Brain Communication54:18 Philosophical Implications of Consciousness55:21 Navigating Intrusive Thoughts in Communication56:42 Consumer Applications of Brain-Computer Interfaces58:30 Entertainment and Gaming in Brain-Computer Interfaces01:02:22 Potential of Non-Invasive EEG Devices01:04:18 Conscious AI: The Future of Machine Awareness01:10:05 Integrating Consciousness Research into AI01:18:09 Mathematical Definitions of Consciousness01:22:07 The Geometry of Experience and Consciousness01:27:51 Exciting Future Technologies in Brain-Computer Interfaces...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
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Sep 8, 2025 • 1h 31min

#55 The Blind Mind’s Eye: How Aphantasia Is Rewriting Consciousness ! Dr Adam Zeman

Professor Adam Zeman is a Neurologist at the University of Exeter and the scientist who coined the term aphantasia — the “blind mind’s eye” — after a patient suddenly lost the ability to visualize following heart surgery.Since then, he has led the global investigation into why some minds picture nothing while others see in IMAX 8K, uncovering what this hidden spectrum of imagination reveals about memory, dreams, emotion, creativity, and even consciousness itself. He is also the author of Consciousness: A User’s Guide, A Portrait of the Brain, and The Shape of Things Unseen.Expect to learn why up to 5% of people can’t form mental images, how hyperphantasia floods the mind with cinema-like detail, why imagination is our brain’s “default mode,” how differences in the mind’s eye shape autobiographical memory and emotional vividness, why aphantasics still dream in pictures, what hallucinations and delusions reveal about the creative brain, how imagination connects to empathy and storytelling, the cultural impact of naming aphantasia, and much more…Timestamps: 00:00 Intro02:25 The Birth of Aphantasia05:32 The Journey to Recognition10:08 Understanding Aphantasia's Prevalence12:44 The Implications of Labeling14:33 The Complexity of Imagery18:10 Variability in Inner Experience22:31 Acquired vs. Congenital Aphantasia29:54 Neural Mechanisms of Aphantasia30:44 Spectrum of Aphantasia33:02 Exploring the Genetic Basis of Aphantasia37:31 Developmental Insights into Aphantasia42:13 The Complexity of Mental Imagery49:10 The Co-evolution of Perception and Imagery52:16 Potential Benefits of Aphantasia57:29 The Trainability of Visualization Skills01:02:48 The Nature of Memory and Imagination01:06:07 Aphantasia and Autobiographical Memory01:08:48 Emotional Memory and Aphantasia01:12:42 Aphantasia in Therapy and Education01:18:05 Aphantasia and Consciousness01:23:39 Future Directions in Aphantasia Research...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGThe Shape of Things Unseen: A New Science of Imagination …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
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Sep 4, 2025 • 2h 6min

#54 Alex Hutchinson: The Lie That Unlocked Human Limits, Tricking Perception & Aphantasia!

Alex Hutchinson is a physicist, elite endurance athlete, and author of Endure — one of the most widely respected books on the science of human performance ever written.Fatigue isn’t a failure of the body — it’s a protective illusion cast by the brain. And Alex has spent the last decade exposing the hidden limits that shape our endurance, our suffering, and our potential.Expect to learn why the brain — not the muscles — is the true governor of performance, how pain, thirst, heat, and oxygen deprivation are all perceptions, how world-record freedivers trick their brains into ignoring suffocation, why some athletes can lift cars in moments of hysterical strength, how the brain decides when you’re “done,” how brain zapping may change the future of sport, why elite performers can override mental fatigue, what separates champions from mortals, and why exploration might be the final expression of the endurance instinct.Timestamps: 00:00 Intro02:25 The Fascination with Endurance Feats 05:15 Faith Kipyegon's Four-Minute Mile Attempt 08:21 The Role of Pacers and Aerodynamics 11:19 Nike's Innovations in Performance 14:26 Mental Strategies in Endurance Racing 17:09 Personal Stories of Overcoming Limits 30:00 The Unheard of Improvement in Running 31:26 The Role of Perception in Performance 33:12 Breaking Mental Barriers in Running 35:30 The Pressure of Expectations in Competition 38:32 The Champion Mentality: Rising to the Occasion 40:13 The Inner Game of Tennis and Performance Psychology 44:11 The Mystique of Race Day Energy 52:58 Understanding the Central Governor Theory 56:35 The Controversy of Fatigue Perception 01:03:31 Reframing Feelings for Better Performance 01:05:00 Understanding Fatigue Through Predictive Frameworks 01:10:26 The Role of Wearables in Running Performance 01:18:29 Diane Van Deren: Running Without Time Constraints 01:26:10 The Impact of Inner Monologue on Endurance Performance 01:34:01 Exploring the Spectrum of Visualization 01:36:41 Understanding the Central Governor Theory 01:41:18 The Concept of Brain Training in Endurance 01:51:26 Ethics and the Future of Enhanced Sports ...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGEndure: Mind Body & Curiously Elastic: https://amzn.to/47dMLFeThe Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map: https://amzn.to/4mMHaur…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
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Aug 28, 2025 • 1h 49min

#53 Philosopher of Mind: Consciousness, Out-Of-Body Experiences & The Illusion of Self! Thomas Metzinger

Thomas Metzinger is a professor of theoretical philosophy, consciousness researcher, and author of The Ego Tunnel, Being No One and The Elephant and the Blind — some of the most radical books on the nature of the self and reality ever written.Download a FREE copy of The Elephant And The Blind HERE: https://thomasmetzinger.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Metzinger_MIT_Press_2024-1.pdfHe’s spent decades exploring the hardest questions in neuroscience and philosophy: What is consciousness? Is the self an illusion? Could AI ever suffer? And what happens when our models of reality — including ourselves — break down?Expect to learn why your “self” is just a transparent model your brain mistakes for reality, how out-of-body experiences (and virtual reality) reveal the fragility of personal identity, why conscious AI might be the greatest ethical threat of the next century, how meditation and psychedelics dissolve the illusion of “I”, why freedom of mind is under attack from attention-hacking technology, what it means to have a contentless conscious experience, why Metzinger believes we should ban synthetic consciousness — and what happens when you try to visit your girlfriend 85 kilometers away… without your body.Timestamps:00:02:50 Transformative Experiences and Their Impact00:05:38 Exploring Out-of-Body Experiences00:08:57 The Nature of the Self00:11:43 Phenomenology of Consciousness00:14:38 The Role of Mental Imagery00:17:35 Ketamine and Consciousness00:20:30 Therapeutic Aspects of Out-of-Body Experiences00:23:24 Understanding the Self and Consciousness00:26:38 The Complexity of Selfhood00:29:27 Phenomenal Representations and Their Transparency00:32:21 Cognitive Agency and Mathematical Operations00:45:46 Mathematics and Psychoactive Substances00:49:15 Exploring Inner Experience and Phenomenology00:52:05 Suffering and Experience Sampling00:58:25 The Eternal Playlist Thought Experiment01:03:21 Reflections on Past Generations and Happiness01:10:32 The Impact of Social Media on Connection01:17:56 AI Companionship and Future Relationships01:18:48 Cognitive Offloading and AI's Impact on Development01:20:10 Teaching AI Philosophy: A Historical Perspective01:21:34 The Influence of Industry on AI Regulation01:22:57 The Attention Economy and Emerging Intimacy01:23:28 Philosophical Discoveries Through AI Interactions01:25:18 Social Hallucinations and AI's Role in Perception01:28:55 Virtual Reality and the Blurring of Reality01:31:08 The Future of Social Media and AI Avatars01:33:34 Global Regulation Challenges in AI Development01:35:55 The Risks of AI and Human Manipulation01:39:15 The Uncertain Future of Humanity and AI01:41:15 Finding Meaning in a Declining World...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGThe Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self: https://amzn.to/3UEcS0ABeing No One: The Self-Model Theory of Subjectivity: https://amzn.to/41i7X9k…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
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Aug 25, 2025 • 1h 32min

#52 Meet The Scientist Who Trains Navy Seals To Enter Flow! Steven Kotler

Steven Kotler is a peak performance expert, flow state researcher, and New York Times bestselling author of The Rise of Superman, Stealing Fire, and The Art of Impossible — books that have transformed how we understand human potential.Flow isn’t just a feeling — it’s a measurable, trainable state of consciousness that radically enhances performance, learning, and even our sense of self. In fact, it may be one of the most addictive — and transformative — states the brain can enter.Expect to learn what flow actually is at a neurobiological level, how it boosts learning by up to 500%, why the U.S. Department of Defense is studying it, how it warps our perception of time and self, why flow could help unlock the mystery of consciousness itself, how to use clear goals and challenge-skills balance to trigger flow, why this state is addictive in all the right ways, how Kotler writes books in flow, why the future may be built on cooperative group flow, how to measure and train flow in your own life — and much more…Timestamps:03:10 Defining Flow: A Complex Concept06:05 The Characteristics of Flow09:10 Flow and Its Addictive Nature11:58 Neurodynamics of Flow and Consciousness15:10 Complexity Science and Flow17:46 The Free Energy Principle and Flow21:06 Flow vs. Trauma: Decision Making in Critical Moments27:28 The Dynamics of Flow in Action Sports30:15 Understanding Flow as a Spectrum34:30 Neurobiology of Flow States40:34 Operationalizing Flow in Research50:03 Flow Triggers and Their Impact57:41 The Flow State Experience58:35 Creativity and Productivity in Flow01:00:24 The Energy Dynamics of Flow01:02:41 The Flow Cycle and Recovery01:04:39 Optimizing Flow for Cognitive Work01:05:56 Physical Activity and Flow01:08:48 Evolutionary Perspectives on Flow01:11:27 Flow and Pain: The Endorphin Connection01:15:13 Future Research Directions in Flow01:22:41 Technology, Flow, and Group Cooperation...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGThe Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer: https://amzn.to/4g2wXYtThe Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance: https://amzn.to/418UrVtStealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work: https://amzn.to/47Cf00q…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
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Aug 21, 2025 • 1h 43min

#51 Meet the Scientist Proving Dreams Hold the Key to Consciousness! Dr Mark Solms

Mark Solms is a neuroscientist, psychoanalyst, and author of The Hidden Spring, one of the most influential books on consciousness in recent years.He revolutionised sleep science by proving that dreaming isn’t confined to REM sleep, and he founded the field of neuropsychoanalysis — bridging Freud with modern neuroscience. Today, his radical claim is that consciousness begins not with thoughts in the cortex, but with feelings deep in the ancient brainstem.Expect to learn why dreams are inseparable from consciousness, what dreaming reveals about the brain’s hidden functions, why feelings are the fundamental form of awareness, how cortical blindness can vanish in dreams, why consciousness is not optional but essential for survival, how the brainstem generates our inner life, whether AI could ever truly be conscious, and why the first computers that “give a damn” may be closer than you think…Timestamps:00:00 – Trailer & Introduction02:15 – Why Dreams and Consciousness Are Intertwined05:10 – The Mystery of Dream Narratives08:02 – Why Blind People Still See in Their Dreams11:15 – Do Dreams Protect Our Sleep?14:00 – Why Feelings Are the Core of Consciousness17:22 – Consciousness as a Survival Necessity20:05 – The Cortex Myth: Why Thinking Isn’t Enough23:11 – Brainstem Circuits That Generate Awareness26:20 – Are Animals With Brainstems Conscious?29:40 – Could Artificial Intelligence Become Conscious?33:05 – Building Computers That “Give a Damn”36:45 – How Dream Science Rewrites Freud’s Legacy40:12 – What Dreams Reveal About Mental Health44:00 – Why Psychoanalysis Still Matters in Neuroscience47:33 – The Hidden Spring: A Blueprint for Consciousness52:18 – Consciousness Without a Cortex: What It Means for Patients56:04 – What the Science of Dreams Gets Wrong59:42 – From Dopamine to Desire: The Chemistry of Dreaming1:04:20 – Can We Ever Explain the Strange Logic of Dreams?1:08:35 – Why Consciousness Will Always Be About Feeling1:12:48 – How Solms Thinks About AI and Mental Health1:17:15 – Consciousness, Free Will, and the Human Condition1:21:09 – What People Misunderstand About Freud Today1:25:44 – Where Consciousness Research Is Heading Next1:29:58 – Final Thoughts & Why Dreams Still Matter...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGThe Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness: https://amzn.to/41bH1Ii…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
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Aug 18, 2025 • 1h 27min

#50 Meet the Neuroscientist With No Mental Imagery! Dr Merlin Monzel

Dr. Merlin Monzel is a neuroscientist and one of the world’s foremost researchers on aphantasia — the condition where individuals live without the ability to visualize mental images.For decades, millions of people didn’t know they were missing anything — until science caught up. Dr. Monzel’s groundbreaking work is revealing what happens when the mind’s eye goes dark, and how it changes memory, emotion, identity, imagination, trauma, and even consciousness itself.Expect to learn what mental imagery is really for, why people with aphantasia can still dream vividly, how missing imagery affects autobiographical memory and emotional recall, why traditional therapy might fail aphantasic patients, how aphantasia might protect against PTSD, how memory becomes a script instead of a scene, what brain scans reveal about connectivity between the hippocampus and visual cortex, whether imagination can be trained or restored, and why studying aphantasia may offer deep insights into the nature of consciousness — and what makes us feel like a self at all.Timestamps:00:00 Intro03:45 The Function of Mental Imagery 06:29 Discovering Aphantasia 08:53 Awareness and Miscommunication 14:32 The Role of Education in Aphantasia 17:15 Dreaming and Aphantasia 22:08 Memory and Aphantasia 29:15 Emotional Content in Memories 34:00 Extreme Sports and Aphantasia 36:10 Neuroanatomy of Aphantasia 43:26 Spatial Memory vs. Object Memory 45:39 Exploring Non-Visual Solutions for Aphantasia 47:14 Developmental Aspects of Aphantasia 49:53 Emotional Processing in Aphantasia 52:08 Aphantasia and Mental Health 54:47 Involuntary Mental Imagery and Focus 59:18 Understanding Hyperphantasia 63:00 Objective Measures of Mental Imagery 01:09:06 Unanswered Questions in Aphantasia Research 01:16:06 Future Research Directions and Ethical Considerations...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
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Aug 14, 2025 • 1h 41min

#49 Emotion Neuroscientist: Psychedelics, Neuroplasticity, AI and the Future of Mental Health!

Dr. Nicole Rust, an emotion neuroscientist and author of 'Elusive Cures', discusses the complexities of brain disorders and the need to rethink mental health models. She critiques traditional approaches, advocating for a view of the brain as a complex, self-looping system. The conversation delves into the promising role of psychedelics paired with therapy, advances in neurotechnology, and how feedback loops complicate treatment. Rust also emphasizes the value of negative emotions and explores the intersection of AI and neuroscience in understanding happiness.
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Aug 11, 2025 • 54min

#48 Neuroscientist Ranks Every Drug By How Hard They Are to Quit! Tier List

Check out Sentia Spirits the future of drinking (Use Code GIANT10 for 10% discount off your first purchase: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Professor David Nutt is a neuro­psychopharmacologist, former UK chief drug adviser, and author of Drugs Without the Hot Air, Drink?, Cannabis, and Psychedelics. He built the first evidence-based Drug Harm Scale, ran the world’s first LSD brain-scan, and is now engineering hangover-free “alcohol” with GABA science.Drug policy often punishes the wrong substances. In this rapid-fire tier-list episode, Nutt ranks ten headline drugs—LSD to fentanyl—by real-world harm, exposing how politics, potency and route of use twist our perceptions and our laws.Expect to learn why alcohol and tobacco still out-kill every illegal drug, how MDMA became both a rave staple and a prescription therapy, the science behind ketamine’s antidepressant buzz and its bladder danger, why 2 mg of fentanyl can be fatal, how smoking vs injecting changes heroin risk, what makes high-THC cannabis a new drug entirely, the true neurotoxicity story of cocaine, why psilocybin and LSD aren’t addictive, how Sentia mimics a glass of wine without the damage, and much more…Timestamps:00:00 Intro 00:55 LSD09:55 MDMA24:16 Cocaine34:21 Psilocybin37:09 Fentanyl40:57 Cannabis 43:35 Tobacco45:00 Alcohol49:49 Ketamine51:20 Heroin...Buy 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/3FOiLo2Check out the amazing work of Drug Science (Dr David Nutt's Charity) Website - https://www.drugscience.org.uk/Prof Nutt Twitter (X) - @ProfDavidNuttDrug Science SocialsFacebook - @DrugScienceISCDTwitter (x) - @drug_scienceInstagram - @drugscienceinfoLinkedIn - @drugscience-ltdBlueSky - @drugscience.bsky.socialYouTube - @DrugScienceMore Resources on Drug SafetyMedical Cannabis: https://www.drugscience.org.uk/medical-cannabis-working-groupMedical Psychedelics: https://www.drugscience.org.uk/medical-psychedelics-working-groupHarm Reduction: https://www.drugscience.org.uk/enhanced-harm-reduction-working-groupAcademic Research: https://www.drugscience.org.uk/researchFollow 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)
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Aug 8, 2025 • 1h 41min

#47 Meet the Neuroscientist Dissecting the Brains of Psychopaths!

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)

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