The Giants Shoulder

In this episode, we dive into the revolutionary field of ecological psychology with Dr. Luis Favela, author of The Ecological Brain. What if the brain isn't a computer, but part of a dynamic system that includes your body and the world around you? Discover how this paradigm shift challenges traditional cognitive psychology and neuroscience, and why it could redefine how we understand perception, action, and intelligence.Dr. Favela shares compelling insights from his work, exploring key concepts like affordances, the perception-action loop, and how our minds evolved to interact with a complex environment. From World War II bomber pilots to the development of cutting-edge robotics, learn how this interdisciplinary approach connects psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy to tackle age-old questions about the nature of the mind.Skip to what Interests You00:00 Dr. Louis Fevela's Academic Interests07:48 Introduction to Ecological Psychology13:10 Experimental Paradigms in Ecological Psychology20:05 Differences from Cognitive Psychology25:23 Meaning and Perception in Ecological Psychology35:15 Defining Perception in Ecological Psychology41:44 The Differences Between Cognitive Psychology and Ecological Psychology46:15 Why Ecological Psychology is Less Known and Taught50:09 Integrating Ecological Psychology and Neuroscience with the Neuro-Ecological Nexus Theory (NEXT)53:35 The Mutuality of Interaction and the Role of Information in Ecological Psychology57:02 The Importance of Ecological Validity in Ecological Psychology01:20:48 Understanding Ecological Psychology01:22:45 Exploring Affordance and Pass-Through Ability01:29:24 Comparing Cognitive Psychology and Ecological Psychology01:32:26 Soft-Assembled Systems: Flexibility and Adaptability01:39:56 Advancements in Technology for Naturalistic Experiments01:43:21 The Future of Neuroscience: Discovering New Types of Brain Cells01:51:47 Moving Beyond the Brain-Centric ViewDonate to my Paypal. You're Supporting Bootstrapped Science Communication!https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=L38HCUYY5TDTGSubscribe for more Neuroscience: ?sub_confimation=1Follow 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

Scott Carney is a New York Times Best Selling Author, Youtuber and Investigative Journalist. He's risen online from his popular investigations into the ethics and business dealings of popular health influencers like Andrew Huberman, Peter Attia, David Sinclair and Wim Hof. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 03:30 Introduction to Scott Carney's Journey 09:27 The Rise of Wim Hof and Ice Bathing 15:26 The Science Behind Cold Exposure 21:18 The Ethics of Health Influencing 40:39 The Influence of Joe Rogan 50:19 The Ethics of Health Influencers 01:04:50 The Power of Placebo and Hawthorne Effect 01:09:55 Misinformation in Health and Politics Donate to my Paypal. Thank you so much! https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=L38HCUYY5TDTG Subscribe for more Neuroscience: ?sub_confimation=1 Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249 My Startup weeve - https://www.weeve.ie/ My Socials X - https://twitter.com/evan_mcgl LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-mcgloughlin/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/evan_mcgloughlin/

Dr. Brian Levine is a senior scientist at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Health Sciences, professor in the Departments of Psychology and Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto, and a clinical neuropsychologist. He is interested in the function and dysfunction of large-scale neural systems as expressed in complex human behaviours, including episodic and autobiographical memory and executive functioning. Donate to my Paypal. Thank you so much! https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=L38HCUYY5TDTG Skip to what interests you most! 00:00 Intro 02:15 Introduction to Memory Deficits 08:15 The Role of Clinical Experience in Research 13:18 Understanding Memory Storage in the Brain 22:15 Factors Influencing Memory Consolidation 25:14 Differences in Memory Systems: Procedural vs. Semantic 45:10 Case Study: Clive Wearing and Memory Loss 53:27 Understanding Amnesia and Memory Function 56:16 The Complexity of Memory Retrieval 59:19 Storage vs. Retrieval: The Memory Dilemma 01:03:15 Confabulation: The Mind's Attempt to Make Sense 01:07:55 The Impact of Memory Deficits on Reality 01:12:35 Memory Disorders and Mental Health 01:14:45 The Dual Nature of Memory: Benefits and Drawbacks 01:20:17 Exploring Aphantasia and Cognitive Abilities - Get 56% off your first subscription to MAGIC MIND. The health shot to help you enter flow - https://www.magicmind.com/evanmc Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249 My Startup weeve - https://www.weeve.ie/ My Socials X - https://twitter.com/evan_mcgl LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-mcgloughlin/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/evan_mcgloughlin/

Donate to my Paypal. Thank you so much!https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=L38HCUYY5TDTGSadie Dingfelder, also known online as the Faceblind Journalist is a Scientific Communicator and lives with one of the most severe cases of prosopagnosia ever recorded. Sadie lived for 38 years without any idea she was born with this remarkable brain until she came across prosopagnosia at her work. 02:13 Introduction to Sadie and Prosopagnosia03:15 The Neuroscience of Facial Processing10:18 Learning to See in 3D15:59 The Journey of Training and Progress19:59 Funny Mistakes and Bizarre Incidents31:49 Loneliness and Coping Strategies38:26 Discovering Face Blindness and Humorous Moments41:38 Living in the Present: Mental Time Travel and Cognitive Differences45:15 The Experience of Aphantasia: Inability to Visualize48:43 Understanding Different Types of Thinking: Inner Monologue and Abstract Relations51:36 Diagnosing Prosopagnosia: Face Memory Tests and Behavioral Observations55:01 Accepting the Diagnosis: Coming to Terms with Cognitive Differences59:51 Emotional Impact: Processing the Diagnosis and Its Implications01:05:07 Neurodiversity and Individuality: Recognizing the Spectrum of Cognitive Differences01:11:34 Steve Wozniak's Journey: Acquired Prosopagnosia and Pursuit of Neuroscience01:17:08 Creating an Inclusive Society: Empathy and Acceptance of NeurodiversityIn this episode Sadie brilliantly educates me on the underlying Neuroscience of facial recognition. She goes deep on the difficulties she faced growing up, unable to make any friends as she couldn't recognise anyone. Her story is truly remarkable and this was without a doubt one of the most amazing episodes I've ever recorded. If you enjoyed please remember to Subscribe to the Channel. It really helps me out. To Support the Channel- Get 56% off your first subscription to MAGIC MIND. The health shot to help you enter flow - https://www.magicmind.com/evanmc 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/id1752486249My Startupweeve - https://www.weeve.ie/My Socials X - https://twitter.com/evan_mcglLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-mcgloughlin/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/evan_mcgloughlin/

Dr. Kevin Smith studies the biology and psychology of individual-level differences in political attitudes and behaviour. In this conversation, Dr. Kevin Smith discusses the intersection of psychophysiology and political behavior, exploring how individuals respond to political stimuli and the physiological and psychological impacts of political stress. Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:23 Introduction to Psychophysiology and Political Responses05:22 The Impact of Political Stimuli on Mental Health08:19 The Role of Social Media in Political Stress11:23 Political Stress Across Different Countries14:17 Evolutionary Perspectives on Political Stress17:27 Differences in Stress Responses: Left vs. Right20:15 Physiological Measurements in Political Psychology23:21 Genetics and Political Ideology26:24 The Neuroscience of Emotion in Politics29:23 Causality: Genetics vs. Environment in Political Beliefs45:03 The Connection Between Olfaction and Political Orientation47:51 Biological Markers and Political Engagement54:57 Neuro-Politics: Brain Differences in Ideology01:43 Understanding Polarization and Tribalism01:11:50 Changing Minds: The Psychology of Belief01:20:21 Politics as a Process: A Perspective on Stress _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

Dr. Tony Zador is a neuroscientist at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, known for pioneering work on the connectome and computational neuroscience.In this episode, we dive into one of the most urgent frontiers of science — the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence. As AI races ahead, what can the brain teach us about building better machines? And could the secrets of our neural circuits unlock the next revolution in AI?Expect to learn why our current understanding of the brain might be as limited as understanding a city by staring at blueprints, why it’s essential to create a new generation of ‘bilingual’ scientists fluent in both neuroscience and AI, how the brain’s sparse firing patterns and spike-based computation could shape the next era of machine learning, and why fundamental research into worms and flies could hold the key to curing depression. We also explore how the failure to communicate science may threaten its future, what scares Zador most about AI, why we still don’t teach coding in neuroscience, and how science communication could be our best hope — plus so much more....00:00 Intro01:36 - Introduction to Connectomics05:00- The Ambitious Goal of Mapping Neural Circuits11:20 - Insights into the Human Brain from Connectomics27:58 - Delivery of Barcoded Viruses to Neurons34:11 - Output and Findings of Connectomics Research41:24 - Discovering the Randomness of Brain Wiring47:35 - Randomness in Brain Development52:18 - The Third Component in the Nature-Nurture Debate57:06 - The Impact of Language Deprivation01:07:15 - Understanding Emotions as Persistent States01:16:13 - Exploring the Intersection of Neuroscience and AI01:20:44 - The Challenge of Energy Efficiency in AI Systems01:31:23 - Unraveling the Principles of Neural Circuits01:34:45 - Key Differences between Biological and Artificial Neural Networks01:38:39 - The Limitations of Data and Compute01:42:36 - The Answer Isn't More Data01:44:55 - The Exciting Potential of Neuroscience and AI Collaboration01:48:23 - The Importance of Making the Same Mistakes01:55:18 - The Evolutionary Curriculum Approach...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/id1752486249Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet at https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL (use Code GIANTSMANTA10)

Dr Tara Spires Jones is one of the leading Alzheimers disease researchers in the entire world and is the current president of the British Neuroscience Association and Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Timestamps00:00 Intro04:15 Understanding Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia08:52 The Role of Amyloid and Tau Pathology10:46 Advancements in Alzheimer's Research23:43 Promoting Brain Resilience through a Healthy Lifestyle30:21 The Influence of Genetics on Alzheimer's Risk35:07 Genome-wide Association Studies and Alzheimer's Risk Genes42:44 The Role of Tau in Alzheimer's Pathology47:51 Early Detection and Intervention in Alzheimer's53:22 Current Treatments and the Need for Funding

Robert Plomin is a prominent behavioural geneticist known for his pioneering work in the field of psychology and genetics. His research has significantly advanced our understanding of how genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in behaviour, personality, and cognitive abilities. Timestamps:0:00 Introduction to Behavioral Genetics08:47 The DNA Revolution: Studying Genetic Influence18:57 The Nature of Nurture: Non-Shared Environment30:34 Recognizing the Biological Component39:36 Predicting Behavior with DNA44:40 The Interaction of Genetics and Environment53:23 Cultural Variations in Heritability01:01:17 The Development of Similarity in Twins01:14:03 The Overlap of Genetic Factors in Psychiatric Disorders01:20:34 Understanding Traits as Quantitative Rather Than Qualitative01:54:16 The Influence of Parents in Child Development01:59:35 The Limited Control of Parents02:08:23 DNA Dating and DNA Augmentation02:16:59 Concerns about Data Breaches and Genetic Caste Systems02:32:27 Equal Opportunity and Social Mobility in Genetics

Dr. Mark Humphries is a computational neuroscientist, researcher, and author exploring the fascinating world of how our brain cells communicate and how reality itself can be rewired.Your brain isn't fixed—it's a flexible, powerful learning machine. Understanding how your neurons adapt, how sensory substitution can unlock entirely new perceptions, and the profound ethical implications of brain-machine interfaces like Neuralink could redefine what it means to be human. So, what happens when we hack our neural code and expand our sensory horizons?Expect to learn why your brain can be trained to experience entirely new senses, how Neuralink’s plans might cross dangerous ethical lines, what happens to your neurons when they’re deprived of stimulus, how sensory substitution can help blind people "see," why reality is far more hackable than you think, how your brain can literally adapt to see through vibrations, why each neuron acts like a tiny computer, how to protect your brain from cognitive decline, what dark neurons could tell us about hidden brain potential, and much more…...00:00 Why Neuroscientists Are Obsessed with Brain "Spikes"07:43 How Do Neurons Understand Language? (We Have No Clue!)13:39 What Happens if Your Brain Gets No Stimulus?17:00 Sensory Substitution: Seeing Through Your Skin20:28 Neuralink: The Scary Future of Brain Augmentation31:33 Could Your Brain Learn to Feel Twitter Notifications?34:07 Rewarding the Brain: How to Train Humans Like Monkeys38:16 The Romanian Orphanage Tragedy: Brains Without Love48:09 How Your Environment Physically Rewires Your Brain56:21 Designing the Ultimate Retirement Home (According to Neuroscience)1:00:23 Your Neurons Are Tiny Computers (How They Compute Logic)1:05:45 The Dark Side of Neural Augmentation (Why Neuroscientists Worry)1:09:13 Could Humans Echolocate and Gain New Super-Senses?1:13:25 Sensory Augmentation: Can We See Infrared Like Snakes?1:25:40 Why Neuroscientists Still Don’t Understand Consciousness1:29:08 The Mystery of Dark Neurons: Your Brain’s Hidden Wiring...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/id1752486249Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet at https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL (use Code GIANTSMANTA10)

Luke O'Neill is a renowned Irish immunologist whose groundbreaking research and charismatic public engagement have made significant contributions to the field of immunology and science communication. Born in Dublin, Ireland, O'Neill has become a prominent figure in both the academic world and the public eye, known for his expertise in inflammation, infectious diseases, and innate immunity.00:00 Intro 04:13 - The Role of Scientific Communication During the Global Pandemic07:25 - Providing Hope and Reassurance in Times of Fear and Uncertainty17:39 - Lessons Learned: Ventilation, Masks, and Vaccines in Controlling Pandemics22:49 - Bridging the Gap: Communicating Research Papers to a General Audience29:26 - The Importance of Education in Science Communication34:06 - Country Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic36:21 - The Impact of the Pandemic on Mental Health43:13 - Understanding Long COVID46:21 - The Success Story of Inflazome54:36 - The Fascinating World of Scientific Communication and Origins of LifeLuke's is an Incredible Author:To Boldly Go Where No Book Has Gone Before: A Joyous Journey Through All of Science: https://amzn.to/4dxd5KxThe Great Irish Science Book: https://amzn.to/3WOQWSbHumanology: A Scientist's Guide to our Amazing Existence: https://amzn.to/3SyAenANever Mind the B#ll*cks, Here's the Science: https://amzn.to/3SXOTZZKeep Calm and Trust the Science: An Extraordinary Year in the Life of an Immunologist: https://amzn.to/3WOReILShow Me the Science: Life’s Biggest Questions and How Science Answers Them: https://amzn.to/3Ywyxeq