The Giants Shoulder

Dr. Paul Cisek is a professor of neuroscience at the University of Montreal, and focuses on understanding how the brain controls behaviour. Particularly through the lens of motor control and decision-making. His interdisciplinary approach combines neurophysiological recordings, computational modelling, and evolutionary biology to explore how the brain mediates interactions with the world. This type of knowledge makes for an incredibly interesting conversation! Check out the Full Podcast with the amazing Dr Paul Cisek - https://youtu.be/C6frE6nj1tY

This Giant Moment was taken from #10 Behavioural Geneticist Dr Robert Plomin - How DNA impacts Personality and the Future of Genetic Testing and ManipulationCheck out the full episode here - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0vIhY07qFBNms01I1yJvc2?si=InaapK9iTWKHJJU4me8TJQ

Dr. Will Ratcliff is an evolutionary biologist, professor, and researcher pioneering groundbreaking experiments in evolutionary biology and synthetic biology.Understanding how complex life evolved from single-celled organisms is one of biology's greatest mysteries. By evolving yeast from simple single cells into increasingly complex multicellular forms in his laboratory, Dr. Ratcliff is unlocking the fundamental rules that govern evolution itself. So how does life go from microscopic simplicity to stunning complexity, and what secrets are hidden within evolutionary leaps?Expect to learn how scientists forced yeast to evolve multicellularity, why evolution doesn't always mean increasing complexity, how yeast astonishingly evolved from fragile clusters into structures as strong as wood, why synthetic biology can create solar-powered yeast using whale DNA, how evolution can surprisingly move backward from multicellular to unicellular, why group selection is a misunderstood and vital concept, how the evolution of cooperation and altruism actually works, what myths about evolution we should abandon, and much more…...00:00 Meet the Scientist Evolving Life in a Lab01:01 How Single Cells Became Complex Life02:35 The 50,000-Generation Evolution Experiment05:12 Why Evolution Is Shockingly Unpredictable08:33 Could Yeast Evolve into Something Unrecognizable?11:25 Why Evolution Keeps Creating Similar Species14:03 What Most People Get Wrong About Evolution17:31 Ordering DNA Online Like an Amazon Package20:20 How Whale DNA Created Solar-Powered Yeast23:18 Why Most Genetic Mutations Fail27:52 The Strange Truth About Human Uniqueness31:15 How Multicellularity Evolved Over and Over34:10 Why Cells Sacrifice Themselves for the Group37:45 Does Evolution Ever Go Backwards?41:17 Defining Life: What Really Makes an Individual?45:09 Cancer: When Cells Rebel Against the Body49:34 Group Selection: Evolution’s Misunderstood Concept53:22 Why Evolution Doesn't Always Mean Progress57:30 How Complex Organisms Can Lose Complexity1:01:07 Why Animals Don't Return to Single-Cell Life (But Fungi Do)1:05:14 Mycelium Networks: Intelligence Underground1:08:26 LUCA: Searching for Life’s Universal Ancestor1:12:50 Could Complex Life Exist on Other Planets?1:16:03 Synthetic Biology: Redesigning Life from Scratch1:19:45 What Evolution Teaches Us About Cooperation1:23:20 Why Some Organisms Are Evolutionary Dead Ends1:27:05 Could Humans Engineer Entirely New Forms of Life?1:31:33 The Future of Lab-Grown Evolution1:36:10 Could Lab Evolution Create Consciousness?1:40:02 The Most Surprising Results from Evolution Experiments1:45:15 Why Predicting Evolution is Almost Impossible1:50:06 How Synthetic Organisms Could Solve Global Problems1:54:20 The Philosophical Implications of Creating Life...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. Daniel Z. Lieberman is a clinical professor of psychiatry and author of *The Molecule of More*, one of the most influential neuroscience books of the last decade.Dopamine drives our ambition, creativity, addictions, obsessions, and even our experience of love — but it’s not the pleasure molecule you think it is. It’s the molecule of *desire*. And understanding how it works could change your life.Expect to learn why wanting and liking are completely different systems in the brain, how dopamine tricks us into chasing goals that never satisfy, the difference between desire and control dopamine circuits, how these circuits shape addiction, success, relationships and motivation, why social media and porn hijack our brains, how to rewire your dopamine system for self-control and meaning, why falling in love doesn’t last — and what real long-term love looks like, how to cultivate contentment, and much more…...00:00 Why Dopamine Is the Most Misunderstood Molecule in Neuroscience02:00 How One Neurotransmitter Controls Love, Ambition, Creativity & Addiction06:04 The Secret Role of Dopamine in Mental Time Travel08:46 Crows, Pebbles, and the Origins of Imagination11:26 The Two Dopamine Circuits Controlling Your Life13:39 The Dopamine Trap: Wanting vs Liking16:52 Why Mick Jagger Slept With 4,000 Women (and Wasn’t Happy)19:43 Buzz Aldrin and the Dopamine Crash After the Moon22:11 Elon Musk’s Mind: Obsession, Achievement, and the Dopamine Storm25:05 Why Love Feels So Good (and Why It Fades)27:06 The Projection Illusion: You Don’t Fall in Love With People30:00 The Real Reason You Want the Donut (and Hate Yourself After)33:04 The War Between Impulse and Identity in the Brain36:13 Why People Self-Sabotage: The Conflict Inside the Desire Circuit39:07 How to Rewire Your Brain with Meaning, Not Just Happiness41:30 Dopamine Detoxing: Science or Scam?44:45 How Long It *Really* Takes to Break Dopamine Addictions47:39 What Most People Get Totally Wrong About Dopamine49:46 Two Kinds of Pleasure: Why You're Missing One of Them52:18 Is It Possible to Work Hard *and* Be Present?55:05 The Hard Truth: Growth Isn’t Easy and Life Hacks Don’t Work57:45 The Neuroscience of Doing Hard Things Daily1:01:00 Can Cold Showers Boost Dopamine? Separating Myth from Science1:03:15 Supplements, Biohacking & Dopamine: What Actually Works?1:05:34 The Final Takeaway: Know Thyself — or Dopamine Will Know You Better...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)

Giant Moment taken from Dr Christof Koch - Consciousness, Psychedelics and Mental Health Giants Shoulder 3

Kevin Mitchell is an associate professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin. His research is aimed at understanding the genetic program specifying the wiring of the brain and its relevance to variation in human faculties, especially to psychiatric and neurological disease and to perceptual conditions like synaesthesia.

Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet at https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL (use Code GIANTSMANTA10)Dr. Guy Leschziner is a neurologist, world-renowned sleep expert, and acclaimed author specialising in the fascinating complexities of sleep disorders and their extraordinary impact on human behaviour.Sleep is not just an 'on or off' state—it's a complex spectrum where different parts of our brains can independently switch between waking and sleeping. From sleepwalkers who cook meals, drive cars, or even commit crimes without memory, to the phenomenon of 'local sleep' occurring even when we're wide awake, sleep continues to surprise scientists.Expect to learn why some people can function on shockingly little sleep without health consequences, what sleepwalking reveals about our subconscious minds, whether we should trust sleep supplements, the truth behind blue light and circadian rhythms, how insomnia might indicate deeper neurological issues, why some people experience paradoxical insomnia, the mysteries behind dreaming and Parkinson's disease, and the shocking extremes of what can happen when parts of your brain are awake while you sleep....00:00 - Sleepwalking Murders & Midnight Motorbike Rides01:04 - Dr. Guy Leschziner: Inside the Mind of a Sleep Expert02:58 - When Sleep Disorders Reveal the Secrets of Your Brain05:36 - What Actually Happens in the Brain During Sleepwalking?13:12 - Insomnia vs. Sleep Deprivation: What's the Real Difference?30:31 - Why Your Bedroom Might Be Ruining Your Sleep35:08 - Mastering Your Mind: Reducing Sleep Anxiety and Reactivity39:46 - Blue Light Controversy: Myth or Real Sleep Threat?43:17 - Should You Try Blue-Light Blocking Glasses?49:05 - Eating Late: Does It Really Ruin Your Sleep?51:29 - The Truth About Sleep Medication & Supplements54:19 - Can Sleeping Pills Cause Dementia?56:53 - How Parkinson’s Disease Reveals Itself Through Sleep59:30 - Melatonin: Miracle or Myth?01:06:18 - Craziest Sleep Disorders Dr. Leschziner Has Ever Seen...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 Taylor Guthrie is a social neuroscientist, researcher, and one of the leading experts in how our sense of self emerges from our relationships, our goals, and the powerful social forces around usWe all assume we know what’s happening inside our own minds. But what if the way you describe your identity—your inner narrative, your motivations, your beliefs—turns out to be incomplete? What if you’ve spent your entire life overlooking how deeply social context shapes you? Taylor’s research suggests that most people don’t truly understand the hidden processes guiding how they think, feel, and behaveExpect to learn why the self is far more malleable than you might believe, how close friendships literally alter the brain’s activity, why dopamine is more about drive than pleasure, how the default mode network weaves your memories into a cohesive story, whether so-called “quick brain hacks” truly live up to the hype, and the fascinating ways that shared group identity can both unify and polarise usThis episode will make you question everything you thought you knew about your own mind....00:00 Intro: The Most Social Species On Earth01:54 Why Should Anyone Care About Social Neuroscience?02:57 How Our Brains Evolved For Social Interaction03:43 Language & Cooperation: The Human Advantage05:04 Abstract Thinking & The Evolving Frontal Lobe08:40 What Does It Mean To Have a “Self”?10:47 How the Self Impacts Motivation & Memory15:15 Seeing Others as Extensions of Ourselves20:10 Shifting Selves Across the Lifespan27:10 Redefining Goals: The Neuroscience of Change34:55 Dopamine vs. Serotonin: A Complex Interaction39:00 Intrinsic Motivation & Identity42:50 Overcoming Bad Habits & Building New Paths49:04 Mental Illness & the Self: Depression, Anxiety & Identity56:00 Myths About Dopamine & “Quick Brain Hacks”01:01:30 Cannabis, Psychedelics & Ego Dissolution01:07:52 The Default Mode Network: A Master Conductor01:13:10 Daydreaming, Self-Talk & Integrating Experience01:21:59 Group Identity, Polarization & Belief Systems01:30:25 Neuralink, AI & Real-Time Brain Data01:40:52 The Potential & Risks of Brain-Tech Integration01:48:45 Leaving Self-Limiting Beliefs Behind01:56:15 Practical Takeaways for Changing Your Self-Concept02:03:10 Final Reflections & Where Neuroscience Is Headed...

Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is a board-certified gastroenterologist, bestselling author, and a leading expert on the microbiome.Understanding your gut is a lifelong journey. Repairing a troubled microbiome, fueling your “second brain,” and harnessing the power of short-chain fatty acids are all part of the process. So how do we move beyond the confusing myths around gut health to support our mood, energy, and overall well-being?Expect to learn how gut microbes influence motivation and ambition, how to use fiber to boost brain power, what cutting-edge science says about fecal transplants, how chronic stress damages your digestion, why we crave certain foods (and how to manage those cravings), how simple daily habits like morning sunlight can reset your microbiome—and dive into strange, wonderful insights Dr. Will has never shared before.Check out Fibre Fueled - https://amzn.to/41qnV0q...00:00 Intro01:44 The Misunderstood Science of Gut Health07:46 The Impact of Diet on the Microbiome13:35 The Role of Microbiomes in Pregnancy and Child Development19:34 The Microbiome's Influence on Disease and Health36:58 The Gut-Brain Connection and Neuroinflammation42:41 The Role of Diet and Supplements in Gut Health48:29 Human Connection and Microbiome Health56:44 Microbial Influence on Behavior01:06:00 Sleep, Circadian Rhythms, and the Microbiome01:11:25 Understanding Prebiotics and Probiotics01:17:48 The Importance of Dietary Variety01:25:49 The Role of Red Meat in Gut Health01:30:55 The Impact of Antibiotics on the Microbiome01:36:52 Fecal Transplants: A Revolutionary Approach01:43:23 Exploring Postbiotics and Their Benefits01:49:30 The Role of Genetics vs. Microbiome01:56:50 Skepticism in Microbiome Research02:07:32 Practical Takeaways for a Healthy Microbiome...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)

This first giant moment is from episode #20 with inner experience expert Dr Russell Hurlburt. In this clip Dr Hurlburt talks about the clinical case that shaped his 50 year career in the field of Inner Experience research. It blew my mind. Dr Russell Hurlburt is a psychologist, researcher, and one of the leading experts in the study of inner experience.We all assume we know what’s happening inside our own minds. But what if the way you describe your inner thoughts—your inner monologue, mental images, emotions—isn’t accurate? What if you’ve spent your entire life mischaracterizing your own experience? Russell’s research suggests that most people don’t truly understand how their minds work.Check out the full episode after watching this Giant Moment!