The Giants Shoulder

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.Expect to learn why you might not actually have an inner monologue, the five core phenomena of inner experience, why most psychological self-reports are unreliable, the surprising differences in how people experience thought, how experience sampling can reveal the hidden structure of your mind, whether meditation really increases self-awareness, and the astonishing story of a woman whose perception of reality was forever altered by this method.This episode will make you question everything you thought you knew about your own mind.---01:26 Exploring Inner Experiences06:31 The Five Frequent Phenomena of Inner Experience11:27 Understanding Experience Sampling Methodology16:12 The Role of Meditation in Inner Awareness21:23 The Challenge of Self-Reporting Inner Experiences26:23 The Prevalence of Inner Monologue31:19 Case Study: Lena's Inner Monologue36:16 Insights from Sadie's Aphantasia43:49 Exploring Aphantasia and Inner Experience49:06 Understanding Descriptive Experience Tests56:49 The Importance of Inner Experience01:08:37 The Impact of Trauma on Inner Experience01:20:54 Reflections on Inner Experience and Relationships---Donate to my Paypal. You're Supporting Bootstrapped Science Communication!https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=L38HCUYY5TDTGFollow the Podcast on other Platforms Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249

Dr William Li is a medical doctor, internet personality with over a million combined followers and author of Eat to Beat Disease. His viral Ted Talk “Can we Eat to Starve Cancer” has been viewed over 11* million times where he lays out his pioneering work in the field of angiogenesis. The process by which our body forms new blood vessels. Correction from video as I state only 5 Million times. In 1994 he co-founded the Angiogenesis Foundation with the mission of using advances in angiogenesis to tackle the worst plagues of society like cancer and Dementia.Buy His Book that is Changing Lives:Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself - https://amzn.to/3Q4y65fWe really went above and beyond on this episode so please show some love and Subscribe to the Channel. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to Angiogenesis and the Brain06:31 The Interconnection of Blood Flow and Cognitive Function13:42 Developmental Disorders and Vascular Issues19:40 Stem Cells and Brain Regeneration25:52 The Brain Microbiome and Its Implications36:20 Practical Tips for Maintaining Healthy Blood Vessels45:12Optimising Your Diet for Blood Vessel HealthFollow 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. 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! Timestamps: 00:00 The Evolutionary Lens on Neuroscience 06:56 Understanding the Brain as a Control System 13:14 The Historical Context of Nervous System Development 20:30 Key Evolutionary Transitions in Brain Development 31:00 The Role of Reinforcement Learning in Evolution 45:52 Evolutionary Leaps: From Water to Land 54:41 Consciousness and Its Emergence 01:03:47 The Complexity of Brain Function and Evolution 01:24:29 Debunking Myths: Understanding Evolution's Nature 01:26:43 Engineering vs. Evolutionary Solutions 01:28:36 AI Models and Evolutionary Insights 01:35:09 The Grounding Problem in AI 01:42:52 The Role of Motion in AGI 01:54:55 Future of AI: Optimism vs. Pessimism Donate to my Paypal. You're Supporting Bootstrapped Science Communication! https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=L38HCUYY5TDTG 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

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