Eric Maisel talks about Productive Obsessions (Books and Ideas #39)

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Eric Maisel, PhDEric Maisel, PhD is a prolific author and his latest book Brainstorm: Harnessing the Power of Productive Obsessions challenges the assumption that all obsessions are bad. In Episode 39 of the Books and Ideas podcast we talk about how to cultivate what Maisel calls "productive obsessions." We also talk about the relationship between creativity and meaning. Dr. Maisel emphasizes the "necessary paradigm shift from seeking meaning to making meaning." Such a shift offers the possibility of making meaning out of any life circumstance.

Listen to Episode 39

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Links and References:

Announcements:

Send your feedback to gincampbell at mac dot com or leave voicemail at 205-202-0663.

Novelists Christiana Ellis and Skyler White (B&I 38)

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Books and Ideas Episode 38 was recorded live at Dragon*Con 2010, and it is an interview with novelists Skyler White (and Falling, Fly) and Christiana Ellis (Nina Kimberly the Merciless). Ellis and White talk about their work, and share lessons they have learned. This episode will be of particular interest to aspiring writers.

 Listen to Episode 38 of Books and Ideas

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Show Notes and Links:

Books by Skyler White and Christiana Ellis:

Other Books and Resources:

Special Thanks To:

 Announcements:

  • Get a discount on Scott Sigler's new book The Starter by using the code GINGER
  • I have an essay in the revised and expanded edition of The Myth of Free Will by Chris Evatt
  • Books and Ideas is moving to a bi-monthly schedule, so the next episode should be out in mid-December.

Please send your comments and feedback to gincampbell at mac dot com.

 

Philosophy of Science with Massimo Pigliucci (podcast 37)

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Ginger and Massimo Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk by scientist-turned-philosopher, Massimo Pigliucci is an excellent discussion of the challenges faced by the average non-scientist in today's information-rich world. After explaining what distinguishes science from pseudoscience (a major source of "bunk"), his book gives practical advice about trusting experts. (hint: having a PhD doesn't make one an expert!) Pigliucci also discussed these themes during a talk he gave last month at The Amazing Meeting 8, which was held in Las Vegas, NV. That's where I recorded the interview that I am posting today as Books and Ideas Episode 37. The focus of the interview is the role of philosophy of science in today's complex world.

Listen to Episode 37 of Books and Ideas

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Episode 37 Show Notes:

Further Reading: Announcements:
  • The next episode of Books and Ideas will be recorded LIVE at 8:30 PM (Eastern Time) Sunday September 5 at Dragon*Con in Atlanta, Georgia. I will be interviewing novelists Skyler White and Christiana Ellis.
  • I am also scheduled to interview Dr. Scott Lilenfield co-author of 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions about Human Behavior. This interview will be posted in the Brain Science Podcast feed in late September.
  • For updates please subscribe to Ginger Campbell's newsletter.
  • You can now stream or download episodes and transcripts of this podcast directly to your iPhone®, Touch® or iPad® using the Books and Ideas application.
  • Please share Books and Ideas with your friends and don't forget to leave reviews in the iTunes® Store.

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New Discoveries about Glial Cells (BSP 69)

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Recent research has discovered that glial cells (the non-neuronal cells that make up about 85% of the cells in the human nervous system) actually do more than just support neurons. In Episode 69 of the Brain Science Podcast I explore some of these recent discoveries with pioneering researcher, R. Douglas Fields, PhD. Dr. Fields is the author of The Other Brain: From Dementia to Schizophrenia, How New Discoveries about the Brain Are Revolutionizing Medicine and Science. The Other Brain provides a compelling introduction to this exciting new field. It is aimed at general readers, but it should also be on the must-read list for all students of neuroscience.

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Another look a "The Myth of Alzheimer's" (B&I 36)

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The Myth of Alzheimer's: What You Aren't Being Told About Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosis (2008) argues that we should re-evaluate our current approach to dementia. Earlier this month I posted an interview with the book's main author, Dr. Peter Whitehouse (BSP 68). Episode 36 of my Books and Ideas podcast is a follow-up interview with his co-author, Daniel George. As a medical anthropologist George helps put current attitudes into an historical perspective. Labeling  large numbers of older people with the diagnosis of "Alzheimer's Disease" is a relatively new practice and a closer examination of how this occurred provides an interesting example of how the history of medicine (and science) is interwoven with political and social history. While Whitehouse and George challenge the current approach to dementia, there message is actually one of hope. I am recommending The Myth of Alzheimer's to people of all ages.

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References:

Useful Links: Announcements:

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"The Myth of Alzheimer's" with Dr. Peter Whitehouse (BSP 68)

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Brain Science Podcast 68 is an interview with Dr. Peter Whitehouse, co-author (with Daniel George) of The Myth of Alzheimer's: What You Aren't Being Told About Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosis. Alzheimer's Disease originally referred to a relatively rare form of premature dementia, but in recent decades the diagnosis has been expanded to include patients of all ages. This change is not based on science and in this interview we talk about why being labeled with with Alzheimer's may be doing older patients more harm than good. Dr. Whitehouse is one of the pioneering researchers in this field, but advocates devoting resources to helping elders with with a wide range of age-related brain changes. This interview should be of interest to physicians, scientists, as well as patients and their families. I will be posting a supplemental interview with Daniel George, the co-author of The Myth of Alzheimer's later this month. (Learn more at /.)

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Thomas Metzinger explores Consciousness (BSP 67)

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The free podcast version of Brain Science Podcast 67 is now available. It is an interview with German philosopher Thomas Metzinger, author of The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self and Being No One. Dr. Metzinger argues that any credible model for how the brain generates the mind must incorporate unusual human experiences, such as so-called out of body experiences (OBE), and psychiatric conditions. In this interview we explore how OBE and virtual reality experiments shed light on how the brain generates the sense of self that characterizes normal human experience. listen-to-audio Listen to Episode 67 Click here for information about Premium Versions Subscribe to the Brain Science Podcast: itunes-badge-30 zunelogo-70 feed-icon32x32 mail-sticker-tiny Click here for detailed show notes and episode transcripts.
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Scott Sigler on Incorporating Science into Horror Writing (B&I 35)

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Episode 35 of the Books and Ideas podcast is an interview with best-selling horror writer, Scott Sigler. Scott is widely admired for pioneering the use of podcasting to promote his fiction writing, but so far hasn't gotten the recognition I think he deserves for incorporating hard science into his unique blend of horror and science fiction. This interview gave me the opportunity to talk with Scott about how he meets the challenge of incorporating accurate science without sacrificing storytelling. I think this is an excellent follow-up to the interview I did with Sheril Kirshenbaum (co-author of Unscientific America) back in Episode 32.

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Recommended Reading: Useful Links: Announcements:
  • Don't forget to check out the Books and Ideas application for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
  • Books and Ideas will be on hiatus for the next few months while I work on producing and promoting the new premium versions of the Brain Science Podcast.
  • You can get updates by joining our Facebook Fan page or my subscribing to my newsletter.
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Memory and the Computational Brain with Randy Gallistel (BSP 66)

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Episode 66 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Randy Gallistel, PhD, Co-Director of the Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science and co-author (with Adam Philip King) of Memory and the Computational Brain: Why Cognitive Science will Transform Neuroscience. We discuss why read/write memory is an essential element of computation with an emphasis on the animal experiments that support the claim that brains must possess read/write memory. This is significant because current models, such as neural nets, DO NOT incorporate read/write memory in their assumptions about how brains work. It is not necessary to have any background in information theory or computation to appreciate the experiments that are discussed in this episode. Episode 3 and Episode 12 of the Brain Science Podcast provide  background information for this episode. listen-to-audio Listen to Free Podcast Click here for show notes and episode transcripts.
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Bruce Hood, author of "SuperSense" (B&I 34)

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Episode 34 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Bruce M Hood, author of SuperSense: Why We Believe in the Unbelievable.Dr. Hood is a developmental psychologist with a long-standing interest in why people believe weird things. In SuperSense he argues that innate cognitive structures (how we think without being taught) give people a natural tendency toward belief in the supernatural. Our intuitive sense of how the world works is often at odds with the findings of modern science. In this interview we discuss the evidence for these conclusions and their implications.

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References and Links:

  • Bruce Hood's website
  • SuperSense: Why We Believe in the Unbelievable by Bruce M. Hood
  • Hood, BM, "Gravity Rules for Two-  to Four-Year-Olds?" Cognitive Development 10 (1995): 577-98.
  • Lindeman & Aarnio (2007), "Superstitious, magical, and paranormal beliefs: An integrative model." Journal of Research in Personality 41, 731–744
  • Lindeman, M. & Saher, M. (2007). "Vitalism, Purpose and Superstition." British Journal of Psychology, 98(1), 33-44.
  • Lindeman, M. & Aarnio, K. (2006).  "Paranormal beliefs: Their dimensionality and correlates." European Journal of Personality, 20: 585-602.
Announcements:
  • Get episode transcripts on your iPhone or iPod Touch with the Books and Ideas application.
  • Join the Books and Ideas FaceBook Fan Page.
  • Books and Ideas and the Brain Science Podcast are supported by listener donations.
  • Coming Soon! Premium versions of both podcasts.

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Please send your comments and feedback to Dr. Campbell at gincampbell at mac dot com.

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Jaak Panksepp Explores Animal Emotions (BSP 65)

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Episode 65 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Jaak Panksepp, PhD, author of Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions. Dr. Panksepp has done pioneering work on the neural origins of emotions. In this interview we discuss how his work challenges some of the common assumptions about emotions and some of the important implications of his discoveries. New listeners may want to go back and listen to Episode 11 for an introduction to the neuroscience of emotion. listen-to-audio Listen to Episode 65
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Kyla Duffy from Happy Tails Books (B&I 33)

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Kyla_Bill-200 Episode 33 of Books and Ideas an interview with Kyla Duffy, the founder of Happy Tails Books where she publishes stories about dog rescue. Her goal is to raise awareness of the plight of puppy mill dogs and to raise funds for a wide variety of canine rescue organizations. I discovered her work through my contact with German Shepherd Rescue of Central Alabama. This episode is more personal than most because I share some of the story of my rescued German Shepherd Jake, and of course, Kyla talks about rescuing a Boston Terrier named Bill (pictured above) led her to start a publishing company.

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Links of Interest:

Holiday-doxies-400photo courtesy of Courtney Po

Don't forget to visit http://happytailsbooks.com!

Rush Delivery is Available.

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"Unscientific America" with Sheril Kirshenbaum (B&I 32)

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Sheril-150 Episode 32 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Sheril Kirshenbaum, co-author (with Chris Mooney) of Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future. The focus of our interview was on why it is increasingly important that scientists become skilled at communicating what we do to political leaders and to our fellow citizens. Our future depend on solving complex problems (such as global warning and energy issues), which will require accurate scientific knowledge. Unscientific America provides a fresh look at the on-going problem of scientific illiteracy while offering practical suggestions about how we can re-incorporate science into mainstream culture. It calls on scientists of all ages to embrace the role of citizen-scientist.

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References and Links:

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David Bainbridge from Cambridge University (BSP 63)

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bainbridge-150 Episode 63 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with David Bainbridge, author of Teenagers: A Natural History. Our focus is on how the brain changes during the teenage years. Bainbridge teaches vetinary anatomy and reproductive biology at Cambridge University and has published several other popular science books including Beyond the Zonules of Zinn: A Fantastic Journey Through Your Brain, which I discussed back in Episode 32.

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Visit the Brain Science Podcast website for details show notes and links.

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NASA's Les Johnson live at Dragon*Con 2009 (B&I 31)

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LesDC4 Episode 31 of Books and Ideas is an interview with NASA physicist Les Johnson, PhD. We talked about his new book Paradise Regained: The Regreening of Earth. Although Dr. Johnson is a lifelong fan of science fiction he challenges the common assumption that eventually we will pollute or damage the earth so badly that humans will be forced to move to outer space. Instead, Dr. Johnson argues that we should develop the technology to get resources from outer space so that we can preserve the Earth for Life.

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Books mentioned in this episode: Announcements:
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"Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?" with Warren Brown (BSP 62)

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W-Brown-150 Episode 62 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Warren Brown, PhD, co-author (with Nancey Murphy) of Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?: Philosophical and Neurobiological Perspectives on Moral Responsibility and Free Will. This book was discussed in detail back in Episode 53, but this interview gave me a chance to discuss some of the book's key ideas with Dr. Brown. We focused on why a non-reductive approach is needed in order to formulate ideas about moral responsibility that are consistent with our current neurobiological understanding of the mind.

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Books and Ideas Podcast #30: Tom Clark on Naturalism

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TomClark-150 Episode 30 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Tom Clark, the head of the Center for Naturalism and author of Encountering Naturalism: A Worldview and Its Uses. I first became aware of Clark's work when I reviewed Chris Evatt's book The Myth of Free Will back in Episode 12. In this interview we talk about naturalism as a world view and examine its implications for important questions like free will and morality. Naturalism is a world view that is based on using the scientific method to discover the truth about the world. It rejects supernatural explanations. Clark explains that this means that naturalism rejects the idea of contra-causal free will but that it embraces a more compassionate approach to personal responsibility. We also talked about Clark's review of Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?: Philosophical and Neurobiological Perspectives on Moral Responsibility and Free Will by Nancey Murphy and Warren S. Brown. I discussed this book in Episode 53 of the Brain Science Podcast and its co-author Warren Brown will be my guest on next month's Brain Science Podcast (Episode 62).

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LINKS:

REFERENCES: RELATED PODCAST EPISODES:
  • Episode 12 (Books and Ideas): Discussion of The Myth of Free Will, edited by Chris Evatt.
  • Episode 53 (Brain Science Podcast): Discussion of Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?: Philosophical and Neurobiological Perspectives on Moral Responsibility and Free Will by Nancey Murphy and Warren S. Brown
  • Episode 62 (Brain Science Podcast): Interview with Warren Brown.

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Allen Institute for Brain Research (BSP 61)

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Allan Jones, PhD
Allan Jones, PhD
Episode 61 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Allan Jones, PhD, the Chief Science Officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Research in Seattle, Washington. The Allen Institute is a non-profit research organization founded by Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft) and is best known for its Mouse Brain Map, which is being used by researchers around the world. The Institute has several other on-going projects including a project to create a map of the human cortex that shows which genes are active in each area. In this interview we discuss both the mouse brain project and the human cortex project with an emphasis on the importance of these projects to neuroscience research. All the maps created by The Allen Institute are freely available on the internet. Dr. Jones also shares his own story and the challenges and rewards of pursuing a career in the non-profit biotech world.

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The Importance of Play (BSP 60)

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In Episode 60 of the Brain Science Podcast Ginger Campbell, MD interviews Dr. Stuart Brown, author of Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul. Our focus is on the importance of play for normal mental development and psychological health. We also explore the importance of play in adults.

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Guy Caldwell, PhD on C. elegans (BSP 59)

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BSP-logo-75-thumb2.jpgEpisode 59 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Dr. Guy Caldwell who is a molecular biologist at the University of Alabama. Since moving to Alabama ten years ago he has done groundbreaking work in applying the green florescent protein techniques developed by his mentor, Nobel Laureate Martin Chalfie to the study of dopamine neurons in the tiny worm C. elegans. In this interview Dr. Campbell and Dr. Caldwell discuss the growing role of molecular biology as a tool in neuroscience. Dr. Caldwell explains why he thinks there is a good chance that a cure for Parkinson's Disease will be found within the next 10 years.

This interview also contains practical information for students interested in pursuing a career in science.

Play Episode 59

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Announcements:

Learn more at http://brainsciencepodcast.com or send Dr. Campbell email at gincampbell at mac.com.

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