New Books Network Podcast

Disability Studies June 3, 2023

Dyslexia

A History

Philip Kirby and Margaret J. Snowling

Hosted by Shu Wan

Listen:

In 1896 the British physician William Pringle Morgan published an account of “Percy,” a “bright and intelligent boy, quick at games, and in no way inferior to others of his …

Almost Good Catholics May 11, 2023

The Miraculous Mind (with Paul Bloom)

What Does Psychology Say about Religion and Morality?

Paul Bloom

Hosted by Krzysztof Odyniec

Psychologist Paul Bloom and I talk about the human brain, morality, empathy, perversity, all the things—including Professor Bloom’s new book, Psych: The Story of the Human Mind (Ecco Press, 2023) …

Van Leer Institute Series on Ideas with Renee Garfinkel April 26, 2023

The Transcendent Brain

Spirituality in the Age of Science

Alan Lightman

Hosted by Renee Garfinkel

Are science and spirituality incompatible? From the acclaimed author of Einstein’s Dreams comes a rich, fascinating answer to that question... Gazing at the stars, falling in love, or listening to …

MIT Press Podcast April 23, 2023

Free Will as an Open Scientific Problem

Mark Balaguer

Hosted by MIT Press

A discussion with the the author of Free Will (from The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series) and Free Will as an Open Scientific Problem, Mark Balaguer, in which we discuss …

Military History April 23, 2023

Hitler's Maladies and Their Impact on World War II

A Behavioral Neurologist's View

Tom Hutton

Hosted by Boris Karpa

Toward the end of World War II, Hitler's many health complications became even more pronounced, making an evil man yet more erratic and dangerous. While the subject of Hitler's health …

Neuroscience April 3, 2023

Body Am I

The New Science of Self-Consciousness

Moheb Costandi

Hosted by Melek Firat Altay

How the way we perceive our bodies plays a critical role in the way we perceive ourselves: stories of phantom limbs, rubber hands, anorexia, and other phenomena. The body is …

MIT Press Podcast April 2, 2023

Network Neuroscience

A Discussion with Olaf Sporns

Olaf Sporns

Hosted by MIT Press

The intersection between cutting-edge neuroscience and the emerging field of network science has been growing tremendously over the past decade. Olaf Sporns, editor of Network Neuroscience, and Distinguished Professor, Provost …

Van Leer Institute Series on Ideas with Renee Garfinkel February 26, 2023

Time and Beauty

Why Time Flies and Beauty Never Dies

Adrian Bejan

Hosted by Renee Garfinkel

Poets and philosophers are fascinated by time and beauty. They are two of our most visceral perceptions. In Time and Beauty: Why Time Flies and Beauty Never Dies (World Scientific …

Ministry of Ideas February 23, 2023

Love, Work, and Play--Neuroscience and Meaning

Making Meaning Series 20

Paul Thagard

Hosted by Zachary Davis

Though life’s ultimate meaning may be elusive, the goods of love, work and play are so deeply rewarding that for most people they are sufficient for creating a happy life …

Animal Studies January 26, 2023

If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal

What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity

Justin Gregg

Hosted by Miranda Melcher

What if human intelligence is actually more of a liability than a gift? After all, the animal kingdom, in all its diversity, gets by just fine without it. At first …

Neuroscience December 23, 2022

Brain Energy

A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health--and Improving Treatment for Anxiety, Depression, OCD, PTSD, and More

Christopher M. Palmer

Hosted by Sine Yaganoglu

Christopher M. Palmer's book Brain Energy: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Mental Health (Benbella Books, 2022) will forever change the way we understand and treat mental health. If you or someone …

Psychology December 9, 2022

Curious Minds

The Power of Connection

Perry Zurn and Dani S. Bassett

Hosted by Ari Barbalat

Curious about something? Google it. Look at it. Ask a question. But is curiosity simply information seeking? According to this exhilarating, genre-bending book, what's left out of the conventional understanding …

Scholarly Communication December 7, 2022

Scientific Writing = Thinking in Words

David Lindsay

Hosted by Daniel Shea

Listen to this interview of David Lindsay, emeritus professor of the University of Western Australia. We talk about his book Scientific Writing = Thinking in Words (CSIRO Publishing, 2020) and how your …

Van Leer Institute Series on Ideas with Renee Garfinkel December 5, 2022

The Grieving Brain

The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss

Mary-Frances O'Connor

Hosted by Renee Garfinkel

For as long as humans have existed, we have struggled when a loved one dies. Poets and playwrights have written about the dark cloak of grief, the deep yearning, how …

Neuroscience November 22, 2022

Minding the Climate

How Neuroscience Can Help Solve Our Environmental Crisis

Ann-Christine Duhaime

Hosted by Victor Monnin

Why is it so difficult to adopt a more sustainable way of life, even when convinced of the urgency of the environmental crisis? If adopting new behaviors beneficial for the …

Neuroscience November 4, 2022

A Stethoscope for the Brain

Preventive Approaches to Protect the Mind

Ayan S. Mandal

Hosted by Galina Limorenko

A taken-for-granted miracle occurs in doctors’ offices across the world every single day. With only a stethoscope and an inflatable cuff, a physician can check your blood pressure to predict …

Neuroscience November 3, 2022

Curious Minds

The Power of Connection

Perry Zurn and Dani S. Bassett

Hosted by Galina Limorenko

Curious about something? Google it. Look at it. Ask a question. But is curiosity simply information seeking? According to this exhilarating, genre-bending book, what's left out of the conventional understanding …

Psychology October 19, 2022

Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain

Lisa Feldman Barrett

Hosted by Elizabeth Cronin

Have you ever wondered why you have a brain? Let renowned neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett demystify that big gray blob between your ears. In Seven and a Half Lessons about …

Drugs, Addiction and Recovery September 16, 2022

The Psychedelic Handbook

A Practical Guide to Psilocybin, LSD, Ketamine, MDMA, and DMT/Ayahuasca

Rick Strassman

Hosted by Geert Slabbekoorn

Entering the world of psychedelic drugs can be challenging, and many aren't sure where to start. As research continues to expand and legalization looms on the horizon for psychedelics like …

Medicine September 7, 2022

Model Systems in Biology

History, Philosophy, and Practical Concerns

Georg Striedter

Hosted by Rachel Pagones

Biomedical research using various animal species and in vitro cellular systems has resulted in both major successes and translational failure. In Model Systems in Biology: History, Philosophy, and Practical Concerns …