Eugenie Scott, the Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, was interviewed in Episode 21 of Books and Ideas.
The focus of our conversation was the importance of teaching evolution
in the public schools. Dr. Scott and the NCSE have worked for over 20
years to promote the teaching of evolution because it is an essential
component of a modern education in the life sciences. Unfortunately,
nearly 150 years after Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859) many
Americans still reject this fundamental idea and much of Scott's work
is focused on trying to keep creationism and so-called Intelligent
Design out of school curriculum.
Recently the NCSE launched a very valuable site called Expelled Exposed, which focuses on exposing the many inaccuracies presented in Ben Stein's recent pro-intelligent design "documentary" Expelled. One of the things that has come out in numerous interviews is that the producers of the film mislead all the pro-evolution guests that appear in the film. We discuss this briefly near the end of the interview, but it was not the focus of our discussion. (see below for more links regarding Expelled)
Since Dr. Scott has been interviewed about Expelled and Expelled Exposed on several other podcasts, I wanted to focus our interview more on the importance of accurate science education. Also, we discussed the fact that despite the claims of right-wing fundamentalists there are many Christians and people of other faiths who accept the theory of evolution as scientifically valid. Accepting evolution does not mean one is choosing atheism. I think this is a very important distinction because while atheists are outspoken in their support of evolution they represent a small minority. I was encouraged to learn from Dr. Scott that the NCSE is working closely with religious leaders and scientists of faith to try to educate their members.
Since Books and Ideas reaches an international audience I thought that it was important that we discuss the origins of the evolution versus creationism controversy, which is unique to the United States. Scott does an excellent job of explaining how our unique religious heritage along with our locally controlled school systems combine to create a situation that most of the world find's rather mystifying. Her book Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction also provides an excellent overview of the subject from both an historical and scientific prospective.
Finally, we talk about the importance of evolution as a basic idea in modern biology. While we didn't dwell on this, I think we are both concerned about the implications for the future if a majority of young Americans are reaching college without a solid foundation in the principles of evolution. We also talked about why intelligent design fails to meet the basic definition of a scientific theory since it provides no testable hypotheses. Dr. Scott also provides a excellent review of the basic writings for those who want to learn more.
Episode 40 of the Brain Science Podcast
is a look back at the highlights from the last six months. We have
talked about numerous topics including brain plasticity, mirror
neurons, language, brain rhythms, and the sense of smell. We talked
with 9 guests
and we have also explored the practical implications of neuroscience,
including the importance of sleep and exercise to brain health. This
brief review episode is intended for both new listeners and long-time
subscribers.
For detailed show notes including links to all the resources discussed in the episode
Episode 39 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Dr. Michael Arbib
from the University of Southern California. Dr. Arbib's work with
functional brain imaging has established the presence of mirror neurons
in the human brain. In our interview we focused on the role of mirror
neurons in imitation and language. In particular I questioned Dr. Arbib
about the Mirror System Hypothesis (MSH) of Language Evolution that he
proposed in 1998 with Giacomo Rizzolatti. We also explored how this hypothesis diverges from the universal grammar proposed by Noam Chomsky.
Dr. Arbib also shared his enthusiasm for future research and we talked
about the special challenges caused by the interdisciplinary nature of
modern neuroscience.
Listen to the Brain Science Podcast
Related Episodes:
- Brain Science Podcast #7: A discussion of bonobos with Stuart Shanker, PhD
- Brain Science Podcast #30: a discussion of language evolution including my thoughts on Chomsky
- Brain Science Podcast #35: a detailed discussion of Mirrors in the Brain by Giacomo Rizzolatti
Click here for detailed show notes including links and references
Episode 38 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Jeff Hawkins, author of On Intelligence.
Hawkins is well-known for founding Palm Computing and Handspring. He
invented the Grafitti handwriting recognition system and helped develop
the Palm Trio SmartPhone. Since he published his bestseller On Intelligence, he has devoted his work to his passion for neuroscience. His current company Numenta
is developing software that models the hierarchal structure of the
neocortex. In this interview we talk about the ideas in Hawkins book
and how he is applying them to develop a computer model of cortical
function. This is a follow-up to Episode 2, which first aired in December of 2006.
Listen to my interview Jeff Hawkins.
Click here for detailed show notes including links and references.
Episode 20 of Books and Ideas is an interview with forensic psychologist Delany Dean, PhD.
Dr. Dean began her career as a criminal lawyer but his interest in the
mind and the brain lead her to a second career as a clinical
psychologist. Besides forensic psyschology she has extensive experience
with therapies based on the use of mindfulness meditation. In this
interview, Dr. Campbell and Dr. Dean share there personal experiences
with meditation, and Dr. Dean explains why she feels mindfulness
meditation provides a extremely valuable tool for helping people deal
with a wide range of problems, including the stress that we all face
from time to time. They also give practical advise for listeners
interested in beginning a mindfulness practice.
Listen to Delany Dean's Interview.
Links and References:
Mind Expressions: Delany's Dean's blog
Teachers and Scientists mentioned in the interview:
- Jon Kabat-Zinn: pioneer in secular use of mindfulness meditation
- Marsha Linehan: another pioneer in the therapeutic use of meditation
- Sharon Salzberg: cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society
- Jeffery Schwarz, MD: pioneered the use of mindfulness in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He wrote The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force with Sharon Begley
- Gil Fronsdal: respected teacher and director of the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood, CA
Books and Other Resources for Beginners:
- Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante H. Gunaratana-one of Dr. Campbell's favorites
- Insight Meditation: A Step-By-Step Course on How to Meditate by Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein
- Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-zinn
- For more books and videos go to Delany Dean's private practice site.
- Insight Meditation Society-learn more about Vipassana
- Spirit Rock- this is where Dr. Campbell did the retreat she mentions in the podcast
You can find more references at the Brain Science Podcast Discussion Forum where there is on-going thread devoted to meditation and the Brain. There is also a section for discussing episodes of Books and Ideas.
Subscribe to Books and Ideas Blog
Leave comments at the Discussion Forum
Episode 37 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Dr. John Medina, author of Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School.
We talk about how exercise, sleep, and stress effect our brains with an
emphasis on practical advice for healthier brain function. We also look
at how research on memory, vision and the brain's attention system
suggests how we can improve our ability to learn and our ability to
share ideas with others.
Dr. Medina's focus is on considering real world examples of how our schools and work environments could be reformed to utilize the growing knowledge of neuroscience. But he also stresses the importance of compiling sufficient experimental data before embarking on new programs.
Listen to Episode 37 now (left click to listen, right click to download mp3).
Art Glenberg, PhDEpisode 36 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Arthur Glenberg, PhD about embodied cognition. Dr. Glenberg recently moved to Arizona State University after over 30 years at the University of Wisconsin's Laboratory of Embodied Cognition. His research focuses on the relationship between embodiment and language. In this interview we explore the experimental evidence for a theory of language that embraces the concept that our language abilities are actually rooted in our perceptual and motor abilities. Dr. Glenberg also explains how his work has practical implications in helping children learn how to read.
Since Dr. Glenberg has had a long career as a working research scientist, this interview also provided an opportunity to explore how scientific hypotheses are formed and how experiments are designed to test these hypothesis. I think this interview will give you a fascinating look into the real world of cognitive psychology.
Listen to Dr. Glenberg's Interview (left click to listen, right click to download)
Links and References:
- email: arthur.glenberg@asu.edu
- Laboratory for Embodied Cognition
- Havas, D.A., Glenberg, A.M., and Rink, M. (2007) Emotion simulation during language comprehension. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 14 (3), 436-441
- Numerous references available as PDF
- Thinking With the Body: blog post of March 3, 2008
Other Scientists Mentioned in the Episode:
- George Lakoff: pioneering linguist
- James Gibson-known for his ideas about affordances
- William Epstein-emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin
- Joseph Campos: University of California (Berkelely)
- Amy Needham and Amanda Woodard-experiments with velcro mits and infant cognition
- David A Havas: graduate student and co-author with Dr. Glenberg
- Mike Kashak: Florida State University
- Mike Rinck: German co-author-see paper under Glenberg (more papers)
- Vittorio Gallese, Dept of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Italy (where mirror neurons were discovered): extensive experimental with motor neurons in monkeys
- Fritz Stack (Germany): experiments showing that facial experiments affect mood and cognition
References:
- Havas, D.A., Glenberg, A.M., and Rink, M. (2007) Emotion simulation during language comprehension. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 14 (3), 436-441
- more publications by Arthur Glenberg
- Sommerville, J.A., Woodard, A.L., and Needham, A., Action experience alters 3-month-old infants’ perception of others’ actions, Cognition 96 (2005) B1-B11.
- Strack, F., Martin, L. L., & Stepper, S. (1988). Inhibiting and facilitating conditions of the human smile: A nonobtrusive test of the facial feedback hypothesis. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 54, 768-777.
- Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things (1987) by George Lakoff
- recent essays by George Lakoff written for the Rockridge Institute
Listen to Dr. Glenberg's Interview (left click to listen, right click to download)
Share your comments on the Discussion Forum
Subscribe in a reader or podcatcher
Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email
Donations and Subscriptions are appreciated
Dan Ariely is a professor of behavioral economics at MIT and author of the bestseller, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions. He was my guest for episode 19 of Books and Ideas. During the interview he explains how his came to study human behavior. He uses examples from his book to explore the question "What makes a good experiment?" He also discusses how he hope that his findings can help strengthen our society despite our human tendency to make "irrational" choices.
Links:
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
Dan Ariely
Listen to Books and Ideas Episode 19
Brain Science Podcast #35 is a discussion of Mirrors in the brain: How our minds share actions, emotions, and experience
by Giacomo Rizzolatti and Corrado Sinigaglia. Mirror neurons were
discovered in Rizzolatti's lab in Parma Italy in the early 1990's and
his book is a detailed to discussion of the experimental evidence in
both monkeys and humans. Direct single neuron recordings have been made
in monkeys. The evidence in humans is indirect since it is based on
mainly on neuroimaging studies like PET scans and fMRI scans. Even so
mirror neurons appear to be essential to our ability to understand both
the actions and emotions of others. Listen Now.
In this episode we also explore the evidence that there are other neurons in the motor areas of the brain that have sensory properties and that the areas of the brain traditionally thought to be devoted to sensory functions also contain neurons with motor properties. Another fascinating discovery is the fact that there are neurons that respond not only to somatosensory inputs (such as being touched) but also to visual or auditory inputs from objects within our peri-personal space. For background on these body maps I recommend listening to Episode 21 and Episode 23. If you are new to the Brain Science Podcast you may want to listen to those episodes first because this week's episode is a little more technical than most.
I will be exploring the importance of these discoveries in future episodes.
Listen to Brain Science Podcast Episode 35 (mirror neurons) NOW.
Links:
Giacomo Rizzolatti- University of Parma
Mirror neurons (wikipedia entry)
Mirror neurons (Scholarpedia entry written by Dr. Rizzolatti)
Listen to Brain Science Podcast #35 (mirror neurons) Now
Share your comments on the Discussion Forum
Subscribe in a reader or podcatcher
Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email
Donations and Subscriptions are appreciated
Episode 34 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with Rachel Herz author of The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell (2007). Dr. Herz teaches at Brown University and she is a leading authority on the psychology of smell. We talk about the how smell works, its role in emotion and memory, why it is so vulnerable, and why smell is much more important than most of us realize. We also consider some of the questions that remain unanswered.
Listen to the Rachel Herz interview now. (Right click to download.)
Links and References:
Rachel Herz
- Brown Medical School faculty page
- Wikipedia: a good source for further references
- RachelHerz.com
- thescentofdesire.com
The 2004 Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology was awarded to Richard Axel and Linda B. Buck for their discoveries of "odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system."
BuckL, Axel R "A novel multigene family may encode odorant receptors: a molecular basis for odor recognition."
Cell. 1991 Apr 5;65(1):175-87.
"The (Shocked) Nose Knows" by Gisela Telis ScienceNOW Daily News 27 March 2008
The Scent of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell (2007) by Rachel Herz
Listen to Episode 34 (Right click to download)
Share your comments on the Discussion Forum
Subscribe in a reader or podcatcher
Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email
Donations and Subscriptions are appreciated
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[this is good]Good interview.In my opinion the Motorola 6800 was better than the Intel 8080 due to how it handled the clock... read more
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[this is good]Ginger the world of brain science that you’ve opened up for me is spectacular. read more
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Thanks, I am not sure why the link was changed. I know it originally worked.I have corrected it in the... read more
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