Brain Science Podcast discussion

Hi Ginger,

I'd like to offer a list of people i would love to hear interviewed on your podcast. Anyone else of course is welcome to add to this list. Here goes:

1. Evan Thompson
2. George Lakoff
3. Mark Johnson
4. Mark Rowlands
5. Shaun Gallagher
6. John Searle
7. Thomas Nagel
8. Richard Davidson
9. Ken Azaiwa
10. Andy Clarke
11. David Chalmers
12. Robert K.C. Forman
13. Maxine Sheets-Johnstone
14. Rafael Nunez
15. Anthony Chemero
16. Richard Menary
17. Esther Thelen
18. B. Alan Wallace
19. Antonio Damasio
20. Stewart Kauffman

Obviously my bias towards the embodied mind and dynamical system approach is evident here. I'm also very interested in hearing from people who are doing research on meditation and the brain, such as Richard J Davidson above. (Please excuse if I suggested someone above who has already been interviewed).

I welcome others to suggest their own biased lists!
Blaine

Blaine wrote: "Hi Ginger,

I'd like to offer a list of people i would love to hear interviewed on your podcast. Anyone else of course is welcome to add to this list. Here goes:

1. Evan Thompson
2. George Lako..."

Interesting list. I spent most of last year trying to get Antonio Damasio on but I finally gave up. I have to admit that I found Davidson's new book rather disappointing, despite my respect for his work.

I have done quite a few episodes on embodiment going all the way back to BSP 25 with Rolf Pfiefer ( How the Body Shapes the Way We Think: A New View of Intelligence .

Yes, thank you for the episodes on embodiment that you have already done. It's fascinating to hear these folks talk about their work in person. I realized that a number of people on my list are philosophy of mind people which of course overlaps with consciousness studies and cognitive science.

My sense is that "brain science" is, by the outcome of contemporary research, becoming more "brain-body-environment-mind" science since limiting one's concern to this single organ also limits what we can learn and know about it and what it contributes to the overall experience of being human. The the traditional materialist-computationalist view of brain as master controller of body-in-environment appears to be in rapid transformation.

Looking foward to future episodes.

Hi Ginger,

I wanted to recommend Dr. Jeffery Martin, who has been researching non-symbolic consciousness. He is also in goodreads apparently.

www.drjefferymartin.com

Love your podcasts!

Santhip wrote: "Hi Ginger,

I wanted to recommend Dr. Jeffery Martin, who has been researching non-symbolic consciousness. He is also in goodreads apparently.

www.drjefferymartin.com

Love your podcasts!"

For some reason the link you have included in your post generates a malicious webpage warning, but there does seem to be a Jeffery Martin listed as a Goodreads author.

I'd love it if you interviewed Peter Watts author of Blindsight. He writes science fiction, but he incorporated a huge amount of brain science research into "Blindsight." (Actually, he might be a better for Books and Ideas.)

Ginger wrote: "Santhip wrote: "Hi Ginger,

I wanted to recommend Dr. Jeffery Martin, who has been researching non-symbolic consciousness. He is also in goodreads apparently.

www.drjefferymartin.com

Love your p..."

It's the same Jeffery Martin. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

His contact is jm @ drjefferymartin.com



He is also one of the authors of the fourth awakening series (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67... )

What is exciting about his research is that he actually did research on enlightened individuals !! The holy grail of consciousness studies :)

To Blaine's list I would add Daniel “consciousness is a bag of tricks” Dennett.

Since we're reaching for the stars, I'd love to see an interview with VS Ramachandran. :)

I have never tried to get Dennett on the brain, but I long ago gave up on VS Ramachandran because he doesn't respond to emails, not even from people like Sandra Blakeslee who helped in write his early books.

I've been a fan of Dr. Daniel Siegal's books since reading The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are . It would be great to hear an interview with him on his latest work in interpersonal neurobiology.

I just listened to Dan Siegel yesterday for a speakers series through Nicabm.com. You'll find more info on how to hear the recording on the website.
There are speakers every week for 6weeks, I think.

Thanks for the information, Maureen. Podcasts are my ear candy, and this will be a great addition.

Hi Ginger – Not sure whether this would fit better with BSP or B&I, but I know I would enjoy hearing you interview Google's Jolly Good Fellow, Chade-Meng Tan, on his book Search Within Yourself. Lots happening these days with mindfulness practices in the corporate world.

David

Everlearners wrote: "Hi Ginger – Not sure whether this would fit better with BSP or B&I, but I know I would enjoy hearing you interview Google's Jolly Good Fellow, Chade-Meng Tan, on his book Search Within Yourself. Lo..."

Search Within Yourself does look interesting for Books and Ideas. Do you have any contacts at Google?

Chade-Meng Tan is a Facebook friend. He seems quite approachable. I agree that he would be a good B&I guest.

Here are some folks I think might be interesting:

Wolf Singer
Giulio Tononi
Karl Deisseroth
A. D. "Bud" Craig

Thanks!

Ginger wrote: "Everlearners wrote: "Hi Ginger – Not sure whether this would fit better with BSP or B&I, but I know I would enjoy hearing you interview Google's Jolly Good Fellow, Chade-Meng Tan, on his book Searc..."

I am going to read his book. I agree about Books and Ideas. The next episode will be a followup interview with Jaak Panksepp. Then I probably won't post another Books and Ideas until I return from my trip to South Africa (April 2013).

Aaron wrote: "Here are some folks I think might be interesting:

Wolf Singer
Giulio Tononi
Karl Deisseroth
A. D. "Bud" Craig



Good suggestions. I will add them to my LONG list.

I'd really love to hear interviews of Cordelia Fine and Rebecca M. Jordan-Young. I'm very impressed by their books on science of sex differences (and their flaws).

Anna wrote: "I'd really love to hear interviews of Cordelia Fine and Rebecca M. Jordan-Young. I'm very impressed by their books on science of sex differences (and their flaws)."

I agree that they have done excellent work, but I have not had the resources to feature their work. It is all I can do to keep up with a handful of new books!

Still playing catch-up, so just listened to your interview with Sandra Blakeslee, The Body Has a Mind of Its Own.

I would LOVE to hear more from her on any or ALL of the books she has worked on (in addition to, instead of or in tandem with Rama, etc). GREAT interview.

Thanks for this and for ALL of your work. Amazing podcast - my fav.

Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, CMC, SCAC, MCC
- ADD Coaching Field co-founder -
(ADDandSoMuchMore and ADDerWorld - dot com!)
"It takes a village to transform a world!"

Madelyn wrote: "Still playing catch-up, so just listened to your interview with Sandra Blakeslee, The Body Has a Mind of Its Own.

I would LOVE to hear more from her on any or ALL of the books she has worked on ..."

Thanks for the feedback. Since I interviewed Sandy I have moved to interviewing the scientist directly, but I will look for an opportunity to interview her again.

Dean wrote: "Since we're reaching for the stars, I'd love to see an interview with VS Ramachandran. :)"

DITTO-DITTO-DITTO.

And while we're reaching, how about Oliver Sachs?

Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, CMC, SCAC, MCC
- ADD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder -
(blogs: ADDandSoMuchMore, ADDerWorld & ethosconsultancynz - dot com)
"It takes a village to transform a world!"

Madelyn wrote: "Dean wrote: "Since we're reaching for the stars, I'd love to see an interview with VS Ramachandran. :)"

DITTO-DITTO-DITTO.

And while we're reaching, how about Oliver Sachs?

Madelyn Griffith-Hayn..."

I have been trying to get Ramachandran for years but he doesn't answer emails. Sachs had someone write back to me that he is not doing interviews, though I am sure he does give them to mainstream media.

Now that the Brain Science Podcast is well-established I would actually rather interview people whose work needs to reach more people.

Ginger, since you mention wanting to bring more attention to people who deserve it, you might consider Jeremy Gray's work on the interaction of emotional and cognitive systems. It would be interesting in light of Jaak Panksepp's work.

http://www.academicroom.com/users/jer...

Scott wrote: "Ginger, since you mention wanting to bring more attention to people who deserve it, you might consider Jeremy Gray's work on the interaction of emotional and cognitive systems. It would be interes..."

Do you know if Dr. Gray has written any books?

I went to the link in your post but he doesn't have any listed.

I don't want to discount his work, but I tend to focus on those who have written books because it gives listeners a place to go to learn more, and it helps me narrow down my list of perspective guests, which remains hopelessly long!

Well, I guess he hasn't gotten to a book yet, though there are countless articles listed here:
http://www.yale.edu/scan/publications...

But, I understand, having a book does help. : )

In recognition that "Brain Science" encompasses more than just "Neuroscience", and that Brain Science could not exist without philosophy, may I suggest some interesting and controversial philosophers of mind.

John Searle
Colin McGinn
David Chalmers
Thomas Nagel
Thomas Metzinger
Daniel Dennett

Roger wrote: may I suggest some interesting and controversial philosophe..."

Thomas Metzinger is just one of several philosophers who have been interviewed on the Brain Science Podcast. Metzinger was interviewed in BSP 67.

Others philosophers include Patricia Churchland (twice), Lawrence Shapiro and Alva Noë. There have also been many psychologists.

Click here for a complete list of past guests.

Thank you Ginger. My first four suggestions might ruffle some feathers and would make good listening.

@Ginger --

Re: Rama & Sachs - if they'd ever listened to the Brain Science Podcast, I betcha' they'd be honored to be interviewed and eager to do so, IMHO! *Nobody* does a better interview.
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ANYWAY, since I've had to manage a bodacious sleep-timing disorder my entire life [DSPS-N24], I'd *really* love ANYONE working in the area of photobiology, circadian entrainment, and sleep regulation's effects on cognition.

Somebody like Russell G. Foster or one of his associates [2004 Rhythms of Life is an oldie but goodie - and would be a nice fit with BSP-31 Buzsaki and Brain Rhythms ]

- or William Dement or someone from his camp?

-- or somebody from NASA's sleep labs would be fascinating- the goal of a manned flight to Mars mandates they solve some major entrainment/dysregulation issues to maintain astronaut alertness (different light spectral qualities as well as different day/night timing).

-- or Russell Foster - great video on discovery of Melanopsin below:

http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/eve...

In ANY case, I have loved every single interview you've done (and the topics you've chosen), so I'll continue to be thrilled with BSP no matter WHO you choose to interview. I think I'm your biggest fan.

xx,
mgh

I do not like Ramachadran but but reasons other than science. I once watched a documentary that featured him working with Kim Peek (the late autistic savant) and at some point, I forgot exactly what happened but Ramachadran got impatient with Peek during the interview and in my view (which is a very biased one for personal reasons) his face showed an annoyance bordering on contempt for Peek. I have never, ever read anything from him again.

Ginger, everyone,
Just came across a really great article on brain evolution:
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/b...
Scott Barry Kaufman describes his work with Liane Gabora. They have strong evidence refuting the traditional claim that it is our frontal neocortex which distinguishes humans from other species.
Instead, they speculate that what distinguishes humans is that with the advent of culture, we learned to better integrate brain regions which we share with many other mammals.

A quote:
"In recent years, neuroscientists have discovered a large-scale brain network critical for novel and complex goal-directed problem solving. According to Aron Barbey and colleagues, a major function of this network is the manipulation, integration, and control of distributed patterns of neural activity throughout the brain, including lower-level sensory and motor modules. "

That description fits very nicely with Dan Siegal's definition of "mind":
"An embodied and relational process that regulates the flow of energy and information."

Sounds interesting! I will check it out. Thanks!