"Go Wild" with Dr. John Ratey (podcast)

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Episode 55 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Dr. John Ratey, co-author of Go Wild: Free Your Body and Mind from the Afflictions of Civilization. Dr. Ratey has also been featured several times on the Brain Science Podcast. He is an expert on the brain benefits of exercise.

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Interview with HIV Pioneer Michael Saag, MD

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Michael Sagg, MD (click to listen)Episode 54 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Dr. Michael Saag, one of the pioneers in the battle against HIV-AIDS and author of the provocative new book Positive: One Doctor's Personal Encounters with Death, Life, and the US Healthcare System. When I asked him why he wrote his book he said bluntly "Because I am angry!"

Saag shares the frustration of most American physicians who struggle with the current chaos that we call a healthcare "system." As he notes on page 2 of Positive,  “over three decades of unparalleled advances in science and healing, so much about practicing medicine seems to have gotten worse. Medical professionals’ time with patients has decreased while the workload had increased. The cost of patient care has risen by every measure, while insurers appear to profit more and help less.”

In Positive Dr. Saag blends the inside story of how HIV-AIDS was transformed from a death sentence to a manageable chronic medical condition with a candid discussion of our sytems failings. He recognizes that those of us who want to see real change face an uphill battle against powerful, (and rich) entrenched interests who are profiting from the current chaos, but it is his hope that Positive will motivate physicians and patients to use the actvisim that helped spur success against AIDS as an inspiration to fight together for change.

Listen to Episode 54 of Books and Ideas

Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

 

References: 

Announcements: 

  • I will be speaking at The Amazing Meeting, which will be held in Las Vegas, NV July 10-13, 2014.
  • I will also be attending the Podcast Movement in Dallas TX, August 16, 17 2014.
  • The most recent episosde of the Brain Science Podcast (BSP 108) is an interview with Dr. Michael Graziano author of Consciousness and the Social Brain. The next episode will come out at the end of this month.
  • The next episode of Books and Ideas will be with Dr. John Ratey about his new book Go Wild.
  • In July 2014 I will be starting a one year fellowship in Palliative Care Medicine at the UAB School of Medicine. I am not sure yet how this will impact my podcasting schedule.

 

 

American Humanism with Becky Hale (podcast)

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The latest episode of Books and Ideas (BI 53) is an interview with Rebecca Hale, president of the American Humanist Association. We explore the basic tenets of humanism and also discuss the particular challenges facing humanists in the United States. 

Hale describes humanism as "a life philosophy based on personal responsibility: humans made the problems in the world, and it's up to us to take responsibility to fix them, so that we leave the planet better than we found it."

Listen to Episode 53 of Books and Ideas (right click to download mp3)

Free Episode Transcript (Download PDF) 

Related Episodes:

Links and References: 


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Announcements:

Mur Lafferty returns to Books and Ideas

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Mur Lafferty (photo by Philip Peterson)Mur Lafferty inspired me to start podcasting back in 2006, so I am very proud that she recently won the prestigious John W. Campbell Award at this year's Hugos Celebration. Her latest novel The Shambling Guide to New York City is also garnering well-deserved praise.

Mur was my guest way back in Episode 17 of my Books and Ideas podcast so I am very pleased to have her back on for Episode 52. We talked about her writing career and what she has learned along the way. Mur continues to produce her long-running podcast I Should Be Writing, which is a must listen for all aspiring fiction writers.

 

Listen to Episode 52 of Books and Ideas

Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

 

Additional Show Notes:

 

 

Why Animal Emotions Matter (podcast)

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Dr. Jaak Panksepp (click for audio)Episode 51 of Books and Ideas is actually a followup of Dr. Jaak Panksepp's recent interview on the Brain Science Podcast. There we talked in depth about the scientific evidence that humans share basic emotional circuitry with other mammals. In this interview we talk about the implications of this discovery,  focusing on how it should impact the treatment of laboratory animals. We also consider our relationships with pets and other domestic species.

Listen to Episode 51 of Books and Ideas

Episode Transcript (Download Free PDF)

 Subscribe to Books and Ideas

Recommended Reading:

  • Related Podcasts:

    Announcements:

    • Books and Ideas has its own Facebook Fan Page.
    • You can also post your feedback about Books and Ideas within the BSP Group on Goodreads.
    • A new version of the Books and Ideas website will be launching soon. The URL will not change.

    Meet Dr. Campbell:

    • Atlanta, Georgia: February 19-21, 2013
    • South by SouthWest in Austin, Texas: March 7-10, 2013
    • Johannesburg, South Africa: April 8-10, 2013
    • I love to meet listeners when I travel so if you will be at any of these places just drop me an email at gincampbell at mac dot com.

     

    • Ted Meisner: Secular Buddhism (podcast)

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    Ted Meisner (click to listen)I recently had the opportunity to be a guest on The Secular Buddhist podcast, which is hosted by Ted Meisner. We talked about neuroscience and my new eBook Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty. I enjoyed learning about the Secular Buddhist Association, which is an outgrowth of the podcast, but I was surprised that listener feedback indicated that many listeners have a poor understanding of Buddhism and how it relates to Secularism. That is why I invited Meisner to come on my Books and Ideas podcast.

    I have just posted this interview as Episode 50:

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    Links:

    References:

     

    Please help support my work.

    Announcements:

    NMX - I'll Be There

    Video Game Music with Emily Reese (Books and Ideas podcast)

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    Emily Reese (Photo by Nate Ryan) Episode 49 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Emily Reese from Minnesota Public Radio. Reese is the host of two podcasts that I enjoy: Top Score and Learning to Listen. In this interview we focus on Top Score, which is a podcast about video game music. Reese interviews the composers and gives listeners an inside look at the challenges that face composers in this new, but growing field. You don't need to be a musician or a gamer to enjoy Emily's podcasts.

    Listen to Episode 49 of Books and Ideas

    Free Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

    Links:

    Music:

     

    Announcements:

    How Storytelling Makes Us Human (podcast)

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    Jonathan GottschallWhat do fiction, dreams, and children's make believe have in common? Why is storytelling found in every human culture? These are among the fascinating questions explored in The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Makes Us Human by Jonathan Gottschall.

    I have just posted an interview with Jonathan Gottschall (Books and Ideas #48) in which we talk about some of the key ideas in his new book. Gottschall's goal is to look for clues about why storytelling is such an universal behavior. He also argues that it should be possible to form testable theories about the purpose of storytelling.

     

    listen-to-audio-20 Listen to Episode 48 of Books and Ideas

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    Announcements:

     

     

    "Incomplete Nature" with Terrence Deacon (podcast interview)

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    Terrence Deacon, PhDIn his new book Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter Terrence Deacon writes that his goal is “demonstrate how a form of causality depending specifically on absent features and unrealized potential can be compatible with our best science.” (page 16). But in a recent interview (Books and Ideas #47) he also contends that his book "grew out of a dissatisfaction with the systems theory approach." He feels strongly that "to understand the origin of end-directed phenomena, representational phenomena, or mental phenomena, you need to take one further step; you need to figure out what’s beyond self-organization that needs to be explained to account for these things." Thus, his ambitious goal is to find a place for meaning within in science.

    Incomplete Nature is a dense but compelling book, and the goal of this interview is to introduce listeners to the idea that life and meaning are compatible with a scientific world view. 

    Listen to Books and Ideas #47

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    References: 

     Announcemements:

     

    Exploring Alabama with Roger Reid (BI 46)

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    Roger ReidRoger Reid has a job that every kid and most adults would find fascinating. He works for the Alabama Museum of Natural History and travels all over Alabama as a writer and producer for the Emmy Award winning TV show, Discovering Alabama with Dr. Doug Phillips . He also shares his passion for natural history in a series of novels written for middle school age readers. I decided to interview him for Books and Ideas because I wanted to share these novels with my listeners. They combine mystery and science in an original way, but they also contain compelling characters that readers will care about.

    Episode 46 of Books and Ideas is an unusual episode because we don't just talk about Reid's novels. We also explore some of the little known treasures of Alabama's natural history. I guarantee surprises, even for those of you who call Alabama home. But I also hope that listeners around the world will gain a new appreciation for the natural resources of Alabama.

    listen-to-audio-20 Listen to Episode 46 of Books and Ideas

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    Books by Roger Reid:

    • Longleaf (2006): set in the Conecuh National Forest
    • Space (2008): set at the Swanson Observatory on Monte Sano in Huntsville, Alabama.
    • Time (2011): set at the Stephen C Menkin Paleozoic Footprint Site, near Jasper, Alabama

    References and Links:

    Tell Me What You Think!

    Ginger Campbell Celebrates Five Years of Podcasting (BI 45)

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    Ginger Campbell and GretaIn December 2006 I launched 2 podcasts: Books and Ideas and the Brain Science Podcast. In Episode 45 of Books and Ideas I take a few minutes to look back on my five years in podcasting and to thank some of my many guests.

     

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    Show Notes:

    The focus of this episode was to thank each of the 33 people who have been featured on Books and Ideas so far. 

    • Historians: Matthew Cobb, Holly Tucker, and Jennifer Michael Hecht
    • Scientists: Lee Silver, Pamela Gay, Robert Schleip, Eugenie Scott, Les Johnson, Daniel George, Sheril Kirshenbaum, and Frank Wilczek
    • Philosophers: Massimo Pigliucci and Tom Clark
    • Physicians: Paul Offit, Robert Martenson, Neel Varshney, and Steven Novella
    • Fiction Writers: Mur Lafferty, Christiana Ellis, Scott Sigler, Tabitha Grace Smith, Skyler White, and Karen Traviss
    • Psychologists: Delany Dean, Eric Maisel, Bruce Hood and Carol Tavris
    • Other Writers: Dan Ariely, Sue Bailey, and Carmen Flowers 
    • Special Guests: Patrick Pricken, Kirk McElhearn and Kyla Duffy

    Click here for a complete list of guests (in alphabetical order).

    Click here for a complete list of episodes.

    Announcements:

     

    Karen Traviss on Writing for Gears of War (BI 44)

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    Karen TravissThe thing that draws me to novels by Karen Traviss is her characters and her recent series of novels based on the popular Gears of Wars videogame delivers a character-driven story of surprising depth. In fact, even though the recently released game Gears of War 3 (also written by Traviss) brings the games to an end, Traviss is still working on the 5th and final Gears of War novel, which is scheduled for release next spring.

    I was fortunate to interview Traviss last month, shortly after the release of Gears of War 3. The interview is spoiler free, but even if you don't play video games this interview will give you a new insight the role of writing in this emerging genre. 

    listen-to-audio-20 Listen to Karen Traviss (BI 44)

    Episode Transcript (Free PDF)

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    References and Links:

    • KarenTraviss.com
    • Aspho Fields by Karen Traviss
    • Dr. Campbell's mini-review of Hard Contact (Star Wars: Republic Commando, Book 1) by Karen Traviss
    • "Mad World" video from YouTube (embedded below)

     

     More Fiction Authors: 

    • BI 17: Mur Lafferty, podcasting pioneer and author of Playing for Keeps
    • BI 18: Tabitha Grace Smith lead writer of Buffy Between the Lines
    • BI 35: Scott Sigler, best-selling author of Contagious and Galactic Football League series
    • BI 38: Christiana Ellis (Nina Kimberly the Merciless) and Skyler White (and Falling, Fly)

    Announcements:

    listen-to-audio-20 Listen to Karen Traviss (BI 44)

    Episode Transcript (Free PDF)

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    Cognitive Dissonance with Carol Tavris, PhD (Books and Ideas #43)

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    Carol Tavris, PhD Click for audioThe theory of cognitive dissonance is not new but Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson makes cognitive dissonance accessible to everyone, and, more importantly, Tavris and Aronson make it clear why we should care. As Dr. Tavris explained in a recent interview (Books and Ideas #43), "cognitive dissonance is a theory of blind spots." Appreciating how our brains automatically strive to decrease the discomfort we feel when faced with conflicting beliefs, can help us become aware of how these blind spots effect our behavior and attitudes.

    listen-to-audio-20 Listen to Episode 43 of Books and Ideas

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    Cognitive dissonance is also revelevant to anyone with an interest in science because as Dr. Tavris noted: "the scientific method is designed to create dissonance—in a way, we could say this.  This is one of the reasons science is so unpopular—I should say is so difficult—because scientists are humans, and scientists don’t like it when their predictions are disconfirmed.  But, you see, as we now understand, the mind is designed for consistency, for consonance; it’s designed to notice, and remember, and confirm evidence that supports our beliefs, and to forget and ignore information that is dissonant with our beliefs.

    It’s such an interesting thing for those of us interested in skepticism and science, because the scientific method is designed to create dissonance—in a way, we could say this.  This is one of the reasons science is so unpopular—I should say is so difficult—because scientists are humans, and scientists don’t like it when their predictions are disconfirmed.  But, you see, as we now understand, the mind is designed for consistency, for consonance; it’s designed to notice, and remember, and confirm evidence that supports our beliefs, and to forget and ignore information that is dissonant with our beliefs."

    Links and References

    Listener donations help make Dr. Campbell's podcasts possible. 

    Announcements

     

     

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    Why Neuroscience Matters (Books and Ideas #42)

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    On May 11, 2011 Ginger Campbell, MD gave a talk entitled "Why Neuroscience Matters" at the London Skeptics in the Pub. Episode 42 of Books and Ideas is an edited version of that talk, including the lively Q and A with the audience.

    listen-to-audio-20 Listen to Episode 42 of Books and Ideas

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    References 

    From the Brain Science Podcast

    Announcements:

     

    • Dr. Campbell will be a speaker at The Amazing Meeting 9, which is coming up in Las Vegas, Nevada July 14-17.

     

    Please send your feedback to Dr. Campbell at gincampbel at mac dot com, or post a comment on the Facebook Fan Page.

    Don't forget to sign up for Ginger Campbell's Newsletter so you can get show notes for every podcast.

    Exploring 17th Century Medicine with Holly Tucker

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    This month’s Books and Ideas podcast (#41) is an interview with Holly Tucker, author of Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution.  Dr. Tucker’s book is about the first blood transfusions—which, surprisingly, occurred way back in the 1660’s; 150 years before the first successful human-to-human transfusions.

    The thing that makes Blood Work compelling is that Dr. Tucker puts these early efforts into the context of their time, and she helps us to consider how these events could be relevant to the medical controversies of our own time.  And, as we will allude to during our conversation, the story includes a fascinating murder mystery.

    listen-to-audio-20 Listen to Episode 41 of Books and Ideas

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     Links of Interest:

    References:

    Announcements:

     

    Send feedback to Dr. Campbell at gincampbell at mac dot com or leave voice mail at 205-202-0663. 

     

    How the Anti-vaccine Movement Threatens Us All

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    Paul Offit, MDIn his new book Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All pediatrican Dr Paul A. Offit traces the history of the anti-vaccine movement from opposition to the small pox vaccine in the 19th century up through recent events. Unfortunately, the results are predictable. Reducing vaccination rates lead to reemergence of dangerous preventable infectious diseases. That is why the decision not to vaccinate is not a personal decision. It is one that involves the whole community.

    This is the focus of the conversation I had with Dr. Offit in Episode 40 of Books and Ideas. This is a follow-up to Dr. Offit's first interview here in Episode 25.

    Because I think this issue is literally a matter of life and death, I encourage you to share this podcast with others.

    Listen to Dr. Offit's interview (Books and Ideas #40)

    Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

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    Links and References

    • Paul Offit, MD: Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
    • Books and Ideas Episode 25: In this 2008 interview we talked about Offit's book Autism's False Prophets and our shared fears about the consequences of falling vaccination rates.
    • van den Hof S, Conyn-van Spaendonck MA, van Steenbergen JE. Measles epidemic in the Netherlands, 1999-2000.  J Infect Dis. 2002 Nov 15;186(10):1483-6. Epub 2002 Oct 29. During a measles outbreak that occurred in the Netherlands between 1990 and 2000 researchers found that fully vaccinated children living in communities with low rates of vaccination were at greater risk than unvaccinated children living in highly vaccinated communities.
    • Brian Deer on Andrew Wakefield's conflicts of interest: "MMR:The Truth Behind the Crisis," Sunday Times (London), February 24, 2004.
    • I mentioned two important court decisions made in 2009 and 2010 by the Omnibus Autism Proceedings. In 2009 the court ruled that there is no evidence that thimrosal-containing vaccines cause autism and in 2010 it ruled that there is no evidence that thimirosal alone causes autism. The complete docket of the Omnibus Autism Proceedings are available at http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/node/2718.
    • All of Dr. Offits books (listed above) contain extensive references for those wishing to do more research.
    • Jenny McCarthy Body Count: there were at least 662 deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases between June 3, 2007 and February 19, 2011.

    Announcements

    • Please feel free to share this podcast with others. Please contact me if you would like to use the interview-only in another podcast or for patient education.
    • I have moved the Brain Science Podcast Discussion Forum to Goodreads.com and I have started a thread for discussing Deadly Decisions and Episode 40.
    • I will be speaking to the London Skepticis in the Pub on May 11, 2010. Visit http://london.skepticsinthepub.org/ to learn more.
    • Don't forget to join the Books and Ideas Facebook Fan Page.
    • Leave reviews of Books and Ideas on iTunes® or wherever you get the podcast.
    • Join me next month for a new episode of the Brain Science Podcast. The next episode of Books and Ideas will be posted in April, 2011.

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

    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

    Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

    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

    Episode Transcript (Download PDF)

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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.