Interview with HIV Pioneer Michael Saag, MD

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: 

• Positive: One Doctor's Personal Encounters with Death, Life, and the US Healthcare System by Michael Saag. If you buy from the book website proceeds go to HIV-AIDS research.
• A Life Worth Living: A Doctor's Reflections on Illness in a High-Tech Era by Robert Martensen
• Interviews with Dr Robert Martensen (Episode 28 and Episode 29)
• Dr. Campbell's interview on Medical School HQ podcast: episode 64
• Facebook page for Positive
• Google+ page for Positive
• Follow Positive on Twitter

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.

Podcast Explores Sleep Science (BSP 107)

The latest episode of the Brain Science Podcast (BSP 107) is an interview with Dr. Penelope Lewis, author of The Secret World of Sleep: The Surprising Science of the Mind at Rest.

Click here to play the interview.

Click here for the full show notes and episode transcript.

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American Humanism with Becky Hale (podcast)

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:

• Episode 21: Interview with Dr. Eugenie Scott about the ongoing battle between evolution and creationism.
• Episode 27: Interview with Jennifer Michael Hecht, author of Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson.
• Episode 30: Interview with Tom Clark, author of Encountering Naturalism: A Worldview and Its Uses.
• Episode 50: Interview with Ted Meisner, host of The Secular Buddhist podcast.

Links and References: 

• Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism by Susan Jacoby
• American Humanist Association website
• International Humanist and Ethical Union- umbrella organization for humanists around the world
• Humanist Press and The Humanist magazine
• Humanism as the Next Step by Lloyd and Mary Morain
• The Philosophy of Humanism by Corliss Lamont (revised ed 1997)
• See the FREE episode transcript for additional links and references.

click on image to play audio

Announcements:

• Like the Books and Ideas Fan Page on Facebook or visit our Google+ page.
• Sign up for my newsletter to get show notes automatically.
• The Books and Ideas mobile app is a great way to get all the episodes and read transcripts right on your device.
• Click here to learn more about the AHA meeting in Philadelphia this June and be sure to let me know if you are coming.
• Send me feedback at docartemis@gmail.com or post your comments in the thread for this episode that I have started on Goodreads.

Brain Science Podcast turns Seven

Ginger Campbell with Rusty and GretaEarlier this month my Brain Science Podcast celebrated its seventh anniversary. I haven't been doing a very good job of updating this website in recent months, but I wanted to take a moment to look back at 2013. While I only published two episodes of Books and Ideas, I did publish 12 episodes of the Brain Science Podcast and I am looking forward to some major changes in 2014.

BSP 103 featured the return of Olaf Sporns who was also interviewed back in BSP 74. Last month we talked about his most recent book Discovering the Human Connectome.

BSP 104 is our seventh annual review episode, which highlights the main ideas that we explored in 2013. I also announced that beginning on December 30, 2013 I will be offering a Premium Subscription. The most recent 25 episodes of the Brain Science Podcast will remain free while older episodes and episode transcripts will be available via subscription. Subscribers will get unlimited access to the entire library of content while individual episodes and transcripts can be purchased on the BSP website.

Subscribe to the Brain Science Podcast 

Mur Lafferty returns to Books and Ideas

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:

• Listen to Mur's first interview: Books and Ideas #17
• Mur's website is at MurVerse.com. That's where you can get a link to the Magic Spreadsheet
• Her podcast is I Should Be Writing and is available in iTunes and all the major podcasting apps.
• The Shambling Guide to New York City (The Shambling Guides) by Mur Lafferty (Audible link)
• The Takeover by Mur Lafferty. This is an hilarious take on zombies in the work place.
• Playing For Keeps (Kindle version) by Mur Lafferty
• The Takeover and many of Mur's other audio efforts are available at Podiobooks.com

Brain Science Podcast #100

Alvaro FernandezLast month I posted episode 100 of the Brain Science Podcast. To celebrate this milestone I supplemented the discussion of Brain Fitness with Alvaro Fernandez with feedback from listeners.

Listen to Episode 100.

Visit the Brain Science Podcast website for the full show notes and free episode transcript.

Comment: During the interview with Alvaro Fernandez he talked about the upcoming SharpBrains Virtual Summit, which is scheduled for September 19-20. Fans of the Brain Science Podcast have been offered a 25% discount. Just use the code brainpodcast when you register.

Temple Grandin Share Practical Advice (BSP 99)

photo by Rosalie WinwardLast month in BSP 98 I reviewed Temple Grandin's latest book The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum. That podcast focused on the current science, but this month's follow up interview (BSP 99) is a little different. It focuses on Dr. Grandin's practical advice for living with autism. Besides emphasizing the need for more research into the sensory problems that are common in autism and applying the recent discoveries about brain plasticity. Dr. Grandin believes very strongly in nurturing strengths while accommodating weaknesses. She said that it is very important that "we accommadate weaknesses in a way that is enabling." She is particularly worried that many young people are not being taught the social skills they need to succeed in a work environment, even thought they have valuable talents to contribute.

In my opinion, Dr. Grandin's advice carries extra weight because her personal example shows how an autistic person can make a unique contribution if given extensive training and support.

Listen to Dr. Grandin's interview.

Visit Brain Science Podcast website for full show notes and a free episode Transcript.

BSP 98 "The Autistic Brain"

Click image above to play audioI hope to post a new episode of Books and Ideas before the end of the summer. Meanwhile the Brain Science Podcast is heading toward episode 100! Last month's episode (BSP 98) was a discussion of The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum  by Temple Grandin. This book is a tremendous gift, not just to patients and their families, but also to teachers, mentors, friends, and everyone who is interested in understanding how our brains make us who we are.

I think that this is a book everyone should read because as we come to appreciate the fact that the strengths and challenges of autism occur across a broad spectrum, we may also realize that some of these issues actually affect people who aren't considered autistic.  It is not the label that matters.  What does matter is recognizing that each of us has his or her own strengths and weaknesses, but thanks to brain plasticity, we all have the potential to nurture our strengths and, when necessary, accommodate our weaknesses.

Please visit the Brain Science Podcast website for full show notes and free episode transcripts.

What is Neuroanthropolgy? (BSP 97)

Featured on BSP 97The latest episode of the Brain Science Podcast (BSP 97) is a conversation with Daniel Lende and Greg Downey, editors of The Encultured Brain: An Introduction to Neuroanthropology. We explore how neuroscience and anthropology can work together to unravel the mystery of how our brains make us who we are.

Listen to BSP 97 (or download mp3)

Click here for complete show notes and the FREE episode transcript.

Robert Burton Returns to the Brain Science Podcast (BSP 96)

The latest episode of the Brain Science Podcast (BSP 96) marks the return of one of my favorite guests: retired neurologist and author Dr. Robert Burton. We discussed his new book A Skeptic's Guide to the Mind: What Neuroscience Can and Cannot Tell Us About Ourselves. In this book Dr. Burton expands on the ideas he first presented in On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not. He also argues that because mental sensations like certainty, agency, and causation originate outside of conscious awareness there are inherent limits in our ability to use neuroscience to understand the Mind. This is a somewhat controversial and definitely thought-provoking position, which I invite you to explore further by listening to this interview.

Listen to BSP 96

Go to Brain Science Podcast website for complete show notes and free episode transcripts.

Brain Science Podcast Update

Last month we launched a completely redesigned website for the Brain Science Podcast. It is intended to be more accessible to people on mobile devices, but it also makes it easier for visitors to submit feedback directly from the site.

 Here is a brief summary of our most recent episodes:

Pain Part 2 (BSP 95):

Click image to listenBSP 95 is the second part of our discussion of Understanding Pain: Exploring the Perception of Pain by Fernando Cervero, who is the current president of the International Society for the Study of Pain. Dr. Cervero was interviewed in BSP 93 and in this episode I discuss additional key ideas from his book. (BSP 93 and 95 can be enjoyed in any order.

Listen to BSP 95 

Click here for the detailed show notes.

How the Brain Understands Language (BSP 94):

Dr. Benjamin BergenBSP 94 was an interview with linguist Benjamin Bergen author of Louder Than Words: The New Science of How the Mind Makes Meaning.

Listen to BSP 94

Go to the complete show notes.

Why Animal Emotions Matter (podcast)

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:

• Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions by Jaak Panksepp

• The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions  by Jaak Panksepp and Lucy Biven
• Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain by Antonio Damasio
• Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson
• Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson
• Why Animals Matter: Animal Consciousness, Animal Welfare, and Human Well-being by Marian Stamp Dawkins
• Project Nim (Video) directed by James Marsh

Related Podcasts:

• Jaak Panksepp on the Brain Science Podcast: BSP 65 and BSP 91
• Kyla Duffy of Happy Tails Books (dog rescue): B&I 33
• Stuart Brown on the importance of Play: BSP 61

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.

Neuroscience of Pain (BSP 93)

Click Logo to ListenDr. Fernando Cervero of McGill University has been studying pain since the beginning of his career back in the 1960's. These decades have seen tremendous advances in our neuroscientific understanding of what causes different types of pain as well as changing attitudes. Pain was once regarded as something that most people had to endure, but now most of us demand adequate pain relief, sometimes even to the point of not tolerating minor pain. Dr. Cevero's new book Understanding Pain provides an accessible account of both the history of pain research and a thoughtful consideration of the challenges facing the field.

The latest episode of the Brain Science Podcast (BSP 93) is an interview with Dr. Cervero. This is Part 1 of a planned two part series.

Listen to Episode 93

Click Here for Detailed Show Notes and Episode Transcripts

Subscribe to the Brain Science Podcast:

Ted Meisner: Secular Buddhism (podcast)

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:

Listen to Episode 50 of Books and Ideas

Episode Transcript (Download FREE PDF)

Subscribe to Books and Ideas Podcast:

Links:

• I encourage you to check out the list of interesting people that Ted has interviewed on The Secular Buddhist podcast.
• My interviews were episode 124 and 133.
• I talked about insight mediation with Delany Dean back in Books and Ideas 20 and I also talked to Dr. Dan Siegel about the neuroscience of meditation in Brain Science Podcast 44.
• The Naked Monk:  

References:

• Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening by Stephen Batchelor
• Confession of a Buddhist Atheist by Stephen Batchelor
• The Universe in a Single Atom (2005) by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Narrated by Richard Gere.
• Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World (2011) by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Narrated by Martin Sheen).
• Please see the FREE EPISODE TRANSCRIPT for additional links and references.

 

Please help support my work.

Announcements:

• Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty by Ginger Campbell, MD is now on sale. Send me your Amazon receipt to get a free PDF.
• Upcoming podcasts: Jaak Panksepp on the emotional lives of animals and the annual year-end review on the Brain Science Podcast.
• Sign up for Ginger Campbell's newsletter and get podcast show notes automatically. Never miss a show!
• Meet next month at the New Media Expo in Las Vegas (January 6-8, 2013).

Where do Emotions Begin?

Dr. Jaak Panksepp (click to play audio)In his new book The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions Jaak Panksepp set out to make his life's work more accessible to a general audience. To be honest, reading this book requires a significant commitment, but I think he does a wonderful job of updating his classic textbook Affective Neuroscience. Anyone who is interested in this field will definitely want this book as a reference. The other strength of Archeology of Mind is its evolutionary approach. The primary emotional processes that Panksepp has spent his career studying have their origins in the ancient parts of the brain that are shared by all mammals. This contradicts longstanding assumptions in neuroscience, but it has important implications for both humans and other animals.

In Episode 91 of the Brain Science Podcast Dr. Panksepp and I talked about some of the new information contained in Archeology of Mind with a particular focus on FEAR, which contrary to what many researchers claim, does NOT begin in the amygdala, but begins much lower. We do talk briefly about the experimental evidence, but this was covered in more detail during Dr. Panksepp's previous appearance on the Brain Science Podcast in BSP 65.

Listen to Episode 91

Click here for detailed shownotes and free transcript.

CEUs for Psychologists

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How does the Brain become Conscious? (BSP 90)

Episode 90 of the Brain Science Podcast is a discussion of Self Comes To Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain by Antonio Damasio. Damasio's book focuses on the answer to two key questions: How does the brain generate the Mind? and How does the Brain generate Consciousness? His approach is unusual because many scientists and writers treat the Mind and Consciousness as identical. In contrast, Damasio argues that Mind proceeds Consciousness. Listen to this podcast to learn how the Mind becomes Conscious.

Listen to Episode 90

Click here for show notes and free episode transcript.

Subscribe to the Brain Science Podcast:  

Brain Science Podcast with Evan Thompson (BSP 89)

Evan Thompson, PhDEmbodied Cognition is a movement within cognitive science that argues that the mind is inseparable from the fact that the brain is embedded in a physical body. This means that everything that the brain does, from the simplest perception to complex decision-making, relies on the interaction of the body with its environment.  Evan Thompson's book Mind in Life: Biology, Phenomenology, and the Sciences of Mind is an in depth look at what he calls the "enactive" approach to embodied cognition. The enactive approach was pioneered by Thompson's mentor Francisco Varela and it emphasizes the importance of the body's active engagement with its environment.

In a recent interview (BSP 89) I talked with Thompson about some of the key ideas in Mind in Life. Unlike most episodes of the Brain Science Podcast, this is not really a stand-alone episode. It is part of my ongoing exploration of both embodied cognition and the controverial topic of emergence. It is also intended as a follow-up to my recent interview with Terrence Deacon.

Listen to Episode 89

Click here for complete show notes and the free episode transcript.

Subscribe to the Brain Science Podcast:

Earn CEU's for listening!