Dr. Eric Kandel talks about Memory on Futures in Biotech

/
fib-thumbnail.jpg The lastest episode of Futures in Biotech (FiB 20) is an interview with Dr. Eric Kandel, who won a Nobel Prize in 2000 for his discoveries about how memory works. I think you will enjoy listening to Dr. Kandel's interview. I discussed Dr. Kandel's book In Search of Memory in episode 3 of the Brain Science Podcast. I also discussed his textbook, Memory: From Mind to Molecules in episode 12. For anyone who would like to go back and listen to these episodes, I have provided direct links to the audio files below: #3: In Search of Memory #12: Memory: From Mind to Molecules
Read More

More on Neuroplasticity from author Sharon Begley

/
Science writer Sharon Begley was interviewed about neuroplasticity. on the August 7 episode of Science Talk, the podcast from Scientific American. I discussed her book Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain: How a New Science Reveals Our Extraordinary Potential to Transform Ourselves on episode 10 of the Brain Science Podcast. Listen to Science Talk interview of Sharon Begley Listen to the Brain Science Podcast #10: Neuroplasticity You can also find more on neuroplasticity, including links to some of the scientists she mentions in her interview here.
Read More

Interview with Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg (BSP 18)

/
Brain Science Podcast #18 is an interview with Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, PhD.elkhonongoldberg.gif Listen to Brain Science Podcast #18 Now Show Notes:
  • I apologize for the uneven sound quality of this episode. If any one out there has any suggestions please drop me an email.
  • Dr. Goldberg shared a little bit about the breadth of his work as a neuropsychologist.
  • We talked about his rather unique perspective on the difference between the right and left brain hemispheres. He explained why he feels that as we get older we move from reliance on the right hemisphere, which he feels is the novelty hemisphere, to a reliance on the left hemisphere, where our lifetime store of patterns enables us to use pattern recognition as a short cut in problem solving.
  • We talked about the importance of constant mental challenge, and Dr. Goldberg gives his advice about how we can keep our brains healthy through out our lives.
Links: The following are two companies that Dr. Goldberg is working with to provide information to the public and also tools for cognitive enhancement:
  • SharpBrains-this is a clearing house for information and they evaluate many of the products currently being offered.
  • HeadStrong Cognitive Fitness-this Australian company offers a net-based program for cognitive enhancement based on Dr. Goldberg's research. I am hoping to test their products in the near future.
Listen to Brain Science Podcast #18 Now itunes-chicklet.gif Subscribe via iTunes™ The Brain Science Podcast feed is available here. Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email Visit the new Brain Science Podcast Forum
Read More

Harry Potter with Guest Co-host, Patrick Pricken (B&I 13)

/
kelly-web.jpg Even if you haven't finished reading Book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by JK Rowling you can enjoy this podcast, which features guest co-host Patrick Pricken, from Germany. Patrick's blog, which features movie and book reviews can be found at http://www.p-pricken.de/. (The blog is in German, but translation to English is available from Google.) We talked about what why JK Rowling's work has international appeal, even among adult readers. We explore our favorite characters and talk about whether Book 7 lived up to our expectations. The episode is spoiler-free up to the 17 minute mark. The last 15 minutes does contain specific material from the last book, so if you haven't read it yet you will want to stop listening at 17:00, until you finish the book. If you would like to talk about the podcast or share your favorite Harry Potter memories, please join us in the the special section with in the Brain Science Podcast Discussion Forum. Listen to Episode 13 Download Episode Transcript Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list
Read More

Will Harry Potter Survive?

/
harry_potter_stamps.jpg While I won't be standing in line tonight at midnight to buy the last Volume of the Harry Potter series, but I will be watching my mailbox eagerly tomorrow morning waiting for the UPS truck to bring the copy I pre-ordered back in February. When it arrives I will probably start a marathon reading session, because I don't want to hear how the story ends from someone else. Fortunately, since I am a fast reader, it will probably take me only 8-10 hours. I must say that I regret that all the hype will preclude a slower reading. I am planning to do a Books and Ideas Podcast after I finish, but I wanted to get this post up, because I wanted to get my personal predictions on record before the release (yes I know there are spoilers out on the internet, but I assume if you read this blog regularly you know I have avoided these). The big debate seems to be over who is going to die in Book 7. I am not going to hazard a guess, but I don't think it will be Harry. First of all this would violate the basic principle of telling an heroic tale. I am comfortable that JK Rowling has good enough instincts as a storyteller not to kill off her main character. Thus, it is not even necessary to offer the more comercial reason that killing off Harry would also kill off future sales because it won't take long for the word to get out. Another debate seems to center on what really happened to Dumbledore. Most readers agree that his appearance in the portrait in the headmaster's office at the end of book 6 removes any doubt that he is actually dead. However, I predict he will still be an important character in Book 7. I think he knew that he was likely to die (which is why he froze Harry to keep him from sacrificing himself), and that he has left something behind for Harry to help him. Plus, we don't really know much about what the characters in the portraits are really able to do. I am just listening to the end of Book 6 and I was surprised how sad I feel about Dumbledore's death-two years later! I think when I read the book the first time I saw it coming and I did not have a full emotional reaction.

Reflections on Harry Potter: the first six books

I am proud to say that I have been a Harry Potter fan since before the media frenzy hit, which I think was around the release of Book 4 in July of 2000. I started reading in 1998, when book 2 was still in hardback. At the time I was following the Publishers' Weekly Best Seller list fairly closely and I noticed that books 1 and 2 were topping the adult best seller list. I bought book one because I was curious about how a children's book had become an adult best seller. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is still a magical book that I recommend to everyone. After that I was hooked. I have been pre-ordering from Amazon since Book 4. In fact, looking back at my records I discovered that when I pre-ordered that book in March of 2000, its pre-release title was Harry Potter and the Doomspell Tournament. (The final title was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.) Some literary snobs are critical of JK Rowling's writing, but I think there are several things that set this series apart. First, it has great characters. My first rule when I read fiction is that I have to care about the characters. This is never a problem when reading Harry Potter, even when he is going through the awkward changes of adolescence and one would occasionally want to throttle him. Which brings me to what I think is perhaps Rowlling's most outstanding achievement: the way she allows the characters to grow and change feels totally real. Lots of series, for both adults and children suffer from becoming repetitive and predictable. (A Series of an Unfortunate Events is like the old Shirley Temple movies, once you've read one you know what will happen). Every Harry Potter book has been unique. The story has become darker and more complex, but I think Rowling is also showing a tremendous amount of respect for her younger readers. The changes her characters face mirror the changes adolescents face in real life. There are many examples of this, but of course, the most obvious is Harry's relationship with Dumbledore. Fortunately, most of us don't face the literal loss of our adult mentors so soon, but everyone experiences the painful lesson of realizing a parent or similar figure is not perfect and can not rescue us. In book 6 we clearly saw Harry growing into a mature, responsible young man. This development is all the more satisfying since we have followed him through his tempestuous early teenage years. Rowling certainly has a more positive attitude toward teenagers than most of the people who write television shows. Besides helping millions of young people discover the joy of reading, she has also provided a story with a solid message about the value of love and friendship. That is why these books are great to read whatever your age.
Read More

Does Free Will Exist? (B&I 12)

/
This episode is my response to the The Myth of Free Will (2007), which was sent to me by the book's editor Cris Evatt. I felt the topic was very relevant to my recent discussions on the Brain Science Podcast, where we have been exploring the evidence that a surprising amount of decision-making occurs beyond our conscious control. Listen to Books and Ideas #12 Now I have tried to include some interesting references and links below, but I hope you will share more links (especially good blogs) at the new Brain Science Podcast Forum, which is located at http://brainscienceforum.com. I have set aside a section under "Off-Topic Discussions" for discussions about Books and Ideas. The subject of free will is quite controversial. This episode is intended to stimulate thought and discussion, rather than to convince you that I have the answers. Show Notes The difference between political and psychological free will Can a non-physical soul or spirit be controlling our brain's decisions? Naturalism (What is Naturalism? by Thomas W. Clark founder of The Center For Naturalism) What about choice and responsibility? What does neuroscience have to say about free will? Partial List of Writers Whose Work I discuss References and Further Reading Why Choose This Book?: How We Make Decisions (2006) by Read Montague (Dr. Montague was interviewed on the Brain Science Podcast #15.) The Problem of the Soul: Two Visions of Mind and How to Reconcile Them (2003) by Owen Flanagan Freedom Evolves (2003) by Daniel C. Dennett Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul (1994) by Francis Crick Links of Interest Center For Naturalism The Garden of Forking Paths-A philosophy blog devoted to agency theory, including related issues in Philosphy of Action, Moral Psychology, Metaphysics and Ethics I will try to expand this list in the future.
Read More

Does Free Will Exist?

/
Episode 12 of Books and Ideas should be out within the next week. I am going to be exploring the question: Does free will exist? I hope the discussion will be thought-provoking, but I also anticipate that it might generate controversy and disagreement. I am looking forward to listener feedback. If you have not yet visited the new Brain Science Podcast Discussion Forum, you may want to go there and sign up. I have included a section for "off-topic" discussions that includes an area devoted to discussion of the Books and Ideas podcast.
Read More

Lee Smolin looks at the Einstein Myth

/
I haven't tried to read Walter Isaacson's new biography of Einstein because I found his biography of Benjamin Franklin insufferably boring. So I consider myself still on the search for a good biography of the most imp0rtant physicist of the 20th century. Meanwhile, I can highly recommend physicist's Lee Smolin's essay, The Other Einstein, which appeared in the June 14th issue of the New York Times Review of Books. Thankfully, the entire essay is available free on-line. The most interesting part of the article is its consideration of how some of Einstein's objections to quantum mechanics may have even more relevance today than when he was alive. If you have any interest in the conflict between relativity theory and quantum mechanics you will want to read this essay.
Read More

Episode 11 has been reposted

/
Apparently the wrong version of this episode was posted. Somehow I left out one of Neel's comments that I really meant to use. If you listened to the original, the added material now begins at 5:37. Its less than 2 minutes worth, but it was something special that I put in as a retirement gift to my husband, Dennis Smith, who was one of Neel Varshney's mentors when he was an undergraduate at UAB. If you got an episode labeled #12 you have the correct episode mislabeled. Very embarrassing! Listen to #11 Now Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list
Read More

Interview with Harvard's Neel Varshney (B&I 11)

/
neel2.jpg Show Notes The latest episode of Books and Ideas is a little unusual. I interviewed Neel Varshney of Harvard Medical School as he looks forward to his imminent graduation and residency in neurology. Despite his young age, Varshney has already had extensive research experience in neuroscience, beginning during he undergraduate years as an electrical engineering student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He was the first student from UAB to receive the Rhodes Scholarship. In this interview Neel reflects on his experiences in England, and the challenges of adjusting to medical school. He offers sound advice to anyone considering medical school. We also talked about the research he has done so far. I look forward to hearing great things from him in the future. This is a very personal episode for me because I met Neel when he was one of my husband, Dennis Smith's most outstanding undergraduate students at UAB. Dennis is about to retire after teaching at UAB for 30 years and I know that it is student's like Neel who made his career satisfying. Listen to the corrected version of Episode 11 Now Download Episode Transcript Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list
Read More

An American Living in France (B&I 10)

/
guillestre202.jpgGuillestre in the French Alps Show Notes Make sure you got episode 10 because episode 1 was accidentally uploaded. It was only up a few minutes but if you got the wrong episode please note that this has been corrected. This episode of Books and Ideas is a conversation with writer Kirk Mcelhearn , a native New Yorker, who has lived in France for over 20 years. We talk about the challenges of learning a second language, and what it is like to live in France after 9/11. McElhearn is able to bring some interesting historical perspective to current events. Unfortunately there is some echo in the second half of this interview, which was recorded using Skype™ and Audio Hijack Pro™. Listen to #10 Now Download Episode Transcript Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list Additional Links: Kirkville is Kirk McElhearn's excellent blog where you can find Mac™ and iTunes™ hints, as well as commentary on books and digital music. Here is a list of his books from Amazon.com The Killer Angels: A Novel of the Civil War by Michael Shaara This is an excellent novel that I talked about briefly on an earlier podcast. It is also available in audio download format from Audible.com. Kirk said he has this book coming from BookMooch. BookMooch started by the founder of Magnatune, this is a great place to exchange books
Read More

Mini-Review: The Places in Between by Rory Stewart

/
placesinbetween.jpg by Rory Stewart Rory Stewart is a Scottsman who walked across Afghanistan shortly after the US invasion in 2002. I listened to the audio version, which he reads himself. Like The Kite Runner, another excellent book about Afghanistan, this book is best in audio because he pronounces all those words that I would be clueless about if reading the book. This is really not even a mini-review except that I want to say that he provides a unique perspective on the country and its people. I never realized that Muslims consider dogs unclean! This just illustrates the huge cultural gap between these people and the West. I could not help but wish we had just stayed away. Rory has a new book out called The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq . He describes his year as a part of the provisional government in Iraq. I am probably going to discuss this book on the next Books and Ideas Podcast. Please note that the schedule for Books and Ideas has been reduced from twice a month to what I hope will be once a month. This is because I am unable to keep up with putting out a podcast every week. I intend to continue putting out the Brain Science Podcast twice a month.
Read More

Mini-review: Children of Men by PD James (audiobook)

/
childrenofmen.gif The Children of Men by PD James was actually published back in 1993 and the story is set in 2021. The basic premise is that no human babies have been born since 1995 (for 25 years). This is an interesting premise, but the book was disappointing. Obviously such an situation would would have many consequences, most of them bad. James concentrates on the psychological consequences, which fine, but the problem is that none of the characters, including the narrator and the younger woman he falls in love with, are engaging. The plot becomes rather predictable. Instead of finding myself sitting in the car wanting hear more, I found myself procrastinating. Finally I forced myself to listen to the last hour. I won't give away the end, but I will say that it did not change my overall disappointment. I haven't seen the movie so I do not know if they changed anything significant. Unfortunately, this is the first PD James book I have read and I do not feel inclined to read more. If any of you have read more PD James, please leave a comment comparing this to her other work.
Read More

"Challenging Nature" with Lee M Silver (B&I 9)

/
Read More

Some highlights from Recent Science Podcasts

/
imgoingtopodcampatlanta.jpgI recently posted a list of some of my favorite science podcasts. Today I want to mention a few recent episodes that I think are worth listening to. First, on March 8th, the BBC 4 podcast In Our Time did an excellent review of the history of Microbiology. Host Melvyn Bragg is joined by John Dupré , Professor of Philosophy of Science and Director of Egenis, the ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society, at Exeter University, Anne Glover , Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland and Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at Aberdeen University, and Andrew Mendelsohn , Senior Lecturer in the History of Science and Medicine at Imperial College, University of London. Jason Rennie of The Sci Phi Show has a reputation for getting interviews with many diverse people, usually on subjects related to philosophy. This week he posted two episode on the philosophy of science . Outcast #33 is an interview with Steve Fuller about Thomas Kuhn and Sir Karl Popper , who made important contributions to the philospohy of science during the 20th Century. Outcast #34 is a discussion with Dr. Del Ratzsch about the philosophy of science. His viewpoint on the conflict between science and religion is different from mine, but it is still an interesting interview.
Read More

Bonobos with Dr. Stuart Shanker (BSP 7)

/
kanzi_img06b.jpgKanzi and Sue Savage-Rumbaugh This is the first interview episode of the Brain Science Podcast. As a follow-up to #6, I had the opportunity to interview Stuart Shanker, PhD, one of the co-authors of The First Idea: How Symbols, Language, and Intelligence Evolved From Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans . I really wanted to talk about the implications of primate research, but he also tells us more about his work with autistic children and how he thinks what we are learning about brain development will enable early intervention and improved outcomes for children with autism and other learning disabilities. The Brain Science Podcast feed is available here. Listen to this episode now. Subscribe via iTunes™ Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email Links of Interest: What are Bonobos? More about Kanzi Sue Savage-Rumbaugh-pioneer primate researcher More on Bonobos
Read More

Review: "Palestine" by President Jimmy Carter (B&I 8)

/
I was a little hesitant to choose a controversial book, but after I read President Carter's new book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, I felt the ideas were too important not to share. I also feel that anyone who reads the book for themselves will agree that Jewish Americans are being unfair when they accuse President Carter of taking sides. It is true that he highlights the plight of the Palestinians in the occupied territories, but this hardly makes him biased. Episode 8 of Books and Ideas is only an introduction to the book. You will have to read it yourself to make your own decision. Listen Now Download Transcript Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list Here are some links you might find interesting: The Carter Center CNN's coverage of the resignation of the Jewish members of the Carter Center Some information about the Wall Israel is building around its settlements
Read More

My first interview: Matthew Cobb, author of "Generation" (B&I 7)

/
matthewcobb.jpgMatthew Cobb Show Notes In this podcast is an interview with Matthew Cobb who wrote Generation: The Seventeenth-Century Scientists Who Unraveled the Secrets of Sex, Life, and Growth, which was discussed in Episode 6. Cobb discusses how he became interested in the Dutch Golden Age and the pioneers who discovered the egg and the sperm, even though it was almost 200 years before the discovery of genetics helped solve the mystery of human reproduction. We also discuss how the history of of science reveals the role of human nature in the scientific endeavor. Matthew gave a great interview, but I haven't had time to compile detailed shownotes. Listen to the interview now. Download Episode Transcript Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list Egg and Sperm website
Read More

Review: "Generation" by Matthew Cobb (B&I 6)

/
generation.jpgGeneration: The Seventeenth-Century Scientists Who Unraveled the Secrets of Sex, Life, and Growth by Matthew Cobb Listen to this episode now Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list Show Notes In this episode I discuss the highlights of Matthew Cobb’s account of the early days of the scientific revolution. During the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, several Dutch thinkers made important contributions to discovering how human reproduction happens. Their work helped established the scientific method of experimentation and helped revolutionize how we see ourselves relative to the other living things on earth. Here are the full names of the people mentioned: William Harvey Neils Steno Francesco Redi Robert Hooke Johannes van Horne Jan Swammerdam Reinier de Graaf Antoni Leeuwenhoek Gregor Mendel Other interesting Links: Matthew Cobb’s Website an American Scientist Bookstand interview of Matthew Cobb
Read More

Mini-review: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

/

waterforelephants.jpgThis was one of the most memorable novels I have read in the last few years.The narrator, Jacob, is “ninety or ninety-three” and lives in a nursing home. The arrival of the circus next store leads him to reflect on his experiences working on a circus during the depression. I have never been to the circus but Gruen makes the days when the circus was still a big event come to life.

Several things make this story stand out. First, instead of the usual format where the elderly person only appears to introduce a flashback, in Water For Elephants, the story alternates between Jacob’s present life in the nursing home and his life as a young man in the circus. In the audio version, there are separate narrators for the younger Jacob and the older Jacob. This makes it easy to tell where you are and adds to the realism.

At first I found myself wanting to get out of the nursing home and back to the circus, but by the end I cared as much about what was going to happen to the elderly Jacob and I did about learning the secret of his past. Even so, I thought the writing about the circus was especially powerful. Gruen’s ability to evoke the world of the depression-era circus reminded me of Ann Rice’s ability to make me feel that I am in New Orleans. She puts you in the menagerie with the animals, and Rosie, the elephant, is a character you won’t soon forget.

Finally, there is a surprise at the end, which leaves you feeling happier than you expected.

This is a relatively short book that I think anyone who loves animals will enjoy.

Read More