Explore every episode of the podcast The Nature & Nurture Podcast

Dr. Helen Joyce is a journalist, mathematician, women’s right advocate, and author of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality. 

In this episode, we talk about Helen’s background in mathematics and transition into journalism, and eventually the so-called gender culture war. We discuss sex differences in personality, why gender nonconformity is normal, and why the transgender debate has turned into such a contentious and politicized topic. We trace this story back to both the complex biology of sex differentiation, and postmodern philosophical problems surrounding identity, and how these decision points become difficult to enshrine into law. We discuss what social and legal norms should be surrounding protected gendered spaces, freedom of speech and pronoun use, intersex populations, libertarianism, and whether adults should be free to choose medical sex reassignment. Helen offers sound and practical advice for individuals wanting to navigate these contentious waters with an open mind, and do right by people when trying to both remain respectful to individuals struggling with gender dysphoria and not invalidate the truths of biological sex.

Dr. Carl Marci is a psychiatrist, Director of the Social Neuroscience Psychotherapy Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, and author of Rewired: Protecting Your Brain in the Digital Age. 

In this episode, we discuss how social media and digital technology impact attention span and brain development, what is happening to kids in the digital age, and how advertising companies use neuroscience research to addict their users. Dr. Marci talks about his experience as both a psychiatrist, neuroscience researcher, and entrepreneur who has worked with digital broadcasting and technology companies. We talk about the rapid rise of mental health problems, social contagion theory, and why in-person communication is more enriching than online communication (ironically, as we speak on an online platform). Dr. Marci shares his recommendations for developing healthy screen habits and how to turn the fear of missing out into the joy of missing out on digital immersion. 

Dr. Robin Nusslock is a neuroscientist and Associate Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University. He is an expert on the interactions between the brain and the immune system, including the role of neuroinflammation in regulating positive emotion, negative emotion, and mental health. 

In this episode, we discuss Robin’s research on the brain and immune system in the context of diet, stress, and lifestyle choices. We discuss Robin’s research on Tibetan Buddhist monks, what monastic lifestyles reveal about mindfulness, sleep, and how the brain processes rewards and concepts of self and other. We also discuss the neurobiology of reward processing, including hedonistic vs. eudaimonic rewards, and the role of narrative and reinforcement learning in shaping the brain’s ability to delay gratification as exemplified by monastic life, religious sacrifice, and the practice of delayed gratification in pursuing an education. 

Dr. Webb Keane is the George Herbert Mead Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan.  He is an expert in the anthropology of religion and ethics; semiotics and language; material culture; gifts, commodities, and money; and media. He is the author of Animals, Robots, Gods: Adventures in the Moral Imagination.

In this episode we discuss Webb’s central argument that ethical dilemmas posed by interactions with non-humans and near-humans, including animals and AI, share common themes reflected in narrative and mythology cross-culturally. We discuss these findings in relation to cultural anthropology, evolutionary psychology, AI and large language models, and video games. 

00:23 Exploring the Book's Themes

01:04 AI and Moral Imagination

04:51 Religious Language and AI

08:29 Human-AI Interaction

17:32 Moral Dimensions of Hunting

22:01 Animal Emotions and Morality

31:10 AI as a Moral Entity

34:45 The Fear of AI and Human Intentions

35:38 The Moral Implications of AI Decisions

38:34 Ethics and Social Interaction

41:04 Language and Perception

47:19 Cultural Differences in Language

52:48 The Intersection of Technology and Identity

59:46 Mythology and Technology in Popular Culture

Dr. Michael Bernstein is an experimental psychologist, Assistant Professor

at Brown University Medical School, and the author of The Nocebo Effect: When Words Make You Sick. Dr. Bernstein’s research is focused on the overlap between cognitive science and medicine, studying the role of expectation in healthcare and leveraging the placebo effect to improve patient outcomes. 

In this episode, we explore the mechanisms, implications, and ethical dilemmas of the placebo and nocebo effects in healthcare. Dr. Bernstein explains that the nocebo effect is essentially the opposite of the placebo effect, where negative expectations can lead to worsening symptoms. He shares examples from randomized trials and addresses ethical challenges in medical disclosure. We also discuss the impact of patient expectancy, anxiety, and media influence on symptom manifestation, along with considerations for future research and practical applications in medicine.

00:27 Understanding the Nocebo Effect

02:11 Ethical Dilemmas in Medical Disclosure

04:38 The WebMD Effect and Media Influence

08:20 Psychological Mechanisms of Nocebo and Placebo

17:28 Conditioning and Expectation in Healthcare

18:34 Evolutionary Perspectives on Placebo

23:16 Trust, Authority, and the Placebo Effect

29:04 Understanding Negativity Bias in Behavioral Economics

29:46 Environmental Factors and Nocebo Effects

31:54 Recency Bias in Medical Procedures

33:47 The Role of Cognitive Biases in Healthcare

35:46 The Placebo Effect in Surgeries

43:24 AI in Medicine: Ethical Considerations and Future Directions

51:52 Open Label Placebos and Pain Management

53:44 The Importance of Ritual in Healing

55:30 Exploring Placebo Effects in Animals

Dr. Bailey is a psychologist, behavioral geneticist, and Professor at Northwestern University specializing in the etiology of sexual orientation, sexual preferences and paraphilias, and gender diversity.

In this episode, we discuss the history of transexualism in clinical psychology and its relation to modern transgender identifying people, the science and ethics of gender affirming care in adults and children, and the different manifestations of gender dysphoria across children, men, women, and comorbidity with autogynephilia. We also discuss the heritability of sexual orientation, the role of prenatal hormones in determining sexual orientation, gender identity, and psychological gender differences, and arousal patterns. Lastly, we discuss the politics of sexology as a field, and how to conduct effective and impartial research on politically charged topics such as researching gender dysphoria, its causes, and evidence bases.

Dr. Ogi Ogas is a mathematical neuroscientist and author several books including Consciousness: How It’s Made, and A Billion Wicked Thoughts. He writes about autism, mathematical neuroscience, consciousness, and more on his Dark Gift blog: https://www.ogiogas.com/ 

In this episode Ogi and I discuss the history of mathematical neuroscience, competing computational views of consciousness and why Ogi favors dynamical theories over statistical and deterministic theories of mind, how consciousness evolved, and how human consciousness differs from other species. We also discuss human sexuality and his book A Billion Wicked Thoughts, reflecting on sex differences in online sexual behavior and media consumption. Lastly, we discuss the neuroscience of autism, the subjective experience of autism, its diagnostic history, and how a mathematical and biological account can improve clinical psychology.

Dr. Holly Bowen is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Southern Methodist University.             Dr. Bowen’s research focuses on how affective states, specifically emotion and motivation, influence how we form memories and remember past experiences. She is also interested in how the links between emotion, motivation and memory are impacted by age-related cognitive changes, using multiple methods including behavioral paradigms, computational modeling, and neuroimaging with event-related potentials (ERP) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

In this episode Holly and I discuss emotion and motivation’s impact on memory encoding and consolidation, the differences between emotional valence verses arousal and their neurophysiology, and their connections to the reward system, the amygdala, and the hippocampus. We talk about dual-systems models of reward processing, cognitive control, and decision-making, the role of dopamine in facilitating learning and memory, the role of norepinephrine and cortisol in threat processing and fear conditioning, and paradoxes in how brain activity and behavior changes with age. Lastly, we discuss the negativity bias in memory, the positivity bias in nostalgia, and how socioemotional selectivity and changes in emotion regulation skills may explain age-related changes in these phenomena. 

Dr. Jason Storm is a philosopher, historian, and the Francis Christopher Oakley Third Century

Professor of Religion at Williams College. Dr. Storm is the author of several books including Metamodernism: The Future of Theory.

In this episode, Jason and I talk about the history of modernism and postmodernism in philosophy and the arts, the concept of paradigm shifts in science and the humanities, and the most recent paradigm shift from postmodernism to metamodernism. We discuss Jason’s book Metamodernism, its central themes and refutations of postmodernist claims, grounding theories about human language and subjectivity in evolutionary biology and computational neuroscience, and more. Lastly, we discuss the philosophy of religion in relation to evolutionary psychology, memetic and cultural evolution, and neuropsychoanalysis. 

Dr. Susana Monsó is a philosopher, animal ethicist, and author of Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death. 

In this episode, we discuss how different animals grieve, how opossums fake death, why predators play with their prey, why dogs sometimes eat their deceased owners as a sign of love, and human rituals surrounding death. We discuss how this topic connects to interdisciplinary areas in philosophy, including animal sentience, the ethics of factory farmed food, moral utilitarianism and its pitfalls, the neuroscience of care and pain, and the moral responsibility that co-evolves with social intelligence. 

Dr. Karen Bales is a Professor of Psychology and Neurobiology at UC Davis, and an expert in oxytocin, pairbonding, and the neurobiology of care. 

In this episode we discuss Karen’s background, education, and research on parental care and pairbonding across a wide variety of species including marosets, tamarins, titi monkeys, prairie voles, and seahorses. We discuss the shared evolutionary lineage between humans and other primates, similarities and differences between apes and monkeys, monkey mating and parenting behavior. We then discuss Karen’s experience working with Sue Carter studying oxytocin and the neurobiology of pairbonding in prairie voles, which led Karen to form her own lab at UC Davis studying the oxytocin system in other species. Lastly, we discuss a recent influential study examining the parental behavior of gene-edited prairie voles lacking an oxytocin receptor.

Dr. Alexey Tolchinsky is a licensed psychologist and an adjunct professor at the George Washington University. 

In this episode, we discuss Alexey’s clinical experience as a therapist, our shared research interests in neuropsychoanalysis, chaos theory as a way to measure complexity in neuroscience and psychology, narrative fallacy in research, and the importance of specifying the right level of analysis for psychological problems. As case studies we discuss personality traits, anxiety, core affects within basic emotion theory, and their connections to evolutionary psychology and analytic psychology.

Dr. Nicholas Christakis is the Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale University, where he directs the Human Nature Lab. Dr. Christakis is an MD-PhD physician and sociologist known for applying social network analysis to the study of public health and the evolutionary psychology of cooperation. He is the author of several books including Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society.

In this episode Dr. Christakis and I discuss the methods of social network analysis, similarities and differences to game theory and population simulation research, and how cooperation and friendship co-evolved with social cognition. We discuss evolutionary explanations of modern day public health dilemmas including disease spread, obesity, loneliness, and internalizing disorders, as well as their development across the lifespan and cross-culturally. 

Dr. Mark Solms is a neuropsychologist, Professor at the University of Cape Town, and author of The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness. 

In this episode, we discuss The Hidden Spring - core areas within the brainstem which are the root of all feeling and consciousness in all vertebrates - and pioneering discoveries from affective, cognitive, and computational neuroscience that bridge together to build this theory. We discuss connections to philosophy of mind, active inference and predictive processing theories of consciousness, the (im)plausibility of panpsychism, whether memory is necessary for consciousness, the difference between metacognition and consciousness, how brain damage influences consciousness, feeling, and decision-making, whether invertebrates or even single cellular life can learn and possess consciousness, and where cognitive neuroscience has gone astray in being overly reductionist and dismissive of the complexity of animal subjective experience. We also talk about core differences between basic emotion theory, which states that we evolved with core brain systems dedicated to innate qualitatively distinct emotions, and constructed emotion theory, which argues that all emotions are cognitive contextual interpretations of affective valence and arousal. Finally, we discuss Dr. Solms’ early research on dreams, the connection between dreams, memory consolidation, imagination, and problem-solving, and the history and legacy of psychoanalysis in shaping modern neuropsychology.

Dr. Jorge Morales is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Philosophy at Northeastern University, where he directs the Subjectivity Lab. In this episode, we discuss Jorge’s research on the neuropsychology and philosophy of visual perception, introspection, and theory of mind as lenses through which to study consciousness.

We discuss the neural and computational building blocks of perception, the evolution of self-awareness, consciousness in simple organisms, and the plausibility of panpsychism and other theories of consciousness. We also discuss brain damage and psychiatric illnesses, such as blindsight agnosia and schizophrenia hallucinations as windows into how our brain constructs or misconstructs the reality in front of us. Lastly, we discuss philosophical questions of ontology and epistemology: do objects really exist in the way that our mind perceives them?

Dr. Beatriz Luna is a Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, where she directs the Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development. Dr. Luna is an expert in adolescent brain development and the neurodevelopment of the dopamine reward system, and its interactions with inhibitory control to produce developmental changes in sensation seeking and risk-taking. 

In this episode, we discuss Dr. Luna’s Driven Dual-Systems Model of adolescent-risk taking, adolescence as a sensitive period for neurocognitive development, and how the dopamine reward system changes with age and puberty. We discuss the role of hormones explaining sex differences in brain development, sensation seeking, and risk-taking, and their evolutionary origins and comparisons in other mammals. Lastly, we discuss translational implications of Dr. Luna’s work for understanding mental health, and findings from clinical endocrinology populations informing theories of how hormones influence brain development prenatally and during puberty. 

Dr. Robert Chavez is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Oregon, where he directs the Computational Social Neuroscience Lab. https://csnl.uoregon.edu/

In this episode, Rob and I discuss our shared background in cognitive science and statistics, our mutual interests in neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, social cognition, personality, behavioral genetics, artificial intelligence, and philosophy, and the divergence in research. Where my interests turned more developmental, Rob’s turned computational. We discuss Rob’s research using a variety of advanced neuroimaging analysis and machine learning techniques in order to understand individual differences in social cognitive traits, how to interpret diffusion MRI, white matter structure, and connectivity. We also discuss how evolutionary theory and animal research informs our understanding of social cognition, introspection, and consciousness, and speculate about these traits in artificially intelligent systems. 

Dr. Adriene Beltz is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, where she directs the Methods, Sex Differences, and Development Lab.

Dr. Larry Young is the William P. Timmie Professor of Psychiatry at Emory School of Medicine, where he directs the Center for Translational Social Neuroscience and the Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition at Emory University. He is the author of The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex, and the Science of Attraction explores the latest discoveries of how brain chemistry influences all aspects of our relationships with others. Dr. Young’s research focuses on the role of oxytocin and vasopressin in mediating social bonding and sexual behavior across a wide range of species, with emphasis on understanding the evolution and neural circuit mechanisms underlying love, attachment, and social bonding in humans. 00:27 A Childhood Fascination with Animal Behavior

01:11 From Biochemistry to Behavioral Biology: A Scientist's Journey

02:14 Exploring the Sexual Behavior of Lizards

05:25 The Red Queen Hypothesis and Evolutionary Biology

08:02 Diving into Human Hormones and Brain Development

08:58 The Complex World of Gender and Sexuality in Nature

15:14 Unraveling the Mysteries of Love and Bonding in Voles

18:42 Oxytocin: The Hormone of Birth, Bonding, and Beyond

22:06 The Science of Touch and Social Connection

26:59 Understanding Love as a Form of Addiction

30:08 The Impact of Losing a Partner on Prairie Voles

31:56 Exploring Love and Addiction Through Oxytocin Studies

32:27 Debating Love: Chemical Reaction or More?

34:09 The Science of Attraction: Oxytocin's Role

37:01 Understanding Love and Bonding Across Species

41:28 The Intricacies of Sexual Behavior and Attraction

47:42 The Evolutionary Mechanisms of Mating and Bonding

59:41 Utilizing Science to Strengthen Relationships

Steve Rathjay is a Psychologist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Social Identity and Morality Lab of New York University. He is an expert in the psychology of social media use and one of the leaders of the Global Social Media Experiment, an international collaboration examining the causal impact of social media usage in 76 countries around the world. Dr. Rathje received his PhD from the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar, and completed his undergraduate education in Psychology and Symbolic Systems at Stanford University. He has received numerous grants and awards for his research, and runs the science communication channel @stevepsychology with more than 1 million followers on TikTok. 00:07 Exploring Social Media's Impact on Political Polarization

02:15 The Paradox of Virality: Why Negative Content Spreads

10:17 Evolutionary Perspectives on Social Media Behavior

14:50 The Creator's Dilemma: Navigating Virality and Authenticity on TikTok

36:07 The Science of Clickbait: Understanding What Captivates Us

40:41 The Power of Podcasts: Fostering Connection in the Digital Age

42:39 Exploring Parasocial Relationships and Social Media Dynamics

46:06 The Impact of Negativity Bias and Climate Doomerism

51:46 Social Media's Role in Global Connectivity and Cultural Evolution

01:14:11 The Power of Inoculation Theory Against Misinformation

01:22:13 Navigating the Complex Landscape of Social Media Regulation

01:28:50 Concluding Thoughts on Social Media's Societal Impact

Dr. Rob Henderson is a Psychologist, Air Force Veteran, and author of Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class. Expanding on our past episode, in which we discuss luxury beliefs, social status, and classism at length, this time our discussion is much more personal. In this episode, Rob and I discuss formative experiences written in his memoir, the impacts of childhood poverty on health and future success, the importance of self-discipline, the politics of diversity and inclusion in academia, trickle-down meritocracy, and much more. 

Dr. Sergio Pellis is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge and one of the world’s leading experts in the neurobiology of play. 

In this episode, we discuss how play behavior across mammals relies on the same neural reward circuitry, the evolutionary origins and benefits of play, and how hormones contribute to sex differences in aggression, sexual, and play behavior. We also discuss connections between play across species and empathy, its impact on the development of social skills in children, and the impacts of social isolation on brain and cognitive development. 

00:15 The Neuroscience of Play: A Historical Perspective

04:01 The Evolutionary Purpose of Play

06:37 The Role of Reward Systems in Play

15:36 The Developmental Stages of Play in Animals

27:20 The Social Functions of Play

34:29 The Neurobiology of Play and Its Impact on Brain Development

35:54 The Impact of Play on Brain Development

36:41 Exploring Sex Differences in Play

37:49 The Role of Hormones in Play Behavior

39:20 The Influence of Rearing Environment on Play

39:40 The Shift in Play Tactics at Puberty

41:23 The Complexity of Sex Differences in Play

45:14 The Impact of Social Isolation on Brain Development

46:26 The Importance of Play for Both Sexes

50:11 The Influence of Play on Executive Functions

01:00:30 The Role of Pheromones in Social Interactions

01:08:15 The Impact of Play Deprivation on Brain Development

01:10:05 The Psychological Training Aspect of Play

01:11:08 The Empathy Developed Through Animal Research

Angel Millar is a hypnotist, martial artist, and author of The Path of the Warrior-Mystic: Being a Man in an Age of Chaos.

In this episode we discuss the balance between masculine and feminine traits, discipline and creativity, mind and body, and tradition and modernity. The warrior-mystic, Angel explains, represents the ideal balance between these traits, and we discuss historical examples including Greek philosopher-athletes, Japanese samurai-artists, and English knight-poets. We discuss the virtues of discipline and delayed gratification, how they apply to modern life amidst our panoplies of temptation, their relation to evolution and sexual selection, and the archetypal symbols in each of these motifs and in mythology. Lastly, we discuss Angel’s career as a hypnotist, and our formative experiences leading to our shared interests in psychology, mysticism, and traditional masculinity. 

00:24 Exploring Masculinity and Spirituality

02:14 The Warrior Mystic: Balancing Masculine and Feminine

03:07 Historical Shifts in Masculinity and Femininity

03:45 Impact of World Wars on Gender Roles

06:22 The Role of Archetypal Patterns in Culture

09:30 The Power of Anticipation and Delayed Gratification

12:15 Exploring the Benefits of Meditation

15:00 The Journey into the Unknown: Sir Gawain's Story

16:32 The Role of Boredom in Creativity

18:54 The Impact of Social Media on Honesty

23:13 The Intersection of Video Games and Personal Growth

25:17 The Importance of Balance in Personal Development

28:00 The Role of Risk-Taking in Personal Growth

30:24 The Power of Diverse Interests in Innovation

33:12 The Role of Creativity in Leadership

37:52 The Role of Masculinity in Modern Culture

38:32 The Dichotomy of Gender Roles

41:03 The Symbolism of Beheading in Art

43:43 The Phoenix Motif and Its Connection to Christ

45:50 The Influence of Past on Self-Improvement

52:27 The Role of Hypnotism in Self-Improvement

57:53 The Influence of Attractiveness on Self-Improvement

Daniel Quintana is an Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Oslo. He leads a lab investigating biological systems that link psychological and social factors to health, with a focus on neuroendocrine systems (e.g., oxytocin) and the autonomic nervous system. His lab uses various research approaches, including intranasal oxytocin studies, large-scale genetics studies, neuroimaging, and the collection of autonomic nervous system data (e.g., heart rate variability). Learn more about Daniel’s work at: https://www.dsquintana.com/

Dr. Lee Cronin is a Professor and the Regius Chair of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow, where he leads research on the chemical origins of life, computerized chemistry, and assembly theory. In this episode, we explore how assembly theory, analogues between chemistry and computation, the origins of life, the concepts of entropy and time, quantum mechanics, consciousness, simulation theories of the universe, and much more. 

00:32 Understanding Assembly Theory

01:47 Bridging the Gap: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology

03:27 The Role of Information Processing

04:24 Complexity in Biology and Neuroscience

06:02 Applying Assembly Theory to Molecules

08:57 Exploring the Origins of Life

18:16 Entropy and Complexity

22:21 Time and Selection

32:45 Quantum Mechanics and Uncertainty Principle

37:47 Heat Death State and Space as an Emergent Property of Time

39:07 Emergence of Space and Time

41:28 Randomness, Free Will and Consciousness

42:27 Panpsychism and Consciousness

52:45 Free Energy Principle and Neuroscience

58:38 Simulation Theories and Combinatorial Explosions

01:03:15 Scientific Anarchy and Progress

#Chemistry #Physics #Biology #AssemblyTheory #Consciousness #Simulation #Entropy #Time #Quantum #Selection #Evolution #FreeWill

Dr. Alex Byrne is a Professor of Philosophy at MIT and author of Trouble with Gender.

In this episode, we talk about the problematic concept of gender, which is often used interchangeably to mean sex, gender identity, gender role, gender norm, or gender stereotypes. Alex and I discuss each of these, and their precise definitions in philosophy, biology, or sociology in detail. We also discuss the problem of identity and categorization in philosophy of mind and language more broadly, as a source of some of the confusion. Lastly, we discuss the nuances of defining sex and gender in intersex and transgender populations, the essentialist nature of felt gender identity, the concept of transracialism, the ethics of social and medical gender transition in children, and answer the question: What is a woman? 

00:18 Understanding the 'Trouble with Gender'

02:19 Exploring the History of Gender Philosophy

05:07 The Role of Language in Defining Gender

05:46 The Complexity of Gender Terminology

10:16 The Misinterpretation of Gender Concepts

22:22 The Absurdity of Precise Definitions

41:33 The Biological Definition of Sex

58:18 The Hypothetical Cat-Dog: A Thought Experiment of Social Perception

01:02:32 Gender, Sex, and the Complexity of Identity

01:03:35 The Practical Implications of Defining Gender

01:05:51 Transgender Identity and the Question of 'Passing'

01:20:21 The Philosophical Dilemma of Pronouns and Gender Identity

01:22:33 Transracialism and the Social Construct of Identity

01:46:13 The Controversy of Autogynephilia and Gender Identity

01:53:29 The Reception and Impact of Controversial Philosophical Ideas

Dr. Wolfram Schultz is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge and one of the world’s leading experts on dopamine. In this episode, we discuss the dopamine system's role in reward processing, evolutionary fitness, the functioning of dopamine neurons, the interplay between reward vs punishment, and the complexity of neurons. Dr. Schultz overviews core mechanisms of value-guided decision-making, risk-taking, addiction, the role of prediction error in shaping reinforcement learning, how these are all explained by dopamine, and the differences between dopamine and serotonin 00:18 Understanding Reward Processing in Animals 01:29 Evolutionary Role of Reward System 03:31 Complexity of Reward System and Dopamine Neurons 04:31 Differentiating Reward and Avoidance Systems 05:35 Role of Emotion in Reward Processing 08:07 Exploring Consciousness and its Measurement 08:49 Dopamine Firing in Different Scenarios 11:41 Understanding the Complexity of Neurons 18:23 Exploring the Concept of Prediction Error 27:36 Understanding the Role of Dopamine in Depression 30:52 Understanding the Role of Serotonin and Dopamine 33:55 Exploring the Concept of Metacognition 43:28 Understanding the Development of Reward System in Humans 43:59 Understanding the Reward System in Infants 45:36 The Maturation of the Reward System 46:41 The Role of Neural Connections in Reward System 47:23 The Concept of Reward Sensitivity During Adolescence 48:44 The Importance of Exploration in Reward System 54:53 The Role of Dopamine in Reward System 01:02:41 Understanding Addiction and Dopamine's Role 01:02:45 The Impact of Modern Day Environment on Reward System 01:13:04 The Role of Risk in Assessing Subjective Reward Value 01:18:06 Understanding Individual Differences in Reward Sensitivity 01:20:14 The Never-Ending Journey of Incentive Reward #Neuroscience #Dopamine #RewardProcessing #BehavioralEconomics #Addiction #RiskTaking #NatureandNurture

Dr. Camilla Nord is a neuroscientist, leader of the Mental Health Neuroscience Lab at the University of Cambridge, and the author of The Balanced Brain: The Science of Mental Health.

In this episode we talk about The Balanced Brain, prediction error as the source of positive and negative emotion, how dopamine controls motion, motivation, and pleasure, how serotonin regulates mood and response to the social world, and how anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications work on the brain. We also talk about the neuroscience of hallucinations in schizophrenia and on psychedelics, the role of homeostasis and the gut microbiome in regulating mood consciously and unconsciously, interactions between the brainstem and cortex in producing consciousness, the role of mindfulness in mental health, and much more. 

00:20 Understanding Emotions and Brain Processes

01:40 Exploring the Impact of Novelty and Curiosity

02:10 Introversion, Extroversion, and the Pandemic

03:16 Understanding Anxiety and its Role in Academia

05:05 The Balanced Brain: A Discussion on the Dynamic Nature of the Brain

06:56 The Influence of Predictive Processing on Mental Health

16:54 Exploring the Role of Psychedelics in Mental Health

21:22 The Interplay of Biology and Social Factors in Mental Health

23:22 Understanding the Role of Disgust in Mental Health

33:52 The Impact of Social Hierarchy on Mental Health

37:20 The Impact of Social Hierarchy on Academics

40:30 The Role of Dopamine in Motivation and Action Planning

42:11 Understanding Parkinson's Disease and Dopamine's Role

44:14 Differences Between Dopamine and Serotonin in Mental Health

45:30 The Effect of Antidepressants on Perception and Mood

47:55 The Role of Serotonin in Depression and Its Treatment

55:38 The Potential of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation in Treating Depression

01:02:32 The Continuum of Mental Disorders and the Role of Genetics

01:11:37 The Role of Spirituality and Rationality in Mental Health

#neuroscience #mentalhealth #Medication #SSRIs #serotonin #dopamine #depression #psychopathology #society #videogames #brainbodyinteraction #CamillaNord #anxiety #schizophrenia #antidepressants #cognitivetherapy

Dr. Rachel Marsh is the Irving Philips Professor of Medical Psychology in Child Psychology at Columbia University Medical Center, where she runs the Cognitive Development and Neuroimaging Lab. Dr. Marsh studies the neurodevelopment of self-regulatory control and its pathology in disorders such as OCD, eating disorders, and Tourette’s syndrome. More recently, she studies how maternal stress contributes to intergenerational transmission of regulatory deficits.

Dr. Walter Veit is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Reading and author of A Philosophy for the Science of Animal Consciousness. He is an expert in philosophy of mind, cognitive and biological sciences, applied ethics, and animal welfare.

In this episode, we talk about philosophy of mind and the evolution of consciousness in animals. Walter outlines his theory of the evolution of phenomenological complexity and affective experience in animals, its similarities and differences with computational theories of consciousness outlined by past podcast guests Kevin Mitchell and Mark Solms, and the diversity of consciousness ranging from humans, to other mammals, to octopuses and fish, to plant life and single cellular organisms. We discuss how animals’ capacity for experiencing pleasure and pain contribute to sentientist morality, whether human morality is anthropocentric, and how Walter’s research informs his views on animal welfare ethics.

Dr. Ellen Langer is a Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and one of the pioneers of the positive psychology movement, known as the Mother of Mindfulness. Dr. Langer has won numerous awards including 3 Distinguished Scientist Award, the Staats Award for Unifying Psychology, and the Liberty Science Genius Award. She is the author of 13 books on mindfulness, including 5 on mindfulness, most recently The Mindful Body.

Dr. Henning Tiemeier is a Professor of Social and Behavioral Science and the Sumner and Esther Feldberg Chair of Maternal and Child Health at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Tiemeier is an expert in pediatric epidemiology, focusing on prenatal exposures and the environmental determinants that influence brain development in children.

In this episode, we talk about pros and cons of different hormone measurement techniques and their use in pediatric epidemiology, neuroscience, and psychology. We also discuss how different environmental stressors, such as socioeconomic status and pollutants, impact brain and cognitive development prenatally, in early childhood, and during puberty. Lastly, we discuss neuroplasticity, and how public health research can intervene to improve the health and cognitive outcomes of at-risk populations during sensitive periods of development.

Dr. Willem Frankenhuis, he's an Associate Professor of Evolutionary and Population Biology at the University of Amsterdam, a Senior Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security, and Law, and Director of the Research Network on Communicating Strength-Based Approaches to Child Development and Learning in Adverse Conditions. He studies how cognition and behavior develop in harsh and unpredictable conditions. 

The episode delves into what constitutes a typical human childhood, drawing on insights from the intersection of human development, evolutionary biology, and cultural anthropology. 

We discuss 'hidden talents', abilities that adversity can enhance, and 'reasonable responses', behaviors that are adaptive strategies among individuals living in poverty. Dr. Frankenhuis also discusses his theoretical work involving mathematical modeling to study the evolution and development of plasticity – the ability to adjust development in response to different environmental conditions.

Dr. Lars Chittka is a Professor of Sensory and Behavioral Ecology and the founder of the Research Center for Psychology at Queen Mary University of London. He directs the Bee Sensory and Behavioral Ecology Lab, and is the author of The Mind of a Bee. In this episode, we discuss the results of decades of research on intelligence in bees and other insects. This includes findings of numerical and spatial cognition, memory, perception, and personality. Lars describes differences and similarities between bumblebees, wasps, and honeybees, why honeybees produce so much honey and die after stinging and mating, and more. We also discuss the evidence for bees having emotions, feeling, and consciousness, and efforts for the preservation and ethical handling of bees.

Dr. Jack Schultz is a Professor of Anthropology at Concordia University and an expert in the cultural anthropology of religion and sociology of knowledge.

Dr. Kevin Mitchell is an Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin. He's the author of Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are, and Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will. In this episode, we talk about Free Agents and the question of free will. We discuss what we mean by freedom, how living organisms have inherent biological constraints which actually define ourselves as causal agents. We also discuss the common scientific view of reductionist determinism and its limitations, and how causal agents use the inherent indeterminacy and forward motion of time in our universe as "causal slack" to make predictions and control their behavior in a meaningful way. We talk about the role entropy plays in life and computation, how free will grows as computational and cognitive complexity grows, and how these realities should define our ethical and legal conceptions of moral responsibility. Lastly, we talk about how individual differences in genes, environment, and brain development shape our personalities and constrain us in some ways, but also offer opportunities for unique identity, character development, meaning, and purpose.

Dr. Edward Hagen is a Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Washington State University, where he directs the Bioanthropology Lab. 

In this episode, Ed and I discuss the recent controversy of the American Anthropological Association’s decision to censor a conference panel on sex differences, the reality and importance of understanding sex differences in evolutionary anthropology and biology research, and the complexity of sex beyond the binary, such as in the case of intersex disorders and different and conflicting gender norms cross-culturally. We then move on to discuss Ed’s research on the evolution of substance use, including humans’ bizarre taste for spices and bitter plant toxins such as coffee and tobacco. We also talk about the evolutionary advantages and disadvantages for the use of other psychoactive drugs, such as hallucinogens, the evolution of human intelligence, and modern computational neuroscientific theories of consciousness.

Dr. Jennifer Silvers is an Associate Professor of Psychology and the Bernice Wenzel and Wendell Jeffrey Term Endowed Chair in Developmental Neuroscience at UCLA, where she runs the Social Affective Neuroscience and Development Lab. She is an expert in adolescent brain, cognitive, and emotional development, particularly in the development of emotion regulation strategies. 

In this episode, we talk about Jen’s background in developmental neuroscience, the use and limitations of animal models for understanding human brain development, and how adolescence is a particularly exciting window of brain development both due to puberty and other social and environmental changes. We talk about the role of stress and adversity influencing brain development, temperamental factors in emotion processing, emotion regulation as a learned skill, and how puberty interacts with all of these processes. We then discuss relatively recent effects on social and emotional development, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, social media use, and the influence of online dating apps in young adults’ sexual development. Lastly, we talk about other windows of rapid change influencing socioemotional processing, such as pregnancy, and future directions linking our shared interests in hormones and brain development in large-scale consortium-based studies.

Dr. Cory Clark is a social psychologist and Director of the Adversarial Collaboration Project at the University of Pennsylvania. 

In this episode we talk about adversarial collaboration and open science, meta-psychology research on common biases in psychology carried by psychologists themselves, and its moralization. We also discuss gender differences in moral beliefs, how social media and culture shape moral norms, how rationality can combat this, and whether faith is compatible with rationality.

Dr. James Roney is a Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he runs the Human Behavioral Endocrinology Lab. In this episode we talk about the proximate and ultimate evolutionary explanations of different sex hormones’ roles in coordinating motivated behavior, such as testosterone’s influence on aggression and sex drive, and ovarian hormones’ influence on sex and food drive. We discuss how testosterone leads to sex differentiation in the brain and body both prenatally and during puberty; threshold effects, rather than continuous relationships, between testosterone and motivation; the opposite effects of estradiol and progesterone on women’s sex and food motivation across the menstrual cycle. We also discuss genetic differences in the receptors to different hormones, their interactions with other hormones, and how these subtle differences may predict traits ranging from morphology to sexuality. Lastly, we discuss Jim’s recent research using daily diaries and saliva hormones to test whether daily hormonal fluctuations influence sex drive and other motivated behavior, how smell and pheromones influence attraction in males and females, and how sex hormones influence reward processing in the brain, particularly during puberty. Timestamps: 0:00:51 Hormones act as coordinators in the body 0:02:06 Example of testosterone's input and output relationships 0:05:41 Importance of understanding the inputs and outputs of hormones 0:07:43 Conservation of hormone functions from non-human species to humans 0:09:35 The role of hormones in motivated behaviors 0:11:19 Time lag between stimulus event and hormone response 0:15:19 Evolutionary theories and mating behavior tied to sex hormones 0:18:23 Evolution and psychological functions of testosterone and oxytocin 0:20:08 Understanding hormone inputs and context for coordinated effects 0:21:58 Oxytocin paradox and effects on maternal aggression 0:23:33 Confounding effects of multiple signals on hormone outputs 0:25:14 Individual variability and receptor sensitivity to testosterone 0:26:47 Genetic polymorphism and developmental calibrators of individual differences 0:28:10 Prenatal testosterone and sexual orientation 0:38:21 Threshold effects of testosterone 0:41:06 Continuous relationship between estradiol, progesterone, sex drive, and food drive in women 0:53:01 Testosterone's effect on reward may be more generalized than estradiol and progesterone 0:54:47 Estradiol may affect satiety mechanisms, not just reward systems. 0:56:56 Theoretical framework for risk taking and impulsivity. 0:58:26 Research on anxiety and depression in females during puberty. 0:59:58 Effects of testosterone on motivation and individual differences 1:08:08 Study on concealed ovulatory timing, pheromones, and scent attractiveness during ovulation

Dr. Joseph Henrich is an anthropologist and Chair of the Human Evolutionary Biology Department at Harvard University, where he runs the Culture, Cognition, and Coevolution Lab. Joe is also the author of the WEIRDest People in the World and The Secret of Our Success.

Timestamps:0:00:46 Environmental factors leading to cultural evolution0:03:19 Cultural adaptations, rituals, and technological advancements0:05:11 Cultural adaptations operating outside of conscious awareness0:07:04 The role of religion in cultural transformations0:09:40 Impact of religious prohibitions on social ties0:10:59 Exploring the spread of monotheistic religions0:12:01 The expansion of gods and competition among groups0:13:55 Transition to monotheism and personification of social awareness0:16:18 Intergroup competition and tension between small and large group cooperation0:17:37 Individualistic guilt vs collectivist shame0:19:18 Variation in use of mental state terms in folktales0:23:00 Patterns in cooperation and moral judgment from human nature and cultural evolution0:24:44 Cultural evolution and species differences0:25:56 Intersection of biology and culture in sex and gender differences0:26:24 Culture changes our biology and brain0:28:28 Male inclination towards violence observed in every human society0:29:50 Testosterone levels and aggression linked to social hierarchy0:30:28 Gender paradox: greater gender equality, bigger personality/morality differences0:32:06 Sex differences observed in primates0:35:15 Fathering dynamics in human societies0:37:26 Genetic fitness and hunter-gatherer societies0:41:28 Sex ratio, crime rates, and marriage markets[0:43:32 Dating apps, competition, and inequality0:46:14 Zero sum games, land, and cultural differences0:53:18 Demographic changes and the impact on parenting styles.0:55:07 Adversity-exposed brain and its relation to life history theory.0:57:37 Using surname diversity as a proxy for diversity of thought and experience in a society.1:01:50 Linking surname diversity to occupational diversity, trust, and innovation1:04:32 Christianity's impact on scientific revolution and analytic thinking1:06:11 Bias towards progress and the concept of progress emerging

Dr. Massimo Pigliucci is a philosopher and evolutionary biologist, the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a prolific author of over 100 academic papers, 16 books including Evolution: The Extended Synthesis, and the best-selling How to Be a Stoic, as well as thousands of posts and short clips of wisdom on his Stoic Meditations and Practical Wisdom podcasts and Rationally Speaking blog. His research interests include the philosophy of science and evolutionary biology, the nature of psueoscience, and practical philosophies like Stoicism and Neoskepticism.

Dr. Stephanie Bugden is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Winnipeg, and an expert in the psychology and neuroscience of children's math learning. In this episode we discuss the nature versus nurture debate in math ability and the genetic and environmental influences on math learning. Dr. Bugden explains that both genetics and early learning experiences play a role in individual differences in math ability, verbal IQ, and visuospatial IQ. We also discuss whether there are sex differences in math ability at various ages, and how these differences might be confounded by math anxiety. Dr. Bugden also shares her research on the neurobiological processes involved in math learning and the challenges of studying dyscalculia, a math learning disability analogous to dyslexia. Lastly, we discuss the impact of COVID-19 on math learning and the potential exacerbation of socioeconomic inequalities in education.

Kevin J. DeBruin is a former NASA rocket scientist, a science educator and speaker, former bodybuilder and American Ninja Warrior, founder of Space Class, and author of To NASA and Beyond, and To Dare Mighty Things. In this episode we talk about Kevin’s career as a rocket scientist, life at NASA, and his story of perseverance in his books. We also discuss overlap between the mindset of engineers, bodybuilders, and self-help psychologists, sharing in common a detail-oriented focus on planning, breaking down goals into small steps, and self-discipline. We discuss other parallels between rocket science and cognitive science, such as the development of artificial intelligence, neural networks, and everyday technologies such as smartphones made possible due to technological advancements originally developed at NASA for the purposes of spaceflight. Lastly, we discuss the importance of science education, particularly from educators with deep scientific training in order to ensure effective science communication and prevent misinformation. Timestamps: 0:04:29 Kevin's journey to NASA and the challenges he faced 0:18:25 Kevin's day-to-day work life at NASA 0:25:22 Comparison between NASA and private space industry 0:35:41 Kevin's transition from NASA to science education 0:46:01 The importance of technical depth in science communication 0:52:41 The inspiration and impact of working with kids 0:56:21 The Dunning-Kruger effect and the unknown knowns 0:57:22 The connection between physics and neuropsychology 1:00:37 Overview of Kevin's book "To Dare Mighty Things"

Dr. Jonas Kaplan is a cognitive neuroscientist and faculty at USC's Brain and Creativity Institute, where he co-directs the the Dornsife Cognitive Neuroimaging Center. His research focuses on consciousness, the self, belief, empathy, social relationships, action perception and creativity. In this reunion episode, episode, we discuss active inference and predictive processing theories of consciousness, panpsychism, philosophy of mind, and the difference between interoception and exteroception. We further consider the evolutionary psychology of self-awareness, empathy, status seeking, and sexuality, and how these translate to modern technology and mental health. Lastly, we discuss neuroscience and its connection to film and literature, which Jonas discusses on his new podcast Float, and how this connects to cross-cultural analyses of religion, archetypes, and recent debates between Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson on the psychology and utility of religion. Timestamps: 0:01:30 Active inference and predictive processing 0:04:24 Skepticism about applying active inference to interoception 0:08:33 Consciousness, affect, and emotion 0:11:40 Dualism in neuroscience and philosophy of mind 0:13:41 The role of the body in consciousness and empathy 0:16:33 The limitations and challenges of artificial intelligence and empathy 0:20:09 The relationship between consciousness, narrative, and selfhood 0:26:23 Panpsychism and self-organizing systems 0:30:40 Postmodernism and categorical distinction 0:34:04 Pragmatism in statistics and narrative 0:38:08 How the brain recognizes narrative structure 0:40:32 Storytelling in hunter gatherers 0:42:04 Sexual selection, dominance, and creativity 0:49:24 The self as a collection of sub-personalities 0:52:43 Social comparison, stress, and mental health 0:55:08 Sexual selection, social status, and the crowdsourcing of wisdom 1:02:31 The psychology of dating apps 1:07:24 The potential impact of different app designs on mental health 1:09:32 The immersive experience of storytelling and audience engagement 1:13:34 The intersection of neuroscience, film, and storytelling 1:17:03 Black Mirror, technology, and memory 1:20:00 The value of forgetting and the nostalgia bias in memory 1:21:49 The cultural evolution of religion 1:25:24 Archetypes and their usefulness 1:30:40 Pantheism and mathematical Platonism 1:35:24 The necessity of axioms in science

Dr. Paul Bloom is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, and the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University. Paul studies how children and adults make sense of the world, with special focus on language, pleasure, morality, religion, fiction, and art. He is the author of seven books, including his latest Psych: The Story of the Human Mind. In this episode, we sample some of the many, many topics covered in Psych, including Freud, evolutionary psychology, language development, moral development, and social cognition. We also talk about Paul’s early research on language development and moral cognition, my own research on pubertal hormones and brain development, and the meta-psychology of what makes podcasts interesting. 0:00:02 Introduction to Dr. Paul Bloom and his research 0:01:10 The story behind the article "Natural Language and Natural Selection" 0:05:20 The connection between developmental psychology and evolutionary psychology 0:08:20 The concept of ontogeny recapitulating phylogeny 0:11:41 Transition from language development to moral development 0:13:42 The relationship between disgust and morality 0:16:18 The parallels between physical traits and moral traits 0:19:23 The connection between free will and moral responsibility 0:25:04 The nature-nurture debate and the role of genetics in psychology 0:31:06 The continuum of traits and the question of determinism 0:34:07 The influence of Freud and the shift towards empirical psychology 0:45:06 The history of psychology and the influence of old theories 0:55:20 The role of clinical psychology and the question of mental illness1:01:21 The psychological tendency to rationalize silver linings and find upsides in negative traits 1:06:17 Paul's role as an editor for a journal and prioritizing what to read in psychology 1:08:02 The social intimacy and connection of podcasts

Dr. Ben Smith is a neuroscientist and postdoctoral research fellow in the Social Affective Neuroscience Lab at the University of Oregon.

In this episode we talk about Ben’s research on the social neuroscience of risky decision-making, computational modeling of the reward and punishment system during decision-making, the abstract-concrete tangibility axis of the prefrontal cortex, moral and ideological decision-making, and how decision neuroscience connects to habits, health, and effective altruism.

Dr. Emily Jacobs is an Associate Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she studies how sex hormones impact brain structure, function, and cognition, particularly during menopause and across the menstrual cycle. 

In this episode we talk about how the brain is an endocrine organ: one which communicates through hormones. We talk about Emily’s research on brain aging and cognition, how sex hormones change the brain during menopause and across the menstrual cycle, and how sex hormones lead to sex differentiation in the brain. We also talk about Emily’s research for women’s health, historical barriers slowing advancement in our understanding of the female reproductive cycle across the lifespan, and modern research efforts taken to remedy this.

Dr. Judith Fan is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, where she runs the Cognitive Tools Lab: https://cogtoolslab.github.io/
In this episode, Dr. Fan discusses the concept of reverse engineering the human cognitive toolkit, which involves uncovering the principles and constraints that shape our thinking and the tools we use to support our cognitive processes. She explains that cognitive tools are material artifacts, such as numbers, pictures, and language, that help us think and communicate. Dr. Fan highlights the importance of understanding the mechanisms behind these tools and how they interact with our brains.She explores the use of pictures as a cognitive tool and how they have been used throughout history to encode and communicate knowledge. Dr. Fan also discusses the convergence between artificial neural networks and the human brain in understanding visual inputs, such as faces. She explains that these systems can approximate the behaviors of real neurons and provide insights into how our brains process visual information.Dr. Fan emphasizes the role of education in shaping our cognitive toolkit and the importance of providing learners with multiple modalities for engaging with information. She also discusses the potential of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, in supporting rich and generative forms of learning. 0:00:02 Introduction to Dr. Judy Fan and her research 0:00:30 Definition of reverse engineering and cognitive toolkit 0:02:06 Examples of cognitive tools like accounting devices and pictures 0:08:50 Connection between cognitive tools and advancements in computer vision 0:17:51 Discussion on the similarities between artificial neural networks and human brain 0:22:04 The use of AI systems like DALL·E to create images 0:25:26 The influence of historical and cultural context on cognitive toolkits 0:27:21 The role of education in shaping cognitive toolkits 0:32:15 The potential genetic component of cognitive toolkits 0:37:15 The debate on visual learners and individual differences in learning 0:40:24 The interaction between cognitive tools and unlocking new abilities 0:44:20 Dr. Judy Fan's excitement about future research at Stanford 0:47:14 The potential of screens and technology in education 0:49:41 The importance of scaffolding activities and avoiding drawbacks 0:52:51 The significance of statistics and data science education 0:56:16 The need for more people to think in shades of gray

Dr. Roy Baumeister is a renowned social psychologist and Professor of Psychology at the University of Queensland. In this episode we explore a variety of topics about Roy's research on self-control and decision-making, human sexuality, and the need for social belongingness.