Brain Science Podcast #27: Year-End Review

Episode 27 is a look back on the first 26 episodes of the Brain Science Podcast.

I look back on some of the main topics that we have explored including memory, consciousness, emotions, decision-making, body maps, and plasticity. Then I talk a little about what I hope to do in the covering year.

This episode is a little more personal than most, and will mainly be of interest to regular listeners. It includes some ideas about how you can help the Brain Science Podcast grow and prosper.

However, in preparing this episode I went back over the past year's episodes and I have prepared a list of all the episodes so far and the main topics. This should help both new listeners and regulars to find episodes that pertain to particular topics.

Click here for a brief summary of episode 1-26 with links to the audio files.

Listen to this episode now.

Share your comments on the Discussion Forum

Audience Survey

Subscribe via iTunes™

Subscribe in a reader or podcatcher

Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email

Donations and Subscriptions

Brain Science Podcast #22: Interview with Christof Koch

Listen to the Interview Now

Brain Science Podcast #22 is an interview with Dr. Christof Koch of Cal Tech, one of the pioneers in the neurobiological study of consciousness. About two decades ago when Koch and Francis Crick began looking for what they called the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC), such a quest was considered controversial, but now the field is increasing in popularity. In our interview we talked a little about his book, The Quest for Consciousness, as well as his on-going research and his thoughts about what the future might bring.

Show Notes

Here is a list of some of the topics we discussed:

• Why Francis Crick was an outstanding mentor and colleague
• A Working definition of consciousness
• How consciousness relates to awareness
• What are neural correlates of consciousness
• Why vision is the focus of Koch's research
• The search for the "footprints" of consciousness
• The role of functional imaging and the use of monkeys
• Neurons-"the atoms of perception"
• Why we need a theory of consciousness
• The role of the frontal lobes in consciousness
• Is consciousness an emergent property?
• What about zombies?
• Why do we need consciousness?
• Will artificial intelligence become conscious?
• The hard problem: how does the brain generate subjective experience (qualia)

Links:

Christof Koch's homepage

The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach (2004)

Listen to the Episode Now

Share your comments on the Discussion Forum

Audience Survey

Brain Science Podcast #5: Consciousness

The latest episode of the Brain Science Podcast is an introduction to the fascinating subject of consciousness. Detailed show notes and references are available at http://brainsciencepodcast.com.



Direct Download of this episode

Subscribe via iTunes™

Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email