Ben is joined by John Vervaeke, a researcher who finds ways to integrate and synthesize information across a wide range of fields: neural stimulation technology, mindfulness meditation, altered states of consciousness… and helps researchers from all these fields discover common … Continue reading “Mindfulness and Other Neurotechnologies” – Podcast 17: John Vervaeke
Depth psychology. Jungian symbolism. Psychedelic drugs. Mystery religions. fMRI scans. Dream states vs. awake states. Functional connectomics. Animal consciousness. Neural correlates of the ego and the unconscious mind. All in a one-hour conversation. Ben is joined by Robin Carhart-Harris, a … Continue reading “Your Brain on LSD” – Podcast 16: Robin Carhart-Harris
We all have moments of wondering, “Why did I make that decision? Why did my brain want to do that?” Teagan Wall has devoted her career to studying questions like these, and she joins Ben today to talk about the … Continue reading “Making Better Decisions… Scientifically” – Podcast 15: Teagan Wall
New neuroscience discoveries about consciousness keep popping up all the time — but where’s the line between abstract philosophy and hard science? Ben is joined by Bernard Baars, one of the founding fathers of the modern neuroscience of consciousness, to … Continue reading “The Hard Science of Consciousness Research” – Podcast 14: Bernard Baars
Is it really that time of year again already? We’ve reached the end of another exciting twelve months for neuroscience, so let’s look back like we did in 2012, 2013 and 2014, and relive the year’s most mind-blowing moments in … Continue reading The Top 5 Neuroscience Breakthroughs of 2015
In this article for Discover Magazine, I dive into all the ways your own body can make you feel good. From endogenous opioids to dopamine and serotonin, I explore the effects, interactions and limits of a menagerie of chemicals. And … Continue reading Getting High On Your Own Supply
Have you ever wondered what language your brain speaks when it talks to itself? Not your inner monologue, but the coded messages that your brain uses to collect, analyze, and make predictions about your environment. What would it feel like … Continue reading “2014’s Nobel Prize Co-Winner” – Podcast 13: Edvard Moser
I have a confession to make: I never formally studied neuroscience. Actually, I freely admit this fact to anyone who asks – and the most frequent follow-up question I get is, “Then how did you teach yourself enough about neuroscience … Continue reading The Best Free Online Neuroscience Courses
Ben talks with Michael Hausser, a researcher who reads and writes information to and from brain cells with laser signals. This area of neuroscience – known as optogenetics – is one of the fastest-moving fields in science today, and Hausser … Continue reading “Using Light to Talk With Neurons” – Podcast 12: Michael Hausser
The year-end roundup has become an annual tradition here at The Connectome. In 2012 and 2013, we broke down the top five most fascinating, transformative, implication-riddled neuroscience discoveries of the year. And now we’re back to do the same for 2014. This year has seen a lot of steps forward in many of the areas we predicted – including optogenetics, connectomics, and brain-to-brain interfaces. It’s also brought some discoveries that seemed to come utterly out of the blue, and that may change the way we look at some of neuroscience’s most central questions. So here – in countdown order – … Continue reading The Top 5 Neuroscience Breakthroughs of 2014
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