Minding the Brain

Why does stress sometimes make us choke at the most critical moment? Jim interviews cognitive scientist Sian Beilock about this phenomenon and they discuss psychological tools [...]

Kim and Jim discuss how sleep relates to the mind and the brain. Why did sleep evolve? What is the function of dreaming? How do [...]

Kim interviews Jim about imagination and imagines a future podcast all about star nosed moles. Can imagination make us miserable? Does fantasizing about future events [...]

Jim interviews Kim about the important topic of student mental health. What is the impact of substances of like alcohol and marijuana, on mental health? [...]

Jim, Kim and special guest, Florence Daviet, CPAWS’ National Forest Program Director, discuss the important topic of climate change. What is the best way to [...]

Kim and Jim help are here to help you wrap your brain around the Coronavirus. Why are people drawn to Coronavirus conspiracy theories? What is [...]

Dr. Davies interviews Gerald Cupchik about emotions. What do people misunderstand about emotions? How does emotional expression differ between cultures? Do childhood events have ramifications [...]

Kim interviews Jim about imaginary people. Why do people we meet in our dreams seem to have a mind of their own? Why do authors [...]

Dr. Davies interviews Dr. Hellemans about ADHD. What is the difference between ADHD and ADD? How is ADHD diagnosed? Are there risks associated with the [...]

Dr. Hellemans interviews Dr. Davies about hallucinations. What are the neural correlates of hallucinations? How many types of hallucinations are there? What is the difference [...]

Dr. Davies interviews Cheryl Harasymchuk about relationships. What types of people tend to start relationships with each-other? What makes people physically attracted to each-other? Find out [...]

Dr. Hellemans interviews psychologist Matthew Rippeyoung about trauma. What is trauma and how does it impact us? Where does trauma come from and what is [...]

Kim and Jim discuss the apparent phenomenon of morning people and night people. Is there a biological difference between “morning people” and “night people”? Why [...]

Kim and Jim interview Dr. Colleen Dell and Shannon Noonan about their work with therapy dogs. Why do dogs make such good therapy animals? Can [...]

Dr. Davies interviews Gregory Shankland about his experiences with hearing voices in his head. Gregory tells the fascinating story of how he began to hear voices, how [...]

Jim and Kim explore the science of having religious experiences, with the help of special guest Dr. Ann Taves. Why do people have religious experiences? [...]

Kim and Jim dive into the topic of social media and addiction. Can you be addicted to social media? Does using social media too much affect [...]

Kim and Jim discuss the scientific evidence surrounding multitasking. Does multitasking make you more or less efficient? When should you multitask? Is it safe to [...]

Jim and Kim are joined by special guest Audrey McFarlane to discuss the impact of alcohol on the developing brain. What are the effects of [...]

Many people think beauty is something ephemeral, subject to the arbitrary whims of individual taste and cultural trends. But philosophers have been studying beauty and [...]

People love to watch sports. The Superbowl, for example, is incredibly popular. About 111 million people, a third of everyone in the united states, watched [...]

According to the world health organization, obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than 1 billion adults overweight, and at least 300 million of [...]

Is there a scientific explanation for the alien abduction phenomenon? Is there a link between nocturnal alien visitations and the many similar stories that have [...]

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at an event sponsored by Carleton University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The audience [...]

Jim interviews Kim on the topic of exercise. What is the impact of exercise on the brain? Can exercise be used to treat depression? The [...]