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Ginger Campbell

Brain Science is hosted by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD (Podcast Hall of Fame 2022).  She is an experienced physician with a passion for exploring how recent discoveries in neuroscience are revealing how our brains make us who we are. This podcast is for non-scientists, scientists, and everyone in between. It features interviews and discusses the latest books about the brain.

Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD: Neuroscience for Everyone

This is the 17th Annual Review episode of Brain Science, celebrating the first episode which aired on December 15, 2006. We review the highlights of 2023, which included both new guests and the return of several favorites.
 
Episodes Released in 2023:
 
 BS 204 (Encore) • and 
BS 205 • featured molecular biologist Guy Caldwell, PhD from the University of Alabama. Caldwell uses the tiny roundworm C. Elegans to search for potential treatments of Parkinson's Disease.
 BS 206: Paco Calvo • , PhD, author of 
Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Intelligence. BS 207 (Encore): Luiz Pessoa • , author of 
The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration • .
 BS 208 Sander Van der Linden • , author of 
Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity • .
 BS 209 Luiz Pessoa • returned to talk about his new 
The Entangled Brain: How Perception, Cognition, and Emotion Are Woven Together • .
 BS 210 Basics of Neurotransmitters: • a detailed introduction to neurotransmitters and the importance of receptor proteins.
 BS 211 Seth Grant • returned for a record 6th time. We reviewed his career and discussed recent discoveries about how synaptic proteins change as we age. Grant is my favorite guest because he makes complex ideas accessible to listeners of all backgrounds.
 BS 212 (Encore) Thomas Metzinger • , PhD, author of 
The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self • .
 BS 213 Kevin J Mitchell • , PhD returned to talk about his new book 
Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will • .
 • Please visit 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com • for the FREE episode transcript.
 
Announcements:
 
 This is the last scheduled episode of Brain Science, but all episodes will continue to be available. • 
 Free content includes all review episodes, encore episodes and all episodes since December 2016. The entire back catalogue of Brain Science is available to Premium MyLibysn subscribers. This includes episode transcripts. Patreon supporters will continue to have access more recent transcripts and other content. • 
 • The mobile called 
Brain Science Podcast • remains free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
 • Please sign up for the the 
 free Brain Science • 
Newsletter • 
 • Get updates about new content
 • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain" Just text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
 • 
 

 Connect on Social Media:
 

 
 • Mastodon: 
https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis • Twitter: 
@docartemis • Facebook page: 
http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast 
Contact Dr. Campbell:
 
 • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

BS 214 Seventeenth Annual Review Episode

In the this episode of Brain Science we talk with neuroscientist Kevin Mitchell about his new book Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will. While many neuroscientists and philosophers argue that free will is an illusion, Mitchell argues that the ability to make meaningful choices is part of our evolutionary heritage. He also addresses the important issue of determinism, siding with those physicists who argue that the fundamental nature of our universe is NOT deterministic. These issues are crucial to how we see ourselves and others.
 
Links and References:
 
 Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will • by Kevin J. Mitchell 
 Helgoland: Making Sense of the Quantum Revolution • by Carlo Rovelli
 Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are • by Kevin J. Mitchell 
 • Mitchell discusses this book in 
BS 159 • .
 • 
 Kevin Mitchell, PhD • (Trinity College Dublin) 
 Mitchell's blog • 
 • Please visit 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com • for additional references and episode transcripts.
 

 Announcements:
 
 • Please note: there will be no episode of 
Brain Science • in November 2023. We will return with the 17th Annual Review episode on December 15.
 • Please FOLLOW the 
Brain Science podcast channel on • 
YouTube. • The mobile app has been updated and is now called 
Brain Science Podcast • . The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
 • Dr. Campbell moved to Auckland, New Zealand in August 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia.
 • Please subscribe or follow 
Brain Science • in your favorite audio app and 
please share it with others • .
 • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the 
free Brain ScienceNewsletter • to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
 • Support 
Brain Science • by buying 
Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty • by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
 • Learn more ways to support 
Brain Science • at 
https://brainsciencepodcast.com/premium 

 Connect on Social Media:
 

 
 • Mastodon: 
https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis • Twitter: 
@docartemis • Facebook page: 
http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast 
Contact Dr. Campbell:
 
 • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

BS 213 Kevin Mitchell explores Free Will

This month's episode of Brain Science features Thomas Metzinger, author of "The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self." Metzinger is a philosopher with a longstanding interest in Philosophy of Mind with a focus on incorporating the findings of neuroscience. We discuss the implications of the discovery that consciousness is a biological process generated by the interaction of the brain, body, and external world. Metzinger also emphasized the importance of considering altered states including dreaming, out of body experiences, and even virtual reality.
 
Links and References:
 
 The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self, • by Thomas Metzinger.
 Being No One: The Self-Model Theory of Subjectivity, • by Thomas Metzinger.
 • Blanke, et al., "Stimulating Illusory Own-Body Perceptions," 
Nature • , 419:269-270 (2002) 
 • O. Blanke & T. Metzinger,"Full-Body Illusion and Minimal Phenomenal Selfhood," 
Trends in Cognitive Neuroscience • 13(1):7-13 (2009).
 • T. Metzinger, "Out of Body Experiences as the Origin of the Concept of a 'Soul,'" 
Mind and Matter • 3(1):57-84 (2005)
 Beyond the Body: An Investigation of Out of Body Experiences • by Susan Blackmore 
 • Please visit 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com • for additional references and episode transcripts.
 
Announcements:
 
 • Please FOLLOW the 
Brain Science podcast channel on • 
YouTube. • The mobile app has been updated and is now called 
Brain Science Podcast • . The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
 • Dr. Campbell's arrived in Auckland, New Zealand on August 10, 2023. She is working at 
Tōtara Hospice • . Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia.
 • Please subscribe or follow 
Brain Science • in your favorite audio app and 
please share it with others • .
 • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the 
free Brain ScienceNewsletter • to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
 • Support 
Brain Science • by buying 
Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty • by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
 • Learn more ways to support 
Brain Science • at 
https://brainsciencepodcast.com/premium 

 Connect on Social Media:
 
 • Mastodon: 
https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis • Twitter: 
@docartemis • Facebook page: 
http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast 
Contact Dr. Campbell:
 
 • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

BS 212 Thomas Metzinger on "The Ego Tunnel" (Encore)

This episode of Brain Science features the return of molecular biologist Seth Grant. We briefly review his decades of research into the complexity of the protein structure of the synapse and then we focus on his most recent paper, which describes how the life-span of synapse proteins appears to change as animals age. Grant reflects of the significance of this finding both for animal research and human medicine.
 
Papers discussed in this episode: 
 • Bulovaite, E., Qiu, Z., Kratschke, M., Zgraj, A., Fricker, D. G., Tuck, E. J., Gokhale, R., Koniaris, B., Jami, S. A., Merino-Serrais, P., Husi, E., Mendive-Tapia, L., Vendrell, M., O'Dell, T. J., DeFelipe, J., Komiyama, N. H., Holtmaat, A., Fransén, E., & Grant, S. G. N. (2022). A brain atlas of synapse protein lifetime across the mouse lifespan. Neuron, 110(24), 4057–4073.e8. 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.009 • Cizeron, M., Qiu, Z., Koniaris, B., Gokhale, R., Komiyama, N. H., Fransén, E., & Grant, S. G. N. (2020). A brainwide atlas of synapses across the mouse life span. Science (New York, N.Y.), 369(6501), 270–275. 
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aba3163 
Seth Grant has previously appeared on Brain Science several times including BSP 51, BSP 101, BS 137, BSP 150 and BS 176.
 
 
 
Announcements:
 
 • Please FOLLOW the 
Brain Science podcast channel on • 
YouTube. • The mobile app has been updated and is now called 
Brain Science Podcast • . The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
 • Dr. Campbell arrived in New Zealand on August 10, 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia.
 • Please subscribe or follow 
Brain Science • in your favorite audio app and 
please share it with others • .
 • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the 
free Brain ScienceNewsletter • to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
 • Support 
Brain Science • by buying 
Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty • by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
 • Learn more ways to support 
Brain Science • at 
https://brainsciencepodcast.com/premium 

 Connect on Social Media:
 

 
 • Mastadon: 
https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis • Twitter: 
@docartemis • Facebook page: 
http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast 
Contact Dr. Campbell:
 
 • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

BS 211 Molecular Biologist Seth Grant

This episode is our first review of neurotransmitters since episode 8 way back in 2007. We start with some basics of neuron function and brain anatomy, but the meat of the episode is a discussion of neurotransmitters and how they work. The key idea is that a simple molecule, such as dopamine, can have a wide variety of effects because of the existence of multiple receptors.
 
This episode is appropriate for listeners of all backgrounds, but might be a little challenging for new listeners. It will be a review episode for longtime listeners and those with backgrounds in neuroscience.
 
Links and References:
 
 • 
Essentials of Modern Neuroscience by Franklin Amthor, W. Anne Burton Theibert, David Standaert, and Erik Roberson; 1st ed. 2020 • 
 • 
Molecular & Cell Biology For Dummies, 2nd Edition by Rene Fester Kratz • 
 • 
BS 118: Beyond the Zonules of Zinn: A Fantastic Journey Through Your Brain (2008) by David Bainbridge • 
 • 
BS 169: Glial Cells with Doug Fields • 
 • 
BS 186: The Spike with Mark Humphries • 
 • 
BS 197: Neuroscience For Dummies 3rd Edition by Frank Amthor • 
 • 
The War of the Soups and the Sparks: The Discovery of Neurotransmitters and the Dispute Over How Nerves Communicate by Elliot Valenstein • 
 • 
Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional references and episode transcripts.In • 
 
Announcements:
 
 • Please FOLLOW the 
Brain Science podcast channel on • 
YouTube. • The mobile app has been updated and is now called 
Brain Science Podcast • . The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
 • Dr. Campbell's move to New Zealand has been delayed, but she hopes to be in Auckland by August, 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia.
 • Please subscribe or follow 
Brain Science • in your favorite audio app and 
please share it with others • .
 • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the 
free Brain ScienceNewsletter • to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
 • Support 
Brain Science • by buying 
Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty • by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
 • Learn more ways to support 
Brain Science • at 
https://brainsciencepodcast.com/premium 

 Connect on Social Media:
 

 
 • Mastadon: 
https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis • Twitter: 
@docartemis • Facebook page: 
http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast 
Contact Dr. Campbell:
 
 • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

BS 210 Introduction to Neurotransmitters

This month's episode of Brain Science is an interview with Luiz Pessoa, author of The Entangled Brain: How Perception, Cognition, and Emotion Are Woven Together.
 
This is Pessoa's first book aimed at a general audience and it provides a concise overview of our current understanding of basic brain function. However, he also explains the limitations of the traditional modular view of the brain. A key take home point is that emotion and cognition are deeply intertwined at every level.
 
Links and References:
 
 The Entangled Brain: How Perception, Cognition, and Emotion Are Woven Together • by Luiz Pessoa
 The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration • by 
Luiz Pessoa: BS 207 (encore) Luiz Pessoa, PhD: • Professor of Psychology,University of Maryland 
 • Twitter: 
@PessoaBrain • Mastadon: 
@PessoaBrain • 
 • Please visit 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com • for additional references and episode transcripts.
 
 
 Please Visit Our Sponsors: 

 Announcements:
 
 Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.
 
 • The mobile app has been updated and is now called 
Brain Science Podcast • . The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
 • Dr. Campbell's move to New Zealand has been delayed, but she hopes to be in Auckland by August, 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia.
 • Please subscribe or follow 
Brain Science • in your favorite audio app and 
please share it with others • .
 • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the 
free Brain ScienceNewsletter • to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
 • Check out the 
Brain Science • podcast channel on 
YouTube • Support 
Brain Science • by buying 
Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty • by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
 • Learn more ways to support 
Brain Science • at 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations 

 Connect on Social Media:
 

 
 Mastadon: • 
 https://neuromatch.social/@docartemis • Twitter: 
@docartemis • Facebook page: 
http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast 
Contact Dr. Campbell:
 
 • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

BS 209 Luiz Pessoa "The Entangled Brain"

This month's episode is an interview with Cambridge Psychology professor Sander van der Linden, author of "Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity." We discuss the important topic of how techniques like appealing to emotion contribute to the spread of misinformation. Dr. Campbell reflects on why this topic is important.
 
Links and References:
 
 Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity • by Sander van der Linden
 Sander van der Linden, • Phd (University of Cambridge)
 • Learn more via video games at 
https://inoculation.science/ • Please visit 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com • for additional references and episode transcripts.
 
 
 
Announcements:
 
 Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.
 
 • The mobile app has been updated and is now called 
Brain Science Podcast • . The app is free and MyLibsyn Premium subscribers can use it to access transcripts and other premium content.
 • Dr. Campbell's move to New Zealand has been delayed, but she hopes to be in Auckland by July 2023. Please reach out if you live in New Zealand or Australia.
 • Please subscribe or follow 
Brain Science • in your favorite audio app and 
please share it with others • .
 • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the 
free Brain ScienceNewsletter • to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
 • Check out the 
Brain Science • podcast channel on 
YouTube • Support 
Brain Science • by buying 
Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty • by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
 • Learn more ways to support 
Brain Science • at 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations 

 Connect on Social Media:
 

 
 • Twitter: 
@docartemis • Facebook page: 
http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast 
Contact Dr. Campbell:
 
 • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

BS 208 "Foolproof" with Sander van der Linden

This month's episode is an encore presentation of an interview with neuroscientist Luiz Pessoa discussing his fascinating book "The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration." We explored the surprising role of the amygdala in decision making and learned that cognition and emotion are deeply intertwined at every level.
 
Links and References:
 
 The Cognitive-Emotional Brain: From Interactions to Integration • by Luiz Pessoa
 Luiz Pessoa • , PhD (University of Maryland)
 • Please visit 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com • for additional references and episode transcripts.
 

 Announcements:
 
 Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.
 
 • Dr. Campbell is moving to New Zealand and would love to connect with listeners from New Zealand and Australia.
 • Please subscribe or follow 
Brain Science • in your favorite audio app and 
please share it with others • .
 • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the 
free Brain ScienceNewsletter • to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
 • Check out the 
Brain Science • podcast channel on 
YouTube • Support 
Brain Science • by buying 
Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty • by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
 • The mobile app is now called "Brain Science Podcast" and can be used to get both premium and free content
 • Learn more ways to support 
Brain Science • at 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations 

 Connect on Social Media:
 

 
 • Twitter: 
@docartemis • Facebook page: 
http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast 
Contact Dr. Campbell:
 
 • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

BS 207 Luiz Pessoa "The Cognitive-Emotional Brain"

This month we have an intriguing interview with Dr. Paco Calvo from the Minimal Intelligence Laboratory at the University of Mercia in Spain. We talk with him about his new book Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Intelligence.
 
We discuss the scientific evidence for plant intelligence while acknowledging that intelligence and consciousness are not the same. It is interesting to think of plants as demonstrating embodied cognition in contrast to the "intelligence" demonstrated by computer software. We also consider the pioneering work of Charles Darwin, who actually studied plant behavior before the invention of time lapse photography.
 
Links and References:
 
 Planta Sapiens: The New Science of Plant Intelligence • by Paco Calvo
 Paco Calvo • (University of Mercia, Spain)
 • 
Gagliano, M., Vyazovskiy, V. V., Borbély, A. A., Grimonprez, M., & Depczynski, M. (2016). Learning by Association in Plants. Scientific reports, 6, 38427. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep38427 • 
 • Please visit 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com • for additional references and episode transcripts.
 
 
 
Announcements:
 

 
 • The 
Brain Science • mobile app has been relaunched in iOS as the 
Brain Science Podcast app • . Be sure to download this 
new version • to avoid the crashing of the old app. (I am not sure if the problem has effected Android users.)
 • Support 
Brain Science • 
via Patreon • . If you pledge at least $10 per month you will get 
Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty • by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. 
 • Contact Dr. Campbell if you are interested a listener meet-up or sponsoring a talk by Dr. Campbell during her trip to Europe on April 10, 2023.
 • Please subscribe or follow 
Brain Science • in your favorite audio app and 
please share it with others • .
 • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the 
free Brain ScienceNewsletter • to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
 • Check out the 
Brain Science • podcast channel on 
YouTube • Learn more ways to support 
Brain Science • at 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations 

 Connect on Social Media:
 

 
 • Twitter: 
@docartemis • Facebook page: 
http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast 
Contact Dr. Campbell:
 
 • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

BS 206: Paco Calvo explores Plant Intelligence

In this follow-up interview with molecular biologist Dr. Guy Caldwell we learn more about how the tools of molecular biology are used to unravel questions in neurobiology and provide hope for better treatments for problems like Parkinson's Disease.
 
Links and References:
 
 Guy Caldwell, PhD • (University of Alabama) 
 LinkedIn BS 204 • Encore of 2009 interview
 • 
 The Worm Shack • 
Mew, M., Caldwell, K. A., & Caldwell, G. A. (2022). From bugs to bedside: functional annotation of human genetic variation for neurological disorders using invertebrate models. Human molecular genetics, 31(R1), R37–R46. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddac203 • 
 • Please visit 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com • for additional references and episode transcripts.
 

 Announcements:
 
 Please take a few minutes to complete this audience survey.
 
 • Dr. Campbell is moving to New Zealand, probably in May 2023.
 • Please subscribe or follow 
Brain Science • in your favorite audio app and 
please share it with others • .
 • Get free gift "5 Things You Need to Know about YOUR Brain when you sign up for the 
free Brain ScienceNewsletter • to get show notes automatically every month. You can also text brainscience to 55444 to sign up.
 • Check out the 
Brain Science • podcast channel on 
YouTube • Support 
Brain Science • by buying 
Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty • by Virginia "Ginger" Campbell, MD. (Autographed copies are available)
 • Check out the 
free Brain Science Mobile app • for iOS, Android, and Windows. (It's a great way to get both new episodes and premium content.)
 • Learn more ways to support 
Brain Science • at 
http://brainsciencepodcast.com/donations 

 Connect on Social Media:
 

 
 • Twitter: 
@docartemis • Facebook page: 
http://www.facebook.com/brainsciencepodcast 
Contact Dr. Campbell:
 
 • Email: brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com

BS 205 Molecular Biologist Guy Caldwell (Part 2)

Brain Science (formerly the Brain Science Podcast) has been on a 6 month hiatus. This short audio provides information for both new listeners and longtime fans. I talk briefly about the background and content of the show. Then I explain how to get more out of our website at http://brainsciencepodcast.com. Finally I review all the options for supporting the show.
 
Feel free to send questions and feedback to brainsciencepodcast@gmail.com.

Brain Science: Information for Listeners

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