Podcasts

Brain Inspired
A podcast where neuroscience and AI converge. Hosted by Paul Middlebrooks.
Recent Episodes:
What do neuroscientists mean when they use the term ‘representation’?
A group of neuroscientists and philosophers discuss the use and misuse of the term "representation" across the cognitive sciences and how it influences the way we interpret the connection between neural, behavioral and mental activity.
John Beggs unpacks the critical brain hypothesis
Beggs outlines why and how brains operate at criticality, a sweet spot between order and chaos.
Oscar Ferrante, Rony Hirschhorn and Alex Lepauvre discuss putting integrated information and global neuronal workspace theories of consciousness to the test
The trio is part of the adversarial collaboration launched to test various theories of consciousness, a project known as COGITATE.

Audio research news
Your latest update from The Transmitter.
Recent Episodes:

How developing neurons simplify their search for a synaptic mate
Streamlining the problem from 3D to 1D eases the expedition—a strategy the study investigators deployed to rewire an olfactory circuit in flies.

‘Understudied secret’ in brain dampens nicotine drive in mice
The interpeduncular nucleus produces an aversion to nicotine, even at low doses, and helps moderate how rewarding mice find the drug.

Rethinking how neural activity sculpts critical periods
New findings on the role of neural activity in developing circuits are challenging our prior notions about the rules that govern critical periods.

Synaptic
Exploring the people, the science and the challenges in neuroscience.
Recent Episodes:

Stimulating the brain with Damien Fair
The MacArthur Foundation “genius” discusses his return to his home state of Minnesota and why it’s important to protect the developing brain.

Season 2 of ‘Synaptic’ draws to a close
Season 3 will begin next year.

Timothy Ryan on his pivotal switch from studying particle physics to decoding synaptic transmission
Dissuaded from pursuing theoretical physics and deterred by the “long feedback loop” in experimental physics, the National Academy of Sciences member took inspiration from “polymath” Watt Webb and “visionary” Stephen Smith—and learned to work “completely outside his comfort zone.”

The Transmitter stories
Stories about developments in neuroscience.
Recent Episodes:

‘Emergent and transactional’: How Jonathan Green is rethinking autism and interventions
The experienced clinician discusses writing his recent paper, and its reception in the field.

The story of autism research in Australia: A conversation with Cheryl Dissanayake
With the help of a generous benefactor, autism research in Australia is gathering critical mass.

New journals seek to fill neurodiversity gap
The two journals, although differing in initial support, both realized the need for a publication focused exclusively on the neurodiverse experience.