Sebastian Seung explores Brain's Wiring (BSP 85)

Dr. Sebastian SeungDr. Sebastian Seung (MIT) is an ambitious young scientist; his goal is to unravel the entire wiring diagram of the human brain. Considering that it took over a decade to determine the wiring diagram for the roundworm C elegans, which has a mere 302 neurons, it is clear that scientists can't leap directly to the 80 billion neuron human brain. Even so, in his new book Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are, Seung makes a very good argument for the value of this long term project. In Episode 85 of the Brain Science Podcast I talked with Dr. Seung both about the challenges and potential benefits of this work.

Listen to Episode 85

Episode Transcript (Free PDF)

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References and Links:

• Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are by Sebastian Seung
• Sporns O, Tononi G, Kötter R (2005) The Human Connectome: A Structural Description of the Human Brain. PLoS Comput Biol 1(4): e42. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.0010042
• White, J. G., E. Southgate, J. N. Thomson and S. Brenner. (1986) The Structure of the Nervous System of the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences, 314 (1165) 1-340. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1986.0056
• EyeWire.org: where you can help unravel the wiring diagram of the human retina.
• See free episode transcript for additional references.

Announcements:

• My new eBook Are You Sure? The Unconscious Origins of Certainty will be released on June 12. Listen to BSP 85 to find out how your can get a free pre-release copy or sign up for the BSP Newsletter so that I can remind you to buy it on June 12.

Send me feedback at gincampbell at mac dot com or leave voice mail at 205-202-0663.

Update on Consciousness Research with Christof Koch (BSP 84)

Christof Koch, PhDThe scientific study of consciousness was once viewed with skepticism, but this has changed dramatically in recent years. According to pioneering neuroscientist Christof Koch, "the great thing is we’re not condemned to just sort of philosophical speculation, but we can make some predictions, and then go out and measure them.  And those are the things I talk about in this book, Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist." In Brain Science Podcast #84 Koch reflects on the progress that has been made since I interviewed him back in 2007 (BSP 22), and he also talks about the latest initiatives at the Allen Institute for Brain Research, where he as recently become the chief science officer. 

 Listen to Episode 84

Episode Transcript (Free PDF)

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References:

• Consciousness: Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist by Christof Koch
• The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach by Christof Koch
• BSP 22: Interview with Cristof Koch
• BSP 61: Interview with Allan Jones of the Allen Institute for Brain Research
• Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain by Michael S. Gazzaniga
• BSP 82: Discussion of Who's in Charge?
• Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter by Terrence W. Deacon
• Tononi, G. An Information Integration Theory of Consciousness. BMC Neuroscience 2004, 5:42

Announcements:

• Complete the Brain Science Podcast Audience Survey for a chance to win a free book.
• Next month's podcast will be an interview with Sebastian Seung, author of Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are.
• The Brain Science Podcast is supported by listener donations.
• Post comments on the BSP Facebook Fan Page, in our Goodreads Discussion Group, or the BSP Google+ page or add comments to the BSP Guest Book.
• Sign up for the BSP Newsletter to receive episode announcements and show notes automatically.

I would love to hear from you. You can send me email at gincampbell at mac dot com.

"Mind and Brain" with William Uttal (BSP 83)

William Uttal, PhD"There is nothing more exciting than the mind/brain problem" according to Dr. William Uttal, author of Mind and Brain: A Critical Appraisal of Cognitive Neuroscience. In the latest episode of the Brain Science Podcast (BSP 83) I talked with Dr. Uttal about why he feels that brain imaging can not solve this mystery. First, there is the problem that brain imaging represents the wrong level of analysis because every spot you see on a brain scan actaully represents thousands of neurons. This means that the activity and interaction between individual neurons has been lost. Then there is the problem of reproducibility, with divergent results between studies. The evidence is accumulating that "much of the brain responds to any stimulus, and every area of the brain participates in multiple functions." This means that asking where a given function occurs may be the wrong question.

BSP 83 represents an on-going discussion of these issues, so I have included links to related episodes in the show notes. 

Listen to Episode 83

Episode Transcript (Free PDF)

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References: 

• Uttal, W. R. (2011) Mind and Brain: A Critical Appraisal of Cognitive Neuroscience.
• Uttal, W. R. (2009) Neuroscience in the courtroom: What every lawyer should know about the mind and the brain.
• Ihnen, S. K. Z., Church, J. A.. Petersen, S. E., & Schlaggar, B.L. (2009) Lack of generalizability of sex difference in the fMRI Bold Activity associated with language processes in adults. NeuroImage, 45, 1020-1032.
• Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2005). "Why Most Published Research Findings Are False". PLoS Medicine 2 (8): e124.
• For more references go to the free episode transcript.

Related Podcasts:  

• BSP 46: How fMRI works.
• BSP 78: Discussion of Beyond Boundaries: The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines---and How It Will Change Our Lives by Miguel Nicolelis.
• BSP 79: Interview with Miguel Nicolelis.
• BSP 82: Discussion of Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain by Michael S. Gazzaniga.

Reminders:

• For a chance to win a free book: complete the new audience survey.
• Sign up for the Brain Science Podcast Newsletter and never miss a new episode.
• Join other BSP fans on Facebook or Google Plus.
• Check out the BSP Discussion Forum at Goodreads.com.
• Buy the BSP app for your iPhone, iPad or Android device.
• Check out the new BSP t-shirts and other gear at Printfection.com
• The Brain Science Podcast relies on donations from listeners like you.
• Don't forget to share this post on Twitter. Dr. Campbell is @docartemis.

 Send me feedback at gincampbell at mac dot.com.

How Mind Emerges from Brain (BSP 82)

In his latest book Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain respected neuroscientist Michael S. Gazzaniga explores how the discoveries of neuroscience impact how we see ourselves as human beings. After providing a brief review of 20th century neuroscience, and even some of the work from the past decade, Dr. Gazzaniga concludes that nothing neuroscience has discovered changes the fact that "we are personally responsible agents and are to be held accountable for our actions."

Gazzaniga's position contrasts with those who think that recent discoveries show that the brain creates the mind in solely "upwardly causal" way, and who argue that since much of what our brain does is outside our conscious awareness or control, we should not be held responsible for our actions. Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain presents what I think is a convincing argument against this common position.

In the latest episode of the Brain Science Podcast (BSP 82) I present a detailed discussion of Dr. Gazzaniga's book.

Listen to Episode 82

Episode Transcript (Download Free PDF)

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References:

• Who's in Charge?: Free Will and the Science of the Brain by Michael S. Gazzaniga
• The Ethical Brain: The Science of Our Moral Dilemmas by Michael S. Gazzaniga
• A Different Universe: Reinventing Physics from the Bottom Down by Robert B. Laughlin (2006).
• Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter by Terrence W. Deacon
• Anderson, P. W., (1972). "More is different." Science, 177(20470, 393-396.
• See the free episode transcript for additional references.

Related Episodes:

• Links to episodes of the Brain Science Podcast that are mentioned in BSP 82.
• BSP 81: Interview with Patricia Churchland about the brain and morality
• BSP 53: Discussion of Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?: Philosophical and Neurobiological Perspectives on Moral Responsibility and Free Will by Nancey Murphy, Warren S. Brown (Also BSP 62)
• BSP 35: Discussion of Mirror Neurons
• BSP 66: For more on Scrub Jays
• BSP 3: Memory and the use of animal models
• BSP 38: Interview with Jeff Hawkins
• BSP 47: Brain Evolution
• BSP 74: "Small world architecture" in brain networks (Olaf Sporns)
• BSP 75: Interview with David Eagleman (arguments for legal reform)
• BSP 76: "Choking" with Dr. Sian Beilock
• BSP 56: Interview with Eve Marder (implications of muliple realizability in neuronal circuits) 

Announcements:

• Complete the new audience survey and enter the drawing to win a free book
• Post comments on the BSP Facebook Fan Page or on the BSP Google+ page.
• Join the BSP Group at Goodreads.com.
• Don't forget to sign up for the Brain Science Podcast Newsletter.
• Next month's episode will be an interview with Bill Uttal author of Mind and Brain: A Critical Appraisal of Cognitive Neuroscience
• This podcast is supported by listener donations. Thank you!

Patricia Churchland on Neuroscience and Morality (BSP 81)

Patricia Churchland (photo by Nines Minquez)BSP 81 marks the return of philosopher Patricia Churchland, who I first interviewed back in Episode 55. Our recent conversation focuses on her latest book, Braintrust: What Neuroscience Tells Us about Morality. We discuss the historical background and contrast Churchland's approach to that of Sam Harris in The Moral Landscape. Then Professor Churchland discusses how recent discoveries in neuroscience are shedding light on the evolutionary origins of morality.

It's a fascinating conversation that you won't want to miss. 

Listen to BSP 81 (Free mp3)

Episode Transcript (Free PDF)

Subscribe to the Brain Science Podcast:

References:

• On Liberty (1859) by John Stewart Mill (Available free from Project Gutenberg)
• Neurophilosophy: Toward a Unified Science of the Mind-Brain by Patricia Smith Churchland
• Braintrust: What Neuroscience Tells Us about Morality by Patricia S. Churchland
• The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values by Sam Harris

Links: 

• Brain Science Podcast 55: my first interview with Patricia Churchland (2009).
• Churchland's appearance on recent Charlie Rose Show (12/5/2011)
• Interview with social psychologist Carol Tavris (2011).
• Check the free episode transcript for links to the numerous scientists mentioned in this interview.

Announcements:

• Enter the new drawing to win a free copy of Braintrust by Patricia Churchland by completing the new Brain Science Podcast Audience Survey.
• Post feedback to the BSP Fan Page on Facebook, or the Brain Science Podcast page on Google+.
• Join the Discussion in the BSP Group on Goodreads or send me email at gincampbell at mac dot com.