Best Donald Rolfe Podcasts (2024)

51
Daniel Dennett: A Retrospective 48:12

2M ago48:12

48:12

Daniel Dennett, who passed away on April 19th at the age of 82, was one of the great philosophers of our time. Rolf and Joe discuss his ideas and his influence on the field of philosophy, including (especially) bringing consciousness back as a topic of serious study with his book "Consciousness Explained", as well as his work on free will, evolutio…

1
AI and Cognition with Daniel Sternberg 1:21:50

4M ago1:21:50

1:21:50

What can neuroscience teach us about AI, and vice versa, what can AI teach us about our own intelligence? Joe and Rolf talk to returning guest Daniel Sternberg about advances in AI over the past year. Topics include using the methods of cognitive psychology to understand AI; representation in artificial intelligence; what current large language mod…

1
Autism with guest Matthew Goodwin 1:05:04

6M ago1:05:04

1:05:04

This episode is dedicated to the memory of colleague and friend Grace Baron. Joe and Rolf talk to Dr. Matthew Goodwin, a professor at Northeastern University whose research focus is on autism. His most recent paper used biosensing (heart rate, skin conductance, etc.) to predict aggressive behavior in profound autistic individuals up to three minute…

1
Donald Hoffman's Case Against Reality 44:24

7M ago44:24

44:24

Joe and Rolf discuss the ideas of perceptual psychologist Donald Hoffman, who has argued that our perceptual systems have no access to reality, since evolution is driven by fitness functions, not objective truth. He has also argued that our perception is a user interface (like a desktop on a computer, or a VR headset), and that objects such as the …

1
Episode 53: Beckley Retreats CEO Neil Markey on guided psychedelic retreats 56:20

7M ago56:20

56:20

Neil Markey, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, used meditation for years to deal with depression and PTSD. He is currently CEO of Beckley Retreats, a group that runs retreats to Jamaica and the Netherlands for guided psychedelic experiences. He talks about his path from the military to consulting to his work with Beckley, how guided psychedelic re…

1
Episode 52: The IIT controversy with Felipe De Brigard 1:09:22

8M ago1:09:22

1:09:22

We discuss the recent controversy about Integrated Information Theory (IIT), a theory about the neural correlates of consciousness, with Felipe De Brigard, a philosophy and psychology professor at Duke University who signed a letter describing the theory as pseudoscience. The letter: https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/zsr78/ The adversarial collabor…

1
Episode 51: Robin Carhart-Harris: The promise of psychedelics 2:03:45

10M ago2:03:45

2:03:45

Joe and Rolf talk to psychedelic researcher Robin Carhart-Harris. Robin is at the cutting edge of research on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics such as psilocybin (magic mushrooms), LSD, and DMT. He discusses psychotherapy and the unconscious mind, models of what psychedelics are doing in the brain, and many other topics. A really fascinatin…

1
Episode 50: Neural Interfaces 31:01

10M ago31:01

31:01

Joe and Rolf discuss new work in neural interfaces that is helping paralyzed individuals communicate. Based on the recent Nature article: Metzger, S. L., Littlejohn, K. T., Silva, A. B., Moses, D. A., Seaton, M. P., Wang, R., ... & Chang, E. F. (2023). A high-performance neuroprosthesis for speech decoding and avatar control. Nature, 1-10.…

1
Episode 49: The Self: Bundle and Ego Theories 53:31

12M ago53:31

53:31

Rolf and Joe discuss two philosophical theories of the self, Bundle Theory and Ego Theory, based on a paper by Derek Parfit. They return to the topic of the teletransporter, and although Joe is happy to go through the teletransporter, Rolf is convinced it means certain death. Parfit, D. (2016). Divided minds and the nature of persons. Science Ficti…

1
Episode 48: Psychedelic Science 2023 1:35:11

1y ago1:35:11

1:35:11

In this episode, CogNation goes to the Psychedelic Science conference in Denver to get in on all the excitement. We present four interviews from the conference that represent a range of ideas about the resurgent interest in psychedelics as therapeutics. Bekely Waves The East Institute Balasz Szigeti Manoj Doss…

1
Episode 47: Street Epistemology with Mark Solomon 52:41

1y ago52:41

52:41

Everyone has a set of beliefs. Increasingly, it seems like we wonder how so many people can hold opposite or contradictory beliefs -- puzzling if we think there's an objective reality. We have a great conversation with Mark Solomon, a clinical psychologist and the host of the Being Reasonable podcast, about Street Epistemology, a conversational met…

1
Episode 46: Manesh Girn: Psychedelics and Brain Networks 55:28

1y ago55:28

55:28

Manesh Girn talks to us about the effects of psychedelics on the brain, based on his recent paper, "A complex systems perspective on psychedelic brain action". We discuss the current state of psychedelics as therapeutics, and how information theory can model changes in brain states that result from taking psychedelics. Special Guest: Manesh Girn.…

1
Episode 45: Blame and Political Attitudes: Gail Sahar 1:00:38

1+ y ago1:00:38

1:00:38

We talk with Professor Gail Sahar about her new book, entitled "Blame and Political Attitudes: The Psychology of America's Culture War", where she applies social psychology to understand where and why we assign blame in the political sphere. https://www.amazon.com/Blame-Political-Attitudes-Psychology-Americas/dp/303120235X…

1
Episode 44: Daniel Sternberg: The State of Artificial Intelligence 1:22:16

1+ y ago1:22:16

1:22:16

We talk to Dr. Daniel Sternberg, head of data at Notion Labs, about how to understand new developments in AI (artificial intelligence) like DALL-E-2 and chatgpt. Topics include the possibility for general intelligence in AI, similarities between human cognition and generative AI models, and the potential for sentient AI.…

1
Episode 43: Stephanie Preston: Our Attachment to Stuff 1:00:03

1+ y ago1:00:03

1:00:03

Stephanie Preston (University of Michigan) returns to the show to talk about her latest research. Why do we hoard stuff? And how can we get people to care about the consequences of all that stuff on the environment? Her research has taken her from the strategies that some rats use to hide seeds (some hide in lots of small caches, while others hoard…

1
Episode 42: The Science of Sleep with Dr. Aric Prather 1:13:05

1+ y ago1:13:05

1:13:05

Joe and Rolf talk to Dr. Aric Prather, a clinical psychiatrist at UCSF and author of the new book "The Sleep Prescription: Seven Days to Unlocking Your Best Rest" about why sleep is important, the relationship of stress to sleep, and how to tune your body and environment to get a great night's sleep. Special Guest: Aric Prather.…

1
Episode 41: The Marshmallow Test 49:28

2y ago49:28

49:28

Is self-control at age 4 a predictor of lifelong success? Rolf & Joe look at new studies that replicate and extend Mischel's marshmallow experiments, discussing why some kids can wait longer for a bigger treat and what the test itself means. Links: Watts, T. W., Duncan, G. J., & Quan, H. (2018). Revisiting the Marshmallow Test: A Conceptual Replica…

1
Episode 40: Embodied Cognition 56:51

2y ago56:51

56:51

Our guests, Dr. Sheila Macrine and Dr. Jennifer Fugate, discuss the concept of "embodied cognition" and its implications for the classroom. They argue that traditional cognitive psychology has ignored the fact that the brain is situated in the body, and that learning happens most effectively if it is connected with our body and our environment, rat…

1
Episode 39: Matthew Gingo: Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them 50:05

2+ y ago50:05

50:05

Developmental psychologist Matthew Gingo joins to discuss his research on morality and deception. Why and under what circumstances do parents and their children lie to one another? We discuss his paper entitled "What they don't know won't hurt them: Parents' judgments about lying to their adolescents", published in the Journal of Research on Adoles…

1
Episode 38: Flawless Predictions for 2022 41:43

2+ y ago41:43

41:43

Joe and Rolf once again scry the future with bold and entirely accurate predictions about the year 2022By Joe Hardy

1
Episode 37: Dr. Joshua Miele: The Blind Arduino Project 54:13

3y ago54:13

54:13

Joshua Miele is a blind scientist and inventor living in the Bay Area. Amongst his many initiatives is the Blind Arduino Project, where participants learn how to navigate a world of maker electronics that are really designed for the sighted. He talks to Joe and Rolf about his work to bring accessible and useful tools to the blind community. He teac…

1
Episode 36: The Extended Mind with Annie Murphy Paul 54:20

3y ago54:20

54:20

In Annie Murphy Paul's new book, "The Extended Mind", the philosophical idea of our minds extending beyond the physical boundaries of the body are explored. Rolf and Joe talk to Annie about the implications of this idea, and how it might be used to improve the way we think in a number of contexts. Special Guest: Annie Murphy Paul.…

1
Episode 35: NIH Toolbox with Dr. Julie Hook 52:56

3+ y ago52:56

52:56

The NIH Toolbox is the result of an ambitious project supported by the National Institutes of Health to develop a comprehensive, standardized, and highly accessible test battery to be used in research. Dr. Julie Hook is the Product Manager for the project and is in large part responsible for the development of the Toolkit. Rolf and Joe discuss with…

1
Episode 34: Tom Vanderbilt: Beginners 51:30

3+ y ago51:30

51:30

Bestselling author known for making complex topics accessible to readers, Tom Vanderbilt's recent book is Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning. Rather than buying into the idea that learning is for kids, Tom takes the "beginner's mind" to challenging new skills, such as singing, juggling, and jewelery making, where he st…

1
Episode 33: Flawless Predictions For 2021 47:58

3+ y ago47:58

47:58

Enough with 2020. Rolf and Joe present their predictions for what lies ahead in 2021.....By Joe Hardy

1
Episode 32: On Consciousness with Bernard Baars 1:14:02

3+ y ago1:14:02

1:14:02

Joe and Rolf talk to Dr. Bernard Baars, a leader in the field of consciousness research. Dr. Baars has recently published "On Consciousness", which is a compendium on his work integrating research in psychology and neuroscience on what consciousness is and how it functions. T Special Guest: Bernard Baars.…

1
Episode 31: Music and the Brain: Guests David Rosen and Scott Miles 49:55

3+ y ago49:55

49:55

David Rosen and Scott Miles of Secret Chord Laboratories (secretchordlaboratories.com) talk to Joe and Rolf about musical preference, the role of surprise in these preferences, what's going on in the brain, and how COVID is affecting the way we listen to music. Discussion paper: "A Statistical Analysis of the Relationship between Harmonic Surprise …

1
Episode 30: When Microwaves Continue to Attack 28:41

3+ y ago28:41

28:41

An update on Episode 4, where we first discussed the phenomenon of the "Frey Effect" in which sounds are heard as a result of pulsed microwave radiation. The Frey Effect was proposed to be involved in attacks on the US embassy in Cuba. Could this also be going on in the US embassy in China? Rolf and Joe discuss further, and give a call out for any …

1
Episode 29: Time Perception and Dopamine 29:51

4y ago29:51

29:51

In this half-hour episode, Rolf and Joe discuss research by Jennifer Mitchell and colleagues ("Dopamine, time perception, and future time perspective") showing that the drug tolcapone, which selectively increases dopamine in frontal cortical regions, has the effect of reducing the error in estimating how much time has passed. Individuals tend to sy…

1
Episode 28: Chris Baty: National Novel Writing Month, Creativity, and Life as a Narrative 1:03:46

4y ago1:03:46

1:03:46

Since 1999, National Novel Writing Month has exploded in popularity, becoming one of the most creatively productive events in the world every November. Participants buckle down and write a 50,000-word novel in a month, many enjoying the social support from the NaNoWriMo community. Founder Chris Baty joins us to talk about what he's been up to latel…

1
Episode 27: The Connectome 31:23

4y ago31:23

31:23

30 min episode A connectome is a representation of every connection between neurons in the brain. Recent brain-slicing technology, in addition to image recognition tools, has begun to make this science-fiction idea become a reality. Rolf and Joe discuss the recent publication of the largest completed connectome to date, that of the fruit fly drosop…

1
Episode 26: COVID-19 and the Behavioral Immune System: Joshua Ackerman 55:35

4+ y ago55:35

55:35

Season 2 premiere! How do people behave in a pandemic? Joshua Ackerman of the University of Michigan talks about how we alter our behavior in the face of pathogens. A repertoire of responses (such as avoidance) referred to as the "behavioral immune system" is a way for humans to avoid pathogens BEFORE our biochemical immune system encounters them. …

1
Episode 25: NASA Data Scientist Chris Mattmann 1:02:01

4+ y ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Chris Mattman, Principal Data Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, talks about bridging the gap between lab scientists and data scientists, his work with DARPA unearthing the dark web, machine learning in autonomous planetary rovers, and other cool stuff he's been doing. Chris Mattman's page at NASA More information about the Memex progra…

1
Episode 24: Childrens' Learning and Play: Guest David Sobel 1:15:55

4+ y ago1:15:55

1:15:55

David Sobel, a developmental psychologist from Brown University, talks to us about the importance of play in learning. He has recently been collaborating with researchers around the country to investigate how children interact with exhibits in childrens' museums. One recent finding we discuss is that parent-child interaction styles can have a stron…

1
Episode 23: Flawless Predictions for the 2020s 1:20:52

4+ y ago1:20:52

1:20:52

By Joe Hardy

1
Episode 22: The Neuroscience of Free Will: Guest Aaron Schurger 57:12

4+ y ago57:12

57:12

Guest Dr. Aaron Schurger talks to us about his research on the meaning of the "readiness potential", which has been referred to as "the brain signature of the will". Although this neural signal was already famous from research in the 1960s, it was Benjamin Libet's infamous experiments in the 1980s that proportedly showed that the readiness potentia…

1
Episode 21: Pain perception and treatment: Guest Mike Trujillo 1:01:22

4+ y ago1:01:22

1:01:22

Guest Dr. Michael Trujillo of Karuna Labs talks to us about pain perception and recent research on the management of pain. We discuss a recent article (Hird et al.) exploring the degree to which expectation can alter the perception of pain, as well as Trujillo's work in using Virtual Reality in pain management. Boundary effects of expectation in hu…

1
Episode 20: Improving medical treatment in hearing loss: Guest Erick Gallun 1:04:56

5y ago1:04:56

1:04:56

Dr. Erick Gallun joins us today to talk about the latest in audiology research, and how it can be applied to help those with a range of hearing problems. His research has focused on rehabilitation with Veteran's Association (VA) patients. Rapid-response medical care and an understanding of how hearing is affected by brain damage are critical areas …

1
Episode 19: Concussions, TBI, and Sports 1:00:29

5y ago1:00:29

1:00:29

Evidence has mounted that high-impact sports like boxing and football can lead to later cognitive problems, and there is increasing awareness that concussions should be taken seriously. So how does this all happen, and should you be worried? We take a look at some recent studies that shed some light on the topic. Articles: https://jamanetwork.com/j…

1
Episode 18: The Psychology of Religion with David Wulff 54:16

5y ago54:16

54:16

David Wulff, author of the comprehensive "Psychology of Religion: Classic and Contemporary", talks with us today about some of the issues that psychologists grapple with in studying religion. How can a researcher take a fair and unbiased approach to a topic so fraught with issues of personal belief and faith? How important is belief anyway -- must …

1
Episode 17: Stanley Milgram and Obedience to Authority 1:11:21

5y ago1:11:21

1:11:21

In the 1960s, the social psychologist Stanley Milgram performed some of the most famous experiments in psychology history, demonstrating that ordinary people could do terrible things in certain circumstances. Joe and Rolf look into the meaning of these experiments from a contemporary view. How are they holding up over 50 years later, and what else …

1
Episode 16: Dopamine with Michael Frank 1:22:03

5y ago1:22:03

1:22:03

Dr. Michael Frank of Brown University talks to us about dopamine -- how it works in the brain, what his research has done to elucidate the function of dopamine circuits, and some of the genetics behind it. A really fascinating dive into a great topic! Papers: Dopamine and free will: Dopamine and learning:…

1
Episode 15: Speech Synthesis From Neural Signals 47:13

5y ago47:13

47:13

Joe and Rolf discuss recent research finding that recordings from the brain can be used to reconstruct the speech that is being thought about. Getting into the prospects of mind-reading and other futuristic possibilities, they discuss some of the limitations of research in the area and what makes progress so difficult. Source material: Speech Synth…

1
Episode 14: Color, Concepts, and Design: Guest Karen Schloss 1:04:22

5y ago1:04:22

1:04:22

Our guest is Karen Schloss, who studies the way in which color is imbued with meaning through a lifetime of associations with objects (like bananas and fire trucks) and concepts (like love and politics). We discuss her research, including topics such as: What color should recycling bins be? A tool that can help designers use color-concept associati…

1
Episode 13: Blue Light and Sleep 49:34

5y ago49:34

49:34

We examine a paper that finds sleep disruption from using tablet computers (as compared to reading a book in dim light). How much should we be worried about the effects of screens on a good night's sleep? There's good reason to believe that blue light is the main culprit -- recently discovered receptors in the eye that respond to blue light directl…

1
Episode 12: The Future of Medical Education: Guest Brent Stansfield 56:26

5y ago56:26

56:26

Joe and Rolf talk with Brent Stansfield, who is currently the director of medical education at Wayne State University, about the future of health care and the kinds of value that doctors can provide as artificial intelligence and robotic surgery come of age. We frame the discussion around the article "Medical Education Must Move From the Informatio…

1
Episode 11: Intelligence 1:11:56

5+ y ago1:11:56

1:11:56

We talk about the history of research on intelligence. Is intelligence a real thing? What does it actually refer to, and can it be measured? Joe and Rolf discuss.By Joe Hardy

1
Episode 10: Augmenting the Brain 1:04:19

5+ y ago1:04:19

1:04:19

We discuss the article: Augmentation of Brain Function: Facts, Fiction, and Controversy ...a collection that explores recent research and opinion on ways of enhancing brain functioning, from classroom learning to the use of electrical and laser stimulation on the brain.By Joe Hardy

1
Episode 9: Self-Control as a Resource 1:02:01

5+ y ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Is self-control something that we an think of as a resource that can be depleted and replenished? It's been a popular model in psychology for years, but it has come under question recently. We discuss "Why self-control seems like (but may not be) limited", a paper by Inzlicht and colleagues that proposes an alternate model.…

1
Episode 8: Artificial Life 54:32

5+ y ago54:32

54:32

Can we create life artificially? What would that even mean? Rolf and Joe talk about the field of Artificial Life, or "A-Life", which has worked toward the goal from a number of academic disciplines for the past thirty or so years. They think about different approaches, such as software, hardware, and biological artificial life, and consider what it…

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