ScienceHealth & Fitness

This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg

Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery

This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg provides a fascinating look into the human brain, with each episode asking new questions — and finding new answers — about our most mysterious organ. Together with his expert guests, Dr. Stieg takes us on a journey that reveals unexpected secrets at every turn, and redefines what we know about ourselves and our place in the world.

The podcast explores the many fascinating aspects of neuroscience, ranging from how the brain is wired for both sudden bursts of violence and the pervasive inner calm of meditation. Where does confidence come from? How do we remember traumatic events – or do we? How do other animals experience consciousness? Does storytelling change our brains?

Take the journey with us as we explore the very foundation of what makes us human.

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27 episodes
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Avg 24 min
English

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S7 · E4
Monday · 1 min
Coming This Friday - The Power of Optimism with Martin Seligman, PhD.
Dr. Martin Seligman, founder of positive psychology and author of Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress, joins Dr. Phil Stieg to explore how optimism, resilience, and our belief in our ability to shape the future influence everything from mental health to human progress.
S7 · E3
October 2 · 26 min
May We Have Your Attention ... and Keep It?
Do you scroll on your phone for hours but then quit a meaty news story in 15 seconds? Maybe your attention span isn't the problem! Dr. Ronald Yaros thinks the way to get people to pay attention is better content delivery that's designed to work with their busy lives. Find out what actually captures and keeps our attention... and why.
S7 · E3
September 30 · 59 sec
Coming This Friday - May We Have Your Attention - with Ronald Yaros
Do you scroll on your phone for hours but then quit a meaty news story in 15 seconds? Maybe your attention span isn't the problem! Dr. Ronald Yaros thinks the way to get people to pay attention is better content delivery that's designed to work with their busy lives. Find out what actually captures and keeps our attention... and why.
S7 · E2
September 18 · 28 min
Is AI Making Us Dumber?
Every time AI answers for you, part of your brain may switch off. Theoretical neuroscientist Dr. Vivienne Ming explains why, including a striking claim about GPS use and Alzheimer's risk. Dr. Ming shares her own fix for using AI. She calls it the nemesis prompt, a technique for turning AI into your harshest critic instead of your biggest fan. Vivienne joins Dr. Stieg to unpack what it actually takes to come out of the AI age sharper, not dumber.
S7 · E2
September 14 · 1 min
Coming This Friday - - Is AI Making Us Dumber?
Every time AI answers for you, part of your brain may switch off. Theoretical neuroscientist Dr. Vivienne Ming explains why, including a striking claim about GPS use and Alzheimer's risk. Dr. Ming shares her own fix for using AI. She calls it the nemesis prompt, a technique for turning AI into your harshest critic instead of your biggest fan. Vivienne joins Dr. Stieg to unpack what it actually takes to come out of the AI age sharper, not dumber. https://socos.org/robot-proof#book-anchor-point
S7 · E1
September 4 · 32 min
Profiling The Criminal Mind - James Fitzgerald
For 17 years, the Unabomber skillfully eluded investigators, leaving behind no fingerprints, DNA, or usable forensic evidence but in the end it was his own words that gave him away. Dr. Phil Stieg speaks with retired FBI criminal profiler James Fitzgerald, a pioneer of forensic linguistics whose analysis of Ted Kaczynski's writings helped crack one of the most notorious investigations in FBI history. Fitzgerald reveals how investigators constructed a personality profile from the bomber's writings, identified the unusual turn of phrase that became a "linguistic smoking gun," and used patterns in language and behavior to identify this notoriously elusive criminal mind. Plus, an exclusive glimpse into a family's traumatic moment when they discover their relative is a serial bomber. ### Archival audio courtesy of Videos For Change Productions Excerpt from documentary in progress "Life Or Death" featuring David Kaczynski and Linda Patrik, Producers Mike Camoin and John Carlson.
S7 · E1
September 1 · 53 sec
Coming This Friday - Profiling the Criminal Mind
In our Season Seven debut episode, Dr. Phil Stieg speaks with retired FBI criminal profiler James Fitzgerald, a pioneer of forensic linguistics whose analysis of Ted Kaczynski's writings helped crack one of the most notorious investigations in FBI history.
S6 · E31
August 14 · 26 min
A Memory Workout
Can't remember the fourth item on your grocery list? Nelson Dellis, a professional "memory athlete," can remember 100 things or more (though he still may forget the butter). Hear how Dellis learned to memorize lists so long that he became a five-time USA Memory Champion, and how you can use some of his strategies to improve your own memory. Dellis explains how he uses tricks like the "memory palace" and mnemonic devices to recall lengthy lists with perfect accuracy. In an era when cell phones are making memory superfluous, you can regain some of those lost skills by using his techniques. Plus… those rare folks who can never forget a day in their lives. https://www.nelsondellis.com/ Click here for a transcript and further information on this episode.
S6 · E30
July 31 · 20 min
"Awestruck!" - Part 2 with Beau Lotto, PhD
The human brain resists uncertainty — whether it's an approaching tiger or a global pandemic, we've evolved to move from fear and chaos to order and resolution. Dr. Beau Lotto, founder of the Lab of Misfits, explains why the brain takes small steps instead of large leaps, and why we need to teach kids to think more like scientists. Plus... why we react to a pandemic by hoarding toilet paper! https://www.beaulotto.com/ Since this episode was first released in 2021, Dr. Lotto has launched a new project - "Evolvable.Me" "Our interactive AI-powered platform reveals precise, science-backed insights into how you think, relate, and behave – drawn from your responses and real-life conversations." Try it for free at https://www.evolvable.me/
S6 · E29
July 24 · 19 min
"Awestruck!" - Part 1 - with Beau Lotto, PhD
What is awe? It's not wonder, or surprise, or pleasure — it's a state of mind that Dr. Beau Lotto calls "finding the impossible in the common." Dr. Lotto is a neuroscientist who specializes in perception; he once actually measured awe in the brains of people watching Cirque du Soleil. Learn where awe originates, why it evolved, and even how military leaders might weaponize it. Plus... why Dr. Lotto says babies are born "useless". https://www.beaulotto.com/ Since this episode was first released in 2021, Dr. Lotto has launched a new project - "Evolvable.Me" "Our interactive AI-powered platform reveals precise, science-backed insights into how you think, relate, and behave – drawn from your responses and real-life conversations." Try it for free at https://www.evolvable.me/
S6 · E28
July 10 · 29 min
The Mercurial Genius of Candace Pert
Candace Pert discovered the opioid receptor, created a drug to stop AIDS in the brain, and identified stress as a cause of disease. She also inadvertently unleashed the overdose epidemic, got kicked out of the NIH, and was denied credit for much of her work. Largely forgotten, Pert was a trailblazing yet mercurial neuroscientist. Emmy award winning writer and producer Pamela Ryckman shines a light on Pert's breakthroughs and her fascinating legacy on the podcast. For a transcript and more information about this episode use this link: https://bit.ly/4vuMoiG For more about our guest's book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/pamela-ryckman/
June 26 · 27 min
The Mother of all Brain Changes - Chelsea Conaboy
New parents - especially moms - experience profound changes in the brain when they are expecting and welcoming a new baby. Health journalist Chelsea Conaboy explains how the caricature of "mommy brain" and its cognitive fog has it all wrong - parenthood actually has a neuroprotective effect, as the brain adapts to meeting the needs of children. It happens to all parents, not just mothers, but it's most dramatic in gestating parents. Plus... how it takes a troop to raise a monkey. For a transcript and further information use this link: https://bit.ly/4ovUTay
S6 · E26
June 12 · 30 min
Cultivating Confidence
Where in the brain is that little something that makes top performers feel so confident in their ability? Can that confidence be developed in someone who is naturally more timid? Dr. Nate Zinsser, director of West Point's Performance Psychology Program and author of The Confident Mind, explains how a sense of mastery develops, and why butterflies in your stomach are a signal from the brain when you're about to do something great. Plus… why Ted Lasso wants us all to be a little more like goldfish. For transcript and further information, use this link: https://bit.ly/4ocC0cE
S6 · E25
May 28 · 25 min
Why We Procrastinate -- with Joseph Ferrari
We all do it - put things off, tell ourselves we'll start tomorrow, and somehow still miss the deadline. But chronic procrastination isn't just a bad habit; it's self-sabotaging behavior that can derail our goals, relationships, and even our health. Psychologist Dr. Joseph Ferrari, a leading expert on procrastination, breaks down the emotional roots of procrastination, debunks the myth that we "work best under pressure," and offers science-backed strategies for change. Plus - meet one of history's most legendary procrastinators: Leonardo da Vinci. Find out how his epic delays shaped the Mona Lisa, and why some believe he never truly finished it. Thanks for enjoying this archive episode of This Is Your Brain. For a transcript and further background information please use this link. https://bit.ly/4uDBUgM
May 15 · 35 min
"Not Just Another Victim" – Nancy Jarecki's recovery from a stroke
Nancy Jarecki's stroke could have reduced her to a statistic. But her determination, humor and style paved a different path to recovery. For our Season Six Finale we are recognizing Stroke Awareness Month with a very special episode of This Is Your Brain. This is a story told by Nancy Jarecki, - a businesswoman, wife and mother - whose resilience and good humor while recovering from a serious brain aneurysm was inspiring to all of us who treated her here at New York – Presbyterian Hospital. What follows is a dramatic, funny and heart-warming story of one woman's journey back from a life-altering experience. For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org
S6 · E23
May 1 · 31 min
"I Think I Look Ugly" – Body Dysmorphia
Most of us have a bad hair day or we're not happy if we have a little pimple on our face. But that's quite different from the experience of people with body dysmorphic disorder. (BDD) More than simple insecurity about one's appearance, BDD is a disorder in which a person's perception of their appearance becomes all-consuming and deeply distressing. Perfectly normal looking people can see themselves as horribly ugly. Or one minor detail becomes an enormous fixation, like the patient who said they felt they were just one giant pimple with hands and feet. In this episode, Dr. Phil Stieg speaks with psychiatrist and BDD expert Dr. Katharine Phillips about how altered visual processing in the brain leads individuals to fixate on minor and often imagined flaws, while behaviors like mirror-checking and reassurance seeking reinforce the cycle of negative perception. Dr. Phillips highlights the serious mental health risks associated with this condition and discusses evidence-based treatments that have led many patients to a meaningful recovery. For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org
S6 · E22
April 17 · 27 min
I Never Forget a Face
Imagine a world where everyone looks the same and you can't recognize one person from another – even you own child! It sounds like a frightening episode from the "Twilight Zone", but it's just every day life for people with prosopagnosia, better known as "Face Blindness". We humans use parts of our brains to see, process and recognize faces that are different from recognizing anything else in our lives, which is not surprising when you consider how important faces are to understanding the situations we are in and the emotions of the people closest to us. In this episode, Dr. Brad Duchaine, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at Dartmouth College and one of the world's experts on face recognition, explains how how the face blind perceive the world, the strategies they use to mange their lives, and the unfortunate people who experience the rare (and almost unpronounceable) condition of "prosopometamorphopsia." Plus, hear how "Super Recognizers" are using the opposite of face blindness to help fight crime. For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org
S6 · E21
April 3 · 28 min
Why We Drink Too Much
Why do we sometimes drink too much, even when we know the risks? In this episode, surgeon, author, and recovering alcoholic Dr. Charles Knowles joins us to explore the neuroscience of alcohol use and addiction. Drawing from his book "Why We Drink Too Much" and his own lived experience, Dr. Knowles describes how alcohol alters the brain's reward pathways, and how drinking problems exist on a spectrum. Through neuroscience and deeply personal insight, he speaks to alcohol's impact on mental and physical health and gives inspiration to others through sharing his own journey to recovery. For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org
S6 · E20
March 20 · 24 min
Why Wisdom is Necessary
Although memories fade, hearing declines and our bodies suffer aches and pains, there is one benefit to aging that we can actually gain with each passing year. It's called wisdom. But just because someone is older, it doesn't mean they are wiser. It takes a certain type of person to learn important lessons from their life experiences. Dr. Dillip Jeste reveals what he has discovered after studying wisdom for decades, including the neuroscience of the wise brain, emphasizing how cultivating wisdom enhances brain health as well as offering some insights on how to develop and nurture wisdom in yourself, at any age. In a larger view, Dr. Jeste discusses the importance of wisdom for the health of our society. For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org
S6 · E19
March 6 · 33 min
Tell-Tale Signs That You Are in a Cult
Cults and high-control groups influence beliefs and fundamentally reshape identity, decision-making, and autonomy. In this episode, Dr. Phil Stieg sits down with sociologist and cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich, Professor and author of Take Back Your Life, to explore the psychology behind cults. Drawing from decades of research as well as her own personal experience of spending a decade in a political cult, she discusses how indoctrination alters a person's sense of self, why anyone can become vulnerable under the right circumstances, and the road to recovery after leaving. For more information, transcripts, and all episodes, please visit https://thisisyourbrain.com For more about Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery, please visit https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org

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