#neuroplasticity
54 episodes
#4577: When Prophecies Fail: The Real Cognitive Dissonance
The 1954 doomsday cult, a $1 experiment, and why your brain rewrites reality when the world doesn't add up.
#4534: Savant Syndrome: When the Brain Rewires Itself
Savant syndrome isn't what pop culture tells you. We explore the real condition — congenital and acquired — and what it reveals about how brains work.
#4526: Decode Your Daydreams, Don't Follow Them
Daydreams aren't random—they're signals about unmet psychological needs. Here's how to decode them.
#4355: How to Treat Back Pain Without NSAIDs
Safe pain relief for back pain when NSAIDs aren't an option, plus how to stop acute pain from becoming chronic.
#4286: How Print Reading Changes Your Brain vs. Google News
Print readers understand news better. Here's what the research says about how the medium shapes your comprehension.
#4260: Rewriting Trauma: Psychedelics and Memory Reconsolidation
How psilocybin, MDMA, and ibogaine may help rewrite traumatic memories at the neural level.
#4252: The Brain State That Feels Like Magic
Why the evidence for hypnosis keeps piling up while the perception stays stuck in swinging-pendulum territory.
#4105: How Your Brainstem Can Learn a Wrong Pattern After Surgery
Bloating after gallbladder surgery isn't always gas. It's often a brainstem coordination problem called abdominophrenic dyssynergia.
#3927: How to Rewire Driving Fear in 10 Minutes
The science of why periodic drivers experience terror — and what to do about it.
#3923: Why Jerusalem Traffic Feels More Dangerous Than It Is
Why a confident Irish driver feels paralyzed behind the wheel in Jerusalem — and what the brain is actually doing.
#3872: What Everyone Gets Wrong About Fear of Heights
Are some people born without fear of heights? The surprising science behind acrophobia and the high-altitude workers of Jerusalem.
#3820: What Feral Children Reveal About Human Brains
The tragic natural experiments that reveal how language and social bonds shape the human brain.
#3712: Can You Train Your Nose to Ignore a Scent You Hate?
How your nose physically stops noticing constant odors—and what to do when it won't.
#3697: How to Reclaim Your Social Life After Friend Inheritance
Feeling like a tenant in your partner’s social circle? Here’s what research says about building independent friendships.
#3687: How Curiosity Shapes Specialists and Generalists
Why some brains crave novelty while others seek depth—and how both types fit together in society.
#3607: The Empathy Mixing Board: 3 Neural Systems Explained
Empathy isn't one dial—it's three independent neural systems. How they combine determines everything from burnout to manipulation.
#3605: Can You Retain Audio While Doing Dishes?
Does folding laundry while listening to a podcast help or hurt retention? The science is surprisingly clear.
#3592: Can Gallbladder Surgery Damage Your Vagus Nerve?
Bloating after water? Why some patients blame nerve damage from gallbladder surgery, and what you can do about it.
#3586: The Barney Giggle: How Childhood TV Shapes Adult Behavior
Did Barney the Dinosaur program your adult social responses? The surprising neuroscience of childhood media conditioning.
#3524: The Glutamate Trap: Hangovers, Panic, and the Brain
Why alcohol, caffeine, and poor sleep create a perfect neurochemical storm — and what it reveals about anxiety.
#3521: SSRIs: How Different Are They Really?
Prozac, Lexapro, and beyond — how similar are SSRIs? A deep dive into selectivity, side effects, and what comes next.
#3515: Brain Scans Beyond fMRI: What Comes Next in Psychiatry
fMRI was a revolution — but it's no longer cutting edge. What new tools are emerging, and will they ever reach your clinic?
#3449: Can Therapy Replace Your Antidepressants?
Can psychotherapy reduce or eliminate the need for antidepressants? The evidence is more specific than you think.
#3448: How ACT Therapy Breaks Fusion with Your Thoughts
Cognitive fusion explained: when beliefs consume identity, and how defusion techniques create space between you and your thoughts.