Braincast - on the frequency of mind and brain

End note ...

2009-03-24T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody!

Sorry, this is the last entry as far as I can see – Braincast/English is on hold, at least.

With the downloads being low and my worklevel being high, it just needed an extra ill translator to give me the insight: why not use the time for something else ... I had to face it: compared to the German version, the English was a flake. Obviously we did not get the pleasere from one language to the other.

Maybe I restart again some time.

Maybe someone likes to join the project.

But for now: Bye! And thank you for listening!

Braincast 025 - Materialism, Buddhism and Position Definition

2009-01-31T12:22:00.001-08:00

Episode 25 is rather personal with a look behind my mental curtain: motivation and preferences, why Buddhism pops up on a regular basis and about my biggest problem on the topic. A definition of position.

MP3 File Duration: 19:35

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
We start with the beautiful After all by Alexander Blu, continue with Black Coffee by Aramitsu and end smoothly with Surise by Klavar.

Braincast 024 - Hard-headed

2009-01-17T16:35:00.001-08:00

Planing, acting and, most of all, inhibiting – those are the main tasks of the prefrontal cortex. Additionally it has peer-to-peer connections to emotion- and social related areas. So this episode is about that part of the brain, that makes us human. An episode including bad mood and good bets.

MP3 File Duration: 21:00

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
First song is Swallow your Head by Happy Gemini 3, followed by the beautiful Myself, 5 Minutes ago by furiousBall. Next is Alimagne and Freddy Hop: Is it Jazz? Rock? Downbeat? However, the last song is CyrusFx ist mit Wanderlust.

Braincast 023 - Driven by Emotion

2008-12-13T10:53:00.001-08:00

Emotions are not just blessing or curse, they are much more. For example they are one way for the brain to talk to itself – via the body. They are the source of all our decisions. And first and foremost they are a way to survive.

MP3 File Duration: 19:00

If you are in need of something interesting to reed between christmas and new year´s eve: here are the brainy top ten of New Scientist 2008.

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
It´s the time to play nice and easy music, so we start smoothly with Brian Turner and Midnight Caravan, continue with the easy, autumn-like guitar of Dan Tharp and Ian and round it up with the wonderful Beautiful Wife of Al Phlipp & The Woo Team.

Braincast 022 - Creative perception

2008-11-28T12:52:00.001-08:00

Part 2 about senses and perception is about how the brain deals with incoming data. It shows that some things simply are droped, while others are constructed. A braincast about roses, gorillas, blind spots and two self-experiments.

MP3 File Duration: 18:06

If you haven´t seen it yet: here is the Gorilla on the field.

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
A crude stylemix this time, starting ambient with Briareus and Ivory Bills, continuing jazzy with Deerfoot and 22x and ending with a downtempo Christophe Goze and About Us.

Braincast 021 - Basics: Senses

2008-11-15T07:40:00.001-08:00

In dealing with reality the brain might be quite creative, but the senses are not: They send in the real world, one gig of data per second. This and other impressive numbers in Braincast 21. Plus: seeing with the tongue.

MP3 File Duration: 16:23

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
We start nice and easy with Hack & Tear from Doubleplay & La Bella, continue likewise with Dave Percell and Eternal Traveler and end quite and beautiful on Berwick Road by the Dave Lambert Band.

Braincast 020 - Autists and Savants

2008-11-01T16:33:00.001-07:00

Autism is quite extreme: affected people shrink into theirselfs, live complicated rituals and have trouble understanding emotions. But out of autism can arise a real wonder: the savant syndrome, showing the real possibilities of the brain.

MP3 File Duration: 16:45

Here is The Boy With The Incredible Brain.

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
Somehow, piano seems to be the right choice: we begin with Brian Drotar and Melodic Memory continue with Remember When by Carlos Tabora and – rather soundtrack – Graeme Hindmarsh and The Lady. The last title is Equinoxal by Incidental Fusion.

Braincast 019 - Stress

2008-10-25T13:32:00.001-07:00

Stress is not just stress – it was designed to safe our life. But nowadays we even have stress with stress, and this is just sassy. In this episode you find some inner-headly backgrounds. And even some good news.

MP3 File Duration: 16:36

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
Fast forward and Blazej Lindner is jazzy and the title fits nicely. But before you start feeling to comfortable, we put you on the back seet of Baja Taxi of Brain Bucket. And why stop there – we end with the mean guitar of Danny Weis´Gunslinger.

Braincast 018 - The underestimated animal kingdom

2008-10-11T12:36:00.001-07:00

Man is the pinnacle of creation and shall rule the world – that´s how we like it to be. But the difference between us and those brute animals is not that big, as this braincast demonstrates.

MP3 File Duration: 15:16

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
Smart animals and some smoothing instrumentals – starting with Milo Firewater and Simple. Because it is not. Then I found this wonderful music of Dan Tharp – here with Beth. Very autumn! Another discovery is Danny Weis here with It's About Time!.

Braincast 017 - The world out there

2008-10-04T14:51:00.001-07:00

It the world out there would exist without us noticing, has been a heavy disput between philosophers for centuries. With "neurological constructivism", neuroscience found a position that offers great possibilities.

MP3 File Duration: 16:37

Apposite to our topic here the link to the ongoing Visual Illusion-Contests.

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
Outside the leaves starting to fall. But that just the world outside – I decided to have on last summerday, a complete podsafe one. We start with Summerfeeling by Dreamweaver - instrumental. Next the first Reggae in Braincast: Time by David R Merry – after all these years. We close with La Cadence by easyflow! and the rather short – too short, I think – Rio by Brian Kelly.

Braincast 016 - Altruism

2008-09-27T17:06:00.001-07:00

A peaceful topic at last: altruism, fairness, kindness. From scratch healthy brains are not capable of anything else – and they don´t want to, too. An episode of bright prospects.

MP3 File Duration: 18:34

Enjoy Jaak Panksepp tickling his laughing rats.

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
Nice music for a nice topic: we start with Josh James and Piano, continue with Eletrix and Road to Rio and Christophe Goze and Hi Honey. The finish is an encore for Paul Borth and Paul in love.

Braincast 015 - Basics - Imaging Techniques

2008-09-19T15:30:00.001-07:00

How do we know what we know about the brain? And why did it become so much so fast? Braincast 15 wraps this dry topic to digest easily.

MP3 File Duration: 19:20

This weeks link is a special one – an article on wired.com: Software spots the spin in political speeches.

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
Imaging techniques work best with electronic music, so I thought. Therefor we start with Alienation and Beggars And Kings - the Chillout mix, exaggerate with Ariaphonics and the Divine Light and end with a great Ben Parsons and Shawl.

Braincast 014 - Memory

2008-09-13T14:32:00.001-07:00

No function of the brain gets criticised more often. But the reasons are mostly wrong, nobody really wants absolute memory, as Braincast 14 shows. That memory is a quite creative affair – that would be a neat critique.

MP3 File Duration: 18:57

Very speciall: Jill Bolte Taylor in TED-Talk about her own stroke.

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
Pianos in Braincast 14: The absolutly wonderful Piano Moods of Project M and Ash Verjee with Impromtu for Six Pianos.

Braincast 013 - Free will

2008-08-30T13:39:00.001-07:00

The ship of free will is sinking – at least some influential brain researchers say so. Braincast 13 examines backgrounds and backdoors of one of the most controversial topics between our ears.

MP3 File Duration 17:01

This is just great: Woody Allan about his psychotherapy.

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
It´s a pity to talk over this song: Alexander Blu and Concert. Very nice in beat and music as well is Coming Clean by Milo Firewater. We end with Trauma on the Dancefloor by Briareus – on a nearly optimistic note.

Braincast 012 - Best before

2008-08-22T16:00:00.001-07:00

For decades they told us our brains were doomed, its cells vanish and we would become more dense every day. This is not invariably the case. That and more good news in a Braincast about the date of expiry.

MP3 File Duration: 16:00

As promised you´ll find those interesting rat brain robots here.

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
We start nice and smooth with another great song from Deep Sea Dust: Lazy finger, continue with a little Jazz and Hyperion by Deerfoot and finish – for the higher note and to pacify those Jazz-Rock-haters among you – with the great piano of Jon Schmidt and All of me.

Braincast 011 - Basics: Structures

2008-08-08T12:36:00.001-07:00

Limbic system, amygdala or neocortex – what does that actually mean? In Braincast 11 we are talking structure and layout of the brain. It might be a little dry. But it is imporatant.

MP3 File Duration: 16:12

One last time I´ll take two weeks off, but I leave you this great series of lectures of
Columbia University

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
This episdode´s soundtrack starts with Christophe Goze and Breathing – beautiful as always. The second, rather quite title is David by Gary. Last, an easy listenig piece: Just Gone by Electrix.

Braincast 010 - Development

2008-07-25T13:58:00.001-07:00

The 10th episode – a small anniversary with a closer look on the development of toddlers. It shows that TV is not that good, love is essential and experience is everything. And that even kids five months old wonder about grammatical mistakes.

MP3 File Duration: 18:25

Tomorrow we go vacation, so, again, the next episode will be published in two weeks.

NEWS

SHOWNOTES
We begin with ericP and Waves In The Moonlight, continue quite funky with So Long from Katzengold change the style completly with Electrix and When Pluto plays PingPong, and finish with another style-U-turn via piano and Jon Schmidt`s All of Me.

Braincast 009 - Love

2008-07-12T15:20:00.001-07:00

Real feelings at Braincast: vital, neurological and hormonal insights about infatuation, love and being dumped. Featuring voles and fidelity, homosexuality and hypothalamus, orgasms in scanners and bad news for men.

MP3 File Duration: 19:22

Still I´m within a lazy summer (with bad weather) – expect me to be back in two weeks.

NEWS

Lovesickness: http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2008/627/1
Why we love: http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-playing-field/200806/why-we-laugh
Old and young: http://mindblog.dericbownds.net/2008/06/young-and-old-brains-differ-in-encoding.html#links
Mirror Neurons: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-mirror-neuron-revolut
Meditation: http://scienceblogs.com/developingintelligence/2008/06/opening_the_minds_eye_attentio.php#more
Brain Journey: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/33747/title/Journey_to_the_center_of_the_brain
Mind and matter: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/health/research/01brain.html?_r=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin
Major and minor: http://mindblog.dericbownds.net/2008/07/why-are-musical-chords-cheerful-or.html
Breathalyser: http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn14247-brain-breathalysers-may-scan-astronauts-for-stress.html
Milgram, again: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/health/research/01mind.html?_r=1&ei=5087&em=&en=c936b0cbb7f0ce86&ex=1215057600&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print
No fooling ourselves: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/science/01tier.html?ei=5087&em=&en=529bfb6e3e5a4ff9&ex=1215057600&pagewanted=print
Nature tv: http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2008/07/nature-on-plasma-tv-not-as-beneficial.html
Baby smiling, German, e.g.: http://www.wissenschaft.de/wissenschaft/news/292688.html
Relaxation/genes http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701221501.htm
Nutrition: http://mindblog.dericbownds.net/2008/07/brain-foods.html
Who you think of: http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2008/07/mind-who-you-think-of.html
Love makes blind: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14263-love-really-is-blind-or-at-least-blinkered.html
Computer music: http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0002631
Implant: http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn14277-brain-implant-helps-stroke-victim-speak-again.html
Psychiatric genetics: http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080709/full/454154a.html
Frog´s selective hearing: http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2008/709/3
Stinking meaning: http://scienceblogs.com/mixingmemory/2008/07/fart_spray_and_disgust_more_ge.php

SHOWNOTES
First song is Traveler Alive from Chance´s End, second the promising Some Day I Will from Christophe Goze. The hidden track is Paul Borth with Paul in Love.

Braincast 008 - Basics: Braincells

2008-06-28T16:05:00.001-07:00

This Braincast looks deep into the structure of our brain: what do brain cells look like, how do they operate, how do they communicate and – just a tiny start – how do meaning and decission emerge from that?

MP3 File

Here the link to the wonderful animation The Inner Life of the Cell.

It´s summer holiday in Germany, so every second time for eight weeks, I´m determined to be lazy.

SHOWNOTES
We start with 3pm´s and DreamWonders, second is Gary and Downtempo1 and the grande finale is performed by Chance´s End and Production to Perfection.

Braincast 007 - The Phantom Body

2008-06-21T14:19:00.001-07:00

Are we our body? Or does it just carry us through the world? Braincast 7 is about this internal relationship of brain, body and mind. This is much more complex than it feels like, and has some strange side-effects, e.g. an orgasm in a foot.

MP3 File

As promised the great TED-Talk with Jill Bolte Taylor talking about her stroke.

SHOWNOTES
We start with the beautiful David Emeny and Black Dust and end with CRS Official and Vanish.

Braincast 006 - Reward System

2008-06-07T14:00:00.001-07:00

Man is driven by emotions. So the reward system promises heavenly joy once we reach our goal. This makes it rather a motivational system – and it´s one of the best ideas of evolution.

MP3 File

Come and visit the Bionic Body Shop – the future´s so bright – I gotta wear shades ...

Btw - next week I´ll take a holiday!

SHOWNOTES
Christophe Goze and People Smiling kick of this episode and DigiTube close it with Storm Brewin.

Braincast 005 - A short History of Brain Science

2008-05-30T15:37:00.001-07:00

The brain once was a cooling system and a soul organ. It consisted of cavities and gear wheels. Today we know better for we screen even the tiniest structures. Here a brief (historical) summary of models and methods.

MP3 File

This is - as soon as Google has finished – the video with Dr. Helmut Wicht, rewarded lecturer at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität of Frankfurt, and me, dissecting a brain. So this is what it really looks like. It´s not translated yet, but ... isn´t a picture worth a thousand words ...

SHOWNOTES
Our look into the history of neuroscience starts on the piano with Rob Costlow and Reflections, becomes more technical with Project M and Love´s labour and finishes very easy with the Cool Rhythm of Brian Butler.

Braincast 004 - Intelligence

2008-05-24T16:00:00.001-07:00

One of the most important application of the brain is intelligence. In this episode we talk about definitions, benchmark data and background, about where and what for.

Carl Zimmer interviews legendary neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga on bloggingheads.tv – very interesting.

SHOWNOTES
We start with a wonderful piece of ambient: Katie Turner and Slow. Completely different, but wonderful as well: Eve from Jr. To avoid becoming to slow, next a rather untypical song from Dreamweaver, called The Rhythm / Club Mix. We finish quitly and beautiful with Katzengold and Strandgut.

Braincast 003 - Emotional and other blindnesses

2008-05-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

Between mind and brain there is room for different kinds of blindness. Some, like the face blindness – base on structural damage. Others – like emotional blindness – are grounded on lacks in parenting. In this episode we discuss both.

This weeks link goes to reading pigeons – one of Skinner´s tricks, as important as overhyped in that time.

SHOWNOTES
The titles of this episode are the more than wonderful Piano Moods of Project M – one of my all time favorites and great to write with. The second title is Calling Earth with Transmission.

Braincast 002 - Signal and Noise

2008-05-10T13:44:00.001-07:00

Why do we have a brain at all? Not everybody needs it and it just burns up a lot of energy. But apart from our own body we have to deal with the world, have to decode it´s signals from all the noise ...

This weeks links are
- the free downloadable CIA book Psychology of Intelligence Analysis
- the UCLA Advanced Neuroimaging Summer School-podcast on iTunes U (via)
- the great company Despair, inc. (via) - have fun!

SHOWNOTES
We start with the wonderful Deep Sea Dust and Surftech. Second a little jazz from DigiTube and Movin – you can even buy it. The last title is Shinny & Happy from Beats – not their best piece of music, but perfectly short.

Braincast 001 - Braincast one

2008-05-03T16:02:00.001-07:00

Braincast is the podcast on the frequency of mind and brain. Episode one is a short description of what we are up to.

Here the Link to Barry Schwartz in a TED-Talk about The Paradox of Choice.

SHOWNOTES
Just two titles to start with: one of my podsafe-favorites DigiTube with Vintage Keys and Budha Building with So easy (instrumental) - good music for writing as well.