Minds Matter Beth Fisher and Ava Ma de Sousa
-
- Science
Learn from cutting edge researchers in neuroscience and psychology with PhD students Beth Fisher and Ava Ma de Sousa. On Minds Matter, we explore a range of subjects, from conspiracy theories to falling in love, to nostalgia. We discuss the neuroscientific and psychological research behind these issues while talking through our own personal experiences.
-
S3 E18: Your Mind on Adolescent Risky Decision-Making with Dr. Nina Lauharatanahirun
What makes teenagers so keen to embrace risk? Are they chasing potential rewards, or are they just blind to potential consequences? Dr. Nina Lauharatanahirun joins us to discuss the computational and neurobiological underpinnings of risky decision-making in teens. Beth and Ava reminisce about their own adolescence.
NOTE: Dr. Lauharatanahirun is recruiting PhD students for the 2024-2025 cycle with a background in neuroscience, psychology, computer science or engineering! -
S3 E17: Your Mind on Neurobiology with Dr. Claire O'Callaghan
We hear about neuromodulators like serotonin all the time, but how do they actually work? This week Dr. Claire O’Callaghan gives us an introduction to the science of neurobiology! She discusses the roles of serotonin and noradrenaline and we learn that the systems are more complex than we may hear in popular science. Ava and Beth discuss their misconceptions around neuromodulators and Beth shares a personal noradrenaline story!
-
S3 E16: Your Mind on Inequality & Social Change with Dr. Riana Brown
Are all inequalities perceived the same? Dr. Riana Brown joins us to discuss how different inequalities — health, economic, and belonging — differentially motivate support for collective action and social change. Dr. Brown also shares research on when and why some people might opt to tackle the root causes of inequality, such as advocating for policy changes, versus addressing its immediate consequences, like volunteering at a soup kitchen. Beth and Ava reflect on their personal experiences of participating in social change efforts.
-
S3: E15 Your Mind on Great Ape Social Cognition with Dr. Laura Lewis
What do the social lives of chimps and bonobos reveal about human cognition? Join us as biological anthropologist & comparative psychologist Dr. Laura Lewis tells us about the social structures of our closest living relatives & shares her research on how chimps and bonobos remember friends and foes and manage their social attention. Beth and Ava discuss how to think about the similarities and differences between humans and other great apes.
-
S3: E14 Your Mind on Learning & Memory with Dr. Oded Bein
How do we store information in the brain? How do we know when one memory should end and another begin? We speak to Dr. Oded Bein who explains how we use schemas to organise information. Dr. Bein discusses how we segment our experiences to store as our memories and how these processes might be different for people with anxiety. We also give some tips to improve memory and Ava and Beth reflect on how schemas might influences their perspectives.
-
S3: E13 Your Mind on Emotion Regulation & Conflict with Dr. Rachel Low
When something's bothering you, do you tend to suppress those emotions or sit with them? Dr. Rachel Low joins us to discuss her research on emotion regulation in individuals, relationships, and families. Learn about how parents' emotion regulation styles might spill over to their children, and how just one person suppressing their emotions in a romantic relationship can undermine relationship satisfaction. Beth and Ava talk about their own patterns of emotion regulation.