The Nature & Nurture Podcast Adam Omary
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- Ciência
Discussing the interaction between Nature (our biology, genes, evolutionary past, and the laws of our universe) and Nurture (our social environments, culture, history, and upbringings), and how these forces impact our lives. New episodes every week with scientists, authors, and bright minds from a wide array of backgrounds.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNatureNurturePodcast
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Nature & Nurture #141: Dr. Jorge Morales - The Neuroscience & Philosophy of Perception
Dr. Jorge Morales is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Philosophy at Northeastern University, where he directs the Subjectivity Lab. In this episode, we discuss Jorge’s research on the neuropsychology and philosophy of visual perception, introspection, and theory of mind as lenses through which to study consciousness.
We discuss the neural and computational building blocks of perception, the evolution of self-awareness, consciousness in simple organisms, and the plausibility of panpsychism and other theories of consciousness. We also discuss brain damage and psychiatric illnesses, such as blindsight agnosia and schizophrenia hallucinations as windows into how our brain constructs or misconstructs the reality in front of us. Lastly, we discuss philosophical questions of ontology and epistemology: do objects really exist in the way that our mind perceives them? -
Nature & Nurture #140: Dr. Beatriz Luna - Adolescent Brain Development, Dopamine, & Risk-Taking
Dr. Beatriz Luna is a Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, where she directs the Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development. Dr. Luna is an expert in adolescent brain development and the neurodevelopment of the dopamine reward system, and its interactions with inhibitory control to produce developmental changes in sensation seeking and risk-taking.
In this episode, we discuss Dr. Luna’s Driven Dual-Systems Model of adolescent-risk taking, adolescence as a sensitive period for neurocognitive development, and how the dopamine reward system changes with age and puberty. We discuss the role of hormones explaining sex differences in brain development, sensation seeking, and risk-taking, and their evolutionary origins and comparisons in other mammals. Lastly, we discuss translational implications of Dr. Luna’s work for understanding mental health, and findings from clinical endocrinology populations informing theories of how hormones influence brain development prenatally and during puberty. -
Nature & Nurture #139: Dr. Rob Chavez - Computational Neuroscience & Social Cognition
Dr. Robert Chavez is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Oregon, where he directs the Computational Social Neuroscience Lab. https://csnl.uoregon.edu/
In this episode, Rob and I discuss our shared background in cognitive science and statistics, our mutual interests in neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, social cognition, personality, behavioral genetics, artificial intelligence, and philosophy, and the divergence in research. Where my interests turned more developmental, Rob’s turned computational. We discuss Rob’s research using a variety of advanced neuroimaging analysis and machine learning techniques in order to understand individual differences in social cognitive traits, how to interpret diffusion MRI, white matter structure, and connectivity. We also discuss how evolutionary theory and animal research informs our understanding of social cognition, introspection, and consciousness, and speculate about these traits in artificially intelligent systems. -
Nature & Nurture #138: Dr. Adriene Beltz - Hormones, Sex Differences, & Contraceptives
Dr. Adriene Beltz is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, where she directs the Methods, Sex Differences, and Development Lab.
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Nature & Nurture #137: Dr. Larry Young - Hormones & Sexual Behavior Across Species
Dr. Larry Young is the William P. Timmie Professor of Psychiatry at Emory School of Medicine, where he directs the Center for Translational Social Neuroscience and the Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition at Emory University. He is the author of The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex, and the Science of Attraction explores the latest discoveries of how brain chemistry influences all aspects of our relationships with others. Dr. Young’s research focuses on the role of oxytocin and vasopressin in mediating social bonding and sexual behavior across a wide range of species, with emphasis on understanding the evolution and neural circuit mechanisms underlying love, attachment, and social bonding in humans.
00:27 A Childhood Fascination with Animal Behavior
01:11 From Biochemistry to Behavioral Biology: A Scientist's Journey
02:14 Exploring the Sexual Behavior of Lizards
05:25 The Red Queen Hypothesis and Evolutionary Biology
08:02 Diving into Human Hormones and Brain Development
08:58 The Complex World of Gender and Sexuality in Nature
15:14 Unraveling the Mysteries of Love and Bonding in Voles
18:42 Oxytocin: The Hormone of Birth, Bonding, and Beyond
22:06 The Science of Touch and Social Connection
26:59 Understanding Love as a Form of Addiction
30:08 The Impact of Losing a Partner on Prairie Voles
31:56 Exploring Love and Addiction Through Oxytocin Studies
32:27 Debating Love: Chemical Reaction or More?
34:09 The Science of Attraction: Oxytocin's Role
37:01 Understanding Love and Bonding Across Species
41:28 The Intricacies of Sexual Behavior and Attraction
47:42 The Evolutionary Mechanisms of Mating and Bonding
59:41 Utilizing Science to Strengthen Relationships -
Nature & Nurture #136: Dr. Steve Rathje - The Global Social Media Experiment
Steve Rathjay is a Psychologist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Social Identity and Morality Lab of New York University. He is an expert in the psychology of social media use and one of the leaders of the Global Social Media Experiment, an international collaboration examining the causal impact of social media usage in 76 countries around the world. Dr. Rathje received his PhD from the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar, and completed his undergraduate education in Psychology and Symbolic Systems at Stanford University. He has received numerous grants and awards for his research, and runs the science communication channel @stevepsychology with more than 1 million followers on TikTok.
00:07 Exploring Social Media's Impact on Political Polarization
02:15 The Paradox of Virality: Why Negative Content Spreads
10:17 Evolutionary Perspectives on Social Media Behavior
14:50 The Creator's Dilemma: Navigating Virality and Authenticity on TikTok
36:07 The Science of Clickbait: Understanding What Captivates Us
40:41 The Power of Podcasts: Fostering Connection in the Digital Age
42:39 Exploring Parasocial Relationships and Social Media Dynamics
46:06 The Impact of Negativity Bias and Climate Doomerism
51:46 Social Media's Role in Global Connectivity and Cultural Evolution
01:14:11 The Power of Inoculation Theory Against Misinformation
01:22:13 Navigating the Complex Landscape of Social Media Regulation
01:28:50 Concluding Thoughts on Social Media's Societal Impact