Best Neuroverse Podcasts (2025)

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104. The Importance of Ideas in Neuroscience (with Dr. Mateusz Kostecki) 47:53

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3h ago47:53

47:53

In today's episode, we are joined by Dr Mateusz Kostecki to discuss the importance of ideas as a theoretical and conceptual basis for generating and motivating neuroscience research. Mateusz is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Heidelberg studying patterns of behaviour in placozoa, blob-like marine invertebrates. Prior to this, M…

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103. Making Habits (with Dr Francesca Greenstreet) 42:51

27d ago42:51

42:51

In today’s episode we are joined by Dr Francesca Greenstreet to discuss how habits are made and novel research on how habit-forming may not require reward-based learning. We also talk about making the switch from being an experimental neuroscientist to a computational neuroscientist, and Francesca's latest research on how the brain executes reinfor…

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[Summer Rerelease] Enzyme-Directed Evolution 20:42

1M ago20:42

20:42

Welcome to our special summer rerelease series! Carolina and Clara take a trip down memory lane with a special series dedicated to their older episodes, including ones you may have missed! This week Carolina and Clara discuss enzymes and enzyme-directed evolution. Enzymes are these incredible biological catalysts present in the natural world. Howev…

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102. Tools for Looking into the Brain: Probing at Maternal Behaviour and Finding Purpose in Science (with Dr. Silvana Valtcheva) 49:29

2M ago49:29

49:29

This week we bring to you another episode of Tools for Looking into the Brain, our mini series in collaboration with Scientifica, where we discuss all sorts of neuroscience methods and the reality of academia. In this episode, we are joined by Dr Silvana Valtcheva, a group leader at the Max Planck Institute in Cologne, who researches the neural bas…

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[Summer Rerelease] The Entropic Brain 21:14

2M ago21:14

21:14

This week we're revisiting our episode on the entropic brain, where we discuss entropy, chaos, and disorder in the context of brain activity. In an attempt to reduce the amount of disorder, our brains may stick to a structured framework of activity, limiting its capacity to be creative and generate new ideas or connections. How does this influence …

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101. Causality 42:51

3M ago42:51

42:51

In today's episode Carolina and Clara probe at what causality means, both in a philosophical sense and a scientific one. We talk about how neuroscience can probe at causality, the fine line between correlation and causation, how hypotheses are and should be derived, validation and falsification, and more! --- We hope you enjoy the episode! Please f…

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[Summer Rerelease] Breathing, the Brain, Being 24:56

3M ago24:56

24:56

Welcome to our special summer rerelease series! Carolina and Clara take a trip down memory lane with a special series dedicated to their older episodes, including ones you may have missed! Have you ever wondered how the breath and the mind are connected? In this episode, Carolina and Clara explore the neuroscience of breathing: how the rhythm of br…

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100. The Science of Sleep - From Classical Theories to Novel Insights (with Dr Raffaele Sarnataro) 53:10

4M ago53:10

53:10

In this episode (our 100th!) we talk to Dr Raffaele Sarnataro, a postdoctoral researcher in Gero Miesenböck's group at the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour in Oxford University, who is investigating the neurobiological basis of sleep using fruit flies (Drosophila Melanogaster) as a model organism. Raffaele shares with us his latest research…

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99. Children, Adolescents & Social Media (with Dr Jennifer Wills Lamacq) 48:48

4M ago48:48

48:48

In today's episode Carolina and Clara are joined by Dr Jennifer Wills Lamacq to discuss how adolescents and children are socialised, affected by social media, and how governmental policies affect the landscape of children's social development. This episode was inspired by the Netflix series "Adolescents" which brought to light crucial issues to be …

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98. Ontology of Cognition- How Should We Define How We Think and Function? 36:04

5M ago36:04

36:04

In this episode, Carolina and Clara dive into the question of cognitive ontology. From philosophers like Plato, to psychologists like Thomas Reid, and phrenologists like Franz Gall, many have set out to define how we think and how we should categorise the functions that make up human cognition. While some functions such as sensory processing or mem…

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97. Geometric Collective Decision Making (with Professor Ian Couzin) 40:23

5M ago40:23

40:23

In today's episode Clara and Carolina are joined by Professor Ian Couzin who is the Director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and a Professor and Director (Speaker) of the German Research Foundation (DFG) Excellence Cluster. His work aims to reveal the principles that underlie evolved collective behavior, using a wide range of biologi…

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96. Tools for Looking into the Brain: How to Make the Most of Your Postdoc (with Dr Ana Dorrego-Rivas) 41:25

6M ago41:25

41:25

This week we bring to you another episode of Tools for Looking into the Brain, our mini series in collaboration with Scientifica, where we discuss all sorts of neuroscience methods and the reality of academia. In this episode we are joined by Dr Ana Dorrego-Rivas, a neuroscientist and postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Developmental Neurobio…

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95. Auto-Immune Disorders: Causes & Treatments 34:47

6M ago34:47

34:47

In today's episode we delve into auto-immune disorders. What are they and how can they be treated? We also discuss why auto-immune disorders are so much more prevalent in women than men, with 80% of cases affecting women, and how lifestyle factors can trigger their onset. We also cover some of the amazing new research carried out to treat the dysre…

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94. Tools for Looking into the Brain: Happily Ever After- You Finally Landed a PI Job, Now What? (with Dr Elisa Galliano) 1:03:19

7M ago1:03:19

1:03:19

In this newest episode of our Tools for Looking into the Brain series, we are joined by Dr Elisa Galliano, a neuroscientist, lecturer, and principal investigator at the University of Cambridge, to discuss the process of starting your own lab, with all of its trials and tribulations. We talk about how Elisa landed a PI position, how she managed to s…

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93. Antibiotic Resistance 31:27

7M ago31:27

31:27

In today's episode Carolina and Clara discuss antibiotic resistance, the danger it poses, how it happens and the new therapies being researched to overcome antibiotic resistance! Today’s episode was made possible thanks to the support of the Biochemical Society public engagement fund. We would like to thank the Biochemical Society for the generous …

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92. Why We Love (Neuroverse Anniversary & Valentine's Special Episode) 39:05

7M ago39:05

39:05

To celebrate 3 years since our first Neuroverse episode aired, we are talking about one of the most fascinating and mysterious topics- Love! Join us as we delve into the roots of human love, discuss why love evolved, what its purpose is, and how the development of both our brains and our social systems are intricately connected to the way we love. …

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91. Philosophy of Smell 42:49

8M ago42:49

42:49

In today's episode, Carolina & Clara dive into the philosophy of smell/olfaction. The olfactory system and smell experience is unique to other sensory systems in many ways, including being primarily chemical, much more intimate and absorptive, and arguably the least conscious. Can we reduce smells to chemical odours? How does language limit our per…

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90. 2024 Reviewed (Off the Record) 52:22

9M ago52:22

52:22

Enjoy our last episode of 2024! Carolina and Clara chat and reminisce about their favourite episodes from the past year, the most enlightening and exciting moments on the podcast, and their hopes for 2025. --- We hope you enjoy the episode! Please feel free to share with your friends and family, it means a lot to us🤍 Neuroverse Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

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SWC Panel Discussion: Will Computational Models & Machine Learning Ever Be Able to Capture the Full Complexity of the Brain? 1:26:20

9M ago1:26:20

1:26:20

In this exciting event that took place at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre on October 22nd 2024, Carolina and Clara were joined by invited panelists- Jai Bhagat, Aaditya Singh, Clémentine Dominé, and Pierre Glaser- to discuss the fascinating question of whether computational models and machine learning will ever be able to replicate the full complexit…

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89. Tools for Looking into the Brain: Gaining Independence and the Importance of Mentorship in Academia (with Ashlan Reid & Mari Sosa) 33:08

10M ago33:08

33:08

Today's episode is the second part of our two-part conversation with Ashlan Reid and Mari Sosa, two neuroscience postdoctoral fellows, who share their experiences finding and fostering community within academia. In this episode, they share their experiences being part of an international community of life science early career researchers, through a…

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88. Tools for Looking into the Brain: Roads to Research and Overcoming Challenges in Science (with Ashlan Reid & Mari Sosa) 35:39

10M ago35:39

35:39

In this episode, Carolina and Clara are joined by two postdoctoral fellows to discuss their research journeys, from undergraduate to postdoctoral experiences. They discuss the challenges they have faced, and share advice on how to stay motivated and inquisitive in academia in the face of technical or personal hurdles. Ashlan Reid is currently a pos…

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87. From Letters to Physical Blobs: Visualising and Studying RNA, the Ultimate Mediator of Life (with Saron Tekie) 42:27

11M ago42:27

42:27

Carolina and Clara discuss with Saron RNA, how to study it, visualise it and how it is the ultimate mediator of life. Saron Tekie carried out her a Bsc in biomedical sciences at the University of Birmingham followed by a Msc in Cancer and Molecular Biology. Saron is now carrying out a PhD in evolutionary genetics in UCL in Gemma Murry lab. Saron al…

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86. Laugh and the World Laughs With You: The Science of Laughter in Humans and Other Animals (with Professor Sophie Scott) 40:16

11M ago40:16

40:16

In today's episode, we are joined by Sophie Scott, a professor in cognitive neuroscience and head of the speech communications group at University College London. Her research focuses on the neural basis of vocal communication- how our brains process information in speech and control the production of our voice- as well as the expression of emotion…

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The Gow School: Specializing in Teaching Students with Language Based Learning Differences 35:43

11M ago35:43

35:43

Send me a Text Message about the show! In this episode of Neuroversity, Jessica Kidwell speaks with John Munro, head of the Gow School, a pioneering institution for students with language-based learning differences. They discuss the school's history, mission, and unique curriculum designed to support dyslexic learners. Munro shares insights on the …

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85. Mice Playing Poker: Probing the Neural Circuit Mechanism of Economic Decision Making in Mice (With Dr Ann Duan) 1:13:27

11M ago1:13:27

1:13:27

Join Carolina and Clara in today’s episode where we discuss economic decision-making in mice with Dr Ann Duan, a group leader in the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre. The goal of Ann’s lab is to understand how animals make flexible decisions under risk, social influence, and the neural circuit mechanisms underlying these choices. Today’s episode was made …

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Embracing Big Emotions: A Conversation with Children's Author Meredith Rusu 35:55

12M ago35:55

35:55

Send me a Text Message about the show! This week Jessica welcomes Meredith Rusu, the award-winning author of the Mighty Moods picture book series, which explores the ways children use larger-than-life creatures to express their big feelings. Meredith's latest book, "There's a Robot in My Socks," follows a young girl named Jamie as she navigates cha…

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84. Deep Mutational Scanning and How to Investigate Protein Behaviour (with Isabelle Zane) 46:04

12M ago46:04

46:04

In this week's episode we are joined by Isabelle Zane, a PhD student at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge who is investigating the link between genetic mutations and protein function in the Lehner & Parts labs. We discuss a novel technology- deep mutational scanning- which is used to screen how single gene mutations influence the structure…

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Late-Life ADHD Diagnosis with Liz Schroeder 45:48

1y ago45:48

45:48

Send me a Text Message about the show! "There's a lot of open tabs in my brain. It's like a pinball going in every direction." -Liz Schroeder Join Jessica Kidwell on this heartfelt episode of Neuroversity as she chats with her good friend and neighbor, Liz Schroeder. Liz opens up about her journey from recognizing her daughter's ADHD to discovering…

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83. Transcriptomics to Translation (with Inga Van den Bossche) 43:07

1y ago43:07

43:07

Join Carolina and Clara in today's episode on transcriptomics to translation with Inga Van den Bossche. Inga carried out her undergrad and masters degree in materials science and engineering at Imperial college London and is now a doctoral student since 2022 in Professor Molly Stevens lab at Oxford, researching cellular interfaces and innovative bi…

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Late Diagnosis and Musical Mastery with Audio/Visual Artist Szopa 28:30

1y ago28:30

28:30

Send me a Text Message about the show! Join Jessica Kidwell on Neuroversity as she chats with Damian Malecki, an audio-visual artist from Sheffield, UK, known as Szopa. Damian talks about his late autism diagnosis after moving to the UK in 2017 and how it's shaped his life and music. He shares his journey from Poland, the impact of hyperfocus, his …

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[Summer Rerelease] Biomimetics and Bioinspired Materials 29:40

1y ago29:40

29:40

Welcome to our special summer rerelease series! Carolina and Clara take a trip down memory lane with a special series dedicated to their older episodes, including ones you may have missed! In today’s episode Carolina and Clara discuss biomimetic and bioinspired materials, and the challenges of understanding the biological structure of natural mater…

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82. Using Protein Engineering to Tackle Non-Biodegradable Materials (with Ryen O’Meara) 34:45

1y ago34:45

34:45

In today's episode we are joined by Ryen O’Meara, a Chemical Engineer graduate student in Caltech. Ryen joined Nobel Laureate Francis Arnold's lab with the aim to engineer enzymes that degrade emerging environmental contaminants, and merge sustainability and protein engineering. We discuss with Ryen the environmentally concerning Silicon-Carbon bon…

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[Summer Rerelease] Mycelium 20:47

1y ago20:47

20:47

Welcome to our special summer rerelease series! Carolina and Clara take a trip down memory lane with a special series dedicated to their older episodes, including ones you may have missed! In this episode, we discussed the fascinating world of fungi, and in particular, mycelium or mycorrhizal networks- a form of fungi that have an incredible capaci…

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81. Tools for Looking Into the Brain: Squiggly Lines, An Insight into Learning & Memory (with Dr. Sam Cooke) 1:13:51

1y ago1:13:51

1:13:51

In today's episode, we are joined by Dr. Sam Cooke, a group leader and senior lecturer at King's College London who researches the mechanisms that underlie learning and memory in the brain. We discuss his research journey that led him to become fascinated in the processes of learning and memory, as well as the tools he uses to record neural activit…

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[Summer Rerelease] Oxygen - Friend or Foe: a Debate 23:50

1y ago23:50

23:50

Welcome to our special summer rerelease series! Carolina and Clara take a trip down memory lane with a special series dedicated to their older episodes, including ones you may have missed! Today we are reviving the oxygen debate - is oxygen a friend or foe? Was it truly evolutionarily advantageous for us to learn to respire using oxygen or should a…

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ESCAPE THE SHIP OF ROT! 19:24

1y ago19:24

19:24

SUPPORT THE SHOW patreon.com/colinhoult SEE COLIN LIVE iamcolinhoult.com FOLLOW US Tweet: @colinhoult Insta1: @neuroversepod Insta2: @colinhoultcomedy Web: iamcolinhoult.com BOOK ME [email protected] for acting and comedy work [email protected] for smaller gigs, podcasts, requests MESSAGE ME I am hoping to grow a little Neurodiver…

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80. BCI Breakthroughs: The Therapeutic Progress of Brain Computer Interfaces 34:57

1+ y ago34:57

34:57

In today's episode Carolina and Clara discuss the latest research on brain computer interfaces (BCI), and how they aid patients with motor related deficits such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), paralysis, and locked-in syndrome. Different types of BCI vary in how invasive they are and the different sorts of motor functions they can aid, from…

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THE MASSIVE BIRDS OF CALM 24:07

1+ y ago24:07

24:07

More Neurodiverse Diary Entries from way back in May! Colin Hoult, neurodiver, prepares for a big potentially life changing read through and then gets stuck up a hill and remembers the importance of listening to the birds. Its fun! Honest! SUPPORT THE SHOW patreon.com/colinhoult SEE COLIN LIVE iamcolinhoult.com FOLLOW US Tweet: @colinhoult Insta1: …

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79. The Evolution of Self-Medication, and What Chimpanzees Know (with Dr. Elodie Freymann) 1:10:52

1+ y ago1:10:52

1:10:52

This week we are joined by Elodie Freymann, an evolutionary anthropologist, primatologist, artist and storyteller to discuss the evolution of self-medication. Elodie recently completed a PhD in evolutionary anthropology at the University of Oxford, and shares with us her work studying self-medication in chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest in Uganda. …

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Season Three Finale 5:55

1+ y ago5:55

5:55

Send me a Text Message about the show! Season three has come to a close for Neuroversity. What were some of the highlights from this season and what is coming up in season four? Let's find out.... Do you have some ideas about what comes next? Email me at [email protected] Follow Neuroversity on all our social platforms: Neuroversity Website…

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78. Ways to Interrogate Synaptic Function (with Dr Rachel Jackson) 36:11

1+ y ago36:11

36:11

In today's episode Carolina and Clara are joined by Dr Rachel Jackson to discuss different techniques to interrogate synaptic function. Neurotransmitter release is a crucial function of the neuron that enables the transfer of information in the brain. When this gets disrupted pathologies can arise, such as in neurodegenerative disorders. We discuss…

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A BENCH IN BANGOR 33:53

1+ y ago33:53

33:53

During a mini comedy tour of Wales, Colin is dismayed by how we treat our future geniuses but uplifted by a thoughtfully placed bench. The Neurodiverse search for the Golden Thread continues! SUPPORT THE SHOW patreon.com/colinhoult SEE COLIN LIVE iamcolinhoult.com FOLLOW US Tweet: @colinhoult Insta1: @neuroversepod Insta2: @colinhoultcomedy Web: ia…

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DIONYSIUS' RIVER OF PISS 20:32

1+ y ago20:32

20:32

Colin continues his journey into the Neuroverse. He's following the golden thread until oh dear he falls foul of the odd drink. SUPPORT THE SHOW patreon.com/colinhoult FOLLOW US Tweet: @colinhoult Insta1: @neuroversepod Insta2: @colinhoultcomedy Web: iamcolinhoult.com BOOK ME [email protected] for acting and comedy work colinhoultcomedy@gm…

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77. Dynamics of Strategy Learning of Deep Neural Networks (with Aaditya Singh) 59:36

1+ y ago59:36

59:36

In today's episode Carolina & Clara discuss the dynamics of strategy-learning of deep neural networks with Aaditya Singh. Aditya is carrying out a PhD on “Learning dynamics of various strategies and circuits in deep neural networks” in Prof. Andrew Saxe’s and Dr Felix Hill at UCL in the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit. Aaditya completed his …

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NVLD 101 with Dr. Jessica Broitman and Dr. John Davis 26:14

1+ y ago26:14

26:14

Send me a Text Message about the show! After first learning about non verbal learning disorder (NVLD) during my episode on specific learning disorders (SLDs) I wanted to know more. I kept finding myself having a hard time distinguishing between autism and NVLD. So I knew I needed to bring on some experts. The same names kept coming up over and over…

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LOOKING FOR MY ARGONAUTS with Tom Greaves 44:02

1+ y ago44:02

44:02

This week Colin continues to follow the Golden Thread out of the Darkness as he talks about an unlikely night of friendship in Greece and a moment of shame as a boy that still bothers him. You may be able to relate. Then he calls up his friend Tom quite literally! SUPPORT THE SHOW patreon.com/colinhoult FOLLOW US Tweet: @colinhoult Insta1: @neurove…

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THE GOLDEN THREAD: Bluey and Hangry Wolves with Paul F Taylor 51:40

1+ y ago51:40

51:40

Welcome back to Into the Neuroverse! Colin Hoult, comedian and such, neurodiverse fellow invites you to join him on a journey into his mind and maybe yours as he returns with the latest series, The Golden Thread. When things get too heavy and overwhelming and you're lost in the labyrinth of the world you struggle to connect with - what are the gold…

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76. Interoception 34:21

1+ y ago34:21

34:21

In today's episode, Carolina & Clara discuss the neuroscience and psychology behind interoception, the process that guides our sense of self and is often termed our "sixth sense". How does our perception of our internal bodily states drive our emotions and cognitive state? We discuss the place for interoception in our sense of being. We also discus…

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Synesthesia and the Color of Sound with Emily Barth Isler 39:15

1+ y ago39:15

39:15

Send me a Text Message about the show! Synesthesia is when your brain routes sensory information through multiple unrelated senses, causing you to experience more than one sense simultaneously. Some examples include tasting words or linking colors to numbers and letters. It’s not a medical condition, and not something to be cured, therefore it fall…

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75. Tools for Looking into the Brain: Reading and Writing Patterns in the Brain (with Dr. Adil Khan) 57:32

1+ y ago57:32

57:32

For our third episode in our "Tools for Looking into the Brain" series, we are joined by Dr. Adil Khan, a neuroscientist and group leader at King's College London, to explore reading and writing patterns into the brain. We discuss the principles of two major tools used to examine and manipulate neural activity, namely two-photon microscopy and opto…