Jim interviews Matt Coleman of Giving Multiplier, a website that provides evidence-based recommendations to help people give to the most effective charities. They discuss the [...]

Kim interviews Dr. Jodi Pawluski about mommy brain and the mental load of motherhood. How is society failing mothers? Is it okay to take anti-depressants [...]

Dr. Kim Hellemans interviews Dr. Pete Kelly about personality disorders. What are personality disorders and what are some common symptoms? What does therapy look like for [...]

Jim talks to Dr. Doug Oman, a scientist and scholar with a special interest in spirituality and health. They discuss the practice of mantra meditation, [...]

Jim and Kim explore the role of cultural evolution in shaping human behavior and survival. What has enabled humans to dominate the globe more successfully [...]

Jim and Kim answer student questions about magic mushrooms, Chat GPT in academia, ice baths, caffeine, the impact of listening to music, self-efficacy and reducing [...]

Jim interviews Gordon Pennycook about the phenomenon of fake news. What types of misinformation tend to spread? What role will generative AI play in the [...]

Kim interviews Orsha Magyar about the emerging field of nutritional neuroscience. How can we combat nutritional pseudoscience on social media? Are there such things as [...]

Kim interviews Dr. Robert Coplan about aloneliness and the value of solitude. What are the benefits of solitude? How should we balance solitude and social [...]

Jim interviews Darren McKee, author of Uncontrollable: The Threat of Artificial Superintelligence and the Race to Save the World. What are the long-term dangers of [...]

Jim interviews Kim about the topic of eating disorders. They discuss clinical and behavioral symptoms of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and the [...]

Jim interviews Hollywood composer Joe Kraemer about the psychology of soundtracks. Joe is responsible for the music in films such as The Way of the [...]

Jim interviews Johanna Peetz about money and spending. Why does money cause so many problems in relationships? What does the research say about how best [...]

How are false memories created? Do children believe their imaginary friends really exist? Why aren’t we always mistaking our imaginings for reality? Join Jim and [...]

Are other animals conscious? Why is animal consciousness important to understand? What function does consciousness serve? Take a deep dive into the fascinating world of [...]

Kim and Jim discuss the scientific evidence surrounding multitasking. Does multitasking make you more or less efficient? When should you multitask? Is it safe to [...]

What does it feel like to have schizophrenia? What is the history of the schizophrenia diagnosis and are there effective treatments for the condition? Find [...]

In this episode of Minding the Brain, Jim and Kim explore various theories of consciousness. What are the most popular theories of consciousness? What is [...]

Some people are left handed and some people are right handed, why? Join Kim and Jim as they explore the science behind the phenomenon of [...]

Do brain training apps work? Is reading fiction a waste of time? How dangerous is artificial intelligence? Join Kim and Jim for a special Q&A [...]

Why does time seem to pass slowly when you’re a child and more quickly when you’re an adult? How does the brain measure time? What [...]

Why are goals important? Why are we successful in the pursuit of certain goals, but not others? Jim Davies interviews Marina Milyavskaya about how science [...]

Can someone get addicted to video games? Join Kim and Jim as they talk about the science of addiction as applied to video games. Featuring [...]

Do video games increase aggression? Are they addictive? Can video games make you smarter? Jim and Kim discuss the research on video games in this [...]

Why did plants evolve to be caffeinated? When did humans start using caffeine? What are the benefits of caffeine? Can caffeine be dangerous and is [...]

If the universe is teeming with life, and even a fraction of that life is intelligent, where are all the aliens? Join Jim and Kim [...]

Alcohol is, by far, the most commonly used addictive drug, but how much do you really know about it? How does alcohol interact with the [...]

Kim and Jim tell you how to hack your reward system! What is the brain’s reward system and why did it evolve? Is it possible [...]

Kim interviews Dr. Benicio Frey about the future of depression treatment. What is depression and what are the symptoms? How is depression treated? How important [...]

Jim Davies and Darren McKee talk about happiness. What is happiness? What does science say about how people can be happier? Find out the answers [...]

Jim interviews Dr. Richard E. Nisbett about Eastern and Western thinking. What are the differences between Eastern and Western thinking? How do economic differences impact [...]

Kim interviews Michael Hildebrand about the topic of pain. Does everyone experience pain the same way? Why do we experience pain? Is there such a [...]

Kim interviews Jim about the phenomenon of geniuses. Are there as many geniuses born today as there were previously? Are groundbreaking scientific discoveries still being [...]

Jim interviews Carole Hooven, Harvard evolutionary biologist and author of the new book T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us. [...]

Jim interviews Kim about the phenomenon known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Why do searches for “depression” peak in November and February? What kinds of [...]

What is free will? Can humans make conscious decisions? What does the scientific evidence tell us about the existence of free will? Find out on [...]

The idea of brain lateralization has attained a high degree of popularity in culture. People will often refer to themselves as being “right brained” or [...]

Kim interviews Jim about conspiracy theories. What makes conspiracy theories so appealing? What is the relationship between scientific literacy and the likelihood that someone will [...]

Is there a scientific explanation for the alien abduction phenomenon? Is there a link between nocturnal alien visitations and the many similar stories that have [...]

Dr. Jim Davies and Dr. Kim Hellemans interview two experts on the topic of concussions, Andree-Anne Ledoux, a Research Associate at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario [...]

Dr, Jim Davies interviews Dr. Iva Ivanova about the psychology of talking. Do different languages change the way we formulate meaning? What is syntax and how [...]

Dr. Kim Hellemans discuses neurodiversity with Tara Connolly, Patricia Berube and Kait Bowser. What is neurodiversity? Why is it important to recognize neurodiversity in higher education? How [...]

Kim and Jim discuss the science of why we do what we do. How long does it take to form a habit? How is it [...]

Some people perceive colors when they see certain words, letters or numbers, and some people experience geometric shapes as associated with certain tastes. These are [...]

Kim and Jim take a deep dive into the topic of behavioral addiction. What is behavioral addiction? Can you be addicted to food? What about [...]

Kim interviews Jim about dreams. What are dreams and why did we evolve to have them? Are dreams symbolic representations of events in our lives? [...]

Jim interviews Kim about Depression. What exactly is Depression, and how many people have it? What’s the difference between being depressed, and being diagnosed with [...]

Dr. Kim Hellemans interviews Dr. O. Pete Kelly about personality disorders. What are personality disorders and what are some common symptoms? What does therapy look like [...]

Why does stress sometimes make us choke at the most critical moment? Jim interviews cognitive scientist Sian Beilock about this phenomenon and they discuss psychological tools [...]

Kim and Jim discuss how sleep relates to the mind and the brain. Why did sleep evolve? What is the function of dreaming? How do [...]

Kim interviews Jim about imagination and imagines a future podcast all about star nosed moles. Can imagination make us miserable? Does fantasizing about future events [...]

Jim interviews Kim about the important topic of student mental health. What is the impact of substances of like alcohol and marijuana, on mental health? [...]

Jim, Kim and special guest, Florence Daviet, CPAWS’ National Forest Program Director, discuss the important topic of climate change. What is the best way to [...]

Kim and Jim help are here to help you wrap your brain around the Coronavirus. Why are people drawn to Coronavirus conspiracy theories? What is [...]

Dr. Davies interviews Gerald Cupchik about emotions. What do people misunderstand about emotions? How does emotional expression differ between cultures? Do childhood events have ramifications [...]

Kim interviews Jim about imaginary people. Why do people we meet in our dreams seem to have a mind of their own? Why do authors [...]

Dr. Davies interviews Dr. Hellemans about ADHD. What is the difference between ADHD and ADD? How is ADHD diagnosed? Are there risks associated with the [...]

Dr. Hellemans interviews Dr. Davies about hallucinations. What are the neural correlates of hallucinations? How many types of hallucinations are there? What is the difference [...]

Dr. Davies interviews Cheryl Harasymchuk about relationships. What types of people tend to start relationships with each-other? What makes people physically attracted to each-other? Find out [...]

Dr. Hellemans interviews psychologist Matthew Rippeyoung about trauma. What is trauma and how does it impact us? Where does trauma come from and what is [...]

Kim and Jim discuss the apparent phenomenon of morning people and night people. Is there a biological difference between “morning people” and “night people”? Why [...]

Kim and Jim interview Dr. Colleen Dell and Shannon Noonan about their work with therapy dogs. Why do dogs make such good therapy animals? Can [...]

Dr. Davies interviews Gregory Shankland about his experiences with hearing voices in his head. Gregory tells the fascinating story of how he began to hear voices, how [...]

Jim and Kim explore the science of having religious experiences, with the help of special guest Dr. Ann Taves. Why do people have religious experiences? [...]

Kim and Jim dive into the topic of social media and addiction. Can you be addicted to social media? Does using social media too much affect [...]

Kim and Jim discuss the scientific evidence surrounding multitasking. Does multitasking make you more or less efficient? When should you multitask? Is it safe to [...]

Jim and Kim are joined by special guest Audrey McFarlane to discuss the impact of alcohol on the developing brain. What are the effects of [...]

Many people think beauty is something ephemeral, subject to the arbitrary whims of individual taste and cultural trends. But philosophers have been studying beauty and [...]

People love to watch sports. The Superbowl, for example, is incredibly popular. About 111 million people, a third of everyone in the united states, watched [...]

According to the world health organization, obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than 1 billion adults overweight, and at least 300 million of [...]

Is there a scientific explanation for the alien abduction phenomenon? Is there a link between nocturnal alien visitations and the many similar stories that have [...]

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at an event sponsored by Carleton University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The audience [...]

Jim interviews Kim on the topic of exercise. What is the impact of exercise on the brain? Can exercise be used to treat depression? The [...]

What role does estrogen play in the brain? Why do people experience PMS? Is PMS a real phenomenon? For this episode we’ve partnered with the [...]

Welcome to a special bonus episode of Minding the Brain! Follow Dr. Hellemans and Dr. Davies to the Canadian Museum of Nature as they explore [...]

Can cannabis products be used to treat epilepsy? Can ketamine be used to treat depression? For this episode we’ve partnered with the Canadian Museum of [...]

For this episode we’ve partnered with the Canadian Museum of Nature in conjuncture with their special exhibition, Brain: The Inside Story, for an in depth discussions [...]

Kim interviews Jim on the topic of social networks. Does social media make us happy? How does it compare with face-to-face interaction or a phone [...]

Jim interviews Kim on the topic of cannabis. Is cannabis addictive? Is it an effective method for reducing anxiety? What does the legalization of cannabis [...]

Kim interviews Jim about imagining the future. How does the way we imagine the future impact our lives? What is temporal discounting and how can [...]

Jim interviews Kim about the phenomenon of stress. What are the neural correlates of stress? Are there gender differences in levels of stress? What steps [...]