Episodes – Brainstorms
Latest Episodes
Episode 15: Impulses, Parents, MRIs, and Language with Dr. Tim Brown
Dr. Tim Brown, neuroscience professor and clinical neuropsychologist of UC San Diego, and I discuss impulse control and life success, the parent's role in adolescent behavior, the future of fMRI in personal medicine, and how language processing changes ov
Episode 14: Boys and Girls
Today on Brainstorms is the long-awaited "brain battle of the sexes." We discuss how men and women differ cognitively, emotionally, and sexually, especially during the adolescent years. How different are we, really?
Episode 13: Stress and Mindfulness with John Rettger, PhD
Today, I speak with Dr. John Rettger about how stress changes the chemicals and structure of the brain, and how the adolescent brain may be especially sensitive to stress. He also talks about mindfulness, and draws on breaking studies to explain how medit
Episode 12: Concussed
This week, we venture into the medical realm to discuss concussions. We explore the causes and effects of concussions, both in the biological and cognitive realms.We also discuss the different sports equipment out there to protect our heads, and how effec
Episode 11: Rethinking Sex-Ed with Susan Stiritz, PhD
Today I speak with Susan Stiritz, professor of sexuality studies and sexual education methods at Washington University in St. Louis. In a world where sex and sexuality are often considered "taboo" subjects, among both parents and peers, Dr. Stiritz sheds
Episode 10: When Instinct Turns Anxious
Anxiety is a broad term used to describe a variety of disorders, and we look into each as it appears in the brain. We discuss how fear and stress are modulated in the healthy brain, and how these systems go awry to produce clinical anxiety. At the end, we
Episode 9: Encounters with Alcohol
In "Encounters with Alcohol," we take alcohol head-on, starting from its chemical properties and working our way through its short and long-term effects on the teenage brain. We explore how alcohol affects memory, cognitive abilities, and even the prevale
Episode 8: Eating Disorder Interview with Dr. Erin Parks
Today, I share with you my first interview of a neuroscientist, Dr. Erin Parks of the UC San Diego Eating Disorder Center. We discuss the range of eating disorders that we see today, as well as their neurobiological, genetic, and psychological roots. We t
Episode 7: Sweet Dreams
Today, we investigate what it is that makes sleep so important to human life, and why teenagers seem to get so little of it. We explore the teenage circadian rhythm, and why high school start times are out of sync with teenage biological realities. We als
Episode 6: A Rainbow Brain
Today, we explore the science behind sexual orientation and gender identity. From gay penguins to finger lengths, we discover what biology has to say about sexuality, orientation, and gender identity in the 21st century.