Minding The Brain

Jun. 16th, 2026 3:00 PM
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 and Dr. Matt Holahan, a neuroscience professor at Carleton University. We also hear the story of Nina Nesdoly, someone who has personally experienced the potentially life-changing impact of suffering a concussion.

Jun. 24th, 2026 3:00 PM
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 analyzing it for thousands of years, under the name aesthetics, and some of the first studies in scientific psychology were about our perceptions of beauty. Join us on this episode of Minding the Brain to find out about the scientific study of beauty and the field of neuroaesthetics, featuring special guest, Dr. Anjan Chatterjee!

Jun. 30th, 2026 3:00 PM
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 prenatal alcohol exposure? What happens when breastfeeding mothers consume alcohol? Can fetal alcohol syndrome be treated?

Jul. 7th, 2026 3:00 PM
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 have a phone conversation while driving?

Jul. 14th, 2026 3:00 PM
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? What are out-of-body experiences? What is the link between psychedelic drugs and religious experiences?

Jul. 21st, 2026 3:00 PM
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 therapy dogs help rehabilitate prisoners? Which dog breeds make the best therapy animals?

Jul. 28th, 2026 3:00 PM
Jim and Kim take a deep dive into the world of AI and ethics. Are LLMs sentient? Why should we worry about AI rights? Is sentience purely a biological phenomenon? Along the way, Jim and Kim explore topics such as animal rights, moral humility, and how artificial intelligence is portrayed on screen.

Aug. 4th, 2026 3:00 PM
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 interaction? How do collectivist cultures think about the need for solitude?

Aug. 11th, 2026 3:00 PM
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?

Aug. 18th, 2026 3:00 PM
What makes conspiracy theories so appealing? What is the relationship between scientific literacy and the likelihood that someone will believe in conspiracy theories? Does belief in one conspiracy theory predict that someone will believe in more conspiracy theories?

Aug. 24th, 2026 3:00 PM
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 do people tend to get foggy in the afternoon? Why do children and the elderly both tend to favor early mornings?

Sep. 1st, 2026 3:00 PM
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 artificial intelligence? Could artificial intelligences develop power seeking behaviors? What safeguards can be put in place to ensure that AI contributes to human flourishing in the future?

Sep. 8th, 2026 3:00 PM
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 handedness, on this episode of Minding the Brain!

Sep. 15th, 2026 3:00 PM
Jim interviews Carole Hooven, Harvard evolutionary biologist and author of the book T: The Story of Testosterone. Jim and Carole discuss the role of testosterone in physical sex differences, how an evolutionary framework explains sex differences in aggression and much more.

Sep. 22nd, 2026 3:00 PM
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 do people tend to get foggy in the afternoon? Why do children and the elderly both tend to favor early mornings?

Sep. 29th, 2026 3:00 PM
Jim interviews Hollywood composer Joe Kraemer about the psychology of soundtracks. In addition to discussing his own work on films like Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Joe breaks down classic soundtracks for movies like Star Wars, Jaws and Indiana Jones.

Oct. 6th, 2026 3:00 PM
Jim and Kim explore various theories of consciousness. What are the most popular theories of consciousness? What is the quantum theory of consciousness? What evidence has been found to support the various claims about how consciousness works?

Oct. 13th, 2026 3:00 PM
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 help all of us set and achieve our goals.

Oct. 20th, 2026 3:00 PM
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? Join Jim and Kim for an exploration of the psychology of time, on this episode of Minding the Brain!

Oct. 27th, 2026 3:00 PM
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 been passed down by various cultures throughout history. What is it about the appearance of those grey, teardrop headed aliens that people find so compelling?

Nov. 3rd, 2026 3:00 PM
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 and Dr. Matt Holahan, a neuroscience professor at Carleton University. We also hear the story of Nina Nesdoly, someone who has personally experienced the potentially life-changing impact of suffering a concussion.

Nov. 10th, 2026 3:00 PM
Jim and Kim explore various theories of consciousness. What are the most popular theories of consciousness? What is the quantum theory of consciousness? What evidence has been found to support the various claims about how consciousness works?

Nov. 17th, 2026 3:00 PM
What does it feel like to have schizophrenia? What is the history of the schizophrenia diagnosis and are there effective treatments for the condition?

Nov. 24th, 2026 3:00 PM
Are other animals conscious? Why is animal consciousness important to understand? What function does consciousness serve?

Dec. 1st, 2026 3:00 PM
Which regions of the brain process emotions? What is the relationship between substance withdrawal and our natural stress responses? How do hormones influence these responses?

Dec. 8th, 2026 3:00 PM
How does the way we imagine the future impact our lives? What is temporal discounting and how can it sabotage our goals and aspirations? What do Dr. Hellemans and Dr. Davies think about ketchup flavored chips??

Dec. 15th, 2026 3:00 PM
Is marijuana addictive? Is it an effective method for reducing anxiety? What does the legalization of marijuana mean for further research?

Dec. 22nd, 2026 3:00 PM
Does social media make us happy? How does it compare with face-to-face interaction or a phone call? Can we learn to use social media in a way that enriches our lives?

Dec. 29th, 2026 3:00 PM
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 and Dr. Matt Holahan, a neuroscience professor at Carleton University. We also hear the story of Nina Nesdoly, someone who has personally experienced the potentially life-changing impact of suffering a concussion.