Dr. Pamela Gay, host of the popular Astronomy Cast was interviewed for the latest episode of Brains Matter. In this interview Dr. Gay discusses the recent discovery that our Milky Way has only two arms instead of four. I recommend this episode to everyone who enjoyed Pam’s interview in Episode 14 of Books and Ideas and to all the fans of the Astronomy Cast.

Listen to Dr. Gay’s Interview

Brains Matter is part of SCIENCEPODCASTERS.ORG. We recently moved our website, so be sure to update your book marks.

Eugenie Scott, the Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, was interviewed in Episode 21 of Books and Ideas. The focus of our conversation was the importance of teaching evolution in the public schools. Dr. Scott and the NCSE have worked for over 20 years to promote the teaching of evolution because it is an essential component of a modern education in the life sciences. Unfortunately, nearly 150 years after Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859) many Americans still reject this fundamental idea and much of Scott’s work is focused on trying to keep creationism and so-called Intelligent Design out of school curriculum.

Recently the NCSE launched a very valuable site called Expelled Exposed, which focuses on exposing the many inaccuracies presented in Ben Stein’s recent pro-intelligent design “documentary” Expelled. One of the things that has come out in numerous interviews is that the producers of the film mislead all the pro-evolution guests that appear in the film. We discuss this briefly near the end of the interview, but it was not the focus of our discussion. (see below for more links regarding Expelled)

Since Dr. Scott has been interviewed about Expelled and Expelled Exposed on several other podcasts, I wanted to focus our interview more on the importance of accurate science education. Also, we discussed the fact that despite the claims of right-wing fundamentalists there are many Christians and people of other faiths who accept the theory of evolution as scientifically valid. Accepting evolution does not mean one is choosing atheism. I think this is a very important distinction because while atheists are outspoken in their support of evolution they represent a small minority. I was encouraged to learn from Dr. Scott that the NCSE is working closely with religious leaders and scientists of faith to try to educate their members.

Since Books and Ideas reaches an international audience I thought that it was important that we discuss the origins of the evolution versus creationism controversy, which is unique to the United States. Scott does an excellent job of explaining how our unique religious heritage along with our locally controlled school systems combine to create a situation that most of the world find’s rather mystifying. Her book Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction also provides an excellent overview of the subject from both an historical and scientific prospective.

Finally, we talk about the importance of evolution as a basic idea in modern biology. While we didn’t dwell on this, I think we are both concerned about the implications for the future if a majority of young Americans are reaching college without a solid foundation in the principles of evolution. We also talked about why intelligent design fails to meet the basic definition of a scientific theory since it provides no testable hypotheses. Dr. Scott also provides a excellent review of the basic writings for those who want to learn more.

Listen to Dr. Scott’s Interview

Links and References:

• Eugenie Scott
• National Center For Science Education website
• Expelled Exposed: everything you need to know include the truth behind each claim.
• Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction by Eugenie C. Scott: provides writings from both sides

Other Books mentioned by Dr. Scott:

• Of Pandas and People: The Central Question of Biological Origins by Percival Davis and Dean H. Kenyon : the 1989 textbook that introduced the term “intelligent design”
• Darwin on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson, 1991.
• Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution by Michael J. Behe
• The Design Inference: Eliminating Chance through Small Probabilities by William A. Dembski
• Behe MJ, Snoke DW. 2004. Simulating evolution by gene duplication of protein features that require multiple amino acid residues. Protein Science 10:2651-64.

Responses to Expelled Exposed by Christians

• Reasons to Believe: old-earth creationists whose site says “The mission of Reasons To Believe is to show that science and faith are, and always will be, allies, not enemies.” Link to their commentary
• American Scientific Affiliation: this respected evangelical group provides a 30 page analysis on their website. They also have lots of links to other discussions of Expelled.

Listen to Dr. Scott’s Interview

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Episode 20 of Books and Ideas is an interview with forensic psychologist Delany Dean, PhD. Dr. Dean began her career as a criminal lawyer but his interest in the mind and the brain lead her to a second career as a clinical psychologist. Besides forensic psyschology she has extensive experience with therapies based on the use of mindfulness meditation. In this interview, Dr. Campbell and Dr. Dean share there personal experiences with meditation, and Dr. Dean explains why she feels mindfulness meditation provides a extremely valuable tool for helping people deal with a wide range of problems, including the stress that we all face from time to time. They also give practical advise for listeners interested in beginning a mindfulness practice.

Listen to Delany Dean’s Interview.

Links and References:

Mind Expressions: Delany’s Dean’s blog

Teachers and Scientists mentioned in the interview:

• Jon Kabat-Zinn: pioneer in secular use of mindfulness meditation
• Marsha Linehan: another pioneer in the therapeutic use of meditation
• Sharon Salzberg: cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society
• Jeffery Schwarz, MD: pioneered the use of mindfulness in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He wrote The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force with Sharon Begley
• Gil Fronsdal: respected teacher and director of the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood, CA

Books and Other Resources for Beginners:

• Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante H. Gunaratana-one of Dr. Campbell’s favorites
• Insight Meditation: A Step-By-Step Course on How to Meditate by Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein
• Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-zinn
• For more books and videos go to Delany Dean’s private practice site.

• Insight Meditation Society-learn more about Vipassana
• Spirit Rock- this is where Dr. Campbell did the retreat she mentions in the podcast

You can find more references at the Brain Science Podcast Discussion Forum where there is on-going thread devoted to meditation and the Brain. There is also a section for discussing episodes of Books and Ideas.

Listen to Episode 20

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I have been meaning to recommend the excellent website Expelled Exposed, which documents all the lies and misleading statements in Ben’s Stein’s creationist “documentary,” Expelled. A central claim is that professors who believe in intelligent design are being persecuted, a claim that is totally unfounded. Expelled Exposed was created by the National Center for Science Education. You can hear an excellent interview with Director Eugenie Scott on the April 9th episode of Science Talk, Scientific American’s podcast.

One of the claims that is popular with ID proponents is the idea that the eye is too complex to have been the product of evolution. Actually, as was pointed in David Bainbridge’s excellent book, Beyond the Zonules of Zinn: A Fantastic Journey Through Your Brain, nothing could be further from the truth, because there is evidence that eyes have actually evolved a surprising number of times. (For more on Bainbridge’s book listen to Episode 32 of the Brain Science Podcast.)

To learn more about the evidence for the evolution of the eye check out this new video which NCSE has posted on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOtP7HEuDYA

I have mentioned Nancy Yanes Hoffman’s Writing Doctor’s Blog several times in the past. She has graciously allowed me to quote from her recent review of WHEN DOCTORS BECOME PATIENTS by Robert Klitzman.

When Harcourt bought CHANGE OF HEART: The Bypass Experience, my book interviewing 1100 veterans of coronary bypass surgery, I was elated. Flush with my success, I tried to convince them to publish my next book interviewing 100 doctors who were veterans of coronary bypass surgery.

“Nobody will be interested,” retorted the editor. But he was wrong.

Robert Klitzman’s important new book, WHEN DOCTORS BECOME PATIENTS, proved just how wrong one editor can be.

Klitzman interviewed 70 physicians, male and female, young and old—from 25 to 87, all victimized by a variety of chronic and acute diseases including lymphoma, breast cancer, skin cancer, Huntington’s disease, heart attacks, depression, bipolar distress, and an overly high incidence of HIV.

Whatever their illnesses were, disease was isolating. Even though their different illnesses mandated a variety of diagnoses, treatment, responses, and coping mechanisms, many sick doctors felt left on their doorsteps by calloused and unsympathetic colleagues. Since 34 percent of doctors in Klitzman’s study were HIV positive or suffered from frank AIDs, most opted for secrecy. But the four women physicians killed by metastatic cancer within a year after Klitzman finished his book also faced “peripheralization and discrimination.” One physician reporting that her colleagues “treated me as if I were dead.”

Even if these doctor-patients wanted to talk to their physicians, communicating with physicians was a tough ball game. Here, the doctor who is sick confronts the same barriers as the non-doctor who wants to communicate with his or her physician. (Read the rest.)

Actually the obstacles between physician-patients and their physicians are more difficult than one might imagine. In my own personal experience I have found that it is actually better when my physician forgets I am a doctor (which seems to be surprisingly easy for male docs taking care of female collegues!).

Read the rest of Hoffman’s Review Now.

Be sure to leave her a comment so that she will know you heard about her blog here.

Dan Ariely is a professor of behavioral economics at MIT and author of the bestseller, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions. He was my guest for episode 19 of Books and Ideas. During the interview he explains how his came to study human behavior. He uses examples from his book to explore the question “What makes a good experiment?” He also discusses how he hope that his findings can help strengthen our society despite our human tendency to make “irrational” choices.

Listen to Episode 19 Now.

Links:

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

Dan Ariely

• Faculty page at MIT
• Predictably Irrational blog

Listen to Books and Ideas Episode 19

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If you love horror with lots of gore and violence, Scott Sigler’s book Infected: A Novel will be worth checking out. It has been available as a free podcast for some time, but today mark’s its hard cover debut. I am joining the podcasting community in buying my copy today (which I intend to send to a niece). The goal is to make publishers aware that podcasting fiction helps sell books because people are happy to buy the books of author’s they enjoy.

I have listed Infected in the Books and Ideas aStore on Amazon.com, which means if you buy via this link you help both Scott Sigler and me. (Of course, he makes more!) [Note: that this book is intended for mature readers.]

Go to http://scottsigler.com  or http://podiobooks.com/title/infected to learn more.

Alan Saunders of The Philosopher’s Zone

One of my favorite podcasts is an Australian Radio show called The Philosopher’s Zone, but I have to admit that I was surprised to discover that host Alan Saunders shares my passion for the work of Joss Whedon, especially Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The March 29 episode is a discussion of the philosophical aspects of the BuffyVerse with James B. South who edited Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy: Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale (2003). The episode is called “Buffy the Concept Slayer,” which is kind of a lame title, but it is still something Buffy fans will enjoy. However, it is not an episode someone new to the show will find very enlightening.

Back in Episode 12 I reviewed the first edition of The Myth of Free Will: Revised & Expanded Edition (200 by Cris Evatt. I am proud to announce that I have a short chapter in the revised edition “My Brain Made Me Do It.” This essay is a reflection on the implications of the recent findings of neuroscience that indicate that a large amount of our brain’s decision-making occurs outside our conscious awareness. Even so I argue that the concept of personal responsibility should not be abandoned because our frontal lobes do have the ability to overrule many reflex decisions. I also consider the implications of neuroplasticity.

You can find this book in the Books and Ideas aStore within Amazon.com.

Tabitha Grace Smith

Episode 18 of Books and Ideas is an interview with writer and podcaster Tabitha Grace Smith. Tabitha is the creator of Buffy Between the Lines, an award-winning podcast set in the universe of my favorite TV show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She is also a writer and works on several other podcasts. In her interview we talk about writing, podcasting, and why we love the work of Joss Whedon.

Included in this episode is the Valentine episode of Buffy Between the Lines, which is the episode in which I had my voice-acting “debut.”

Listen to Episode 18 Now.

Links:

Tabitha Grace Smith

Buffy Between the Lines

Jane Espenson’s blog: (Jane is one of our favorite TV writers)

Go Ask Malice: A Slayer’s Diary (2006) by Robert Joseph Levy

The Myth of Free Will: Revised & Expanded Edition (200 by Cris Evatt (I have a short chapter in this edition.)

Listen to Episode 18

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