Professor Tony Marson of the University of Liverpool talks to Beth and Sahir about Epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, which are sudden, abnormal electrical activity in the brain. We discuss the types of epilepsy, what are its causes and how it manifests across time, what the current treatments for epilepsy are and what the future of epilepsy research looks like. This episode is part of our ongoing collaboration with the British Neuroscience Associatio...
In the build to the International Festival of Neuroscience being held in Liverpool from the 27th to 30th of April, 2025. We spoke to Dr. Dorothy Tse of Edge Hill University about her incredible research aimed at understanding memory, preventing dementia and promoting healthy ageing. We speak about the Tse Lab's work in understanding how prior knowledge can help in developing new memories and the importance of public input in all their research activities. Episode in collaboration with the Bri...
In this episode of the Smooth Brain Society, Sahir and Amer engage with Dr. Cicilia Larasati Rembulan, Associate Professor from Universitas Ciputra, Indonesia, to discuss her recently published research on subjective well-being. The conversation explores the definitions of well-being, the measurement of happiness, and the role of social comparison and financial well-being in shaping life satisfaction among an Indonesian population sample. Dr. Rembulan shares her findings that social compariso...
Join us in this insightful episode as we dive into the world of emotion regulation and attentional deployment with Dr. Daniel Rojas Líbano of Universidad Diego Portales. Santiago, Chile. Discover how shifting focus can influence emotional responses and explore the implications of these findings in real-world applications. Perfect for psychology enthusiasts and anyone curious about the science behind our emotions. Don't miss out on this engaging conversation! Read the entire research pap...
For the very first episode of our collaboration with Europe's Journal of Psychology, Rachael Loxton joins to discuss her research paper titled “Liberty Can Be for You One Thing, and for Me Something Different”: Muslim Women's Experiences of Identity and Belonging in Switzerland. This paper investigates how these concepts are experienced by Muslim women in Switzerland, a minority group targeted in the political campaign nicknamed the “burka ban.” We go through the key research questions, back...
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are common amongst those coming close to death and profoundly impact how they make sense of the world. Dr. Alex Fry of the University of Bournemouth draws on interviews with atheists who have had a NDE to explore whether death anxiety motivates attempts to make sense of the world and the extent to which the dominant belief systems in the UK shape their attempts to do so. Support the show Support us and reach out! https://smoothbrainsociety.com https://www.patreon...
Dr. Hugh Turpin of Oxford University joins Feryl and Sahir on the podcast to share his work on the decline of Catholicism in Ireland and the factors which have led to it. We also cover his current research with the Explaining Atheism project about understanding how Ireland, Northern Ireland and Poland, 3 regions with strong religious identities have seen steep declines in religious beliefs in recent years. We cover his book "Unholy Catholic Ireland: Religious Hypocrisy, Secular Morality...
Dr. Martin Lang is assistant professor at Masaryk University, Czech Republic. And is the Director of the Laboratory for the Experimental Research of Religion (LEVYNA). He joins us to talk us through how rituals form and the roles they have played in fostering cooperation. We discuss the benefits of rituals in reducing anxiety and his current work on why we are seeing a decline in certain rituals along with the rise of non-theism, particularly in nations with greater existential security. Su...
For the first episode of our Explaining Atheism series, Dr. Sara Rahmani from the School of Social and Cultural Studies at Victoria University of Wellington joins us to talk about her project exploring Māori atheism. It explores the individual, sociocultural and historical processes contributing to Māori deconversion. https://www.explainingatheism.org/research-projects/explaining-mori-atheism-in-aotearoa-new-zealand Support the show Support us and reach out! https://smoothbrainsociety.com ht...
Smooth Brain Society is collaborating with the Explaining Atheism Project to bring you a brand new series focusing on non-religion. Over the course of the series we will have multiple guests from across the world explaining the factors which lead to atheism or non-belief and how religion has changed over time. This introductory episode talks about the program, what its aims are and why such work is even needed? Feryl interviews the core team members Dr. Aiyana Willard and Dr. Conn...
Dr. Jonathan Howard, neurologist and psychiatrist at NYU Langone and chief of the neurology service at Bellevue Hospital, discusses his dual origin stories. The first as a medical professional and his experiences treating multiple sclerosis and other neuro-immune diseases. The second, understanding the dangers of misinformation in medicine, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic which he doccuments across two books "We want them infected" and "Everyone Else is Lying to you". Dr. Howard ref...
Dr. Kate Slade, Lecturer and Researcher at Lancaster University, discusses her research on the intersection of hearing loss, aging, and cognition. She explores how hearing loss affects mental health and wellbeing, particularly in older adults, and the implications of health inequalities on hearing outcomes. The conversation also delves into the impact of COVID-19 on hearing and cognition, as well as common misconceptions about hearing loss and its relationship to cognitive decline. We delve i...
Dive into the fascinating world of pain research with Arnas Tamasauskas, a PhD student at the University of Liverpool. Explore the mysteries of neuropathic pain, genetic quirks which lead to some people feeling no pain, and the use of MRI and interviews in understanding chronic pain and invisible disabilities. Join us for an enlightening conversation on the Smooth Brain Society podcast. Support the show Support us and reach out! https://smoothbrainsociety.com https://www.patreon.com/SmoothBra...
In this fascinating episode we dive into the world of somatosensation with Adarsh Makdani, a researcher at Liverpool John Moores University. Discover the intricacies of mechanosensory receptors, the science behind pain and itch, and the groundbreaking techniques used to study these sensations. Adarsh shares insights into his research journey, the importance of collaboration, and the ethical considerations in experimental pain research. Whether you're a science enthusiast or just curious about...
⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses child sexual exploitation, trafficking, and trauma. What does the law really say about protecting children — and who does it leave behind? 🚨 This week on Smooth Brain Society, Dr. Pantea Javidan of Stanford University joins host Sahir and co-host Sabrina Page (Founder of the Gender Violence Research and Collaboration Network) to expose the hidden history of child trafficking laws, the shocking contradictions in how minors are criminalized, and why ca...
Can autistic adults lie—and detect lies—like everyone else? And what happens when the justice system misreads autism traits as deception? In this episode, we sit down with Tiegan Blackhurst, a doctoral researcher at Lancaster University, to dive into her research on autism and deceptive communication. Tiegan breaks down how autistic adults navigate truth and lies, and how misunderstanding these behaviors in legal settings can lead to serious consequences. 💡 Topics covered: Can autistic people...
What is creativity, really? In this episode of the Smooth Brain Society, we dive deep with Dr. Keith Sawyer—MIT-trained computer scientist, jazz pianist, and leading creativity researcher and Professor in Educational Innovations at the University of North Carolina—to unravel the psychology of creative thinking. From the neuroscience of flow states to the myth of the lone genius, Dr. Sawyer breaks down how creativity happens in the mind, in collaboration, and in the classroom. We explore his m...
In this in-studio episode of Smooth Brain Society, Sahir and Neil are joined by Dr. Kate Messenger as they explore the fascinating world of language acquisition. They discuss why children seem to pick up languages effortlessly, the challenges adults face when learning new languages, and even how bilingual brains store and mix languages. Expect a lively discussion about the theories behind language learning, including the critical period hypothesis and the role of environmental input, along wi...
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Chris Bryant—executive director of Bryant Research and an expert in alternative proteins—to unpack the science, psychology, and politics behind the future of food. From lab-grown meat and plant-based alternatives to the social and environmental challenges of industrial farming, we explore Dr. Bryant's research on how the “protein transition” is reshaping everything from policy to plate. Expect sharp insights, dumpster-diving research methods, and a few sau...
What factors underpin how we treat animals? In this episode, Prof. Dr. Christopher J. Hopwood of the University of Zurich and the Editor-in-Chief of Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations. Talks about his research related to how people perceive, treat, and interact with animals. Join us as we go through some fascinating studies which have been published in his journal and what the future looks like for things like veganism, animal treatment and upcoming food like cultured meat. htt...