Naturally Artificial | Bridging the Gap between Minds and Machines

In this podcast episode, I sat down for an in depth conversation with Tim Harford.Tim is an economist, journalist and broadcaster. He is author of “The Next Fifty Things That Made the Modern Economy”, “Messy”, and the million-selling “The Undercover Economist”. Tim is a senior columnist at the Financial Times, and the presenter of Radio 4’s “More or Less”, the iTunes-topping series “Fifty Things That Made the Modern Economy”, and the new podcast “Cautionary Tales”. Tim has spoken at TED, PopTech and the Sydney Opera House. He is an associate member of Nuffield College, Oxford and an honorary fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. Tim was made an OBE for services to improving economic understanding in the New Year honours of 2019.This discussion focuses on Tim's book the "Data Detective/How to Make the World Add Up'' and how we can better utilise behavioural psychology in the search for truth!Show NotesTim's websiteTim's twitter: @TimHarfordOther book mentioned: The Scout Mindset by Julia GalefCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JuniorOkoroafor, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonPodcast Editor: Victoria OkoroaforIn affiliation with Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.uk

In this podcast episode, I sat down for an in depth conversation with Baland Jalal. Baland is a researcher at Harvard University and a Visiting Researcher at Cambridge University. He obtained his PhD at the Cambridge University School of Clinical Medicine. His research focuses on sleep paralysis and OCD. Along with VS Ramachandran, he has proposed a neuroscientific account for why people see ghosts during sleep paralysis. The Telegraph Described him as "one of the world's leading experts on sleep paralysis".The discussion mainly focus on OCD, its causes and its treatment. We also talk about some of Baland's new work on culturally adapting CBT to Muslim groups.Show NotesBaland's paper on treatment of OCD https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cns-spectrums/article/obsessivecompulsive-disordercontamination-fears-features-and-treatment-novel-smartphone-therapies-in-light-of-global-mental-health-and-pandemics-covid19/DC1CE373987394FA0B605D4E2BB6639EObsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI) https://www.div12.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/OCI.pdfCulturally adapted CBT https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29080595/Baland's Socical Media is "Baland Jalal" on all major platformsBaland's Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCumyt6mGLaVO4_N1LkAoXdABrought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JuniorOkoroafor, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

Jesse Bering is a research psychologist and Director of the Centre for Science Communication at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. An award-winning science writer specializing in human behaviour, his first book, The Belief Instinct (2011), was included on the American Library Association’s Top 25 Books of the Year. This was followed by a collection of his previously published essays, Why Is the Penis Shaped Like That? (2012), and Perv (2013), a taboo-breaking work that received widespread critical acclaim and was named as a New York Times Editor’s Choice. His most recent book, Suicidal, will be released in late 2018 (published in the UK as A Very Human Ending). All of his books have been translated into many different languages.In this episode Jesse and I discuss. 1) How Jesse got into studying sexuality ; 2) The psychology of the acquisition of sexual orientations including sexual preferences and 3) The moral considerations of sexual orientations.Show notesLaws, D. R., & Marshall, W. L. (1991). Masturbatory reconditioning with sexual deviates: An evaluative review. Advances in Behaviour Research and Therapy, 13(1), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/0146-6402(91)90012-YHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JuniorOkoroafor, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor 

In this podcast episode, I sit down and have a chat with Wendy Wood on habits.Wendy Wood is the Provost Professor of Psychology and Business at University of Southern California, where she has been a faculty member since 2009. Wood completed her bachelor's degree at University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and her Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Wood's primary research focuses on the effects of habits on behaviour. She is the author of the popular science book, Good Habits, Bad Habits, released in October 2019 The discussion focuses on the science of habit formation and habit continuation. And the applications of habits in making a positive impact in day-day life.Brought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocInstagram: oxfordunipsychsocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JJStyles12, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonSpeaker Co-ordinators: Zoe Popescu, Emily CampPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

 David Wilson is Professor Emeritus of Criminology and founding Director of the Centre for Applied Criminology at Birmingham City University . David completed his PhD at Selwyn College Cambridge in 1983. He is the former Editor of the prestigious Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, a Prior to taking up his academic appointment in September 1997, David was Senior Policy Advisor to the Prison Reform Trust, and between October 1983-April 1997 he worked as a Prison Governor. His current research interests range from the phenomenon of British serial murder, family annihilation, hitmen and lethal violence within organised crime, to all aspects of prison history and penal reform.Brought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocInstagram: oxfordunipsychsocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JJStyles12, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonSpeaker Co-ordinators: Zoe Popescu, Emily CampPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

In this podcast episode, I sat down for an in depth conversation with Scott Barry Kaufman. Scott is a humanistic psychologist and has taught courses on intelligence, creativity, and well-being at Columbia University, NYU, the University of Pennsylvania.  Scott received his M. Phil in Experimental Psychology from the University of Cambridge and later went on to receive his P.H.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Yale University.Scott is the author of Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization. In the book Scott revists and reforms Maslow's hierachy of needs. Scott provides a roadmap for finding purpose and fulfillment–not by striving for money, success, or “happiness,” but by becoming the best version of ourselves, or what Maslow called self-actualization.The discussion focuses on Scott's argument for a his Revised-integrated hierarchy of human needs and the nature of the phenomenon of transcedence.Brought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocInstagram: oxfordunipsychsocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JJStyles12, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonSpeaker Co-ordinators: Zoe Popescu, Emily CampPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

In this podcast episode, I sat down for an in depth conversation with Paul Bloom. Paul is an Canadian American psychologist. He is the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of psychology and cognitive science at Yale University. His research explores how children and adults understand the physical and social world, with special focus on language, morality, religion, fiction, and art.Paul wrote a book Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion in 2016. The book draws on the distinctions between empathy, compassion, and moral decision making. Bloom argues that empathy is not the solution to problems that divide people and is a poor guide for decision making.The discussion focuses on his argument 'Against Empathy'. We talk about the downsides of empathy, when empathy can be used for good and for bad, and the implications on how we should make moral decisions given the limitations of empathy.Brought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocInstagram: oxfordunipsychsocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JJStyles12, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonSpeaker Co-ordinators: Zoe Popescu, Emily CampPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

In this podcast episode, I sat down for an in depth conversation with Gina Rippon. Gina is a British neuroscientist. She is a professor emeritus of cognitive neuroimaging at the Aston Brain Centre, Aston University, Birmingham. In 2019, Rippon published her book, Gendered Brain: The New Neuroscience that Shatters the Myth of the Female Brain, which investigates the role of life experiences and biology in brain development.The discussion mainly explores sex brain differences as well as behavioural differences between the sexes and their possible explanations.Brought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocInstagram: oxfordunipsychsocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JJStyles12, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonSpeaker Co-ordinators: Zoe Popescu, Emily CampPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

In this podcast episode, I sat down for an in depth conversation with Elizabeth Loftus. Elizabeth is a distinguished Professor of Psychological Science, Law, Criminology, Cognitive Science and Law and Society at the University of California, Irvine. She is known for her groundbreaking work on false memories and their application to eyewitness testimonies.  She has consulted or testified as an Expert Witness in over 300 cases, including very high profile cases such as Ted Bundy, O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson, the Mendez Brothers and many more.The discussion mostly focuses on the misinformation effect, false memories and their applicability.Elizabeth Loftus's Ted Talk - https://youtu.be/PB2OegI6wvIElizabeth Loftus's University Website - https://faculty.sites.uci.edu/eloftus/Harrison Pope (1995) -  "Can memories of childhood sexual abuse be repressed?"Brought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocInstagram: oxfordunipsychsocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JJStyles12, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonSpeaker Co-ordinators: Zoe Popescu, Emily CampPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

In this podcast episode, I sat down for an in depth conversation with Stuart Ritchie. Stuart is a lecturer at the Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre at King's College London. He obtained his PhD at the University of Edinburgh. He researches human cognitive abilities with a key interest in in the Psychology of Intelligence.The discussion mainly focuses on Intelligence, including its genetic and environmental causes and some moral philosophy sprinkled on the side.Brought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JJStyles12, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonSpeaker Co-ordinators: Zoe Popescu, Emily CampPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

In this podcast episode I sat down with two Clinical Psychologists Reena Vohora and Rebecca BevisReena is a British Psychological Society Chartered Clinical Psychologist, Academic Tutor at the University of Oxford as well as the Co-Chair Oxford Race Equality Network. Rebecca is also experienced Clinical Psychologist, chartered by the British Psychological Society. And has worked as an academic and research psychologist at the University of Sheffield and Oxford University. And is also a supervisor with the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre.The discussion mainly focuses on how to get into a Career in Clinical Psychology and life as a Clinical Psychologist. As well as the barriers that people of colour and other protected characteristics face, when pursuing career paths in clinical psychology.Brought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JJStyles12, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonSpeaker Co-ordinators: Zoe Popescu, Emily CampPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

In this podcast episode, I sat down for an in depth conversation with Baland Jalal. Baland is a researcher in the department of psychiatry at Cambridge University. He obtained his PhD at the Cambridge University School of Clinical Medicine and was previously a Fellow at Harvard University. His research focuses on sleep paralysis and he recently designed one of the first ever treatments for sleep paralysis called meditation-relaxation therapy. Along with VS Ramachandran, he has proposed a neuroscientific account for why people see ghosts during sleep paralysis. The Telegraph Described him as "one of the world's leading experts on sleep paralysis".The discussion mainly focus on Sleep Paralysis, its causes and its treatment as well as the science of dreaming.Brought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JJStyles12, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonSpeaker Co-ordinators: Zoe Popescu, Emily CampPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

In this podcast episode, I sat down for an in depth conversation with Clinical Psychologist and Youtube Sensation, Kati Morton. Kati holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. Kati is well known for her YouTube channel ‘Kati Morton’ which now has amassed over 950,000 subscribers, and over 74.5 million views.The discussion mainly focuses on life as therapist, eating disorders and debunking mental health myths.Brought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs@ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JJStyles12, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonSpeaker Co-ordinators: Zoe Popescu, Emily CampPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

Richard is a professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sheffield. Richard earned his bachelors and P.H.D. from Bangor University. He has edited and written several books, most notably Madness Explained, which was the winner of the British Psychological Society Book Award in 2004. His research today focuses on Psychiatric classification. As well as elements of Psychosis in conditions of ‘schizophrenia’ and ‘bipolar disorder’, including a focus on the mechanisms involved in hallucinations and delusions. He also has a keen interest in social determinants of mental illness as well as psychiatric treatment. In this episode, Richard and I's discussion, focuses on mental health disorder classifications, namely how diagnosis have progressed and what changes are needed in our current classification system.Brought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocInstagram: oxfordunipsychsocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JJStyles12, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonSpeaker Co-ordinators: Zoe Popescu, Emily CampPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

Brian is a professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. He is also the co-Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Open Science as well as the co-Founder of Project Implicit. Brian received his bachelor’s from California Polytechnic State University in 1995, and earned two masters degrees and his P.H.D. from Yale University, completing his P.H.D. in 2002. Brian is very interested in implicit cognition (thoughts and feelings we are unaware of) and he has also worked in the Reproducibility Project, which aimed to solve the reproducibility crisis in social psychology.Brought to you by Oxford University Psychology SocietyFacebook: @Oxford University Psychology Society,Twitter: @OxfordPsychSocInstagram: oxfordunipsychsocEmail: psychology.society@studentclubs.ox.ac.ukCreditsHost: Junior Okoroafor, Twitter: @JJStyles12, Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/junior-okoroafor-4b8069193/Art Work: Charlotte MasonSpeaker Co-ordinators: Zoe Popescu, Emily CampPodcast Editor: Victoria Okoroafor

A brief introduction to Project Psychology, including the aims for launching the podcast and the podcast's format.