Cortex Connections

Welcome to “Cortex Connections,” where we dive into the hidden mechanics of the mind and the science shaping our everyday lives. This season, we unravel the psychology behind our digital addictions, the neuroscience of flow state, and the remarkable ways our brains absorb language, music, and more. From the impact of nicotine and caffeine on developing minds to the mental health toll of doomscrolling, each episode brings you closer to understanding why we think, learn, and behave the way we do. Join us as students take on the biggest mysteries of the mind and uncover practical insights you can use to understand yourself—and improve your life. Introduction: [0:00 - 0:13] David Bai, Thea Zang, Jazmine Ortega and Anibal Segovia: Is Brain Rot actually rotting your brain? [0:13 - 4:53] Musical interlude Kevin Yan, Avril Callanan, Paulina Carbonell and Amir Mason: Getting in the Zone: The Science behind Flow State [4:58 - 9:55] Musical interlude Emanuela Adeyemi, Nadia Mujaddidi, Reena Hsieh and Julian Jimenez- Padro: Inhale the facts: Why nicotine keeps you coming back [10:00 - 15:02] Musical interlude Daisy Wu, Olivia Alby, and Joshua Abrams: The Soundtrack of Memory: How Music shapes the Mind [15:08 - 19:57] Musical interlude Jacob Ryabinky, Huikang Jiang, Lifu Liu, and Mia Gavilanes: The Struggle to Wake up: How Coffee, Energy Drinks, and Risk Shape our Brains and Bodies [20:02 - 24:40] Musical interlude Veronika Kachingwe, Luis Barrenechea, Sophie Green and Timothy Gutsev: Why your toddler could beat you at Spanish: How age shapes language learning [24:46 - 29:45] Musical outro [29:45 - 29:52]