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CogNation

by CogNation Media

CogNation is a podcast by Rolf Nelson and Joe Hardy, two cognitive psychologists interested in the future of brain science and technology. We explore relevant topics in the areas of cognitive science, technology, AI, and philosophy. Although we dabble with dystopian implications of new technologies (such as the impending robopocalypse), we are led by our curiosity and try to keep it light and fun. https://www.facebook.com/CognationPodcast/ email: [email protected]

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Episodes

  1. AI and Consciousness: The Turing Test

    In this first in a series discussing the topic of AI and consciousness, Rolf and Joe discuss the Turing Test, a proposal by Alan Turing in 1950 to address the question of whether computers could think. A recent paper (Jones & Bergen, 2025) has convincing shown several LLMs to be capable of…

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  2. Balazs Szigeti: Unblinding Effects in Psychedelic Research

    For the third time, Joe and Rolf talk to Dr. Balazs Szigeti about psychedelics for the treatment of depression. This time, Balazs discusses his recent paper that shows an equivalence between psychedelics and traditional medications in effectiveness for treating depression. This is surprising…

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  3. Dr. Valerie Bonnelle: The autonomic nervous system and peak experience

    On this episode, Rolf and Joe talk to Dr. Valerie Bonnelle, a cognitive neuroscientist interested in the relation of processes in the body to peak experiences. We discuss her paper showing how heart rate variability and the interplay between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems...

  4. Dr. Bradley Cooke: The National Institutes of Health

    What do the National Institutes of Health (NIH) do, and who works there? Rolf and Joe talk to Dr. Bradley Cooke, who works at the NIH as a Program Director in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases (located within the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and…

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  5. Compass Pathway's Dr. Steve Levine

    Fresh from Psychedelic Science 2025, Dr. Steve Levine, the chief patient officer at Compass Pathways, talks to us about new Phase 3 results for psilocybin in treating depression.

  6. Psychedelic Science 2025

    Joe reports back from the Psychedelic Science conference held recently again in Denver, Colorado. After some discussion about the conference, Joe speaks with Balasz Szigeti (who was on the podcast in 2023) about his recent work on the "Placebo Suppression Effect" in psychedelic research.

  7. Joshua Miele: Connecting Dots

    Joe and Rolf talk to blind activist and friend of the show Josh Miele. Josh, a MacArthur Genuis Award winner and prodigious sushi eater, has just come out with a new autobiographical book called "Connecting Dots: A Blind Life". We talk about his life growing up in Park Slope, his freewheeling...

  8. Expanding our Moral Circle with Philosopher Jeff Sebo

    Rolf and Joe talk to NYU philosopher Jeff Sebo about his new book "The Moral Circle", which makes the case for expanding our circle of who is deserving of ethical consideration to nonhuman animals, insects, plants, and AI systems.

  9. Dreaming (part 3) with Antti Revonsuo

    Rolf and Joe wrap up their 3-part series on dreaming with Finnish neuroscientist and philosopher Antti Revonsuo. Dr. Revonsuo is the originator of the Threat Simulation theory of dreams, which suggests that dreams are simulated worlds in which we may practice threatening situations. Topics…

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  10. Dreams and Anaesthesia: Guest Pilleriin Sikka

    In their second episode in a series on dreaming, Joe and Rolf are joined by Dr. Pilleriin Sikka, a Stanford neuroscientist who is currently studying the therapeutic value of dreams under anesthesia. Hack, L. M., Sikka, P., Zhou, K., Kawai, M., Chow, H. S., & Heifets, B. (2024). Reduction in...

  11. Why do we dream?

    Why do we dream, and what is the meaning of our dreams? Rolf and Joe talk about several ideas about dreaming, including a new theory by David Eagleman called the "defensive activation theory", which proposes that dreams are like a screen saver to keep the visual parts of the brain from being...

  12. Daniel Dennett: A Retrospective

    Daniel Dennett, who passed away on April 19th at the age of 82, was one of the great philosophers of our time. Rolf and Joe discuss his ideas and his influence on the field of philosophy, including (especially) bringing consciousness back as a topic of serious study with his book "Consciousness...

  13. AI and Cognition with Daniel Sternberg

    What can neuroscience teach us about AI, and vice versa, what can AI teach us about our own intelligence? Joe and Rolf talk to returning guest Daniel Sternberg about advances in AI over the past year. Topics include using the methods of cognitive psychology to understand AI; representation in...

  14. Autism with guest Matthew Goodwin

    This episode is dedicated to the memory of colleague and friend Grace Baron. Joe and Rolf talk to Dr. Matthew Goodwin, a professor at Northeastern University whose research focus is on autism. His most recent paper used biosensing (heart rate, skin conductance, etc.) to predict aggressive…

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  15. Donald Hoffman's Case Against Reality

    Joe and Rolf discuss the ideas of perceptual psychologist Donald Hoffman, who has argued that our perceptual systems have no access to reality, since evolution is driven by fitness functions, not objective truth. He has also argued that our perception is a user interface (like a desktop on a...

  16. Episode 53: Beckley Retreats CEO Neil Markey on guided psychedelic retreats

    Neil Markey, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, used meditation for years to deal with depression and PTSD. He is currently CEO of Beckley Retreats, a group that runs retreats to Jamaica and the Netherlands for guided psychedelic experiences. He talks about his path from the military to…

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  17. Episode 52: The IIT controversy with Felipe De Brigard

    We discuss the recent controversy about Integrated Information Theory (IIT), a theory about the neural correlates of consciousness, with Felipe De Brigard, a philosophy and psychology professor at Duke University who signed a letter describing the theory as pseudoscience. The letter:...

  18. Episode 51: Robin Carhart-Harris: The promise of psychedelics

    Joe and Rolf talk to psychedelic researcher Robin Carhart-Harris. Robin is at the cutting edge of research on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics such as psilocybin (magic mushrooms), LSD, and DMT. He discusses psychotherapy and the unconscious mind, models of what psychedelics are doing in...

  19. Episode 50: Neural Interfaces

    Joe and Rolf discuss new work in neural interfaces that is helping paralyzed individuals communicate. Based on the recent Nature article: Metzger, S. L., Littlejohn, K. T., Silva, A. B., Moses, D. A., Seaton, M. P., Wang, R., ... & Chang, E. F. (2023). A high-performance neuroprosthesis for…

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  20. Episode 49: The Self: Bundle and Ego Theories

    Rolf and Joe discuss two philosophical theories of the self, Bundle Theory and Ego Theory, based on a paper by Derek Parfit. They return to the topic of the teletransporter, and although Joe is happy to go through the teletransporter, Rolf is convinced it means certain death. Parfit, D. (2016)....

  21. Episode 48: Psychedelic Science 2023

    In this episode, CogNation goes to the Psychedelic Science conference in Denver to get in on all the excitement. We present four interviews from the conference that represent a range of ideas about the resurgent interest in psychedelics as therapeutics. Bekely Waves The East Institute Balasz...

  22. Episode 47: Street Epistemology with Mark Solomon

    Everyone has a set of beliefs. Increasingly, it seems like we wonder how so many people can hold opposite or contradictory beliefs -- puzzling if we think there's an objective reality. We have a great conversation with Mark Solomon, a clinical psychologist and the host of the Being Reasonable...

  23. Episode 46: Manesh Girn: Psychedelics and Brain Networks

    Manesh Girn talks to us about the effects of psychedelics on the brain, based on his recent paper, "A complex systems perspective on psychedelic brain action". We discuss the current state of psychedelics as therapeutics, and how information theory can model changes in brain states that result…

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  24. Episode 45: Blame and Political Attitudes: Gail Sahar

    We talk with Professor Gail Sahar about her new book, entitled "Blame and Political Attitudes: The Psychology of America's Culture War", where she applies social psychology to understand where and why we assign blame in the political sphere....

  25. Episode 44: Daniel Sternberg: The State of Artificial Intelligence

    We talk to Dr. Daniel Sternberg, head of data at Notion Labs, about how to understand new developments in AI (artificial intelligence) like DALL-E-2 and chatgpt. Topics include the possibility for general intelligence in AI, similarities between human cognition and generative AI models, and the...

  26. Episode 43: Stephanie Preston: Our Attachment to Stuff

    Stephanie Preston (University of Michigan) returns to the show to talk about her latest research. Why do we hoard stuff? And how can we get people to care about the consequences of all that stuff on the environment? Her research has taken her from the strategies that some rats use to hide seeds...

  27. Episode 42: The Science of Sleep with Dr. Aric Prather

    Joe and Rolf talk to Dr. Aric Prather, a clinical psychiatrist at UCSF and author of the new book "The Sleep Prescription: Seven Days to Unlocking Your Best Rest" about why sleep is important, the relationship of stress to sleep, and how to tune your body and environment to get a great night's...

  28. Episode 41: The Marshmallow Test

    Is self-control at age 4 a predictor of lifelong success? Rolf & Joe look at new studies that replicate and extend Mischel's marshmallow experiments, discussing why some kids can wait longer for a bigger treat and what the test itself means. Links: Watts, T. W., Duncan, G. J., & Quan, H. (2018)....

  29. Episode 40: Embodied Cognition

    Our guests, Dr. Sheila Macrine and Dr. Jennifer Fugate, discuss the concept of "embodied cognition" and its implications for the classroom. They argue that traditional cognitive psychology has ignored the fact that the brain is situated in the body, and that learning happens most effectively if…

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  30. Episode 39: Matthew Gingo: Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them

    Developmental psychologist Matthew Gingo joins to discuss his research on morality and deception. Why and under what circumstances do parents and their children lie to one another? We discuss his paper entitled "What they don't know won't hurt them: Parents' judgments about lying to their...

  31. Episode 38: Flawless Predictions for 2022

    Joe and Rolf once again scry the future with bold and entirely accurate predictions about the year 2022

  32. Episode 37: Dr. Joshua Miele: The Blind Arduino Project

    Joshua Miele is a blind scientist and inventor living in the Bay Area. Amongst his many initiatives is the Blind Arduino Project, where participants learn how to navigate a world of maker electronics that are really designed for the sighted. He talks to Joe and Rolf about his work to bring...

  33. Episode 36: The Extended Mind with Annie Murphy Paul

    In Annie Murphy Paul's new book, "The Extended Mind", the philosophical idea of our minds extending beyond the physical boundaries of the body are explored. Rolf and Joe talk to Annie about the implications of this idea, and how it might be used to improve the way we think in a number of…

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  34. Episode 35: NIH Toolbox with Dr. Julie Hook

    The NIH Toolbox is the result of an ambitious project supported by the National Institutes of Health to develop a comprehensive, standardized, and highly accessible test battery to be used in research. Dr. Julie Hook is the Product Manager for the project and is in large part responsible for the...

  35. Episode 34: Tom Vanderbilt: Beginners

    Bestselling author known for making complex topics accessible to readers, Tom Vanderbilt's recent book is Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning. Rather than buying into the idea that learning is for kids, Tom takes the "beginner's mind" to challenging new skills, such…

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  36. Episode 33: Flawless Predictions For 2021

    Enough with 2020. Rolf and Joe present their predictions for what lies ahead in 2021.....

  37. Episode 32: On Consciousness with Bernard Baars

    Joe and Rolf talk to Dr. Bernard Baars, a leader in the field of consciousness research. Dr. Baars has recently published "On Consciousness", which is a compendium on his work integrating research in psychology and neuroscience on what consciousness is and how it functions. T Special Guest…

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  38. Episode 31: Music and the Brain: Guests David Rosen and Scott Miles

    David Rosen and Scott Miles of Secret Chord Laboratories (secretchordlaboratories.com) talk to Joe and Rolf about musical preference, the role of surprise in these preferences, what's going on in the brain, and how COVID is affecting the way we listen to music. Discussion paper: "A Statistical...

  39. Episode 30: When Microwaves Continue to Attack

    An update on Episode 4, where we first discussed the phenomenon of the "Frey Effect" in which sounds are heard as a result of pulsed microwave radiation. The Frey Effect was proposed to be involved in attacks on the US embassy in Cuba. Could this also be going on in the US embassy in China? Rolf...

  40. Episode 29: Time Perception and Dopamine

    In this half-hour episode, Rolf and Joe discuss research by Jennifer Mitchell and colleagues ("Dopamine, time perception, and future time perspective") showing that the drug tolcapone, which selectively increases dopamine in frontal cortical regions, has the effect of reducing the error in...

  41. Episode 28: Chris Baty: National Novel Writing Month, Creativity, and Life as a Narrative

    Since 1999, National Novel Writing Month has exploded in popularity, becoming one of the most creatively productive events in the world every November. Participants buckle down and write a 50,000-word novel in a month, many enjoying the social support from the NaNoWriMo community. Founder Chris...

  42. Episode 27: The Connectome

    30 min episode A connectome is a representation of every connection between neurons in the brain. Recent brain-slicing technology, in addition to image recognition tools, has begun to make this science-fiction idea become a reality. Rolf and Joe discuss the recent publication of the largest...

  43. Episode 26: COVID-19 and the Behavioral Immune System: Joshua Ackerman

    Season 2 premiere! How do people behave in a pandemic? Joshua Ackerman of the University of Michigan talks about how we alter our behavior in the face of pathogens. A repertoire of responses (such as avoidance) referred to as the "behavioral immune system" is a way for humans to avoid pathogens...

  44. Episode 25: NASA Data Scientist Chris Mattmann

    Chris Mattman, Principal Data Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, talks about bridging the gap between lab scientists and data scientists, his work with DARPA unearthing the dark web, machine learning in autonomous planetary rovers, and other cool stuff he's been doing. Chris Mattman's...

  45. Episode 24: Childrens' Learning and Play: Guest David Sobel

    David Sobel, a developmental psychologist from Brown University, talks to us about the importance of play in learning. He has recently been collaborating with researchers around the country to investigate how children interact with exhibits in childrens' museums. One recent finding we discuss is...

  46. Episode 23: Flawless Predictions for the 2020s

  47. Episode 22: The Neuroscience of Free Will: Guest Aaron Schurger

    Guest Dr. Aaron Schurger talks to us about his research on the meaning of the "readiness potential", which has been referred to as "the brain signature of the will". Although this neural signal was already famous from research in the 1960s, it was Benjamin Libet's infamous experiments in the…

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  48. Episode 21: Pain perception and treatment: Guest Mike Trujillo

    Guest Dr. Michael Trujillo of Karuna Labs talks to us about pain perception and recent research on the management of pain. We discuss a recent article (Hird et al.) exploring the degree to which expectation can alter the perception of pain, as well as Trujillo's work in using Virtual Reality in...

  49. Episode 20: Improving medical treatment in hearing loss: Guest Erick Gallun

    Dr. Erick Gallun joins us today to talk about the latest in audiology research, and how it can be applied to help those with a range of hearing problems. His research has focused on rehabilitation with Veteran's Association (VA) patients. Rapid-response medical care and an understanding of how...

  50. Episode 19: Concussions, TBI, and Sports

    Evidence has mounted that high-impact sports like boxing and football can lead to later cognitive problems, and there is increasing awareness that concussions should be taken seriously. So how does this all happen, and should you be worried? We take a look at some recent studies that shed some...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

CogNation is a podcast by Rolf Nelson and Joe Hardy, two cognitive psychologists interested in the future of brain science and technology. We explore relevant topics in the areas of cognitive science, technology, AI, and philosophy. Although we dabble with dystopian implications of new technologies (such as the impending robopocalypse), we are led by our curiosity and try to keep it light and fun. https://www.facebook.com/CognationPodcast/ email: [email protected]

HOSTED BY

CogNation Media

Produced by Joe Hardy

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does CogNation have?

CogNation currently has 70 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is CogNation about?

CogNation is a podcast by Rolf Nelson and Joe Hardy, two cognitive psychologists interested in the future of brain science and technology. We explore relevant topics in the areas of cognitive science, technology, AI, and philosophy. Although we dabble with dystopian implications of new technologies...

How often does CogNation release new episodes?

CogNation has 70 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

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You can listen to CogNation on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts CogNation?

CogNation is created and hosted by CogNation Media.
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