Podcast appearances and mentions of David J Linden

David J. Linden is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of Unique: The New Science of Human Individuality, The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God, The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good, and Touch: The Science of the Hand, Heart, and Mind. His laboratory has worked for many years on the cellular substrates of memory storage, recovery of function following brain injury and a few other topics."It's a fundamental human question, how do we become individuals? It's a basic thing about being alive and thinking. Nature versus nurture is a phrase that was popularized by Francis Galton in the late 19th century. and the idea behind it is that if you were to look at a particular trait, say, shyness or height, you could say, well, to what degree can we attribute height to nature? In this case, meaning the gene variants that you inherit from your parents versus nurture in this case, meaning how you were raised by your parents and by your community. And I have many problems with this expression. Part of it is that the nature part shouldn't just mean genetics. In other words, there's all kinds of biological things that are not genetic things. If your mother fought off a viral infection while you were developing in utero, then you have a much higher chance of developing schizophrenia or autism when you grow up. Now that's biological, but it's not hereditary. That's not something that you would then acquire and then pass on to your own children. It only happens in the one generation. The other problem is when we hear the word nurture, we really focus on the family, how your parents raised you or failed to raise you, how your community was involved. And those things are very important, but they're far from everything that impinges upon you in your life. I take experience as the thing to substitute for nurture because it is much more inclusive and it includes not just social experience from your family and your peers and your community, but also experience in the more general sense."www.davidlinden.orgwww.creativeprocess.info www.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcast

"It's a fundamental human question, how do we become individuals? It's a basic thing about being alive and thinking. Nature versus nurture is a phrase that was popularized by Francis Galton in the late 19th century. and the idea behind it is that if you were to look at a particular trait, say, shyness or height, you could say, well, to what degree can we attribute height to nature? In this case, meaning the gene variants that you inherit from your parents versus nurture in this case, meaning how you were raised by your parents and by your community. And I have many problems with this expression. Part of it is that the nature part shouldn't just mean genetics. In other words, there's all kinds of biological things that are not genetic things. If your mother fought off a viral infection while you were developing in utero, then you have a much higher chance of developing schizophrenia or autism when you grow up. Now that's biological, but it's not hereditary. That's not something that you would then acquire and then pass on to your own children. It only happens in the one generation. The other problem is when we hear the word nurture, we really focus on the family, how your parents raised you or failed to raise you, how your community was involved. And those things are very important, but they're far from everything that impinges upon you in your life. I take experience as the thing to substitute for nurture because it is much more inclusive and it includes not just social experience from your family and your peers and your community, but also experience in the more general sense."David J. Linden is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of Unique: The New Science of Human Individuality, The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God, The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good, and Touch: The Science of the Hand, Heart, and Mind. His laboratory has worked for many years on the cellular substrates of memory storage, recovery of function following brain injury and a few other topics.www.davidlinden.orgwww.creativeprocess.info www.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcast

David J. Linden is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of Unique: The New Science of Human Individuality, The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God, The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good, and Touch: The Science of the Hand, Heart, and Mind. His laboratory has worked for many years on the cellular substrates of memory storage, recovery of function following brain injury and a few other topics."It's a fundamental human question, how do we become individuals? It's a basic thing about being alive and thinking. Nature versus nurture is a phrase that was popularized by Francis Galton in the late 19th century. and the idea behind it is that if you were to look at a particular trait, say, shyness or height, you could say, well, to what degree can we attribute height to nature? In this case, meaning the gene variants that you inherit from your parents versus nurture in this case, meaning how you were raised by your parents and by your community. And I have many problems with this expression. Part of it is that the nature part shouldn't just mean genetics. In other words, there's all kinds of biological things that are not genetic things. If your mother fought off a viral infection while you were developing in utero, then you have a much higher chance of developing schizophrenia or autism when you grow up. Now that's biological, but it's not hereditary. That's not something that you would then acquire and then pass on to your own children. It only happens in the one generation. The other problem is when we hear the word nurture, we really focus on the family, how your parents raised you or failed to raise you, how your community was involved. And those things are very important, but they're far from everything that impinges upon you in your life. I take experience as the thing to substitute for nurture because it is much more inclusive and it includes not just social experience from your family and your peers and your community, but also experience in the more general sense."www.davidlinden.orgwww.creativeprocess.info www.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcast

"It's a fundamental human question, how do we become individuals? It's a basic thing about being alive and thinking. Nature versus nurture is a phrase that was popularized by Francis Galton in the late 19th century. and the idea behind it is that if you were to look at a particular trait, say, shyness or height, you could say, well, to what degree can we attribute height to nature? In this case, meaning the gene variants that you inherit from your parents versus nurture in this case, meaning how you were raised by your parents and by your community. And I have many problems with this expression. Part of it is that the nature part shouldn't just mean genetics. In other words, there's all kinds of biological things that are not genetic things. If your mother fought off a viral infection while you were developing in utero, then you have a much higher chance of developing schizophrenia or autism when you grow up. Now that's biological, but it's not hereditary. That's not something that you would then acquire and then pass on to your own children. It only happens in the one generation. The other problem is when we hear the word nurture, we really focus on the family, how your parents raised you or failed to raise you, how your community was involved. And those things are very important, but they're far from everything that impinges upon you in your life. I take experience as the thing to substitute for nurture because it is much more inclusive and it includes not just social experience from your family and your peers and your community, but also experience in the more general sense."David J. Linden is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of Unique: The New Science of Human Individuality, The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God, The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good, and Touch: The Science of the Hand, Heart, and Mind. His laboratory has worked for many years on the cellular substrates of memory storage, recovery of function following brain injury and a few other topics.www.davidlinden.orgwww.creativeprocess.info www.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcast

David J. Linden is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of Unique: The New Science of Human Individuality, The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God, The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good, and Touch: The Science of the Hand, Heart, and Mind. His laboratory has worked for many years on the cellular substrates of memory storage, recovery of function following brain injury and a few other topics."So there is a small genetic but significant genetic component to sexual orientation. And it's slightly different in males and females. And interestingly, it's not general. So for example, if I were to have a gay brother, then the chance of me being gay would become higher. But if I have a lesbian sister, that does not change the chance of me being gay or vice versa.If a woman has a lesbian sister, then the chance of her being attracted to women is higher. And if she has a gay brother, it doesn't make any difference at all. So it's not like gayness or straightness is what heritability is acting on. It's attraction to males or attraction to females. And that's a subtle distinction, but I think it's very important.The other thing that is really interesting and fascinating is that there is, from a big meta-analysis that was done by the American Psychological Association, there is really no evidence whatsoever that links events in the family to your probability of being gay or straight or bi. So, well, that's a mystery.If it's not how you were raised by your family and it's only a little bit genetic, what is it? Well, you know, I think you had a hint of some of it when you're talking about hormones. There is some evidence that hormonal exposure in utero matters. So, for example, if biologically female fetuses are exposed to what we call androgens, the class of male hormones, that includes testosterone, that increases the probability that the child who is born and then grows up will be attracted to women when they grow up. Even if that child is biologically female. Likewise, there seems to be something similar for gay men and exposure to estrogen and female sex hormones. That said, there's of course mystery. We're far from understanding in totality how the trait of sexual orientation arrives. And we also know that there are enormous cultural influences. There are societies that have sort of a revered place for homosexual behavior in the Pantheon and others where it is really looked down upon, and that seems to have influence on how this trait develops."www.davidlinden.orgwww.creativeprocess.info www.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcast

"So there is a small genetic but significant genetic component to sexual orientation. And it's slightly different in males and females. And interestingly, it's not general. So for example, if I were to have a gay brother, then the chance of me being gay would become higher. But if I have a lesbian sister, that does not change the chance of me being gay or vice versa.If a woman has a lesbian sister, then the chance of her being attracted to women is higher. And if she has a gay brother, it doesn't make any difference at all. So it's not like gayness or straightness is what heritability is acting on. It's attraction to males or attraction to females. And that's a subtle distinction, but I think it's very important.The other thing that is really interesting and fascinating is that there is, from a big meta-analysis that was done by the American Psychological Association, there is really no evidence whatsoever that links events in the family to your probability of being gay or straight or bi. So, well, that's a mystery.If it's not how you were raised by your family and it's only a little bit genetic, what is it? Well, you know, I think you had a hint of some of it when you're talking about hormones. There is some evidence that hormonal exposure in utero matters. So, for example, if biologically female fetuses are exposed to what we call androgens, the class of male hormones, that includes testosterone, that increases the probability that the child who is born and then grows up will be attracted to women when they grow up. Even if that child is biologically female. Likewise, there seems to be something similar for gay men and exposure to estrogen and female sex hormones. That said, there's of course mystery. We're far from understanding in totality how the trait of sexual orientation arrives. And we also know that there are enormous cultural influences. There are societies that have sort of a revered place for homosexual behavior in the Pantheon and others where it is really looked down upon, and that seems to have influence on how this trait develops."David J. Linden is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of Unique: The New Science of Human Individuality, The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God, The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good, and Touch: The Science of the Hand, Heart, and Mind. His laboratory has worked for many years on the cellular substrates of memory storage, recovery of function following brain injury and a few other topics.www.davidlinden.orgwww.creativeprocess.info www.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcast

"I think you could certainly make the case that creativity has been useful for a long time in human evolution and probably in our pre-human ancestors as well. So it's not surprising that that creativity is manifest in all kinds of ways from building a trap to catch a critter, to musical improvisation, to making a sculpture. If I were to look at a brain scan and someone said, 'Point to me the region that has the sense of self.' I don't know that I could actually do that. So in other words, I accept this notion as a higher-level explanation that can be really useful. I would say our ability to reduce that to brain regions and brain activities now is still really not there. I'm not saying it will never be there. It may emerge, but it hasn't emerged yet. Sense of self is a really, really interesting idea and it's something that fascinates me because it is used both kind of at a very high level, in a cognitive way, but neuroscientists think of sense of self more in terms of our senses that literally point inward. So when we think about the senses, we usually think about things like touch or vision or taste or smell or hearing that are designed to tell us, not about our own bodies, but about the external world. But we also have all these senses that are interoceptive rather than exteroceptive. And they're telling me things like, how is my head oriented relative to gravity? That's my balanced vestibular system. Where are my limbs in space at this moment that I can do, even with my eyes closed? I know where my arm is even with my eyes closed because I'm getting information from my muscles that is being sent to my brain. I know how distended my bladder is and whether I'm going to need to go to the bathroom soon. I know my immune state, my breathing, my blood chemistry, my digestion. All of these things are senses of self and the degree to which they influence higher cognitive processes is to me one of the really fascinating questions of neuroscience right now and one that we're just really starting to understand."David J. Linden is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of Unique: The New Science of Human Individuality, The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God, The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good, and Touch: The Science of the Hand, Heart, and Mind. His laboratory has worked for many years on the cellular substrates of memory storage, recovery of function following brain injury and a few other topics.www.davidlinden.orgwww.creativeprocess.info www.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcast

David J. Linden is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of Unique: The New Science of Human Individuality, The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God, The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good, and Touch: The Science of the Hand, Heart, and Mind. His laboratory has worked for many years on the cellular substrates of memory storage, recovery of function following brain injury and a few other topics."I think you could certainly make the case that creativity has been useful for a long time in human evolution and probably in our pre-human ancestors as well. So it's not surprising that that creativity is manifest in all kinds of ways from building a trap to catch a critter, to musical improvisation, to making a sculpture. If I were to look at a brain scan and someone said, 'Point to me the region that has the sense of self.' I don't know that I could actually do that. So in other words, I accept this notion as a higher-level explanation that can be really useful. I would say our ability to reduce that to brain regions and brain activities now is still really not there. I'm not saying it will never be there. It may emerge, but it hasn't emerged yet. Sense of self is a really, really interesting idea and it's something that fascinates me because it is used both kind of at a very high level, in a cognitive way, but neuroscientists think of sense of self more in terms of our senses that literally point inward. So when we think about the senses, we usually think about things like touch or vision or taste or smell or hearing that are designed to tell us, not about our own bodies, but about the external world. But we also have all these senses that are interoceptive rather than exteroceptive. And they're telling me things like, how is my head oriented relative to gravity? That's my balanced vestibular system. Where are my limbs in space at this moment that I can do, even with my eyes closed? I know where my arm is even with my eyes closed because I'm getting information from my muscles that is being sent to my brain. I know how distended my bladder is and whether I'm going to need to go to the bathroom soon. I know my immune state, my breathing, my blood chemistry, my digestion. All of these things are senses of self and the degree to which they influence higher cognitive processes is to me one of the really fascinating questions of neuroscience right now and one that we're just really starting to understand."www.davidlinden.orgwww.creativeprocess.info www.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcast

"I think you could certainly make the case that creativity has been useful for a long time in human evolution and probably in our pre-human ancestors as well. So it's not surprising that that creativity is manifest in all kinds of ways from building a trap to catch a critter, to musical improvisation, to making a sculpture. If I were to look at a brain scan and someone said, 'Point to me the region that has the sense of self.' I don't know that I could actually do that. So in other words, I accept this notion as a higher-level explanation that can be really useful. I would say our ability to reduce that to brain regions and brain activities now is still really not there. I'm not saying it will never be there. It may emerge, but it hasn't emerged yet. Sense of self is a really, really interesting idea and it's something that fascinates me because it is used both kind of at a very high level, in a cognitive way, but neuroscientists think of sense of self more in terms of our senses that literally point inward. So when we think about the senses, we usually think about things like touch or vision or taste or smell or hearing that are designed to tell us, not about our own bodies, but about the external world. But we also have all these senses that are interoceptive rather than exteroceptive. And they're telling me things like, how is my head oriented relative to gravity? That's my balanced vestibular system. Where are my limbs in space at this moment that I can do, even with my eyes closed? I know where my arm is even with my eyes closed because I'm getting information from my muscles that is being sent to my brain. I know how distended my bladder is and whether I'm going to need to go to the bathroom soon. I know my immune state, my breathing, my blood chemistry, my digestion. All of these things are senses of self and the degree to which they influence higher cognitive processes is to me one of the really fascinating questions of neuroscience right now and one that we're just really starting to understand."David J. Linden is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of Unique: The New Science of Human Individuality, The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God, The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good, and Touch: The Science of the Hand, Heart, and Mind. His laboratory has worked for many years on the cellular substrates of memory storage, recovery of function following brain injury and a few other topics.www.davidlinden.orgwww.creativeprocess.info www.oneplanetpodcast.orgIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcast

The Irish nationalist party, Sinn Fein, won a historic victory. What does that mean for the party, which supports a united Ireland, and the country? And, neurologist David J. Linden is dying but still learning. He explains what he's learned about how the human mind works in the face of impending death.

Neuroscientist David J. Linden recently received a terminal cancer diagnosis and was told he had between six and 18 months left to live. He tells us what he's learned about how the human mind works in the face of impending death. And, investigators are calling Saturday's hostage-taking crisis at a Colleyville, Texas, synagogue a "terrorism-related" attack. Congregation Beth Israel Rabbi Steven Folberg of Austin talks about the uptick in antisemitic events in the U.S.

Pushing yourself to your personal extreme; Being aware of your emotions in pressure situations; Security versus happiness and freedom; Being a consultant and the questions to ask yourself; Sport as a foundation for life in a society full of rules; Sport to business messages and the availability and potential saturation of learning (contentious?) are some of the many areas we explored. Kurt Lindley, Owner of Be More Learning & Development, has clearly given a great deal of thought and based many of his views on real and very personal experiences. There is truly something for everyone within this conversation! Just to give some background and context to Kurt.... He is South African born, Yorkshire bred, dad of 1, Kurt is a learning and development specialist with over 20 years' experience in the field of learning and development across performance sport, the corporate sector and education. Kurt has worked within Olympic sport and the UK Sport domain, mentoring elite coaches, developing leaders and supporting coach educators at the likes of British Athletics, British Cycling and British Shooting to name a few, building the skills, confidence, self-awareness and the knowhow of ‘Modern Learning' to help achieve maximum performance from athletes. Kurt has a masters in Psychology specialising in ‘Mentor-Mentee relationships in performance sport' and he uses the latest research in Neuroscience, Sociology and Psychology to unleash the potential in people, through a better understand of the science of learning and how to apply this to everyday learning events.  Kurt is also a TEDx Host and speaker with an interest in wellbeing and the value of community, as well as the Executive Editor/ Captain of the #LearningScientistMag, a free online magazine for all things people development ( CLICK HERE to subscribe) If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. It only takes a minute and really makes a difference in helping to convince new listeners. Thanks so much it - is much appreciated!! For show notes and past guests, please visit www.sportstories247.com Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please make contact at: sportstories247@gmail.com Follow Sport Stories: Twitter:            twitter.com/sportstories_ Instagram:       Instagram.com/sportstories247 Facebook:        facebook.com/sportstories247 LinkedIn:         https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportstories YouTube:          Sport Stories YouTube Channel Find out more about Dave at: www.thesummitpartnership.com Follow Dave: Twitter:    https://twitter.com/SummitDave LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davelevine3   Success Quote or sayings: Put yourself on the start line and get in the race If we change the way we look at things the things we look at change Life is a choice – make the choice and know the choice you have taken is yours and you made it. Be more! You are not going to do this on your own If you continue to milk the free pale at some stage it will run out Quick fire questions: The books that you would recommend. ·       The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager By Andy Cope ·       Touch: The Science of the Sense that Makes Us Human by David J. Linden ·       Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers By Tim Ferris   Technology I use often Twitter to engage and connect   How do I prepare to be the best version of myself… Eat well and sleep well consider life hacks   In one sentence – What advice would you give to your teenage version of yourself? Believe in yourself, time your message and consider the language you use   Who has made a big impact on you? My wife before and after her life/illness Many others just at the right time…   Whos' Sport Story would you be really interested in hearing? Kirs Akabusi   Coaching questions I would like to pose: 1 When are your peak work times in the year and when and how do your rest and recover – taper period? 2 How do you frame or could you re frame the way you look at things to really help you be the best and most productive version of yourself?   Contact info: Twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/CoachDeveloper website https://www.bemorelnd.co.uk/ Blog https://medium.com/@CoachDeveloper Email kurt@bemorelnd.co.uk  

Guest Introduction: Dr. David J. Linden is a neuroscience professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the author of several books, including “The Accidental Mind,” “The Compass of Pleasure,” “Touch,” and his latest book, “Think Tank.” Interview Summary: In this interview, David first discusses how neuroscience and the understanding of the brain has changed over the past several decades. He then explains how our senses are influenced by context, expectation, and emotion, and gives some examples of this. David goes into detail about the logical and emotional parts of the brain, and describes how sensory information diverges to these two parts. He also talks about how damage to the logical or emotional side of the brain manifests. David then explains how signals travel through the brain, as well as how electrical activity becomes unbalanced in certain brain disorders. He goes on to discuss where pleasure comes from, why we experience it, and how our reward circuitry works. David also explains how the neurotransmitter dopamine works, and gives some examples of how we constructively and destructively activate our reward system in everyday life. He talks about additional functions of dopamine and serotonin and how they affect our behavior. Next, David discusses the social nature of humans, and how our brains attune to the nuances of social interaction, body language, and opinions of others. He also reveals the purpose of emotion, and explains how emotions affect brain function and memory. David then explains how pleasure is produced and experienced in the brain, mind, and body. He goes into more detail about how pleasure is produced during exercise. He also talks about how artificially activating our reward circuitry can lead to compulsion and addiction. Finally, David expands on the connection between touch, heart, and mind. He discusses how touch activates different parts of the brain and affects our emotions. He then reveals the physical parameters of good touch and explains how we distinguish between positive and negative touch. David also talks about why physical touch is so important for human development, social interaction, and overall health. He closes with some insights and advice for maintaining mental function and having healthier relationships. Find out more about Dr. Linden: http://davidlinden.org/ The Craft of Charisma Podcast is also available at: bit.ly/Soundcloud-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/Stitcher-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/iTunes-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/Spotify-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/GooglePlayMusic-CofC-Podcast bit.ly/iHeartRadio-CofC-Podcast

You probably know that infants that don't receive enough cuddles, hugs, and physical affection suffer from all kinds of developmental problems—the first two years are the most critical, and this is why the first thing a doctor does with a newborn is place it on the chest of the mother or father. But what about middle-aged people? And what about at the end of life? It turns out touch is still crucial to health and wellness, and yet in our modern, physically disconnected society, many people are deprived. On this week's show, you'll meet a neuroscientist who specializes in the importance of touch and how you can use this knowledge to improve your life. ------------ Listen & Learn: How there is no such thing as a touch or sensation without emotion—they are always inseparable Why high fives, back slapping, and social touch improves sports teamwork and performance Why we tend to prioritize external touch sensations when internal touch is just as important How touch deprivation is "highest risk" in infants and elders ABOUT OUR GUEST David J. Linden, Ph.D., is a Professor of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His laboratory works on the cellular substrates of memory storage and recovery of function after brain injury. He served as the Chief Editor of the Journal of Neurophysiology. He is the author of The Accidental Mind (2007) and The Compass of Pleasure (2011), and his most recent book, Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart and Mind. Nutritional Tip of the Week: Zinc Links & References from the Show: David Linden's Site David's Books on Amazon Got Questions? Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com  Like the Show? Leave us a Review on iTunes Thanks to our sponsor: The Yoga Teachers College offers master-level training for those looking to build a career as yoga professionals. Our trainees benefit from the best of modern learning technology combined with old school apprenticeship. Graduates walk away with the skills, confidence and experience needed to become not just teachers, but community and business leaders as well. Whether your goal is to teach part time locally, travel and lead workshops internationally, or to open your own studios, The Yoga Teachers College will support your career every step of the way. Learn More

This episode was all about tickling and being tickled! Rebecca Cressman of fm100 joined Ethan Millard in this episode. They discussed some of the theories that explain tickling. Some scientists believe tickling is a defense mechanism because some of our most ticklish places (neck, groin, etc) are our most vulnerable. Others like Dr. David J. Linden of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine believes tickling may be a defense mechanism against things like worms or insects that jump onto or try to burrow into our bodies. Charles Darwin believed tickling had an important social element. Sometimes parents use tickling to bond with their kids. He's not the only major historic figure to research this topic. Plato, Francis Bacon, and Galileo all made observations on tickling. Finally, we talk about what to do about it. Many believe there's nothing to be done, but we found a few ideas that may work for you. Dry skin can be more ticklish, so try moisturizing. Another technique is practice. If your feet are ticklish but you want a foot rub, maybe just practice having someone touch your feet until you get used to it. Something else that may work is if you place your hand over the hand of the person trying to touch you.  This might work for intimate partners. The next time your partner puts their hand on your ticklish thigh, place your hand over theirs. It may help calm your tickle reflex. Stuff Your Dad Knows is hosted by Ethan Millard.  What do you do when your children hit you up with crazy questions?  Do you know the answer?  Do you just pretend?  Kids are smart, so this podcast empowers parents to answer those tough questions and stay at the top of the family food chain.  If you want to be more efficient, just listen to the podcast with your children present.  Then you don't have to be the information middle man.  Family harmony is our goal! If you want to ask a question, use #stuffyourdadknows and Ethan will answer it for you!  Follow him @EthanMillardKSL on Twitter. 

Vår hjärna är ineffektiv och som en följd av det kan vi känna kärlek till varandra. Det menar David J. Linden, professor vid Johns Hopkins universitet i USA. Han talar även om hur internet gör oss beroende genom att “kapa” hjärnans belöningssystem.

For the ten million or so people that saw Fifty Shades of Grey this past weekend, or the many more millions who read the books, in a way what they were doing is trying to understand touch.  The complex ways in which our bodies and our brains process pleasure and pain. Why childhood development is so crucial to that process and the ways in which touch shapes our sexuality,  our cooperation, our well being and our own internal interaction between the physical and emotional world.   Professor of neuroscience David Linden, examines this interface in his new book  Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind.My conversation with David J. Linden: 

David J. Linden is a professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of “The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God.” His second book was “The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good.” And now Dr. Linden has released “Touch: The Science of Heart, Hand and Mind.” He was in the Northwest to speak at Town Hall Seattle, presented by Town Hall and University Book Store, as part of The Seattle Science Lectures.

David Linden, PhD - Neurobiologist, Author of The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning and Gambling Feel So Good, and professor at Johns Hopkins. Ask and you shall receive! The data is in from the Smart People Podcast survey (which is open for anyone to still take, we would appreciate it!) and you all voted psychology and the brain to be the most interesting subject. So - we did what we do best and went out to find the smartest, most interesting, articulate "brain guy" we could. And believe us, he does not disappoint. Join us to learn about how our memory works, what makes us individuals, why we love certain experiences, and more.  It's an all out mind bender! Our guest is David J. Linden, PhD.  David is a professor of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neurophysiology.  His most recent book is The Compass of Pleasure and prior to that he wrote The Accidental Mind. His website hilariously warns everyone that he does not want to be confused with the Psychiatrist David E. Linden - because that guy was a total jerk.  

with David J. Linden, Ph.D.,Professor, Department of NeuroscienceListen to the Podcast

On this edition of the Avid Reader, Sam talks with David J. Linden, professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He's the author of "The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning and Gambling Feel So Good."

David J. Linden, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His laboratory has worked for many years on the cellular substrates of memory storage in the brain, among other topics. He has a longstanding interest in scientific communication and serves as the Chief Editor of the Journal of Neurophysiology. In this broad discussion with D.J. Grothe, David Linden challenges widespread beliefs about the brain, such as that people only use ten percent of it and that it is amazingly designed, arguing instead that the brain is "accidental." He talks about why, as a brain scientist, he writes about topics such as love, God and sexual orientation. He describes the downsides of how the brain has evolved by including systems from previous brain "models," and how this has given rise to those qualities that most profoundly shape our human experience. He discusses the neuron, and how it is a "lousy processor of information," describing how evolution has nonetheless used it to build "clever us." He talks about how our brains have constrained us, and may have physically led to the necessity of marriage, family and long childhoods. He surveys various claims regarding the enhancement of our cognitive capacities, such as playing Mozart to babies in utero, vitamins, smart drugs, mental exercises, and physical exercise. He talks about the brain science of homosexuality. And he argues that the brain has evolved to make everyone a "believer," describing the similarities between belief in science and in religion, that both are similar "branches of the same cognitive stream."