Podcast appearances and mentions of kathleen mcauliffe

“If you are a gut healing expert, you're an expert in healing your body because at the root of many illnesses and disease is your gut. Your health is centered and rooted in your gut system.”Are you puzzled by persistent digestive issues like IBS, chronic diarrhea, or unexplained food sensitivities?Do you find yourself battling sugar cravings and weight loss resistance, even when you're following a healthy lifestyle?Could the key to resolving your stubborn health problems be hiding in your gut?In this episode, we discuss why mastering your gut health is crucial for healing and feeling your best, and explore the surprising connections between digestive issues and a wide range of health problems.Whether you're battling food sensitivities, chronic inflammation, or simply want to feel more energized, this conversation is for you. By the end of this episode, you'll have a clear roadmap to take control of your gut health and start experiencing the positive ripple effects in your life.Plus, stick around until the end for a special discount on our Digestive Restoration Course! It's your chance to learn even more about optimizing your gut health and getting the support you need to reach your wellness goals.Show Highlights: 00:00 - Episode Start00:57 - The power of getting the right support in healing13:40 - Understanding the microbiome, the cornerstone of your immune system15:29 - Tools and strategies to support a thriving microbiome18:47 - Microbiome disruption and its link to leaky gut syndrome21:10 - What is leaky gut and how does it affect your whole body?22:12 - How gut inflammation triggers autoimmune responses23:09 - Neurological symptoms and cognitive issues linked to gut health25:18 - Surprising effects of parasites on hormones, neurotransmitters and sugar cravings31:57 - The vital interplay between digestion and the nervous system41:22 - The multifaceted role of hydrochloric acid in digestion43:20 - Key digestive hormones and their essential functions46:24 - Sympathetic dominance and its effects on gut bacteria balance48:01 - Stomach acid as a protective "bouncer" against pathogens 49:10 - The truth about what causes ulcers 50:00 - Low stomach acid and its link to nutrient deficiencies53:26 - Gut inflammation's role in weight loss resistance55:03 - Digestion Restoration Course: A deeper dive into understanding how to heal your gut 59:34 - Health implications of declining microbiome diversity across generations1:03:34 - The rapid potential for positive change in gut healthImportant Links: Gutsy Health Podcast IG - https://www.instagram.com/gutsyhealthpodcast/Use discount code “GUTSYHEALTHPODCAST” to get $50 off the Digestion Restoration Course - https://www.mygutsyhealth.com/digestioncourseThis Is Your Brain On Parasites by Kathleen McAuliffe - https://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Parasites-Manipulate-ebook/dp/B011H55MY0Send us a Text Message.

Biologist Kathleen McAuliffe dives into emerging research that explores how certain gut bacteria can influence major parts of who you are, from your personality to life-changing neurological disorders. Learn more about how this ongoing clinical medical and pharmaceutical research might change how we treat disease — and discover the impact of your internal microbial makeup on your mood, weight and more.

Biologist Kathleen McAuliffe dives into new research that suggests certain bacteria in your gut can influence major parts of who you are, from your personality to life-changing neurological disorders. Learn more about how this emerging science could change how we treat disease — and discover the impact of your internal microbial makeup on your mood, weight and more.

Biologist Kathleen McAuliffe dives into new research that suggests certain bacteria in your gut can influence major parts of who you are, from your personality to life-changing neurological disorders. Learn more about how this emerging science could change how we treat disease — and discover the impact of your internal microbial makeup on your mood, weight and more.

Biologist Kathleen McAuliffe dives into new research that suggests certain bacteria in your gut can influence major parts of who you are, from your personality to life-changing neurological disorders. Learn more about how this emerging science could change how we treat disease — and discover the impact of your internal microbial makeup on your mood, weight and more.

Micah and Brandt discuss all things gut health, and the increasing focus and attention it is receiving in food and beverage products. The conversation covers an introduction to gut health, why it's so important in modern times, new studies and scientific data, current products targeting gut health and what the future holds.Disclaimer: none of the content in this episode is medical advice. Brandt and Micah  share their own experiences, views and opinions without having any medical qualifications. We have listed the sources and studies mentioned in the episode below, if you wish to follow up with your own research.If you enjoy this episode, please consider subscribing.If you have any suggestions for future episode topics, please email them to hello@tastehead.comLinks to sources and studies mentioned in the episode:https://tim-spector.co.uk/https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/digestive-health/https://thegutstuff.com/Probiotics and prebiotics in the elderly:https://pmj.bmj.com/content/80/946/447Study on artificial sweeteners effecting weight gain:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892765/Probiotic ingredient from Kerry:https://www.kerry.com/products/nutrition-ingredients/prebiotics-and-probiotics/probiotics.htmlEuromonitor Int article on gut health in global demographics:https://www.euromonitor.com/article/the-rise-and-potential-of-gut-healthStudy on inulin supplementation in infant formula:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17215195/NHS advice on allergens during infant weaning:https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/safe-weaning/food-allergies/Article on the gut microbiome of our ancestors:https://hms.harvard.edu/news/guts-our-ancestorsBrands mentioned in the episode:https://biotifulguthealth.com/https://www.chucklinggoat.co.uk/https://drinkolipop.com/https://bottlebrushferments.com/product/the-red-one/Books mentioned:Spoon-Fed, by Tim Spector:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spoon-Fed-almost-everything-about-wrong/dp/1787332292Your Brain on Parasites, by Kathleen McAuliffe:https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Your-Brain-Parasites-Manipulate/dp/0544947258/ref=sr_1_1?crid=118CG6PZIQHSD&keywords=your+brain+on+parasites&qid=1669891686&s=books&sprefix=your+brain+on+para%2Cstripbooks%2C79&sr=1-1Follow Brandt and Micah:https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandt-maybury/https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-carr-hill-34a91811/Visit https://www.tastehead.com/ to learn more.

Chances are you're listening to this on an advanced computer that fits in your pocket, but is really just one tentacle tip of a giant, planet-spanning architecture for the gathering and processing of data. A common sentiment among the smartphone-enabled human population is that we not only don't own our data, but our data owns us — or, at least, the pressure of responsibility to keep providing data to the Internet and its devices (and the wider project of human knowledge construction) implicates us in the evolution of a vast, mysterious, largely ineffable self-organizing system that has grabbed the reins of our economies and cultures. This is, in some sense, hardly new: since humankind first started writing down our memories to pass them down through time, we have participated in the “dataome” — a structure and a process that transcends, and transforms, our individuality. Fast-forward to the modern era, when the rapidly-evolving aggregation of all human knowledge tips the scales in favor of the dataome's emergent agency and its demands on us…Welcome to COMPLEXITY, the official podcast of the Santa Fe Institute. I'm your host, Michael Garfield, and every other week we'll bring you with us for far-ranging conversations with our worldwide network of rigorous researchers developing new frameworks to explain the deepest mysteries of the universe.This week on Complexity, we talk to Caleb Scharf, Director of Astrobiology at Columbia University, about his book, The Ascent of Information: Books, Bits, Genes, and LIfe's Unending Algorithm. In this episode, we talk about the interplay of information, energy, and matter; the nature of the dataome and its relationship to humans and our artifacts; the past and future evolution of the biosphere and technosphere; the role of lies in the emergent informational metabolisms of the Internet; and what this psychoactive frame suggests about the search for hypothetical intelligences we may yet find in outer space.Be sure to check out our extensive show notes with links to all our references at complexity.simplecast.com. Note that applications are now open for our Complexity Postdoctoral Fellowships! Tell a friend. And if you value our research and communication efforts, please subscribe, rate and review us at Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and consider making a donation — or finding other ways to engage with us — at santafe.edu/engage.Thank you for listening!Join our Facebook discussion group to meet like minds and talk about each episode.Podcast theme music by Mitch Mignano.Follow us on social media:Twitter • YouTube • Facebook • Instagram • LinkedInMentioned and related resources:Caleb's Personal Website, Research Publications, and Popular WritingsCaleb's TwitterWe Are The Aliensby Caleb Scharf at Scientific AmericanWe Are Our Data, Our Data Are Usby Caleb Scharf at The Los Angeles TimesIs Physical Law an Alien Intelligence?by Caleb Scharf at NautilusWhere Do Minds Belong?by Caleb Scharf at AeonAutopoiesis (Wikipedia)The physical limits of communicationby Michael Lachmann, M. E. J. Newman, Cristopher MooreThe Extended Phenotypeby Richard Dawkins“Time Binding” (c/o Alfred Korzybski's General Semantics) (Wikipedia)The Singularity in Our Past Light-Coneby Cosma ShaliziArgument-making in the wildSFI Seminar by Simon DeDeoCoarse-graining as a downward causation mechanismby Jessica FlackIf Modern Humans Are So Smart, Why Are Our Brains Shrinking?by Kathleen McAuliffe at Discover MagazineWhen and Why Did Human Brains Decrease in Size? A New Change-Point Analysis and Insights From Brain Evolution in Antsby Jeremy DeSilva, James Traniello, Alexander Claxton, & Luke FanninComplexity 35 - Scaling Laws & Social Networks in The Time of COVID-19 with Geoffrey West (Part 1)The Collapse of NetworksSFI Symposium Presentation by Raissa D'SouzaJevons Paradox (Wikipedia)What Technology Wantsby Kevin KellyThe Glass Cageby Nicholas CarrThe evolution of languageby Martin Nowak and David KrakauerComplexity 70 - Lauren F. Klein on Data Feminism (Part 1)Complexity 87 - Sara Walker on The Physics of Life and Planet-Scale IntelligenceSimulation hypothesis (Wikipedia)Complexity 88 - Aviv Bergman on The Evolution of Robustness and Integrating The DisciplinesBuilding a dinosaur from a chickenby Jack Horner at TEDComplexity 80 - Mingzhen Lu on The Evolution of Root Systems & Biogeochemical CyclingWhy Animals Lie: How Dishonesty and Belief Can Coexist in a Signaling Systemby Jonathan T. Rowell, Stephen P. Ellner, & H. Kern ReeveThe evolution of lying in well-mixed populationsby Valerio Capraro, Matjaž Perc & Daniele ViloneComplexity 42 - Carl Bergstrom & Jevin West on Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World

Sailing The World With A Hen 24-year-old Frenchman Guirec Soudee is sailing around the world with a strange companion, his chicken. He'll check in with us from Greenland and explain why he chose this first mate. Listen Now This Is Your Brain On Parasites Science author Kathleen McAuliffe explains the link between Toxoplasma, a parasite cats can transmit, and it's potentially profound effects on humans, including schizophrenia and even suicide. Even dogs can be responsible for transmitting fatal parasites. This is not fiction. Every pet owner should be aware. Listen Now The Lick Of Death Lori Brooks reports on a strange story about a senior that ended up in ICU after her Greyhound licked her. This cautionary tale may have you thinking twice about letting your dog lick you all over. Listen Now Top Pets A new study researched all the animals that would make good pets. Believe it or not, cats and dogs are NOT even in the top 25. You may be surprised to learn what the best pet is according to this study. But you won't be able to get one in the United States. Listen Now Dog Car Sickness Dr. Debbie White takes on canine car sickness. Whether your pup is scared and anxious of traveling in the car, or they actually get motion sickness, the good doctor has practical solutions for conquering the common problems. Listen Now Read more about this week's show.

Epigraph Y'all. It's been a minute (or, ya know, 8 months). But we're back with a brand new episode featuring Julia Turner and Christen Thompson Lain, the founders of Itinerant Literate, a mobile bookstore in Charleston, SC. Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, our website, or subscribe using your podcatcher of choice. Support the show! All books in our show notes link to Indiebound, a website that connects you with your local independent bookstore. Purchases made through our affiliate links help fund Drunk Booksellers, so you can support your favorite indie bookstore and your favorite podcasting booksellers. If you want to get our show notes delivered directly to your inbox—with all the books mentioned on the podcast and links to the books we discuss—sign up for our email newsletter. This episode is sponsored by Books & Whatnot, the newsletter dedicated to books, bookselling, and bookish folk; check out their newsletter archive here. Follow Books & Whatnot on Twitter at @booksandwhatnot. Chapter I In which a local coffee shop assists in alcohol acquisition, we want more spaceships and dragons, and a book brings Emma to tears. We’re Drinking Christen and Julia were given some free beer from their local coffeeshop, Orange Spot Coffee: Stillwater Artisinal's Stateside Saisan and Sake-Style Saison. As our cocktail for the evening, we're drinking the Lime of the Ancient Mariner from Tim Federle's Tequila Mockingbird. Christen's Reading   War Storm by Victoria Aveyard I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara Shout out to Joan Didion's Slouching Towards Bethlehem Julia's Reading     Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka (audiobook via Libro.fm) How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan Monsoon Mansion by Cinelle Barnes Daphne by Will Boast Kim's Reading   Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (audiobook via Libro.fm) Amateur by Thomas Page McBee (pubs August 14, 2018) McBee's previous book, Man Alive, is also excellent Emma's Reading   Circe by Madeline Miller (audiobook via Libro.fm) The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai  Forthcoming & Newly-New Titles We're Excited About Julia & Christen are Excited About    The White Darkness by David Grann (pubs Oct 30, 2018) My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (pubs Nov 20, 2018) Cult X by Fuminori Nakamura Kim's Excited About   So Lucky by Nicola Griffith (audiobook via Libro.fm) also check out her bestselling historical fantasy novel, Hild Any Man by Amber Tamblyn Emma's Excited About     There There by Tommy Orange Fight No More by Lydia Millet Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (pubs July 10, 2018) her previous book, Uprooted, is one of Emma's faves Half-Witch by John Schoffstall (pubs July 17, 2018) Chapter II [23:30] In which we discuss how bookstores work (and how you keep books on the shelves in a bookstore that moves), Julia and Christen give advice to future bookmobile owners, and the mobile bookstore finds a forever home! Customer: So, is this a library? Interested in breaking into publishing (then abandoning your fancy degree to become a bookseller)? Check out the University of Denver Publishing Institute. Julia and Christen met there, so that bodes well. Shout out to Blue Bicycle (founder of YALLFest, Charleston's Young Adult Book Festival) Fun fact: the aunt in Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson is described as itinerant. Maybe not the best role model, but not the worst! The bookmobile is so purrrrrrrrrty:   Books that Itinerant Literate must have in stock: City of Thieves by David Benioff Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine  Lunar Chronicles Series by Marissa Meyer Replica and Ringer by Lauren Oliver Tips for potential bookmobile owners: What's an SAN? Ok, go to www.bowker.com Have an accountant in the family. Indiegogo is your friend. (Kickstarter only gives you the funds if you meet your goal, whereas Indiegogo allows you to choose to still get your funds if you don't meet your goal.) Bungie cords are clutch. Know your legal obligations (you need separate business licenses for every municipality!) For the first few months, plan two hours more than you think you'll need. Ask someone who is not in your field to walk through your store and give you feedback. Don't take everything a customer says to heart. Engage sometimes, but not always. Bookstores are businesses too, y'all. Chapter III [44:30] In which Julia, Christen, & Emma have the same wheelhouse; we debate Christen's concept of "feel-good" books; and Christen wants to be fierce & fearsome while naked Book Description Guaranteed to Get You Reading Christen loves fiction containing witches, dystopias, feminism, misandry, unreliable narrators, and anachronistic elements. Also, nonfiction books about product and content marketing. Highly recommend Building a Storybrand by Donald Miller. Emma recommends We Were Witches by Ariel Gore, cause witches + misandry = win! Julia digs retold fairy tales and pop science/medical nonfiction (shout out to This is Your Brain on Parasites by Kathleen McAuliffe). Desert Island Pick Christen: Harry Potter, natch Julia: Young Adult faves, such as Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins Station Eleven Picks Christen's practical book: Peterson's Field Guides to Medical Plants Christen's "feel-good" books: Letters to a Young Poet, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, and The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. Or, to go more apocalyptic: The Giver by Lois Lowry (aka "The Handmaid's Tale for children") Julia: The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera Wild Pick Julia: Nature reading (The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery) or books about female resistance Christen wants a guidebook about how to be Lady Godiva. #legit Lady Godiva, the ultimate Rebel Girl Bookseller Confession Christen actively doesn't finish things she doesn't enjoy. Real talk, this is a necessity for all booksellers. And readers. And humans. Neither Julia, Christen, nor Emma have read Philip Pullman's 

Kathleen McAuliffe, the author of “This is your Brain on Parasites” shares a riveting investigation of the myriad ways that parasites control how their hosts- creatures and humans alike - think, feel, and act! Discover how these tiny microbes affect your gut and your brain, and may hold the secret to overcoming many health issues from obesity to depression. Website: www.kmcauliffe.comEmail: kathleen@kmcauliffe.comTwitter: www.Twitter.com/SuperCurious

Kathleen McAuliffe, the author of “This is your Brain on Parasites” shares a riveting investigation of the myriad ways that parasites control how their hosts- creatures and humans alike - think, feel, and act! Discover how these tiny microbes affect your gut and your brain, and may hold the secret to overcoming many health issues from obesity to depression. Website: www.kmcauliffe.com Email: kathleen@kmcauliffe.com Twitter: www.Twitter.com/SuperCurious

This week, Martha's guests are Kathleen McAuliffe, Deborah Copaken, Jami Attenberg and Greg Ames.

Kathleen McAuliffe‘s This is Your Brain on Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society (Mariner Books, 2017) unveils the world of parasites. From the influence of parasites on the ability to transform rats brains to be easily susceptible to cat predation to altering web formation structures in spiders, parasites hold the power to control an animals behavior. McAuliffe illustrates the ways in which parasites have had influence in human cognition and behavior, as well, with examples of impulsivity and reckless driving. Parasites may have compounded influence in the greater dimensions of culture, where strong scientific research suggests the interplay between parasites and prejudice, political affiliation, sexual attraction, gender bias, and morality. The forgotten emotion of disgust and the avoidance of disease may be at the heart of this interplay as our innate mechanisms drive the impulse for survival. This book illuminates the role of parasites and challenges our behavioral responses to critically think and question social norms. Most importantly, McAuliffe offers the vantage point from a parasite-centric view, a voice that has been previously unheard-until now. Nivedita Kar is a student at the University of Southern California, having graduated from UCLA with a double major in Anthropology and Statistics and a masters degree for Northwestern University in biostatistics and epidemiology. She is immersed in the realm of academia and medicine, she hopes to be one of the rare few who aim to bridge the gap between clinical literacy and statistical methods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kathleen McAuliffe‘s This is Your Brain on Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society (Mariner Books, 2017) unveils the world of parasites. From the influence of parasites on the ability to transform rats brains to be easily susceptible to cat predation to altering web formation structures in spiders, parasites hold the power to control an animals behavior. McAuliffe illustrates the ways in which parasites have had influence in human cognition and behavior, as well, with examples of impulsivity and reckless driving. Parasites may have compounded influence in the greater dimensions of culture, where strong scientific research suggests the interplay between parasites and prejudice, political affiliation, sexual attraction, gender bias, and morality. The forgotten emotion of disgust and the avoidance of disease may be at the heart of this interplay as our innate mechanisms drive the impulse for survival. This book illuminates the role of parasites and challenges our behavioral responses to critically think and question social norms. Most importantly, McAuliffe offers the vantage point from a parasite-centric view, a voice that has been previously unheard-until now. Nivedita Kar is a student at the University of Southern California, having graduated from UCLA with a double major in Anthropology and Statistics and a masters degree for Northwestern University in biostatistics and epidemiology. She is immersed in the realm of academia and medicine, she hopes to be one of the rare few who aim to bridge the gap between clinical literacy and statistical methods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/medicine

Kathleen McAuliffe‘s This is Your Brain on Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society (Mariner Books, 2017) unveils the world of parasites. From the influence of parasites on the ability to transform rats brains to be easily susceptible to cat predation to altering web formation structures in spiders, parasites hold the power to control an animals behavior. McAuliffe illustrates the ways in which parasites have had influence in human cognition and behavior, as well, with examples of impulsivity and reckless driving. Parasites may have compounded influence in the greater dimensions of culture, where strong scientific research suggests the interplay between parasites and prejudice, political affiliation, sexual attraction, gender bias, and morality. The forgotten emotion of disgust and the avoidance of disease may be at the heart of this interplay as our innate mechanisms drive the impulse for survival. This book illuminates the role of parasites and challenges our behavioral responses to critically think and question social norms. Most importantly, McAuliffe offers the vantage point from a parasite-centric view, a voice that has been previously unheard-until now. Nivedita Kar is a student at the University of Southern California, having graduated from UCLA with a double major in Anthropology and Statistics and a masters degree for Northwestern University in biostatistics and epidemiology. She is immersed in the realm of academia and medicine, she hopes to be one of the rare few who aim to bridge the gap between clinical literacy and statistical methods. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/animal-studies

Kathleen McAuliffe‘s This is Your Brain on Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society (Mariner Books, 2017) unveils the world of parasites. From the influence of parasites on the ability to transform rats brains to be easily susceptible to cat predation to altering web formation structures in... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kathleen McAuliffe‘s This is Your Brain on Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society (Mariner Books, 2017) unveils the world of parasites. From the influence of parasites on the ability to transform rats brains to be easily susceptible to cat predation to altering web formation structures in spiders, parasites hold the power to control an animals behavior. McAuliffe illustrates the ways in which parasites have had influence in human cognition and behavior, as well, with examples of impulsivity and reckless driving. Parasites may have compounded influence in the greater dimensions of culture, where strong scientific research suggests the interplay between parasites and prejudice, political affiliation, sexual attraction, gender bias, and morality. The forgotten emotion of disgust and the avoidance of disease may be at the heart of this interplay as our innate mechanisms drive the impulse for survival. This book illuminates the role of parasites and challenges our behavioral responses to critically think and question social norms. Most importantly, McAuliffe offers the vantage point from a parasite-centric view, a voice that has been previously unheard-until now. Nivedita Kar is a student at the University of Southern California, having graduated from UCLA with a double major in Anthropology and Statistics and a masters degree for Northwestern University in biostatistics and epidemiology. She is immersed in the realm of academia and medicine, she hopes to be one of the rare few who aim to bridge the gap between clinical literacy and statistical methods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kathleen McAuliffe‘s This is Your Brain on Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society (Mariner Books, 2017) unveils the world of parasites. From the influence of parasites on the ability to transform rats brains to be easily susceptible to cat predation to altering web formation structures in spiders, parasites hold the power to control an animals behavior. McAuliffe illustrates the ways in which parasites have had influence in human cognition and behavior, as well, with examples of impulsivity and reckless driving. Parasites may have compounded influence in the greater dimensions of culture, where strong scientific research suggests the interplay between parasites and prejudice, political affiliation, sexual attraction, gender bias, and morality. The forgotten emotion of disgust and the avoidance of disease may be at the heart of this interplay as our innate mechanisms drive the impulse for survival. This book illuminates the role of parasites and challenges our behavioral responses to critically think and question social norms. Most importantly, McAuliffe offers the vantage point from a parasite-centric view, a voice that has been previously unheard-until now. Nivedita Kar is a student at the University of Southern California, having graduated from UCLA with a double major in Anthropology and Statistics and a masters degree for Northwestern University in biostatistics and epidemiology. She is immersed in the realm of academia and medicine, she hopes to be one of the rare few who aim to bridge the gap between clinical literacy and statistical methods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kathleen McAuliffe‘s This is Your Brain on Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society (Mariner Books, 2017) unveils the world of parasites. From the influence of parasites on the ability to transform rats brains to be easily susceptible to cat predation to altering web formation structures in spiders, parasites hold the power to control an animals behavior. McAuliffe illustrates the ways in which parasites have had influence in human cognition and behavior, as well, with examples of impulsivity and reckless driving. Parasites may have compounded influence in the greater dimensions of culture, where strong scientific research suggests the interplay between parasites and prejudice, political affiliation, sexual attraction, gender bias, and morality. The forgotten emotion of disgust and the avoidance of disease may be at the heart of this interplay as our innate mechanisms drive the impulse for survival. This book illuminates the role of parasites and challenges our behavioral responses to critically think and question social norms. Most importantly, McAuliffe offers the vantage point from a parasite-centric view, a voice that has been previously unheard-until now. Nivedita Kar is a student at the University of Southern California, having graduated from UCLA with a double major in Anthropology and Statistics and a masters degree for Northwestern University in biostatistics and epidemiology. She is immersed in the realm of academia and medicine, she hopes to be one of the rare few who aim to bridge the gap between clinical literacy and statistical methods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 2008, Big Think has been sharing big ideas from creative and curious minds. The Think Again podcast takes us out of our comfort zone, surprising our guests and Jason Gots, your host, with unexpected conversation starters from Big Think’s interview archives. Anne Rice is the author of over 30 novels. Her first, Interview with the Vampire, was published in 1976 and has gone on to become one of the best-selling novels of all time. Her latest book, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis, continues the story of Lestat while also reaching back millennia to a mysterious, vanished empire -- the lost realms of Atlantis. A past that is inextricably linked to the fate of Lestat and the Vampire kingdom he rules. In today's episode, Anne shares many thoughts on superstition, science, and why, in spite of everything, she believes humanity's going to figure things out. Surprise conversation starter interview clips in this episode: Alison Gopnik on the Science of Ghosts, Kathleen McAuliffe on the Biological Origins of Vampire Stories, Wesley Lowery on Facebook's responsibility for fake news.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 2008, Big Think has been sharing big ideas from creative and curious minds. The Think Again podcast takes us out of our comfort zone, surprising our guests and Jason Gots, your host, with unexpected conversation starters from Big Think’s interview archives. T.C. Boyle is the author of 26 books of fiction, including The Tortilla Curtain, The Harder They Come, and World’s End (which won the Pen/Faulkner award). His latest is The Terranauts--it’s about an ill-fated, very expensive and highly publicised experiment in which 4 men and 4 women try to live together for two years in a Biodome in the Arizona Desert. In this conversation, taped a couple weeks before Donald Trump was elected president, Boyle and Jason talk about the apparent implosion of the Republican party, how to grapple with existential despair when you don’t have religion to fall back on, what on Earth (or off it) humans should do when we run out of resources, and why Jason’s 8 year old son shouldn’t be afraid of getting lost in the woods. Surprise conversation starter interview clips in this episode: Kathleen McAuliffe on Conservatives and Disgust Sensitivity and Sean Wilentz on Why the Two Party System is Good for America Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sailing The World With A Hen 24-year-old Frenchman Guirec Soudee is sailing around the world with a strange companion, his chicken. He'll check in with us from Greenland and explain why he chose this first mate. This Is Your Brain On Parasites Science author Kathleen McAuliffe explains the link between Toxoplasma, a parasite cats can transmit, and it's potentially profound effects on humans, including schizophrenia and even suicide. Even dogs can be responsible for transmitting fatal parasites. This is not fiction. Every pet owner should be aware. The Lick Of Death Lori Brooks reports on a strange story about a senior that ended up in ICU after her Greyhound licked her. This cautionary tale may have you thinking twice about letting your dog lick you all over. Top Pets A new study researched all the animals that would make good pets. Believe it or not, cats and dogs are NOT even in the top 25. You may be surprised to learn what the best pet is according to this study. But you won't be able to get one in the United States. Dog Car Sickness Dr. Debbie White takes on canine car sickness. Whether your pup is scared and anxious of traveling in the car, or they actually get motion sickness, the good doctor has practical solutions for conquering the common problems. Read More…