Podcast appearances and mentions of Michael Osborne

Michael Osborne is the co-host of the podcast Famous and Gravy - a podcast that explores the lives of deceased celebrities, going beyond typical obituaries to uncover lesser-known aspects of their stories. Co-created with Ahmed Kapoor during the COVID-19 lockdown, the podcast aims to understand celebrities as symbolic representations of societal dreams and fears. As the bio says on their website, they are "close friends and back patio academics who are not what they once thought they were."Michael shares his story from being a PhD student in climate science to becoming a podcast creator. Starting with early inspirations like "This American Life" and Marc Maron, he developed a passion for storytelling through audio.After gaining traction as an independent show, "Famous and Gravy" was picked up by Wondery, a major podcast network. Osborne emphasizes the importance of thorough research, engaging storytelling, and maintaining creative control while providing inspiration for emerging podcast creators.A Transcript and video of the show is available on our network page.Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter. Full of all the things you never knew what you were missing in your life.Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here.Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show:Nlogic - TV & Radio Audience Data SolutionsMary Anne Ivison at Ivison Voice. - Make her the female voice of your radio station.Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you spend any time chatting with a modern AI chatbot, you've probably been amazed at just how human it sounds, how much it feels like you're talking to a real person. Much ink has been spilled explaining how these systems are not actually conversing, not actually understanding — they're statistical algorithms trained to predict the next likely word. But today on the show, let's flip our perspective on this. What if instead of thinking about how these algorithms are not like the human brain, we talked about how similar they are? What if we could use these large language models to help us understand how our own brains process language to extract meaning? There's no one better positioned to take us through this than returning guest Laura Gwilliams, a faculty scholar at the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Stanford Data Science Institute, and a member of the department of psychology here at Stanford.Learn more:Gwilliams' Laboratory of Speech NeuroscienceFireside chat on AI and Neuroscience at Wu Tsai Neuro's 2024 Symposium (video)The co-evolution of neuroscience and AI (Wu Tsai Neuro, 2024)How we understand each other (From Our Neurons to Yours, 2023)Q&A: On the frontiers of speech science (Wu Tsai Neuro, 2023)Computational Architecture of Speech Comprehension in the Human Brain (Annual Review of Linguistics, 2025)Hierarchical dynamic coding coordinates speech comprehension in the human brain (PMC Preprint, 2025)Behind the Scenes segment:By re-creating neural pathway in dish, Sergiu Pasca's research may speed pain treatment (Stanford Medicine, 2025)Bridging nature and nurture: The brain's flexible foundation from birth (Wu Tsai Neuro, 2025)Get in touchWe want to hear from your neurons! Email us at at neuronspodcast@stanford.edu if you'd be willing to help out with some listener research, and we'll be in touch with some follow-up questions.Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with sound design by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

We've talked about glia and sleep. We've talked about glia and neuroinflammation. We've talked about glia in the brain fog that can accompany COVID or chemotherapy. We've talked about the brain's quiet majority of non–neuronal cells in so many different contexts that it felt like it was high time for us to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. After all, glia science was founded here at Stanford in the lab of the late, great Ben Barres.No one is better suited to take us through this history and lead us to the frontiers of the field than today's guest, Brad Zuchero. A former Barres lab postdoc, and now an emerging leader in this field in his own right, Brad gives us an overview of our growing understanding of the various different kinds of glia and their roles in brain function, and shares the  exciting  discoveries emerging from his lab — including growing evidence of a role for myelin in Alzheimers disease.Learn MoreNeuroscientist Ben Barres, who identified crucial roles of glial cells, dies at 63 (Stanford Medicine, 2017)How exciting! Study reveals neurons rely on glial cells to become electrically excitable (Stanford Neurosurgery, 2024)Unlocking the secrets of myelin repair (Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, 2024)Q&A: Linking sleep, brain insulation, and neurological disease with postdoc Daniela Rojo (Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience, 2023)From angel to demon: Why some brain cells go ‘bad' (Scope Blog, 2021)Get in touchWe want to hear from your neurons! Email us at at neuronspodcast@stanford.edu if you'd be willing to help out with some listener research, and we'll be in touch with some follow-up questions.Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and supported in part by the Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience at Wu Tsai Neuro.Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

As we gain a better understanding of how misfiring brain circuits lead to mental health conditions, we'd like to be able to go in and nudge those circuits back into balance. But this is hard — literally — because the brain is encased in this thick bony skull. Plus, often the problem you want to target is buried deep in the middle of a maze of delicate brain tissue you need to preserve.Today we're going to be talking with neuroscientists who aim to solve this problem with sound. And not just any sound: ultrasound.Kim Butts Pauly and Raag Airan from the Stanford Department of Radiology are developing ultrasound technology in a couple of different ways to essentially reach into the brain to treat brain disorders that are otherwise hard to access. These uses of ultrasound haven't yet reached the clinic, but could be entering clinical testing in people in the next few years. Mentioned on the ShowMeet the 2025 Neurosciences Postdoctoral Scholars (Wu Tsai Neuro, 2025)Butts Pauly LabAiran LabNon-invasive brain stimulation opens new ways to study and treat the brain (Wu Tsai Neuro, 2025)Advancing Brain Resilience: 2024 Catalyst and Pilot Grant Awards (Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience, 2024)Researchers find response to ketamine depends on opioid pathways, but varies by sex (Stanford Medicine)A New Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation System for Preclinical Brain Research (Focused Ultrasound Foundation, 2024)Translating Neuroscience Advances into Real World Uses (Wu Tsai Neuro, 2023)Get in touchWe want to hear from your neurons! Email us at at neuronspodcast@stanford.edu if you'd be willing to help out with some listener research, and we'll be in touch with some follow-up questions.Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and supported in part by the Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience at Wu Tsai NeuSend us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

We're kicking off our new season with a deep dive into one of neuroscience's most fascinating mysteries: sleep. This unconscious third of our lives isn't just about rest – it's absolutely critical for brain health, memory consolidation, and overall well-being. But here's where it gets intriguing: recent research suggests that increased napping as we age might be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's disease.To unpack this complex relationship, we're thrilled to welcome back Erin Gibson, assistant professor of psychiatry at Stanford School of Medicine and Wu Tsai Neuro affiliate. We'll explore whether age-related sleep changes are potential contributors to brain degeneration or valuable early indicators of otherwise invisible brain disorders, possibly opening doors for early intervention.We'll also learn about Gibson's research, supported by the Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience at Wu Tsai Neuro, which investigates how myelin—the insulation of our nerve cells—could be a key missing link in understanding the relationship between sleep and brain health.Join us for an enlightening discussion that might just change how you think about your nightly slumber and its profound impact on long-term cognitive function. Mentioned on the ShowDopamine and serotonin work in opposition to shape learningGibson Lab at Stanford University School of MedicineSurprising finding links sleep, brain insulation, and neurodegeneration | Knight InitiativeExtended napping in seniors may signal dementia | UCSFRelated EpisodesRespect your Biological Clock | Erin GibsonWhy sleep keeps us young | Luis de LeceaWhy new Alzheimer's drugs don't work | Mike GreiciusGet in touchWe want to hear from your neurons! Email us at at neuronspodcast@stanford.edu if you'd be willing to help out with some listener research, and we'll be in touch with some follow-up questions.Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker and research assistance by G Kumar. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and supported in part by the Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Today, we are speaking with the one and only Robert Sapolsky, a Stanford neurobiologist, a MacArthur "Genius", and best-selling author of books exploring the nature of stress, social behavior, and — as he puts it — "the biology of the human predicament." In his latest book, Determined, Sapolsky assertively lays out his vision of a world without free will — a world where as much as we feel like we're making decisions, the reality is that our choices are completely determined by biological and environmental factors outside of our control.Before we get into it, it's worth saying that where this is heading, the reason to care about this question is that Sapolsky's argument has profound moral implications for our understanding of justice, personal responsibility, and whether any of us deserve to be judged or praised for our actions.Mentioned on the ShowDetermined: A Science of Life Without Free Will (Sapolsky, 2023)Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst (Sapolsky, 2018 )A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons (Sapolsky, 2002)Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will (Mitchell, 2023) Sapolsky / Mitchell Debates – Part 1 (2023), Part 2 (2024)Related EpisodesIs addiction a disease? | Keith HumphreysBrain stimulation & "psychiatry 3.0" | Nolan WilliamsHow we understand each other | Laura GwilliamsGet in touchWe're doing some listener research and we want to hear from your neurons! Email us at at neuronspodcast@stanford.edu if you'd be willing to help out, and we'll be in touch with some follow-up questions.Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Join us as we dive back into the world of psychedelic medicine with anesthesiologists Boris Heifets and Theresa Lii, who share intriguing new data that sheds light on how ketamine and placebo effects may interact in treating depression.We explore provocative questions like: How much of ketamine's antidepressant effect comes from the drug itself versus the excitement of being in a psychedelics trial? What do we know about how placebo actually works in the brain? And should we view the placebo effect as a feature rather than a bug in psychiatric treatment?Join us as we examine the complex interplay between psychoactive drugs, the brain's own opioid system, and the healing power of hope in mental health care.Related researchPreprint: Opioids Diminish the Placebo Antidepressant Response: A Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Ketamine Trial (medRxiv, 2024)Randomized trial of ketamine masked by surgical anesthesia in patients with depression (Nature Mental Health, 2023)Related episodesPsychedelics, placebo, and anesthetic dreams | Boris Heifets (Part 1) Psychedelics Inside Out: How do LSD and psilocybin alter perception? | Boris Heifets (Part 2)OCD and Ketamine | Carolyn RodriguezPsychedelics and Empathy: Why are psychiatrists taking a fresh look at MDMA? | Rob MalenkaRelated newsResearchers find response to ketamine depends on opioid pathways, but varies by sex (Stanford Medicine, 2024)The rebirth of psychedelic medicine (Wu Tsai Neuro, 2023)Can Psychedelic Drugs Treat Physical Pain? (Scientific American, 2022)Scientists Say A Mind-Bending Rhythm In The Brain Can Act Like Ketamine (NPR, 2020)Get in touchWe're doing some listener research and we want to hear from your neurons! Email us at at neuronspodcast@stanford.edu if you'd be willing to help out, and we'll be in touch with some follow-up questions.Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hostSend us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Earlier this year, President Obama's signature BRAIN Initiative, which has powered advances in neuroscience for the past 10 years, had its budget slashed by 40%. Over the past decade, the BRAIN Initiative made roughly $4 billion in targeted investments in more than 1500 research projects across the country and has dramatically accelerated progress tackling fundamental challenges in neuroscience. As we head into the next federal budget cycle, the future of the initiative remains uncertain. Today we take stock of how the BRAIN Initiative transformed neuroscience over the past 10 years, and what the outlook is for the future of the field.To give us an unparalleled behind the scenes view, we are fortunate to have Bill Newsome with us on the show. A world renowned expert in the brain mechanisms of visual perception and decision-making, Bill co-chaired the original BRAIN Initiative planning committee in 2013 (the same year he became the founding director of the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute here at Stanford). Don't miss this conversation!Learn MoreAbout the BRAIN Initiative NIH BRAIN Initiative websiteA Leader of Obama's New Brain Initiative Explains Why We Need It (WIRED, April 2013)BRAIN @ 10: A decade of innovation (Neuron, Sept 2024)Reflecting on a decade of BRAIN—10 Institutes and Centers, one mission (NIH BRAIN Blog, Aug 2024)About last year's funding cuts: Understanding the BRAIN Initiative budget (NIH BRAIN Initiative)$278 million cut in BRAIN Initiative funding leaves neuroscientists in limbo (The Transmitter, April 2024)The Future of BRAIN Initiative Funding Remains Unclear (The Transmitter, July 2024)Get in touchWe're doing some listener research and we want to hear from your neurons! Email us at at neuronspodcast@stanford.edu if you'd be willing to help out, and we'll be in touch with some follow-up questions.Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Given the widespread legalization of cannabis for medical and recreational uses, you'd think we'd have a better understanding of how it works. But ask a neuroscientist exactly how cannabinoid compounds like THC and CBD alter our perceptions or lead to potential medical benefits, and you'll soon learn just how little we know.We know that these molecules hijack an ancient signaling system in the brain called the "endocannabinoid" system (translation: the "cannabinoids within"). These somewhat exotic signaling molecules (made of fatty lipids and traveling "backwards" compared to other transmitters) have been deeply mysterious until recently, when new tools made it possible to visualize their activity directly in the brain.So what is the "day job" of the endocannabinoid system — and how does it connect to the dramatic highs that come with taking THC or the medical benefits of CBD? To unpack all this, we're talking this week with neuroscientist Ivan Soltesz, the James Doty Professor of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience at Stanford, and a leading expert on the endocannabinoid system.Learn MoreThe Soltesz Lab"Weeding out bad waves: towards selective cannabinoid circuit control in epilepsy" (Soltesz et al, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2015) "Keep off the grass? Cannabis, cognition and addiction" (Parsons et al, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2016)"Marijuana-like brain substance calms seizures but increases aftereffects, study finds" (Goldman, Stanford Medicine News, 2021)"Retrograde endocannabinoid signaling at inhibitory synapses in vivo" (Dudok et al, Science, 2024)Vote for us!We are a finalist for a prestigious Signal Award for Best Science Podcast of 2024! Share your love for the show by voting for us in the Listener's Choice category by October 17. Thanks in advance!Get in touch:We're doing some listener research and we want to hear from your neurons! Email us at at neuronspodcast@stanford.edu if you'd be willing to help out, and we'll be in touch with some follow-up questions.Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Today we are re-releasing an episode we did last year with Stanford neurobiologist Lisa Giocomo exploring the intersection of memory, navigation and the boundaries we create between ourselves and the world around us.This episode was inspired by the idea of memory palaces. The idea is simple: Take a place you're very familiar with, say the house you grew up in, and place information you want to remember in different locations within that space. When it's time to remember those things, you can mentally walk through that space and retrieve those items.This ancient technique reveals something very fundamental about how our brains work. It turns out that the same parts of the brain are responsible both for memory and for navigating through the world.Scientists are learning more and more about these systems and the connections between them, and it's revealing surprising insights about how we build the narrative of our lives, how we turn our environments into an internal model of who we are, and where we fit into the world.Join us to learn more about the neuroscience of space and memory.Before we get into this week's episode, we have a favor to ask. We're working to make this show even better, and we want to hear from you. We're in the process of gathering listener input and feedback. If you'd be willing to help out, send us a short note and we'll be in touch. As always, we are at neuronspodcast@stanford.eduLearn more:About Lisa Giocomo's researchAbout the story of Henry Molaison (patient H. M.), who lost the ability to form new memories after epilepsy treatment removed his hippocampus.About the 2014 Nobel Prize in medicine, awarded to John O'Keefe and to May-Britt and Edvard Moser (Giocomo's mentors) for their discovery of the GPS system of the brain.About Memory Palaces, a technique used since ancient times to enhance memory using mental maps.Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

In the past few years, Big Pharma has released not one, but three new treatments for Alzheimer's disease. Aducanemab (2021), Lecanemab (2023), and Donanemab (2024), are the first treatments to effectively clear the brain of amyloid plaques — the sticky protein clumps whose build-up in the brain has defined the disease for decades. The problem? They may not help patients at all.Today's guest, Stanford neurologist Mike Greicius, considers the new amyloid-clearing drugs a major disappointment — and worse, says they likely do more harm than good for patients.Despite this critique, Greicius, thinks that the next few years will be an exciting time for novel Alzheimer's therapies, as growing biological understanding of Alzheimer's risk and resilience bear fruit with promising new approaches to treatment.Learn More:Greicius is the Iqbal Farrukh and Asad Jamal Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford Medicine, and a member of the Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Stanford University.Amyloid Drug Skepticism:Substantial Doubt Remains about the Efficacy of Anti-Amyloid Antibodies(Commentary, Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2024)New Drug Approved for Early Alzheimer's (New York Times, 2024)Alzheimer's drug adoption in US slowed by doctors' skepticism (Reuters, 2024)One step back: Why the new Alzheimer's plaque-attack drugs don't work (Stanford Medicine Scope Blog, 2024)Alzheimer's Genetics Research:Knight-funded research uncovers gene mutations that may prevent Alzheimer's Disease (Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience, 2024)Why is a common gene variant bad for your brain? (Stanford Medicine Magazine, 2024)Scientists find genetic Alzheimer's risk factor tied to African ancestry (Stanford Medicine, 2023)Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker, and hosted by Nicholas Weiler. Art by Aimee Garza.Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Getting help for depression can be like purgatory. Setting aside for a moment the stigma and other barriers to seeking treatment in the first place, finding the right combination of medication and/or therapy can be a months- or years-long process of trial and error. And for about one third of people, nothing seems to work.Today we're talking with Dr. Leanne Williams, the founding director of the Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health and Wellness and Vincent V.C. Woo Professor in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Williams and her team have recently used brain imaging and machine learning techniques to identify six distinct "biotypes" of depression — each of which may require a different approach to treatment. Beyond setting the stage for more targeted therapies, better understanding the biology behind the disease could finally cut through the stigma of one of the world's most common brain disorders.Learn moreWilliams' Personalized and Translational Neuroscience Lab (PANlab)The Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health and WellnessSix distinct types of depression identified in Stanford Medicine-led study(Stanford Medicine, 2024)Personalized brain circuit scores identify clinically distinct biotypes in depression and anxiety (Nature Medicine, 2024)Brain scans could help personalize treatment for people who are depressed or suicidal (Science, 2022)Williams' scientific publicationsEpisode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker, and hosted by Nicholas Weiler. Art by Aimee Garza.Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Today, we're talking with Stanford neuro-oncologist, Michelle Monje. This is actually the third time we've had Michelle on the show, in part because she's been a pioneer of three exciting frontiers in neuroscience — so far! This week, we're going to talk about cancer neuroscience. Michelle founded this new field with her discovery that deadly brain tumors not only link up physically with the healthy brain tissue surrounding them, but the cancers actually need the brain's electrical activity to grow and spread.It turns out that many cancers — not only in the brain — depend on nervous system innervation for their survival. Understanding this dependent relationship better may present an exciting new line of attack for oncology. Join us to learn more!News coverageBrain tumors caused by normal neuron activity in mice predisposed to such tumorsBrain tumors form synapses with healthy neurons, Stanford-led study findsDeadly brain cancers act like 'vampires' by hijacking normal cells to growEngineered immune cells target broad range of pediatric solid tumors in miceRelevant PublicationsGlioma synapses recruit mechanisms of adaptive plasticityGlioblastoma remodelling of human neural circuits decreases survivalElectrical and synaptic integration of glioma into neural circuitsTargeting neuronal activity-regulated neuroligin-3 dependency in high-grade gliomaNeuronal Activity Promotes Glioma Growth through Neuroligin-3 SecretionReview ArticlesThe neuroscience of cancerCancer hallmarks intersect with neuroscience in the tumor microenvironmentRoadmap for the Emerging Field of Cancer NeuroscienceEpisode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker, and hosted by Nicholas Weiler. Art by Aimee Garza.Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This week on From Our Neurons to Yours, we're talking about using new techniques for growing human brain tissue in the lab to solve a rare neurological disorder.Host Nicholas Weiler sits down with Sergiu Pasca an innovative Stanford scientist who has developed groundbreaking technologies to grow human brain tissue in the lab, creating "organoids" and "assembloids" that model brain disorders like autism and schizophrenia. Pasca describes the process of turning patient skin cells into embryo-like stem cells and then into functional brain cells that can live and develop for over two years, and even be transplanted into rat brains to study their growth and development.It may sound like science fiction, but these techniques represent a major step toward understanding and treating complex neurological conditions such as Timothy syndrome, a rare genetic disorder whose biology Pasca has spent the past 15 years unraveling. Join us for fascinating glimpse into the future of developmental neuroscience and  potential for new therapies for our remarkable self-assembling brains.Learn moreBrain organoids and assembloids are new models for elucidating, treating neurodevelopmental disorders | News Center | Stanford MedicineImpact of genes linked to neurodevelopmental diseases found | News Center | Stanford MedicineScientists discover how dozens of genes may contribute to autism - The Washington PostStudy suggests approach for treating rare disorder | National Institutes of Health (NIH)How lab-grown brain cells can now help us understand brain disordersEpisode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker, and hosted by Nicholas Weiler. Art by Aimee Garza.Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This person died 2016 at age 69. He suffered a blow in a teenage brawl that caused his left pupil to be permanently dilated. He experimented with startling transformations, often playing up an androgynous image. In the 1980s he had a Broadway run in the demanding title role of “The Elephant Man”. Nirvana chose to sing one of his songs in their legendary brief set on “MTV Unplugged” in 1993. He was the Thin White Duke, Aladdin Sane, Major Tom, and Ziggy Stardust. Today's dead celebrity is David Bowie.This episode originally published March 8, 2023.Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.comIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 66 “Let's Get Metaphysical” (Olivia Newton-John) and Episode 32 “Hot Stuff” (Donna Summer)LINKS:Transcript of this episodeNew York Times Obituary for David Bowie17-year old David interviewed about Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenInfamous Bowie Interview on Dick Cavett show in 1974Bowie as musical guest on SNL in 1979“Iman on LIfe with David Bowie” in Vanity FairWill Ferrell and John C Reilly play David Bowie and Bing CrosbyDavid Bowie scene on ‘Extras' with Ricky Gervais“Did David Bowie Say He Supports Fascism” article on SnopesDavid Bowie predicted impact of the internet in 1999 BBC interviewDead or Alive quiz gameFamous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, TwitterFamous & Gravy official websiteSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, we're going to talk about virtual reality and how it could be used to treat depression. We're talking with psychiatrist Kim Bullock, the founding director of Stanford's Neurobehavioral Clinic and Virtual Reality & Immersive Technologies (VRIT) program. Dr. Bullock — a physician certified in Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatry, and Lifestyle Medicine — calls herself a "radical behaviorist." Like other practitioners of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), she sees the troublesome thoughts and emotional states of many psychiatric disorders as just another form of behavior, which can be reshaped through self awareness and practice — much like you might work at avoiding junk food or not biting your nails.Of course, one of the biggest challenges is the practice part. It's no easy task for patients to practice experiencing the world in a more positive, healthy way. This is why Bullock is eager for practitioners of CBT and related forms of psychotherapy to embrace virtual reality technologies — which enable psychiatrists to prescribe precisely calibrated "experiences" to treat cognitive & behavioral disorders.We started by discussing early results from a clinical trial for a virtual reality-enhanced intervention major depressive disorder, which Dr. Bullock recently launched with support from the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute Neuroscience:Translate program. Join us to learn more about how VR is transforming the world of psychotherapy!Learn MoreImagining virtual reality as a simple tool to treat depression  (Stanford Medicine, 2024)Extended Reality(XR) enhanced behavioral activation for treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (2022 Neuroscience:Translate grant)Clinical Trial: Virtual Reality Behavioral Activation: An Intervention for Major Depressive DisorderThe Stanford Virtual Reality and Immersive Technologies (VR-IT) ProgramRecent VR-IT publicationsEpisode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker, and hosted by Nicholas Weiler. Art by Aimee Garza.Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This person died in 2014 at age 85. In the 1930s, she was a determined child actress who sang and tap-danced her way to the height of Hollywood stardom. For at least 5 consecutive years, she was the most popular movie star in America. She was appointed as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly by Richard Nixon. In 1972, she held a news conference in her hospital room after her mastectomy, encouraging women discovering breast lumps to not be afraid. She was the United States ambassador to Ghana from 1974 to 1976, and to Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992. Today's dead celebrity is Shirley Temple Black.  Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com LINKS: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Shirley Temple Black Classic Shirley Temple scene “On The Good Ship Lollipop” “The Child Star Who Wasn't a Cautionary Tale” from The Atlantic Shirley Temple Black on Larry King Live How to Make a Shirley Temple drink Dead or Alive quiz game Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Famous & Gravy official website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This person died in 2014 at age 85. In the 1930s, she was a determined child actress who sang and tap-danced her way to the height of Hollywood stardom. For at least 5 consecutive years, she was the most popular movie star in America. She was appointed as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly by Richard Nixon. In 1972, she held a news conference in her hospital room after her mastectomy, encouraging women discovering breast lumps to not be afraid. She was the United States ambassador to Ghana from 1974 to 1976, and to Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992. Today's dead celebrity is Shirley Temple Black.  Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com LINKS: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Shirley Temple Black Classic Shirley Temple scene “On The Good Ship Lollipop” “The Child Star Who Wasn't a Cautionary Tale” from The Atlantic Shirley Temple Black on Larry King Live How to Make a Shirley Temple drink Dead or Alive quiz game Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Famous & Gravy official website

The skin is full of contradictions. It's soft and sensitive, but also tough and resilient, even self-healing. It's both the barrier that protects us from infections and our most intimate connection with the outside world. Today's guest, Zhenan Bao, has spent the last two decades reverse engineering the skin's many remarkable properties in order to create wearable electronics that are just as soft, flexible, and versatile as the skin itself.Bao envisions a world where stick-on devices could help heal injuries, manage anxiety, and even enhance our perceptions, and soft, implanted devices could give neurosciences new insights into the workings of the body and brain.In today's episode, we talk about what makes the skin such an intriguing problem for an engineer like Bao; some of the many applications of her technology for medicine, neuroscience, and mental health; and its potential to enhance or extend our perceptions.Bao is K.K. Lee Professor of Chemical Engineering at Stanford and founding director of eWEAR — the Stanford Wearable Electronics Initiative.Learn MoreBao Lab websiteStanford Wearable Electronics Initiative (eWEAR)Advancing toward wearable, stretchable electronics | Stanford News (2024)Soft ‘e-skin' that talks to the brain | Stanford News (2023)The Science of Skin | STANFORD magazine (2023)Skin Inspired Electronics: Changing the Future of Electronics with Zhenan Bao (2023)Dr. Zhenan Bao Keynote - Stanford Center for Precision Mental Health & Wellness Symposium (2022)Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker, and hosted by Nicholas Weiler. Art by Aimee Garza.Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This person died in 2019, age 76. In 1958 when he was 14, his father died immediately after performing a roast for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. His dry delivery piqued the interest of Tom Smothers, who offered him a job in the late 1960s as a writer on the “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” He was roommates with Steve Martin for a number of years, and his younger brother is the renowned comedian and filmmaker Albert Brooks. His most famous and long-lived character was a witless, deadpan parody of bravado-fueled stuntmen like Evel Knievel. Recently, he starred as Marty Funkhouser on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Today's dead celebrity is Bob Einstein.  This episode originally published December 14, 2022. Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 75 “Love and OJ Jokes” (Norm Macdonald) and Episode 58 “Best in Show” (Fred Willard) LINKS: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Bob Einstein Super Dave Osborne King of the Road video Super Dave Bungee Jump video Scene in Modern Romance with Bob Einstein and Albert Brooks “Super Dave, In Memoriam” article in The Yorker “Mourning Marty Funkhouser” article in The Ringer Bob Einstein Official Website The Super Bob Einstein Movie HBO Documentary Dead or Alive quiz game Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Famous & Gravy official website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This person died in 2019, age 76. In 1958 when he was 14, his father died immediately after performing a roast for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. His dry delivery piqued the interest of Tom Smothers, who offered him a job in the late 1960s as a writer on the “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” He was roommates with Steve Martin for a number of years, and his younger brother is the renowned comedian and filmmaker Albert Brooks. His most famous and long-lived character was a witless, deadpan parody of bravado-fueled stuntmen like Evel Knievel. Recently, he starred as Marty Funkhouser on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Today's dead celebrity is Bob Einstein.  This episode originally published December 14, 2022. Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Visit our website at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our free mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 75 “Love and OJ Jokes” (Norm Macdonald) and Episode 58 “Best in Show” (Fred Willard) LINKS: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Bob Einstein Super Dave Osborne King of the Road video Super Dave Bungee Jump video Scene in Modern Romance with Bob Einstein and Albert Brooks “Super Dave, In Memoriam” article in The Yorker “Mourning Marty Funkhouser” article in The Ringer Bob Einstein Official Website The Super Bob Einstein Movie HBO Documentary Dead or Alive quiz game Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Famous & Gravy official website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're diving into recent research that sheds light on a new form of brain plasticity involving changes in the insulation of nerve fibers — called myelin.  It turns out that myelin plasticity is implicated in a number of serious conditions, from epilepsy to drug abuse and addiction.We're excited to bring back two previous guests on the show to share their insights on this previously unknown form of plasticity:  Stanford psychiatry professor Rob Malenka (S1 E1 - Psychedelics and Empathy),  a pioneer in the study of synaptic plasticity and addiction, and neuro-oncologist Michelle Monje (S1 E12 - Brain Fog), who made some of the very first observations of myelin plasticity in the brain, essentially founding this field.Together, they discuss their recent findings on the role of myelin plasticity in opioid addiction and its implications for understanding addictive behaviors.Get ready to nerd out as we uncover a new angle on our brain's remarkable capacity for change.Learn MoreMyelination in the brain may be key to ‘learning' opioid addiction | Stanford Medicine (2024)Adaptive and maladaptive myelination in health and disease | Nature Reviews Neurology (2022)Brain plasticity promotes worsening of epileptic seizures, study finds | Stanford Medicine (2022)The Brain Learns in Unexpected Ways | Scientific American (2020)Brain boosting: It's not just grey matter that matters | New Scientist (2015)Neural activity promotes brain plasticity through myelin growth, researchers find | News Center | Stanford Medicine (2014)Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker, and hosted by Nicholas Weiler. Art by Aimee Garza.Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This person died in 2016, age 69. In an acting career spanning more than 40 years, he played a panoply of fascinating characters. He had his early successes in stage works involving the Royal Shakespeare Company. Though he was never nominated for an Academy Award, he shrugged off the value of awards in general. He gained a worldwide audience in “Die Hard,” playing Hans Gruber, the devious, well-spoken terrorist who took over the fictional Nakatomi Plaza. More recently, he played the notorious professor Severus Snape in the “Harry Potter” series. Today's dead celebrity is Alan Rickman.  This episode originally published November 2, 2022. Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 55 “Pure Imagination” (Gene Wilder) and Episode 44 “Inner Soprano” (James Gandolfini) LINKS:: Transcript of this episode New York Times obituary for Alan Rickman Emma Thompson tribute to Alan Rickman Kevin Smith tribute to Alan Rickman Hans Gruber fall in Die Hard Alan Rickman's voicemail bit on Family Guy Alan Rickman takes Jimmy Fallon to task Alan Rickman behind the scenes of Harry Potter as Snape Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This person died in 2016, age 69. In an acting career spanning more than 40 years, he played a panoply of fascinating characters. He had his early successes in stage works involving the Royal Shakespeare Company. Though he was never nominated for an Academy Award, he shrugged off the value of awards in general. He gained a worldwide audience in “Die Hard,” playing Hans Gruber, the devious, well-spoken terrorist who took over the fictional Nakatomi Plaza. More recently, he played the notorious professor Severus Snape in the “Harry Potter” series. Today's dead celebrity is Alan Rickman.  This episode originally published November 2, 2022. Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 55 “Pure Imagination” (Gene Wilder) and Episode 44 “Inner Soprano” (James Gandolfini) LINKS: Transcript of this episode New York Times obituary for Alan Rickman Emma Thompson tribute to Alan Rickman Kevin Smith tribute to Alan Rickman Hans Gruber fall in Die Hard Alan Rickman's voicemail bit on Family Guy Alan Rickman takes Jimmy Fallon to task Alan Rickman behind the scenes of Harry Potter as Snape Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

-- We're re-releasing our conversation with Carla Shatz, one of our favorites from the archive, which comes up all the time on the show in the context of brain plasticity and aging. Enjoy, and see you next time! -NW -- When we're kids, our brains are amazing at learning. We absorb information from the outside world with ease, and we can adapt to anything. But as we age, our brains become a little more fixed. Our brain circuits become a little less flexible. You may have heard of a concept called neuroplasticity, our brain's ability to change or rewire itself. This is of course central to learning and memory, but it's also important for understanding a surprisingly wide array of medical conditions, including things like epilepsy, depression, even Alzheimer's disease. Today's guest, Carla Shatz, is a pioneer in understanding how our brains are sculpted by our experiences. She's credited with coining the phrase neurons that fire together, wire together. Her work over the past 40 years is foundational to how we understand the brain today. So I was excited to talk to Shatz about our brain's capacity for change, and I started off by asking about this sort of simple question, why exactly do we have this learning superpower as kids to do things like pick up languages and why does it go away?Shatz is Sapp Family Provostial Professor of Biology and of Neurobiology and the Catherine Holman Johnson director of Stanford Bio-X. Learn MoreIn conversation with Carla Shatz (Nature Neuroscience)Carla Shatz, her breakthrough discovery in vision and the developing brain (Stanford Medicine Magazine)Making an Old Brain Young | Carla Shatz (TEDxStanford)Carla Shatz Kavli Prize Laureate LectureStanford scientists discover a protein in nerves that determines which brain connections stay and which go (Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute)Episode CreditsThis episode was produced by Webby award-winning producer Michael Osborne, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker, and hosted by Nicholas Weiler. Art by Aimee Garza.Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This person died in 2016 at age 57. He won an Academy Award in 1985, and a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He was still a teenager when he was signed to Warner Bros Records, in a deal that included full creative control. His work inspired the formation of the Parents' Music Resource Center, which pressured record companies into labeling albums to warn of explicit content. In 1993 he changed his stage name to an unpronounceable glyph, and for a while he was referred to as “The Artist Formerly Known As”. His chart-topping hits included “Let's Go Crazy”, “When Doves Cry”, and “Purple Rain”. Today's dead celebrity is Prince. Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode features Nichelle Carr as guest host, and was produced by Megan Palmer. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 45 “Rebel Rebel” (David Bowie) and Episode 21 “Florida Man” (Tom Petty) LINKS: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Prince Black Women of Amherst College podcast series Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories on Chappelle Show Dick Clark interviews Prince on American Bandstand in 1980 Chris Rock interviews Prince in 1997 Prince's performance at the 2004 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This person died in 2016 at age 57. He won an Academy Award in 1985, and a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He was still a teenager when he was signed to Warner Bros Records, in a deal that included full creative control. His work inspired the formation of the Parents' Music Resource Center, which pressured record companies into labeling albums to warn of explicit content. In 1993 he changed his stage name to an unpronounceable glyph, and for a while he was referred to as “The Artist Formerly Known As”. His chart-topping hits included “Let's Go Crazy”, “When Doves Cry”, and “Purple Rain”. Today's dead celebrity is Prince. Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode features Nichelle Carr as guest host, and was produced by Megan Palmer. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 45 “Rebel Rebel” (David Bowie) and Episode 21 “Florida Man” (Tom Petty) LINKS: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Prince Black Women of Amherst College podcast series Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories on Chappelle Show Dick Clark interviews Prince on American Bandstand in 1980 Chris Rock interviews Prince in 1997 Prince's performance at the 2004 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The powerful new generation of AI tools that has come out over the past few years —  DALL-E, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and the rest — have blown away our old ideas about what AI can do and raised questions about what it means for computers to start acting... intelligent?This week, we ask what the rise of these systems might teach us about our own biological intelligence — and vice versa. What does modern neuroscience have to say about how AI could become as flexible, efficient, and resilient as the human brain. Few people are better positioned to speak to the intersection of neuroscience and AI than today's guest: Surya Ganguli. Ganguli's lab produced some of the first diffusion models — which are at the foundation of today's AI revolution — and is now working to understand how complex emergent properties arise from biological and artificial neural networks. Ganguli is a member of the Neuroscience Theory Center at the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, a Senior Fellow at Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI), and an associate professor in Stanford's Department of Applied Physics. Further ReadingInterpreting the retinal neural code for natural scenes: From computations to neurons (Neuron, 2023)Beyond neural scaling laws: beating power law scaling via data pruning (arXiv, 2023)Cortical layer-specific critical dynamics triggering perception (Science, 2019)Stanford team stimulates neurons to induce particular perceptions in mice's minds (Stanford Medicine, 2019)What DALL-E reveals about human creativity (Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, 2023)Visit us!Want to learn more about AI and Neuroscience? Join us at Wu Tsai Neuro's annual symposium on October 17, 2024, which will showcase the frontiers of biological and artificial intelligence research. (More details coming soon!)Episode creditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This person died in 2016 at age 99. She appeared as a nightclub manager in Orson Welles' 1958 “Touch of Evil”, and the same year as a sexy alien in “Queen of Outer Space.” She appeared on scores of talk shows, game shows, comedy specials, and episodic dramas. In 1989, she was arrested for slapping a police officer. She was married at least eight times, and called everyone “Dahlink.” Today's dead celebrity is Zsa Zsa Gabor.  Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 66 “Let's Get Metaphysical” (Olivia Newton-John) and Episode 47 “Proud Mary” (Mary Tyler Moore) LINKS: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Zsa Zsa Gabor “Why I wish I married Zsa Zsa Gabor” from The Guardian Life Advice Straight From Zsa Zsa Gabor's Book  “Judge Slaps Zsa Zsa with 3 days in jail” from LA Times Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game HPB.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At some point in our lives, we all struggle with memory — learning a new name, remembering that book you were reading just yesterday or that word on the tip of your tongue. So what can neuroscience teach us about why we remember, why we forget, and how we might even improve our memories? To answer this question, I spoke with neuroscientist Anthony Wagner, a memory expert in Stanford's Department of Psychology.Learn MoreWagner lab websiteRecent lab publicationsAnthony's new book: Brain Sciences for Lawyers, Judges, and Policymakers (2024). Jones, O. D., Schall, J. D., Shen, F. X., Hoffman, M. B., & Wagner, A. D. Oxford University Press. OrderStress thwarts our ability to plan ahead by disrupting how we use memory, Stanford study finds (Stanford News 2020)Stanford researchers link poor memory to attention lapses and media multitasking (Stanford News, 2020)Episode creditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Send us a text!Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This person died in 2016 at age 99. She appeared as a nightclub manager in Orson Welles' 1958 “Touch of Evil”, and the same year as a sexy alien in “Queen of Outer Space.” She appeared on scores of talk shows, game shows, comedy specials, and episodic dramas. In 1989, she was arrested for slapping a police officer. She was married at least eight times, and called everyone “Dahlink.” Today's dead celebrity is Zsa Zsa Gabor.  Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 66 “Let's Get Metaphysical” (Olivia Newton-John) and Episode 47 “Proud Mary” (Mary Tyler Moore) LINKS: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Zsa Zsa Gabor “Why I wish I married Zsa Zsa Gabor” from The Guardian Life Advice Straight From Zsa Zsa Gabor's Book  “Judge Slaps Zsa Zsa with 3 days in jail” from LA Times Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game HPB.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we're going to talk about how psychedelics alter our perception of reality and what that says about... reality! Welcome  to part two of our conversation with Stanford anesthesiologist and psychedelics researcher Boris Heifets! Last time, we talked with Boris about the question of why psychedelics help people with mental health disorders. This week, we're going to dive into a different question, which is to explore how psychedelics work in the brain. How are they able to alter something as fundamental as our perceptions of reality — and could understanding these effects teach us about the nature of our everyday perceptions?Learn more:Review: Therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelics and entactogens (Heifets and Olsen, 2024)As psychedelics near approval, there's no consensus on how they work (STAT News, 2023)How do psychedelics work? (Carhart-Harris, 2019)Heifets Lab websiteEpisode creditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This person died in 2014 at age 86. She was a Tony-nominated stage actress, and a calypso dancer for a period of time.. In 2011 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was a college professor and a ubiquitous presence on the lecture circuit, and also made several appearances on Sesame Street. Throughout her writing, she explored the concepts of personal identity and resilience through the multifaceted lens of race, sex, family, community and the collective past. In 1969 she published her landmark book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. Today's dead celebrity is Maya Angelou.  This episode originally published February 8, 2023. Listen to the Sound Judgment podcast in which Michael and Amit discuss this Maya Angelou episode  Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. For updates on the show, please sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com. Also, enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 71 “Defiant One” (Sidney Poitier) and Episode 61 “Dame Detective” (Angela Lansburyi). Links: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Maya Angelou ‘Sound Judgment' podcast discussing this episode Maya Angelou's poem at the 1993 inauguration Tracy Morgan's impersonation of Angelou's Hallmark Cards on SNL Maya Angelou for Froot Loops on SNL performed by David Alan Grier Maya Angelou's Life in Photos in the New Yorker “And I Still Rise” Documentary on Maya Angelou Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game HPB.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Psychedelics are a hot topic in psychiatry today.  They're producing dramatic reversals for patients with severe depression, PTSD, and other mental health conditions. But scientists still have fundamental questions about why these drugs are so effective. For example, is the "trip" even necessary? Some think it is not and are working to design drugs with similar brain chemistry but no psychoactive effects — “Taking the trip out of the drug.” Others suspect that many of the benefits of psychedelics can be attributed to hype and expectation: People expect to get better, so they do. Normally scientists control for placebo using a blinded study where patients don't know if they're getting the real treatment or a sugar pill. But how are you going to do this with mind-altering substances? Patients are probably going to figure out pretty quickly whether they got a sugar cube with or without LSD. Today's guest, Stanford anesthesiologist Boris Heifets, has come up with a particularly clever strategy to tease apart the psychedelic experience, biochemistry, hype and placebo. Listen for the whole story!Learn more:The Heifets Lab at Stanford MedicineDepression, ketamine & anesthesia:Randomized trial of ketamine masked by surgical anesthesia in patients with depression (Nature 2023 - paywall)Ketamine's effect on depression may hinge on hope (Stanford Medicine, 2023)Anesthetic dreams and trauma recovery:Case report 1: dreaming & knife attack (A & A Practice, 2022 - paywall)Case report 2: dreaming & PTSD (American Journal of Psychiatry, 2024)Could anesthesia-induced dreams wipe away trauma? (Stanford Medicine, 2024)Video: Mothers with PTSD following their sons' deaths talk about dreaming of their sons under anesthesia (Heifets Lab, 2024 — content advisory)Related episodes:S1 E1: Psychedelics and EmpathyS3 E3: OCD and KetamineEpisode creditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This person died in 2014 at age 86. She was a Tony-nominated stage actress, and a calypso dancer for a period of time.. In 2011 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was a college professor and a ubiquitous presence on the lecture circuit, and also made several appearances on Sesame Street. Throughout her writing, she explored the concepts of personal identity and resilience through the multifaceted lens of race, sex, family, community and the collective past. In 1969 she published her landmark book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. Today's dead celebrity is Maya Angelou.  This episode originally published February 8, 2023. Listen to the Sound Judgment podcast in which Michael and Amit discuss this Maya Angelou episode  Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. For updates on the show, please sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com. Also, enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 71 “Defiant One” (Sidney Poitier) and Episode 61 “Dame Detective” (Angela Lansburyi). Links: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Maya Angelou ‘Sound Judgment' podcast discussing this episode Maya Angelou's poem at the 1993 inauguration Tracy Morgan's impersonation of Angelou's Hallmark Cards on SNL Maya Angelou for Froot Loops on SNL performed by David Alan Grier Maya Angelou's Life in Photos in the New Yorker “And I Still Rise” Documentary on Maya Angelou Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game HPB.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on From Our Neurons to Yours, we're talking about the neuroscience of climate change with neuroeconomist Nik Sawe.If you follow the science or the news, you know how big of a risk climate change is. Storms, coastal flooding, heat waves, extinctions, mass migration — the list goes on. But — as you can probably also appreciate — it's really hard to properly perceive that risk. It's much easier to focus on today's emergency, this week's looming deadline, this quarter's economic forecast — where the risks are objectively much smaller, but feel more pressing.This is where neuroscience comes in: Why are our brains so bad at perceiving this existential, long-term risk to our society and our planet? And are there ways we could work with our brains' limitations to improve our decision-making around environmental issues and the future more broadly? To answer this question, we spoke with Nik Sawe, a neuro-economist who uses brain imaging to study environmental decision making in the  lab of Brian Knutson in the Stanford Department of Psychology. Nik is also a policy analyst at the think tank Energy Innovation, where he is working on policy avenues to reduce carbon emissions in the industrial sector. ReferencesParks donation FMRI studyEcolabeling/energy-efficient purchasing FMRI study"Price of your soul" study by Greg BernsDan Kahan science literacy/numeracy and climate change risk studyBrain stimulation for perspective-taking of future generationsEpisode CreditsThis episode was produced by Michael Osborne at 14th Street Studios, with production assistance by Morgan Honaker. Our logo is by Aimee Garza. The show is hosted by Nicholas Weiler at Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and the Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience. Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our show, please take a moment to give us a review on your podcast app of choice and share this episode with your friends. That's how we grow as a show and bring the stories of the frontiers of neuroscience to a wider audience. Learn more about the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This person died in 2021, age 61. His brother Neil once told a reporter that he almost joined the newspaper business as a young man, but that he had deliberately botched an interview. By 1984, he spent four months opening for the comedian Sam Kinison. His sense of humor sometimes got him in hot water. A 2018 article about him said “The dedicated fan will identify two patterns in his television work: It is invariably funny, and it is invariably canceled.” He became familiar to millions as the Weekend Update anchor on “Saturday Night Live” from 1994 to 1998. Today's dead celebrity is Norm Macdonald. Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com for news and updates on the show. Also, enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 39 “Super Funkhouser” (Bob Einstein) and Episode 29 “Zen Comedian” (Garry Shandling). Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Norm Macdonald Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn Dead or Alive Quiz Game “Norm Macdonald” was the real thing from The New Yorker Trailer for Norm Macdonald's posthumous Netflix special Norm Macdonald returns to SNL as Host Norm's appearance on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” explained Norm's “moth” joke on Conan Norm Macdonald lists his Santa Monica condo for sale “Norm Macdonald Live” video podcast HPB.com   Podcast Attributions: WTF Epsiode #219 w/ Norm Macdonald Poker Go Podcast w/ Norm Macdonald Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This person died in 2021, age 61. His brother Neil once told a reporter that he almost joined the newspaper business as a young man, but that he had deliberately botched an interview. By 1984, he spent four months opening for the comedian Sam Kinison. His sense of humor sometimes got him in hot water. A 2018 article about him said “The dedicated fan will identify two patterns in his television work: It is invariably funny, and it is invariably canceled.” He became familiar to millions as the Weekend Update anchor on “Saturday Night Live” from 1994 to 1998. Today's dead celebrity is Norm Macdonald. This episode originally published March 22, 2023.  Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com for news and updates on the show. Also, enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 39 “Super Funkhouser” (Bob Einstein) and Episode 29 “Zen Comedian” (Garry Shandling). Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Norm Macdonald Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn Dead or Alive Quiz Game “Norm Macdonald” was the real thing from The New Yorker Trailer for Norm Macdonald's posthumous Netflix special Norm Macdonald returns to SNL as Host Norm's appearance on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” explained Norm's “moth” joke on Conan Norm Macdonald lists his Santa Monica condo for sale “Norm Macdonald Live” video podcast HPB.com Podcast Attributions: WTF Epsiode #219 w/ Norm Macdonald Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

His mother was a former family court judge, and his father worked for the Xerox corporation. The New York Times once said “He does terminal uncertainty better than practically anyone.” He was a sleepy-looking man with uncombed hair who favored rumpled clothes. He was perhaps the most ambitious and widely admired American actor of his generation. He earned Oscar nominations for his performances in “The Master”, “Doubt”, and “Charlie Wilson's War”, and won as Best Actor for “Capote” in 2005. Today's dead celebrity is Philip Seymour Hoffman.  Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode features Michael Warburton as guest host, and was produced by Megan Palmer. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 44 “Inner Soprano” (James Gandolfini) and Episode 35 “Likable Villain” (Alan Rickman). Links: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Philip Seymour Hoffman Mimi O'Donnell's Vogue article Philip Seymour Hoffman on Charlie Rose in 2002 Top 10 Philip Seymour Hoffman performances Bill Burr on Philip Seymour Hoffman Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

His mother was a former family court judge, and his father worked for the Xerox corporation. The New York Times once said “He does terminal uncertainty better than practically anyone.” He was a sleepy-looking man with uncombed hair who favored rumpled clothes. He was perhaps the most ambitious and widely admired American actor of his generation. He earned Oscar nominations for his performances in “The Master”, “Doubt”, and “Charlie Wilson's War”, and won as Best Actor for “Capote” in 2005. Today's dead celebrity is Philip Seymour Hoffman.  Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode features Michael Warburton as guest host, and was produced by Megan Palmer. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 44 “Inner Soprano” (James Gandolfini) and Episode 35 “Likable Villain” (Alan Rickman). Links: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Philip Seymour Hoffman Mimi O'Donnell's Vogue article Philip Seymour Hoffman on Charlie Rose in 2002 Top 10 Philip Seymour Hoffman performances Bill Burr on Philip Seymour Hoffman Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He taught English at Westminster College in Pennsylvania, and was also a high school teacher. He directed the drama “Music of the Heart,” based on the true story of a woman, who taught violin to underprivileged children in Harlem. He directed his first feature film In 1972 , “Last House on the Left.” He directed the first four movies of the “Scream” franchise starring Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox. His most famous creation was the serial killer Freddy Krueger, who, with his razor-blade glove, haunted the dreams of teens in “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” Today's dead celebrity is Wes Craven.  Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode featured Morgan Honaker as guest host, and was produced by Evan Sherer. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 34 “Zombie Mastermind” (George Romero) and Episode 62 “Lord of Horror” (Christopher Lee).  Links: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Wes Craven Master of Cinema, Wes Craven documentary 1997 Charlie Rose interview with Wes Craven Wes Craven interviews on Fresh Air archives Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He taught English at Westminster College in Pennsylvania, and was also a high school teacher. He directed the drama “Music of the Heart,” based on the true story of a woman, who taught violin to underprivileged children in Harlem. He directed his first feature film In 1972 , “Last House on the Left.” He directed the first four movies of the “Scream” franchise starring Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox. His most famous creation was the serial killer Freddy Krueger, who, with his razor-blade glove, haunted the dreams of teens in “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” Today's dead celebrity is Wes Craven.  Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode featured Morgan Honaker as guest host, and was produced by Evan Sherer. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 34 “Zombie Mastermind” (George Romero) and Episode 62 “Lord of Horror” (Christopher Lee).  Links: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Wes Craven Master of Cinema, Wes Craven documentary 1997 Charlie Rose interview with Wes Craven Wes Craven interviews on Fresh Air archives Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is part 5 of our new Sound Judgment quick-hit series on six storytelling strategies for hooking your audience and keeping them with you. This one can mean the difference between ho-hum content and stories that your audiences will talk about. And I'm betting that you give it hardly any thought, if you think about it at all. What is it? Stick around to find out.  Part 5 features Michael Osborne and Amit Kapoor of the podcast Famous & Gravy, New Hampshire Public Radio senior podcast editor Katie Colaneri, and Sarah Gibson, a New Hampshire Public Radio reporter who produced the segment "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum" for This American Life. Apply the six storytelling strategies for creating unforgettable content to your own work!  Sign up for our interactive, virtual Hook Your Audience & Keep Them Coming Back workshopThursday, March 14, 2024By developing skills from story structure to scene-making, suspense to specifics, you'll learn to create or improve the show, story, article or speech that expresses what you want to express, captivates the people you want to reach, and achieves quality and depth you can be proud of. You'll move from likes and follows to building trusted, engaged relationships with your audience. These practices work separately and together to ratchet up both the substance and the "wow factor" of your content, no matter the platform.Did you miss Part 1 on Sound Vision? Listen here. Be sure to follow Sound Judgment so you don't miss the next bite-sized episodes on: Part 3: ScenesPart 4: SurprisePart 5: SuspensePart 6: SpecificsAll of these segments — each around 10 minutes or less — will come together soon for a full episode on How to Hook Your Audience and Keep Them Coming Back. You won't miss a thing if you sign up for my Sound Judgment newsletter, which includes the popular hands-on segment "Try This in Your Studio," kudos to creators who are lifting up the art and business of audio storytelling, news about the show, and useful resources. "Six S" Storytelling ResourcesShows and storytellers mentioned in this series: Bone ValleyCohosts: Gilbert King and Kelsey DeckerMarketplaceJohn Barth, Creative Media LLCThe 13th Step, an award-winning documentary series on sexual misconduct in the addiction treatment Reporter: Lauren ChooljianStory Editor: Alison MacadamNew Hampshire Public RadioDaily Creative Host: Todd HenryProducer: Joshua GottFamous & GravyCohosts: Amit Kapoor & Michael OsborneThe Rich Roll PodcastHost: Rich RollGuest: Charles DuhiggBook: Supercommunicators by Charles DuhiggCrime Show"Paging Dr. Barnes"Host & Executive Producer: Emma CourtlandKatie ColaneriSenior Podcast EditorNew Hampshire Public RadioKelly Corrigan WondersTell Me More with Kelly Corrigan"Bryan Stevenson""Samantha Power" Host: Kelly CorriganThis American Life"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Quorum"Reporter: Sarah GibsonChameleon: Wild BoysHost: Sam MullinsFull Sound Judgment episodes featuring these storytellersBone Valley: How to Make a True Crime Podcast That Makes a Difference (Gilbert King, Kelsey Decker)The Host Defines the Brand with John BarthHow to Make Serious Topics Fun with the Hosts of Famous & Gravy (Amit Kapoor, Michael Osborne)Cinematic Storytelling with Crime Show's Emma CourtlandHow to Pitch an Audio Documentary and the Unusual Origin of a This American Life Story (Katie Colaneri)The Art of True Curiosity with Kelly Corrigan of Kelly Corrigan WondersHow to Make Listeners Breathless for More with Wild Boys' Sam Mullins     Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, scriptwriting and more. Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Storytelling Skills; How to Build Relationships through Storytelling, and more. Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com. Subscribe to Sound Judgment, the Newsletter, our twice-monthly newsletter about creative choices in audio storytelling. Connect:Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram✉️ Email Elaine at allies@podcastallies.com

072 Mind Traveler When he moved to California in the early 1960s, he befriended the poet Thom Gunn, began entering weight-lifting competitions and joined the Hells Angels on motorcycle trips to the Grand Canyon. As a medical doctor and a writer, he achieved a level of popular renown rare among scientists. He first won widespread attention in 1973 for his book “Awakenings,” about a group of patients with an atypical form of encephalitis or “sleeping sickness” who responded to a new drug treatment with a partial rebirth. In the film adaptation his character was played by Robin Williams. Today's dead celebrity is Oliver Sacks Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Evan Sherer. Play our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com and sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 26 “Wild Thing” (Maurice Sendak) and Episode 35 “Likable Villain” (Alan Rickman). Links: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Oliver Sacks Live interview with Radiolab's Robert Krulwich From Our Neurons to Yours podcast from Stanford Neuroscience 1989 PBS Newshour Profile of Oliver Sacks Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When he moved to California in the early 1960s, he befriended the poet Thom Gunn, began entering weight-lifting competitions and joined the Hells Angels on motorcycle trips to the Grand Canyon. As a medical doctor and a writer, he achieved a level of popular renown rare among scientists. He first won widespread attention in 1973 for his book “Awakenings,” about a group of patients with an atypical form of encephalitis or “sleeping sickness” who responded to a new drug treatment with a partial rebirth. In the film adaptation his character was played by Robin Williams. Today's dead celebrity is Oliver Sacks Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Evan Sherer, and features guest host Nicholas Weiler. Play our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com and sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 26 “Wild Thing” (Maurice Sendak) and Episode 35 “Likable Villain” (Alan Rickman). Links: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Oliver Sacks Live interview with Radiolab's Robert Krulwich From Our Neurons to Yours podcast from Stanford Neuroscience 1989 PBS Newshour Profile of Oliver Sacks Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Half Price Books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2009, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Although often simmering with repressed anger, his characters responded to injustice with quiet determination. He once wrote “I felt very much as if I were representing 18 million people with every move I made.” In a departure from acting, he directed the 1980 comedy “Stir Crazy,” starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. He was the first black performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. His acting credits include “Blackboard Jungle,” “The Defiant Ones,” and “Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.” Today's dead celebrity is Sidney Poitier. Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Play our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com and sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 43 “Poetic Justice” (Maya Angelou) and Episode 31 “The Greatest” (Muhammad Ali).  Links: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Sidney Poitier Trailer for ‘The Defiant Ones' “How many African Americans have won an Oscar in all of history” “Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Fierce Resolve” “When Sidney Poitier Risked His Life For Civil Rights” Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Half Price Books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2009, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Although often simmering with repressed anger, his characters responded to injustice with quiet determination. He once wrote “I felt very much as if I were representing 18 million people with every move I made.” In a departure from acting, he directed the 1980 comedy “Stir Crazy,” starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. He was the first black performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. His acting credits include “Blackboard Jungle,” “The Defiant Ones,” and “Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.” Today's dead celebrity is Sidney Poitier. Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Play our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com and sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 43 “Poetic Justice” (Maya Angelou) and Episode 31 “The Greatest” (Muhammad Ali).  Links: Transcript of this episode New York Times Obituary for Sidney Poitier Trailer for ‘The Defiant Ones' “How many African Americans have won an Oscar in all of history” “Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Fierce Resolve” “When Sidney Poitier Risked His Life For Civil Rights” Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Half Price Books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine this: You're on a desert island, and you can choose one actor or actress – and ONLY ONE – for whom you get their entire IMDb catalog to pass the time. It's just you, a palm tree, a DVD player (streaming hasn't reached desert islands), and the IMDb catalog of a single performer. Who would you choose? This thought experiment was first proposed by Michael Osborne in our Bill Paxton episode, and now we take the experiment live. Today we bring you a crossover showdown between the hosts of the Surely You Can't Be Serious Podcast and the Famous & Gravy hosts. Moderated by Jeff Johnson of the podcast A Film By, we humorously debate, argue, and ultimately find out who is in fact the IMDb MVP. Our nominees in this special episode were inspired by Episode 58 “Best in Show” (Fred Willard) and Episode 51 “Goofball Stud” (Bill Paxton).  Links: Transcript of this episode “Surely You Can't Be Serious” on Facebook, Twitter “A Film By” on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram Samuel L Jackson's IMDb Fred Willard's IMDb Gary Oldman's IMDb Bill Paxton's IMDb Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Half Price Books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine this: You're on a desert island, and you can choose one actor or actress – and ONLY ONE – for whom you get their entire IMDb catalog to pass the time. It's just you, a palm tree, a DVD player (streaming hasn't reached desert islands), and the IMDb catalog of a single performer. Who would you choose? This thought experiment was first proposed by Michael Osborne in our Bill Paxton episode, and now we take the experiment live. Today we bring you a crossover showdown between the hosts of the Surely You Can't Be Serious Podcast and the Famous & Gravy hosts. Moderated by Jeff Johnson of the podcast A Film By, we humorously debate, argue, and ultimately find out who is in fact the IMDb MVP. Our nominees in this special episode were inspired by Episode 58 “Best in Show” (Fred Willard) and Episode 51 “Goofball Stud” (Bill Paxton).  Links: Transcript of this episode “Surely You Can't Be Serious” on Facebook, Twitter “A Film By” on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram Samuel L Jackson's IMDb Fred Willard's IMDb Gary Oldman's IMDb Bill Paxton's IMDb Famous & Gravy official website Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Dead or Alive Quiz Game Half Price Books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Responding to questions from listeners about a pastor who has adult children who are rebellious, where the Bible talks about church membership, and the recent controversy surrounding Alistair Begg. Here are the two articles Pastor Gabe read in this episode: "Why Church Membership?" by Michael Osborne: https://tabletalkmagazine.com/posts/why-church-membership/ "Can Christians Attend Gay Weddings?" by Carl Trueman: https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/01/can-christians-attend-gay-weddings Our church website: https://www.prbccg.com/