Extreme Brains Podcast
EXTREME BRAINS is a sharp, fast-moving podcast where Sam, David, and James take on the wild, confusing, and often hilarious ways our minds work. Each episode pushes into a different corner of neuroscience, culture, and everyday life. Season 2 picks up right where Season 1 left off and raises the stakes with stories of danger, touched genius, hacked perception, pushed creativity, lived with extreme memory, or tested the limits of what a brain can be. From how we process fear to how we experience time, from the need for connection to the future of consciousness itself, the trio breaks it all down with curiosity, humor, and a touch of chaos.
Episodes
Explore the razor-thin line between brilliance and dysfunction. What makes a brain a genius brain? Are there identifiable patterns or tradeoffs? This could feature savants, prodigies, and researchers studying the cognitive science of exceptional intelligence.
How do our brains respond to life-threatening situations? This episode could unpack the neuroscience of fear, the fight-or-flight response, and how extreme stress can rewire the brain over time—featuring people like first responders, soldiers, or extreme sports athletes.
Episode 8 of Extreme Brains, “Your Brain on Sex,” explores why sex plays a powerful role in human behavior. We break down the evolutionary origins of reproduction and pleasure, the social machinery that turned sex into power and identity, and whether removing moral weight from sex might lead to healthier societies. With insights from neuroscience, culture, and tech, the episode reveals how our brains are wired for more than just su...
Is sleep the secret weapon for health—or is it just overhyped? In this episode, we embark on a journey through the fascinating world of sleep: from unraveling the mysteries of its stages to understanding the physiological transformations happening as you snooze. We'll dive into quirky sleep habits across species, unpack the consequences of sleep deprivation, and tackle the big question: is there such a thing as the perfect amount o...
In Episode 6 of Extreme Brains, “When Brains Pretend,” we explore why humans are wired to act, imagine, and play. With guest Craig Clyde—actor, writer, and director—we trace the roots of pretending from early ritual to modern media. We dive into how acting shapes empathy, identity, and society and examine the psychological and evolutionary power of fiction. From cave paintings to AI-generated characters, this episode uncovers how p...
Episode 5 of Extreme Brains, featuring guest Darren Davis, explores the impact of brain injuries. The discussion covers traumatic (TBI) and acquired brain injuries (ABI), their causes, symptoms, and severity. Davis shares insights on how injuries affect cognition, emotions, and daily life, highlighting struggles with identity and mental health. The episode also covers recovery options, from neuroplasticity to therapy and emerging t...
What if mental illness isn’t just a glitch but an evolutionary feature? In this episode of Extreme Brains, Sam, David, and James dive deep into the fascinating world of mental health from an evolutionary perspective. Could anxiety be an ancient survival tool? Is ADHD a relic of the hunter-gatherer mind? We’ll break down key conditions, from depression to schizophrenia, and explore how once beneficial traits can become maladaptive. ...
Join Sam, David, and James as they unravel the mystery of temperament—the inborn traits that shape who we are before life experience even gets a chance. In this episode of Extreme Brains, the hosts dive into the science of temperament, exploring how genetics, brain chemistry, and early development influence whether we’re naturally bold, cautious, easygoing, or intense. Drawing on research from psychology, neuroscience, and behavior...
Join Sam, David, and James as they dive into the fascinating world of instincts—those deep-seated survival mechanisms that shape human behavior in ways we often overlook. In this episode of Extreme Brains, the hosts explore the neuroscience behind instinctual reactions, from the split-second flinch to the fight-or-flight response, and examine how evolution has hardwired these behaviors into our brains.
Drawing on research from psyc...
In the premiere episode of Extreme Brains, Sam, David, and James embark on a deep dive into one of humanity’s biggest questions: how did we evolve to be so intelligent? From the early days of tool-making and fire-wielding ancestors to the complexities of modern problem-solving and artificial intelligence, this episode explores the fascinating journey of human cognition.
The hosts break down the key milestones in brain evolution—wha...
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