Human brains don’t just perceive reality—they invent it. In this episode of Science Quickly, cognitive neuroscientist Daniel Yon speaks with host Rachel Feltman about how perception is an active process of prediction in which the brain constructs theories about the world that can sometimes lead us astray. Drawing from his book A Trick of the Mind, he reveals ... Show More
Jan 12
Woodpeckers Rock the Lab, AI Steps Out of the Chat Box, and Flu Hits Hard
Have you ever wondered how woodpeckers pound away without breaking their neck? We’ve got the answer—plus, why this flu season has broken a record, how AI is learning to predict disease from your sleep, and what CES 2026 showed about the biggest tech trends, including “physical AI ... Show More
11m 3s
Jan 9
Weighing the Good and Bad of Weight-Loss Drugs
Drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, colloquially called GLP-1 medications, have gone from relatively obscure diabetes treatments to blockbuster weight-loss medications. But is the hype backed up by science? In this episode, freelance science journalist Betha ... Show More
22m 18s
Sep 2025
The Dead Composer Whose ‘Brain’ Still Makes Music
In a hauntingly innovative exhibit, brain cells grown from the late composer Alvin Lucier’s blood generate sound. Set in a museum in Perth, Australia, the installation blurs the line between art and neuroscience. Host Rachel Feltman and associate editor Allison Parshall explore t ... Show More
25m 25s
Aug 2025
Christopher Kemp, "Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation" (Norton, 2022)
Inside our heads we carry around an infinite and endlessly unfolding map of the world. Navigation is one of the most ancient neural abilities we have―older than language. In Dark and Magical Places: The Neuroscience of Navigation (Norton, 2022), Christopher Kemp embarks on a jour ... Show More
50m 51s
<p><strong>David Eagleman explains <em>why</em> counterfeiting works, <em>how</em> our empathy fails, <em>why</em> mind reading remains elusive, and <em>if</em> we'll ever upload our minds to computers.</strong></p>
<strong>What We Discuss with David Eagleman:</strong>
<ul>
<li>
... Show More