Danny and new co-host, Dr. Lorena Areal, dive into the wild world of illusions and how your brain processes sensory information! We interview a world expert neuroscientist specialized in visual illusions, Dr. Stephen Macknik!

ASCEND Brain Bites

Neuroscience of Illusions!

Melissa and Danny delve into how memory is formed and how neuroscientists can study memory formation. How did scientists find this out and how are flies involved?  

Episode 7 - Memory and ....Flies?

Melissa and Danny wish you a Happy Thanksgiving by deciphering the age old myth about Thanksgiving: Does the tryptophan in turkey really make you sleepy? We also talk about how gratitude and Black Friday shopping affect your brain!

Episode 6: Happy BRAINSgiving!

Melissa and Danny discuss the neuroscience of Halloween! Such as how you get scared, if Zombies are plausible, and why eating human brains is bad!

Episode 5: Fear, BRAINS! and Zombies!

This time we talk about the senses of hearing, sight, and touch. Our hearing changes over our lives, as evidenced by the high-pitched sounds that adults can't hear. We also talk about how our eyes see color and why some people are color blind. Have you ever felt your phone vibrate, but when you check it, there's no message? Listen to hear about the recent theories behind the phantom vibration phenomenon! Join us to hear our interview with Brock Grill, PhD, from The Scripps Research Institute Florida! We talk about how the tiny worm, C. elegans, senses touch and what that tells us about the human nervous system!

The Senses, Pt. 2

Join us as we explore the senses of taste and smell! How do our chemical senses work? Can our senses change or trick us? We interview Dr. Tricia Meredith from Florida Atlantic University about her research on the sense of smell of sharks! So, can a shark really smell a drop of blood a mile away?

The Senses pt. 1

Our brain cells, called neurons, communicate with other neurons and cells in the body by sending electrical signals. Today we talk about how that electrical communication works and how it differs from the electricity we use to power our homes. We also speak to Dr. Michael Yetman about his research about how the different types of neurons communicate in the cerebral cortex.

Brain Power

When it comes to brains, is bigger always better? In this episode, we discuss the differences between brains across the animal kingdom. In general, bigger brains mean smarter animals. However, we talk about new research that shows that densely packed brains can also lend smarts to animals with small brains, like certain birds.  We also interview Chelsea Bennice about the unique brain of the octopus!

Comparing Brain Sizes

Brain Bites is the bite-size neuroscience podcast of the ASCEND program (Advancing STEM Community Engagement through Neuroscience) where we explore the depths of your brain in a fun, digestible format. Brain Bites is written and produced by Melissa Borgen and Serena Sossi. Theme Music is “star lover” by f0cusFL0W. Find us on Facebook and Instagram at ascend.program and on twitter @program_ascend. Feel free to send us questions and comments on social media or email us at ascendneuro@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you!