Big Brains
Science

Big Brains

by University of Chicago Podcast Network

Big Brains explores the groundbreaking research and discoveries that are changing our world. In each episode, we talk to leading experts and unpack their work in straightforward terms. Interesting conversations that cover a gamut of topics from how music affects our brains to what happens after we die.

100 episodes
EN language
All Episodes
1
Are Judges Too Powerful? The Rise of Universal Injunctions, with Samuel Bray
40:08 Mar 19, 2026
2
Could Data Centers Break Our Power Grid? with Andrew Chien
37:02 Mar 6, 2026
3
Remarkable New Treatments for Spinal Cord Injuries, with Mohamad Bydon
26:28 Feb 19, 2026
4
Can You Improve Your Working Memory and Attention? with Edward Awh
35:36 Feb 5, 2026
5
Why Knowing Your True Self Is So Difficult, with Eric Oliver
31:51 Jan 22, 2026
6
The Breakthrough Quantum Sensor That Sees Inside Your Cells, with Peter Maurer
35:41 Jan 8, 2026
7
How to Manifest Your Destiny with the Late James Doty
31:47 Dec 29, 2025
8
What Makes Music Go Viral—From AI to Taylor Swift
35:41 Dec 11, 2025
9
How Wearable Tech Will Heighten Our Senses and Abilities, with Pedro Lopes
38:17 Nov 24, 2025
10
Why Are More Women Saying No To Having Kids? With Peggy O'Donnell Heffington
32:04 Nov 13, 2025
11
How Full-Body MRIs Could Predict Your Long-Term Health, with Daniel Sodickson
34:43 Oct 30, 2025
12
Is There Such A Thing As A Psychopath?
35:55 Oct 16, 2025
13
Why We Haven’t Solved Brain Disorders—And How To Fix It, with Nicole Rust
36:18 Oct 2, 2025
14
Life On Mars: Is It Possible For Humans? with Edwin Kite
30:31 Sep 19, 2025
15
How To Use Nature To Restore Your Focus, with Marc Berman
32:13 Sep 4, 2025
16
Could Plants Unlock Quantum Medicine’s Potential? with Greg Engel
25:26 Aug 21, 2025
17
How Microplastics Are Invading Our Bodies, with Matthew Campen
28:18 Aug 7, 2025
18
Why We Get Stuck—And How to Finally Move Forward
34:17 Jul 24, 2025
19
Inside the AI Debate: Hope, Hype, Or Harm? A Big Brains Panel Weighs In
47:57 Jul 10, 2025
20
Are Your Medications Safe And Effective?, with Jerry Avorn
36:39 Jun 26, 2025
21
Are We Making AI Too Human?, with James Evans
31:18 Jun 12, 2025
22
Inside The Disease That Changes Your Personality, with Bruce Miller
26:26 May 29, 2025
23
Meet The ‘Planet Hunter’ Searching For Alien Life, with Jacob Bean
34:33 May 15, 2025
24
How To Stop Gun Violence Before It Starts, with Jens Ludwig
30:26 May 1, 2025
25
Can Your DNA Predict Your Future?, with Dalton Conley
34:26 Apr 17, 2025
26
Can You Really Die of a Broken Heart? The Hidden Dangers of Grief, with Mary Frances O'Connor
31:40 Apr 3, 2025
27
The Science Behind Raising Successful Kids, with Ariel Kalil
31:19 Mar 20, 2025
28
Do Animals Understand Death?, with Susana Monsó
32:05 Mar 6, 2025
29
Why Measles Is Resurging—And The Rise Of Vaccine Hesitancy, with Adam Ratner
35:06 Feb 20, 2025
30
The Little-Known Secrets To A Good Life, with Shigehiro Oishi
33:27 Feb 6, 2025
31
How Bioelectronics Could Heal Our Bodies And Minds, with Bozhi Tian
29:48 Jan 23, 2025
32
Could A Fungal Pandemic Be “The Last of Us?", with Arturo Casadevall
27:13 Jan 9, 2025
33
The "Magic Words" That Turn Resolutions Into Reality
32:20 Jan 2, 2025
34
What’s The Truth About Alcohol’s Benefits And Risks? with Tim Stockwell
33:18 Dec 19, 2024
35
What Happens When We Die? with Sam Parnia
30:29 Dec 5, 2024
36
The Illusion of Moral Decline
32:02 Nov 21, 2024
37
Can We Predict The Unpredictable? with J. Doyne Farmer
33:14 Nov 14, 2024
38
Unlocking The Secrets Of ‘SuperAgers’, with Emily Rogalski
22:33 Oct 31, 2024
39
2024 Nobel Laureate Explains What Makes Countries Fail Or Succeed, with James A. Robinson
29:13 Oct 17, 2024
40
Why Can’t Scientists Agree On The Age Of The Universe? with Wendy Freedman
24:28 Oct 3, 2024
41
What Are We Getting Wrong About Young Voters?, with Cathy Cohen
28:45 Sep 19, 2024
42
Why Are More Women Saying No To Having Kids? With Peggy O'Donnell Heffington
32:04 Sep 5, 2024
43
How Homeownership Shaped Race In America, with Adrienne Brown
27:23 Aug 22, 2024
44
Fighting Back Against AI Piracy, with Ben Zhao and Heather Zheng
28:31 Aug 8, 2024
45
The Bioelectric Future of Regenerative Medicine
28:23 Jul 25, 2024
46
Is Mindfulness The Secret To Health?
33:42 Jul 11, 2024
47
Feeling Stuck? Here’s How To Achieve a Breakthrough, with Adam Alter
33:51 Jun 27, 2024
48
What Makes Something Memorable (or Forgettable?) with Wilma Bainbridge
26:33 Jun 13, 2024
49
Learning To Speak To Whales Using AI, with David Gruber
26:06 May 30, 2024
50
Storm Warning: Why Hurricanes Are Growing Beyond Measure, with Michael Wehner
27:34 May 16, 2024
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