A Neuroscience Podcast

Neuroscience is for everyone.

Those studying neuroscience, however, will tell you that they are occasionally met with an uncomfortable mix of wonder and awe whenever it comes up in a conversation. “You’re studying neuroscience? Wow that must be hard! Are you going to med school or something?” Sure, those of us who have worked to gain speciality in an aspect of our field work diligently to contribute to an academically rigorous body of knowledge...but the reason we fall in love with the field is something much deeper. The passion to do neuroscience comes from a curiosity about the world and a drive to share what we learn with anyone who will listen. The sticking point is that in a world driven by our brains and the behaviors that they produce, cutting-edge research is often not translated for (as we say) "the everyday scientist."

That is not to say that NO ONE is creating accessible research. A quick google search will show that plenty of universities, advocacy groups, and news outlets aim to help the "public" understand what scientists are discovering behind the velvet rope of the laboratory. And amazing work is being done! But where can you go to stay up to date on the world of brains? The underclassmen thinking about studying neuroscience? The graduate with a neuroscience degree working in a specific field? The renaissance person who just wants to better understand the clickbait articles they see on Facebook? Is there anything in between reading a plethora of scientific articles and trusting "studies say" in any given blog post? We hope that here at Brains et al. we can work to bridge this gap for anyone and everyone:

Brains et al. is a podcast for the everyday scientist. In a world of "studies say..." we aim to make primary literature about the brain, behavior, and the world around us accessible and fun. Episodes feature a book club, interviews, and career advice.

When we decided to start a neuroscience podcast, we were looking for a way to bring the science we love to anyone remotely interested. With the launch of Brains et al. my cohost, Niko, and I aim to put a twist on the topics that affect everyone: alzheimer's, the opioid crisis, the science of religion, and so much more! We will take you with us on our journey through graduate school and feature parts of our own process and the things we learn. By inviting our colleagues, professors, and special guests, each episode will tackle one topic in this every-growing and intersectional field. We hope you will join us as we kick off season one with our pilot episode "Neuroscience et al.: the world around us" on July 22nd, wherever you stream your podcasts (Spotify, iTunes, etc.).