The Matt Walker Podcast
af Dr. Matt Walker
Seneste episode
#158 - 10 Small Brain Quirks
#158 - 10 Small Brain Quirks
Om denne podcast
The Matt Walker Podcast is all about sleep, the brain, and the body. Matt is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of the book, Why We Sleep and has given a few TED talks. Matt is an awkward British nerd who adores science and the communication of science to the public.
Episoder
De nyeste 20 af 196 episoder
- #158 - 10 Small Brain Quirks · 26 min.From the "stopped clock illusion" to "cute aggression," Matt explores ten everyday brain quirks and proves these oddities are actually signs of a healthy mind. He groups them…
- #157 - Sleep Walking and Talking · 28 min.Matt examines the world of parasomnias this week, focusing on sleepwalking and sleep talking. Dispelling the myth that sleep is a simple on/off switch, he explains how these…
- #156 - Smell and Memory · 29 min.Examining the "Proust phenomenon," Matt reveals how smell acts as a direct portal to our past. Unlike sight or hearing, olfaction bypasses the brain's typical sensory relay and…
- #155 - Sleep & Nature's Call · 28 min.Matt explores nocturia, the clinical condition of waking at night to urinate, challenging the assumption that the bladder is solely at fault. Using a measuring jug to illustrate…
- #154 - Sleep and Cortisol · 29 min.Delving into the science of cortisol, Matt debunks its social media reputation as a toxic villain. He explains how this essential hormone actually regulates metabolism, immunity…
- #153- Sleeping in an MRI Machine · 25 min.Today’s episode explores how scientists study the sleeping brain inside a roaring, 111-decibel MRI scanner. Despite the extreme noise and discomfort, researchers use sleep…
- #152 - The Brain on Music · 28 min.Exploring the profound link between the brain and music, Matt begins by tracing musical expression back 40,000 years to a vulture bone flute, arguing that music evolved as a…
- #151 - The Geography of Sleep · 24 min.Matt breaks down the conflict between wall clocks and our biological rhythms, explaining how latitude and longitude dictate our rest. Latitude alters seasonal daylight and…
- #150 - The Neuroscience of Déjà Vu · 32 min.Matt digs into the neuroscience of déjà vu, reframing it as a sign of a healthy brain performing real-time error correction. Using a "doorman" (familiarity) vs. "concierge"…
- The Night Ferryman: A Sleep Story Read by Matt Walker · 35 min.Join Matt for a serene excursion across a valley lake under the cover of night. After finding a comfortable position and centering your breath, you will step onto the deck of a…
- #149 - The 11 largest Sleep Myths · 27 min.Debunking 11 sleep myths, Matt begins by explaining that the brain remains active, not "off," during rest. He goes on to argue that 7-9 hours of sleep is vital and warns that…
- #148 - Psychedelics for Mental Health · 32 min.Matt delves into how psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD quiet the "Default Mode Network" to boost neuroplasticity. He describes these molecules as a "crowbar" that allows…
- #147 - Does Sleep Really Clean Your Brain? · 25 min.Matt explores the brain's secret plumbing, a waste-clearance network once ignored for over a century. He explains how the glymphatic system flushes metabolic toxins like…
- #146 - How Sleep Changes Across the Human Lifespan · 21 min.Matt tracks sleep across the human lifespan, from newborn "active sleep" to the shifts of healthy aging. He explores how biological milestones - like puberty, pregnancy, and…
- #145 - How to get More Deep Sleep · 33 min.Matt explains the science of deep sleep, emphasizing that this front-loaded stage is vital for physical and mental repair. To boost it, he recommends "builders" like consistent…
- #144 - Face Blindness Explained · 28 min.Matt explores how the brain constructs reality by examining neurological anomalies. He contrasts "super-recognizers" with those living with prosopagnosia, or face blindness. By…
- #143 - The Science of Love, Desire, and Sex · 33 min.Matt examines the neurobiology of love, defining it as a reward system rather than just an emotion. He breaks love into three systems: lust (hormones), attraction (dopamine), and…
- #142 - How Memory Affects Sleep · 29 min.Exploring how daily memories shape the biology of sleep, Matt reveals that, beyond consolidating facts, the brain's restorative depth is a response to daytime effort. By showing…
- The Beekeepers Garden - A Sleep Story Read by Matt Walker · 25 min.Matt invites you to embark upon a gentle journey to a peaceful, restful sleep. After settling in and breathing deeply, you will find yourself on a winding lane. Matt guides you…
- #141 - The Daylight Mistake · 26 min.Matt illuminates sunlight’s biological impact beyond Vitamin D as he reveals that our eyes contain a hidden daylight circuit wired directly to the brain. These "sky detectors"…
