Neuroimaging podcasts

Cognitive scientist Nafees Hamid discusses research on the motivations of people approaching or already committed to violent extremism. The conversation examines sacred values, social relationships and how psychological research may help disengage people from extremist ideas. The supporting research includes behavioural and neuroimaging studies of willingness to fight and die for a cause. Hosted by Shankar Vedantam. Hidden Brain Media dates this public episode release to 10 September 2026 and provides audio, research references and a transcript. The publisher notes that transcripts can reflect an earlier episode version.

Hosted by Shankar Vedantam

Leanne Williams explores how brain imaging could help explain biological differences among people with similar mental-health symptoms. She describes research on brain-network patterns in depression and the possibility of using those measurements to support more individualized diagnosis and treatment.

Hosted by Nicholas Weiler

Nicholas Weiler talks with Guosong Hong about overcoming the limited penetration of light into brain tissue. Inspired by transparent tissues in glass frogs and the eye, Hong describes approaches involving fluorescent nanomaterials, focused ultrasound and molecules that temporarily reduce optical scattering. The conversation examines experiments with a common food dye and a project to genetically engineer mice with transparent brains from birth. These techniques could provide new ways to observe neural circuits and study how the brain develops and functions.

Hosted by Nicholas Weiler

Rony Hirschhorn, Alex Lepauvre and Oscar Ferrante describe COGITATE's adversarial comparison of integrated information and global neuronal workspace theories. The conversation covers agreed predictions, a shared task measured with EEG, MEG and fMRI, evidence about location, duration and inter-area communication, and the practical difficulties of interpreting mixed results across competing theories.

Hosted by Paul Middlebrooks