ASCEND Brain Bites

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 [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!

Why Crows are SUPER SMART!! w/ Dr. John Marzluff 03/14/2023

Why Crows are SUPER SMART!! w/ Dr. John Marzluff Dr. Nemeth and Sam McGovern chat with crow behavior expert, Dr. John Marzluff, about why and how our neighborhood crow friends are so gosh darn smart! We discuss the neuroscience behind crow behavior! /episode/index/show/ascend/id/26231364

Neuroscience of Addiction with Dr. Judith Grisel 06/13/2022

Neuroscience of Addiction with Dr. Judith Grisel Parental Warning: This episode contains themes and discussions of drug use, addiction, and its concequences. Dr. Dan and Dr. Lorena talk with NYT-bestselling author and world leading addiciton neuroscientist, Judith Grisel, about the neuroscience of addiction. If you want to learn more about addiction, check out for more info! Also if you or a loved one is strugglng with addiciton contact SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 or a local addiction drug and rehab facility. /episode/index/show/ascend/id/23405933

Neuroscience of Illusions with Dr. Stephen Macknik- Full Interview 03/31/2022

Neuroscience of Illusions with Dr. Stephen Macknik- Full Interview You may have gotten a taste of how your brain can trick you in our Illusions episode! Here is a full-feature release of the entire interview we had with Dr. Macknik! Hope you enjoy! /episode/index/show/ascend/id/22638044

Episode 9 - Music and Memory 10/16/2021

Episode 9 - Music and Memory Our special guest, Mia Amato, tells Dan and Dr. Lorena Areal all about how our brains perceive music and how music is connected to our memory!! /episode/index/show/ascend/id/20835413

Neuroscience of Illusions! 11/10/2020

Neuroscience of Illusions! 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! /episode/index/show/ascend/id/16756796

Episode 7 - Memory and ....Flies? 02/03/2020

Episode 7 - Memory and ....Flies? 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/index/show/ascend/id/13001330

Episode 6: Happy BRAINSgiving! 11/28/2019

Episode 6: Happy BRAINSgiving! 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/index/show/ascend/id/12209036

Episode 5: Fear, BRAINS! and Zombies! 10/31/2019

Episode 5: Fear, BRAINS! and Zombies! Melissa and Danny talk about the neuroscience of Halloween! Such as how you get scared, if Zombies are plausible from a neuroscience perspective, and how why eating human brains is bad! /episode/index/show/ascend/id/11860355

The Senses, Pt. 2 10/30/2019

The Senses, Pt. 2 This time we talk about the senses of hearing, sight, and touch. Our hearing changes, evidenced by the high-pitched sounds that adults can't hear. How our eyes see color? Have you felt your phone vibrate, but when you check it there's no message? Listen to hear the recent theories behind the phantom vibration phenomenon! Hear our interview with Brock Grill, PhD, from The Scripps Research Institute Florida! We talk about how tiny worms sense touch and what that tells us about the human nervous system! /episode/index/show/ascend/id/11844818

The Senses pt. 1 09/26/2019

The Senses pt. 1 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? /episode/index/show/ascend/id/11412887

Brain Power 02/13/2019

Brain Power 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. /episode/index/show/ascend/id/8627138

Comparing Brain Sizes 12/17/2018

Comparing Brain Sizes 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! /episode/index/show/ascend/id/7950722

ASCEND Brain Bites

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