This episode of Books and Ideas is an interview with David Shariatmadari author of " Don't Believe a Word: The Surprising Truth About Language ." We explore some of the common myths about language. This includes a follow up of our recent discussion on Brain Science about the evidence against the assumption that language is an instinctive. Links and References: Don't Believe a Word: The Surprising Truth About Language by David Shariatmadari Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking by...
Apr 17, 2020•37 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast Several years ago I interviewed Terrence Deacon about his fascinating book Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter . His goal was to propose a theory of how purpose evolved in a universe without purpose. His argument was persuasive, but highly technical. In this month’s episode of Books and Ideas I interview his longtime colleague Jeremy Sherman. His book Neither Ghost nor Machine: The Emergence and Nature of Selves makes Deacon’s ideas highly accessible to a wider audience. Join us as w...
Mar 15, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast This episode of Books and Ideas is a follow up of my previous interview of Becky Hale , past-president of the American Humanist Association (AHA). I am fascinated by the relationship between modern Humanism and Unitarian Universalism. Listen to my interview with Amanda Poppei from the Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association (UUHA) to learn why. Links and References: Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism , ed. by Gibbons and Murray Unitarian Universalist Humanist Association (UUHA) Americ...
Feb 15, 2020•36 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast This month's episode of Books and Ideas is an interview with astronomer Brian Keating about his memoir Losing the Nobel Prize: A Story of Cosmology, Ambition, and the Perils of Science's Highest Honor . His book is a first hand look at the hard work behind the scientific effort to determine how the universe really began, but as the title implies, it also contains a candid account of how striving for the Nobel Prize can be both motivating, but strangely counterproductive. Links and References: Lo...
Jan 15, 2020•56 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast This episode of Books and Ideas is an interview with Susan Schneider , author of a fascinating new book called Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind . Schneider's book goes beyond the question of whether AI might become conscious to issues that might affect us on a more personal level. I am cross posting this in the feed for Brain Science because there is an obvious overlap with the issue of consciousness, which we often discuss on Brain Science. Links and References: Susan Schneider (p...
Dec 15, 2019•55 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast This episode of Books and Ideas features Adele Brand, author of the new book The Hidden World of the Fox . Foxes are surprisingly widespread even in urban areas. This episode reveals their surprising story. Links and References: The Hidden World of the Fox by Adele Brand Adele Brand: mammal ecologist and wildlife photographer Twitter: https://twitter.com/adeleebrand Blog: https://adelebrandblog.wordpress.com Announcements: Plesae complete a brief audience survy. Send email to docartemis@gmail.co...
Nov 15, 2019•40 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is an adapted version of the talk I gave last week at the first annual She Podcasts Live event, which was held October 10-13, 2019, in Atlanta, Georgia. I was asked to share my experience of podcasting "through life's rollercoaster." This gave me a chance to reflect on what I have learned over the last 13 years. Though the talk was originally aimed at podcasters, I have adapted it for a general audience.
Oct 15, 2019•33 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast This is an interview with historian Liz Covart about her highly respected podcast " Ben Franklin's World. " We explore what it means to be an historian in the 21st Century and the challenges of sharing early American history via podcasting. Links and References: Liz Covart Ben Franklin's World - a podcast about Early American History Facebook page Omohundro Institute Proving History: Bayes's Theorem and the Quest for the Historical Jesus by Richard Carrier Announcements: Please complete a brief ...
Sep 16, 2019•38 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast This episode of Books and Ideas features the return of Podcasting Hall of Famer, Dr. Pamela Gay . Dr. Gay is co-host of the long running show Astronomy Cast. As a professional astronomer she has dedicated her career to public outreach and she is very involved with the citizen science project Cosmos Quest. Her passion for science is contagious. Links: Dr. Pamela Gay ( featured on BI 14 ) personal blog Wikipedia page International Astronomical Union Planetary Science Institute Astronomy Cast Faceb...
Aug 15, 2019•49 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast Books and Ideas 68 is an interview with psychologist Dr Pete Etchells about his new book Lost in a Good Game: Why we play video games and what they can do for us . We explore both the myths and the science behind video games and consider why the effects of video games are actually quite difficult to study. It seems strange that many people in this field don't play games themselves. Most of the bad things you have heard about video games do not stand up to the basic standards of good science. Whe...
Jul 15, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast In honor of Pride month I am sharing an interview I recorded earlier this year with LGBT historian Lillian Faderman about her latest book Harvey Milk: His Lives and Death . Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office, but unfortunately he was assassinated in 1978, after less than a year in office. We discuss some of the highlights of his short career and explore why many consider him the Martin Luther King of the fight for LGBT Civil Rights. Links and References: Harvey Milk: His ...
Jun 15, 2019•52 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast One of the things I love about Books and Ideas is that it gives me the chance to interview people from a wide variety of fields. In BI 66 I talk with Sarah Rhea Werner , a very talented young writer and podcaster. She is the author of Girl in Space , which is a serialized audio drama, and she hosts Write Now , a podcast for aspiring writers. Be sure to listen for the Girl in Space trailer at the end. Links: Sarah's website Girl in Space Cast Write Now Announcements: Send email to docartemis@gmai...
May 15, 2019•40 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast This is an interview with my friend Jody Cole, founder of Wild African Rainbow Safaris . We explore how she built her business from the ground up based on her love of Sub-Saharan Africa. I think you will find her story inspiring. Note: a slightly longer version of this interview was posted as Graying Rainbows 16 . Links: Wild Rainbow African Safaris website: https://wildrainbowsafaris.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildRainbowAfricanSafaris Announcements: Send email to docartemis@gmail.c...
Apr 15, 2019•22 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 64 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Ryder Carroll, author of The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the F uture . He describes how he developed this popular method that combines to-do lists and journaling. I have never featured a "self-help" like title before, but I decided to make an exception this month because I have found bullet journaling to be an effective method for organizing my complicated life. Links and References: The Bullet Journal Method...
Mar 15, 2019•44 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast Books and Ideas is back with an interview of Jonathan Losos, author of Improbable Destinies: Fate, Chance, and the Future of Evolution . This fascinating book reveals the surprising world of experimental evolutionary biology. We explore how experiments both in the laboratory and in the wild are answering long-standing questions about how evolution works. Links and References: Impro bable Destinies: Fate, Chance, and the Future of Evolution by Jonathan B. Losos Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale a...
Feb 15, 2019•58 min•Ep 63•Transcript available on Metacast This episode of Books and Ideas is an interview with Rhodes Perry , author of Belonging At Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate an Inclusive Organization . Human beings are wired to be social, which means feeling like we belong is actually essential to our physical and emotional health. In this interview we discuss some of the obstacles to "Belonging at Work" and practical steps toward improvement. Rhodes also shares the Platinum Rule: Treating others like THEY want to be treated, wh...
Jan 15, 2019•59 min•Ep 62•Transcript available on Metacast I had hoped to relaunch Books and Ideas before the end of 2018, but I want to relaunch with a return interview with Podcasting Hall of Famer, Dr. Pamela Gay of Astronomy Cast . Please stay subscribed so you won't miss it when the show returns.
Dec 26, 2018•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Books and Ideas #61 is an interview with author Mur Lafferty, who just published a new novel called Six Wakes , which she calls a "clone murder mystery." In this interview Mur reflects on her writing career so far and she also shares the surprising impact that podcasting has had on her writing career. Please visit http://virginiacampbellmd.com for more detailed show notes and links. Send me email at docartemis@gmail .com or record voice feedback at http://speakpipe.com/docartemis ....
Mar 23, 2017•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 60 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Matthew Cobb, author of Life's Greatest Secret: The Race to Crack the Genetic Code . We focus on some of the unsung scientists who made essential discoveries. Matthew Cobb was the first person I ever interviewed back in Episode 7, so it was special to have him on to help me celebrate the 9th Anniversary of Books and Ideas. Show notes and free episode transcripts are available at http://www.virginiacampbellmd.com/blog/2015/12/bi60-cobb . Please s...
Dec 17, 2015•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode introduces Phenomenology, a philosophical tradition that focuses on the nature of experience. We talk with Dr. Anthony Chemero, co-author of Phenomenology: An Introduction , which is a new book that not only puts phenomenology into historical perspective but argues that it is a living tradition, which continues to make valuable contributions to fields like psychology and embodied cognitive science. This interview is appropriate for listeners of all backgrounds--no prior knowledge is...
Oct 26, 2015•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 58 of Books and Ideas is a short episode dedicated to my late husband Dr. Dennis G Smith, who died unexpectedly on July 25th 2015. We were married for 38 years and this is a celebration of our life together. Donations in his memory can be made to German Shepherd Rescue of Central Alabama . Send email feedback to me at docartemis@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter . Full show notes and a free transcript for this episode are available at: http://virginiacampbellmd.com/blog/2015/8/dennis-smi...
Aug 21, 2015•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 57 is the first episode of Books and Ideas that I have produced in 2015. It is a conversation with experienced podcaster Elsie Escobar . Elsie brings a unique perspective to the question Why Podcast? because she does it all: she hosts and produces 2 shows, works for Libsyn, the company that hosts my shows and many others, and she listens to more podcasts than seems humanly possible. For complete show notes and episode transcripts please visit http://booksandideas.com . Send feedback to d...
Jun 22, 2015•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 56 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Dr. Amos Bailey, one of the pioneers of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. We talk about the origins of the field and try to dispel some common misperceptions about what we do. Note: Dr. Campbell (the host of Books and Ideas) is currently doing Fellowship Training in Palliative Medicine at the University of Alabama School of Medicine. Go to http://booksandideas for complete show notes and free episode transcripts. Send feedback to Dr. Campbell at ...
Nov 07, 2014•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 55 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Dr. John Ratey, co-author of "Go Wild: Free Your Body and Mind from the Afflictions of Civilization." There is considerable evidence that our hunter-gatherer ancestors were generally suprisingly healthy, so the purpose of this book and our conversation was to explore the scientific evidence supporting a return to a healthier lifestyle. We touch on diet, exercise, the role of sleep and even meditation. We also explore the importance of our relati...
Jun 23, 2014•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast My apologies for uploading an incomplete version of this episode, and worst of all not detecting the problem for almost a week. Episode 54 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Dr. Michaels Saags from the UAB Center for AIDS Research and author of "Positive: One Doctor's Personal Encounters with Death, Life, and the US Healthcare System." Dr. Saag became involved in the fight against HIV-AIDS early in his career and his work has been vital in transforming HIV from a death sentence to a managea...
May 26, 2014•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast Episadoe 53 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Rebecca Hale, current President of the American Humanist Association. We talk about the history of humanism and how it differs from skepticism and atheism. We also talk about how American Humanism fits into the larger picture of world-wide humanism. This episode is intended for people of all beliefs. Full episode show notes and free transcripts are available at http://booksandideas.com. Send feedback to docartemis@gmail.com or post your comment...
Feb 26, 2014•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mur Lafferty is one of the pioneers of podcasting and was one of my inspirations for starting two podcasts back in 2006. She was interviewed here way back in Episode 17 , so I am glad to have her back. Mur has been working hard on her writing craft and has recently published "The Shambling Guide to New York City" to rave reviews. She also recently won the prestigious John W Campbell Award for Most Promising New Writer in Science Fiction and Fantasy. This interview is a fun conversation that incl...
Sep 26, 2013•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast I just wanted to let you know that a new episode of Books and Ideas wil be coming soon. Thanks so much for subscribing. Learn more at http://virginiacampbellmd.com.
Aug 29, 2013•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 51 of Books and Ideas is actually a followup of Dr. Jaak Panksepp's recent interview on the Brain Science Podcast . There we talked in depth about the scientific evidence that humans share basic emotional circuitry with other mammals. In this interview we talk about the implications of this discovery. We focus on how it should impact the treatment of laboratory animals. We also consider our relationships with pets and other domestic species. For detailed show notes and free episode trans...
Feb 08, 2013•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 50 of Books and Ideas is an interview with Ted Meisner, host of The Secular Buddhist podcast. We talk a little about the basics of Buddhism with a focus on the core teachings. The goal of The Secular Buddhist podcast is to highlight the practical teachings of Buddhism, while acknowledging that many of us would like to leave myths like reincarnation behind. Ted also interviews scientists who are trying to discover what happens in the brain when people meditate. For detailed show notes and...
Dec 14, 2012•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
