Brain Science Podcast discussion

As promised I have posted a follow up interview with Dr. Jaak Panksepp, author The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions. Panksepp's research has provided convincing evidence that other animals experience emotions that are very similar to our own. In this interview Panksepp and I discuss how these discoveries could influence our relationship with other animals, especially our treatment of lab animals.

Listen to Books and Ideas #51

Show notes and episode transcript

Hope people take the time to listen because it is an excellent, thought-provoking interview. Just the thought of "rat- tickling" makes me smile. Dr. Panskeep does very well at explaining his work, yet keeps it all grounded in real life. Glad his work is getting more exposure with the help of your podcast.

Judy wrote: "Hope people take the time to listen because it is an excellent, thought-provoking interview. Just the thought of "rat- tickling" makes me smile. Dr. Panskeep does very well at explaining his work, ..."

I agree with you that Dr. Panksepp's work deserves more exposure. I was glad to see that Damasio acknowledged his work often in Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain.

My father did research using rats and dogs in the '60's and '70's. My sister worked in the rat lab one summer and I visited it to see what was going on. It was standard practice to pick them up by the tail to avoid being bitten, (which she eventually experienced and it was a family story for many years). So from the handling of rats to the slurs, it was not a pretty place to be.
I've never thought about kindness to rats but the tickling...it changes everything.
On the Kelly and Michael show this morning, Kelly recalled walking in a snowdrift yesterday in Manhattan. Something caught the corner of her eye. It was a rat cavorting in and out of the snowdrifts. She called it the snow rat and insisted it was joyful play she watched.

As the alternative care world has developed a focus on positive feelings rather than the continuous search on sorrow and fear and depression, I am grateful for the coinciding change in the world of research to develop relationships with the research animals acknowledging the universal connection of all living beings.

I am new to Braincast and this was my first podcast interview---absolutely amazing. I can't thank you enough Ginger for having Dr Panksepp on your program. The results of his research prove what many of us in the animal welfare movement have been saying for long time; animals are sentient beings. The fact that they do not have language does not negate this fact. Dr Panksepp's research has me excited in ways I haven't felt about anything in a long while. I've been googling his name for the last 24 hours trying to find as much information about him and his research as I can. Do you know does he participate much in speaking engagements? Does he welcome contact from lay persons who are interested in his work? Please excuse my exuberance but I just find his work so profoundly important that I can't seem to help myself.
I was hoping to find The Archaeology of Mind in audiobook format but thus far have been unsuccessful. Do you know if it is available or might be available in the future?

Melanie wrote: "I am new to Braincast and this was my first podcast interview---absolutely amazing. I can't thank you enough Ginger for having Dr Panksepp on your program. The results of his research prove what ma..."

Unfortunately, I don't think either of Dr. Panksepp's book would make a good audio. His writing, though clear and concise, is much too technical. Also, the diagrams are very important. If you haven't read his work before I highly recommend starting with Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions because it was written as a textbook.

It is not clear to me which one of Dr. Panksepp's interviews you just listened to so I am going to include links to all three below:

BSP 65

BSP 91

Books and Ideas 51

The Books and Ideas interview will be appearing in the Brain Science Podcast feed later today.

Just saw this article about Jaak Panksepp rearch being used by musical composers to evoke emotion with their music.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/apr/26/...

Fascinating.....

Judy wrote: "Just saw this article about Jaak Panksepp rearch being used by musical composers to evoke emotion with their music.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/apr/26/......"

Thanks. That is a great link. I am going to share it on Twitter, G+, etc.