Personal credit card debt in the United States has doubled since 2004, and personal bankruptcies are at the highest rates ever.  And despite unprecedented levels of economic growth and wealth creation, the median American family has less than $10,000 in assets.  This begs the question, “Where has all the money gone?”

The unvarnished truth is that many Americans spend and continue to spend well beyond their means, in essence mortgaging their futures for the temporary convenience of the present.  And as the U.S. housing crisis continues to intensify, these same individuals are finding themselves in an increasingly precarious financial predicament brought on by years of unchecked consumptive habits.

In this program, we speak with Dr. Tahira K. Hira of Iowa State University.  Dr. Hira is internationally known for her research in consumer bankruptcy, consumer credit, and the social and psychological aspects of borrowing among middle and high income Americans as well as the impact of gambling and credit use on family financial well-being.

Join us in this timely and insightful conversation where we explore the key factors that influence people’s buying and borrowing behavior and help explain why people overspend in the first place.

As communications technologies such as Second Life become more and more sensory and interactive, human beings are increasingly being forced to navigate environments that consistently blur the lines between fantasy and reality.  And while most industry analysts praise this next big wave of "social media,” a growing number of neuroscientists are critically analyzing how these "false identities” might impact us in our "real-life” interactions and relationships.  

In this podcast, we are delighted to feature Baroness Susan Greenfield, one of the world's leading brain researchers and the author of the upcoming book, ID The Quest for Identity in the 21st Century (May 2008, Hodder & Stoughton).  As the Director of The Royal Institution of Great Britain and professor of pharmacology at Oxford University, her research and writing have advanced our understanding of the workings of the human brain and have stimulated public understanding of, and appreciation for, that most complex of human organs.  And as one of Great Britain's most popular and recognizable public figures, Baroness Greenfield has been instrumental in communicating the critical notion that the human brain is not only highly adaptive to our changing technological landscape, but also highly vulnerable to it as well.

Be sure to tune into this thought-provoking interview where we look at the latest science of human/technology interaction and examine how these emerging “virtual worlds” are increasingly shaping the human identity.

Hydrotherapy, or the medicinal use of water, has long been utilized by both traditional and alternative medicine to treat a variety of physical ailments.  However, recent scientific studies have suggested that cold water therapies might be effective in the treatment of mood disorders such as depression – and that there might actually be an evolutionary basis to this.

In this program, we speak with Dr. Nikolai Shevchuk, author of the November 2007 study, Adapted Cold Shower as a Potential Treatment for Depression. Dr. Shevchuk’s work has been instrumental in identifying and explaining how cold temperatures activate specific areas of the brain that appear to be involved with the regulation of mood in humans. 

Join us as we explore the hard science of cold water therapy and examine how our current “ambient temperature” lifestyle might potentially be a factor in our mood states.  

In our previous podcast on the blood brain barrier, we explored the issues and challenges involved with delivering therapeutic compounds into the brain.  And while both big pharma and academic neuroscience continue to disregard the limiting factors of the blood brain barrier, a few pioneering companies are tackling this issue head on. 

In this segment, we speak with Stephan Mittermeyer of BrainLAB, a medical equipment company headquartered in Munich, Germany.  Stephan’s group has developed an integrated approach to circumventing the blood brain barrier that involves a process known as convection enhanced delivery, or CED.  Join us as we explore BrainLAB’s innovative technique for delivering drugs directly into the brain – one that is as much a tale of physics and engineering as it is of biology.   

When two neuroscientists at Newcastle University in Great Britain published the results of their study in the August 21, 2007 edition of the journal Current Biology, they were quite surprised at the strong reaction and scrutiny from the media and the general public.  And what exactly was it that courted such controversy?  Specifically, Dr. Anya Hurlbert and Dr. Yazhu Ling reported research findings that seemed to indicate that there might be consistent and predictable differences in color preferences between men and women.  However, what really “fanned the flames” was the speculation that these sex differences might be evolutionary and based upon sex-specific behaviors likely practiced by our ancestors. 

In this podcast, we go beyond the superficial controversy and instead delve into the fascinating details of how humans process and perceive color – and how we might indeed be hardwired to perceive it in different ways.  Join us for a fascinating and dynamic discussion with Dr. Ling where we explore the real story at a much deeper and more scientific level. 

Whenever the topic of virtual reality comes up, we tend to automatically think of video games or science fiction movies.  But separate from all this hype and fantasy are dedicated scientists who are using virtual reality applications to enhance the lives of people suffering from a wide array of neurological ailments.  And the key factor driving this interest in virtual reality lies in the fact that virtual reality is much more than merely a visual phenomenon. 

In this program we speak with Dr. Emily Keshner, Professor and Chair, Department of Physical Therapy and Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Temple University.  Dr. Keshner is leading research at the state-of-the-art Virtual Reality and Postural Orientation Laboratory that examines how virtual reality influences both the visual and vestibular systems in human beings – and how these two systems are inextricably linked to each other. 

Join us for a fascinating discussion of virtual reality and how this dynamic visual environment is proving to be an indispensable rehabilitation tool for patients with all types of neurological disorders that affect both balance and posture in humans.  

When you listen to one of these shows, you’re really only hearing a very small part of a much greater effort.  By the time a show is officially “ready for prime time,” I’ve typically spent several weeks – or even months in some cases – communicating back and forth with each guest.  And as much as I try to keep things businesslike, I’m always surprised at how fairly well I get to know the guest during this period. 

I think there are two reasons for this.  First, with all the back-and-forth e-mails, phone calls, and appointment (re)schedulings, you really get a feel for a person’s temperament and personality.  Second, both my guest and I are bound by a strong mutual interest – namely, we are insatiably curious about the inner workings of the human brain and mind.  And it’s this fascination with exploring the unknown that, I believe, helps us connect at a much deeper level. 

I had the great pleasure of working with Dr. Ann E. Kelley back in late March of 2006.  At that time, we were transitioning NeuroScene towards a syndicated content model, and Dr. Kelley was one of our first podcast guests.  I recall Dr. Kelley as being an exceptionally bright and engaging individual who had the rare dual blessings of both loving one’s field of study – and of being one of the world’s best at it. 

Sadly, Dr. Kelley lost her battle with cancer last month.  As a tribute to her, we are reposting the original interview, “The Neuroscience of Obesity,” with an updated introduction.

It’s no secret that researchers in both the commercial pharma and academic neuroscience communities are intent on designing new medicines to treat the growing populations of patients afflicted with central nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and brain tumors.  And it’s also no secret that the biggest obstacle to the successful delivery of these specialized drug therapies is the blood brain barrier – a unique network of tightly packed endothelial cells that protects the brain from the many chemicals flowing within the blood. 

What’s surprising, however, is that the blood brain barrier continues to be significantly disregarded as an essential area of focus within both Big Pharma and the academic neuroscience establishment.  And the unfortunate byproduct of this neglect is a substantial over funding of neuroscience research projects that produce few commercially viable therapies that can effectively address the growing threat of many age-related neurological conditions. 

In this program, we speak with Dr. William Pardridge, Professor of Medicine at the UCLA Brain Research Institute and founder of ArmaGen Technologies.  Join us for an eye-opening discussion of the science and politics of blood brain barrier drug delivery, and learn more about some of the fascinating new areas of research and development in this critical, but very often overlooked, area of neuroscience.