Kim and Jim take a deep dive into the topic of behavioral addiction. What is behavioral addiction? Can you be addicted to food? What about sex and gambling? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this episode!

We’ve all heard that being in nature is good for mental and physical health, but just how good is it? John M. Zelenski and Dan Rubinstein join Jim to discuss what science says about experiencing nature. How do scientists define nature? How much exposure to nature is helpful? Does being in nature change people’s views? And is nature still good for you when you’re having an unpleasant experience in it?









Explore Further:



Positive Psychology: The Science of Well-Being



Water Borne: A 1,200-Mile Paddleboarding Pilgrimage

Jim and Kim take a deep dive into the world of AI and ethics. Are LLMs sentient? Why should we worry about AI rights? Is sentience a purely biological phenomenon? Along the way, Jim and Kim touch on topics like animal rights, moral humility and screen depictions of artificial intelligence.

What does it feel like to have schizophrenia? What is the history of the schizophrenia diagnosis and are there effective treatments for the condition? Find the answers to these questions and many more on this episode of Minding the Brain.Resources:



https://www.accessmha.ca/



https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/schizophrenia



https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/schizophrenia/



https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-disorders/schizophrenia-treatment-and-self-help.htm

Dr. Jim Davies, Dr. Kim Hellemans, and Dr. Andrea Howard continue their discussion on what research reveals about social media’s impact on youth mental health. This episode explores the effectiveness of school-based phone and social media bans, the role of parents and governments in shaping healthy media habits, and how social media can function as a coping mechanism.



This is part two of a two-part series on social media and mental health. If you haven’t already, listen to part one for a deep dive into the psychology of social media reward systems, the science of social media “addiction,” and strategies for maintaining healthy digital boundaries.



This is a live recording of Beyond the Headlines: Social Media, Youth and the Science of Well-Being, an event that was hosted by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Science on May 21, 2025, at Carleton University.

What is brain fog and what can you do about it? What’s Jim’s #1 recommendation for improving brain function? Do brains compensate for cognitive decline? Join Kim and Jim as they answer listener questions in our ongoing Q&A series.



If you have a question you’d like answered on Minding the Brain, send us an email at mindingthebrainpodcast@gmail.com




https://youtu.be/AzcIxuHfciE

Dr. Jim Davies, Dr. Kim Hellemans, and Dr. Andrea Howard explore what research really says about social media’s impact on youth mental health. This episode discusses the psychological underpinnings of social media reward systems, whether it’s possible to be addicted to social media, and practical methods you can use to avoid getting sucked into social media against your will.



This is part one of a two-part series on social media and mental health. Part two will be released on July 1st and explore the efficacy of recent bans on phones and social media in educational environments, the role of parents and governments in dealing with this issue, and social media as a coping mechanism.



This is a live recording of Beyond the Headlines: Social Media, Youth and the Science of Well-Being, an event that was hosted by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Science on May 21, 2025, at Carleton University.

Why does cannabis give some people anxiety? Can your brain heal after alcoholism? Does brain training work? Join Kim and Jim as they answer listener questions in our ongoing Q&A series. If you have a question you’d like answered on Minding the Brain, send us an email at mindingthebrainpodcast@gmail.com

Dr. Ian Gold joins Minding the Brain to talk about his research on delusions. What are delusions? Is there a link between delusions and conspiracy theories? What brain areas are involved in delusions? Don’t miss this fascinating episode!









Explore FurtherDelusional Themes are More Varied Than Previously Assumed: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisSuspicious Minds: How Culture Shapes Madness

Are near-death experiences real? Given the uniqueness of every brain, are brain implants a plausible future technology? Can people teach themselves to lucid dream? Join Kim and Jim as they answer listener questions in our ongoing Q&A series. If you have a question you’d like answered on Minding the Brain, send us an email at mindingthebrainpodcast@gmail.com

How does culture impact our brains and the way that mental disorders manifest? How does schizophrenia look different across cultures? What about eating disorders? Can neuroscience tell the difference between brains from different cultures?

Could LLMs like ChatGPT ever lead to AGI? Could we ever erase traumatic memories? Why do some people hate evolutionary psychology? What has neuroscience learned about the brains of non-human apes? Join Kim and Jim as they answer listener questions in our ongoing Q&A series. If you have a question you’d like answered on Minding the Brain, send us an email at mindingthebrainpodcast@gmail.com

Cat Bohannon joins Minding the Brain to talk about the evolution of women. Get ready to learn about prehistoric gynecology, sexual dimorphism in humans, why our eyes are on the front of our heads and why including women in scientific research is so important. Be sure to check out Cat’s book, Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution.

Are the brains of transgender people different than the brains of cisgender people? Can experiencing racism cause lasting neurological damage? Can a deeper understanding of the brain excuse criminal behavior? Join Kim and Jim as they answer listener questions in our ongoing Q&A series. If you have a question you’d like answered on Minding the Brain, send us an email at mindingthebrainpodcast@gmail.com



Correction: Kim misspoke when discussing vitamin D production. She implied that sunlight itself is a direct source of vitamin D, when in fact, our bodies synthesize vitamin D3 through a process triggered by ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from the sun. Specifically, UVB exposure converts a cholesterol-based compound in the skin into vitamin D3, which then undergoes further processing in the liver and kidneys to become its active form. We appreciate our listeners for keeping us accountable and for engaging with the science behind these topics!

Dr. Argel Aguilar-Valles joins Kim to discuss psychedelics. Does microdosing work? Are psychedelics effective for treating depression? How do these substances interact with the brain? Join Minding the Brain for a deep dive into the science of magic mushrooms, acid, ketamine, ayahuasca, and more.



Explore further:



Check out Dr. Argel Aguilar-Valles’ work here

Is dopamine addiction real? What about dopamine detoxes? Is it safe to use cannabis after the age of 25? Can psychedelic drugs cause schizophrenia? Does neuroscience disprove free will? Are there any downsides to bilingualism? Join Kim and Jim as they answer listener questions for the first episode of our new ongoing Q&A series. If you have a question you’d like answered on Minding the Brain, send us an email at mindingthebrainpodcast@gmail.com

Rebecca Merkley joins Jim to discuss the math abilities of babies. How early do children begin to understand math? What kind of mistakes do children make when it comes to understanding math? Why is math education important and how soon should children start learning math?

Kim and Jim discuss the neuroscience of emotion: Which regions of the brain process emotions? What is the relationship between substance withdrawal and our natural stress responses? How do hormones influence these responses? Find the answers to these questions and many more on this episode of Minding the Brain.

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Daniel Schacter joins Minding the Brain to talk about memory errors. How and why is memory prone to failure? Do people repress traumatic memories? Does retrieving memories alter them? Can you slow down the process of forgetting over time? Join Minding the Brain for a deep dive into the fascinating and controversial world of memory research.







Explore further:The Seven Sins Of Memory




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Jim interviews Matt Coleman of Giving Multiplier, a website that provides evidence-based recommendations to help people give to the most effective charities. They discuss the importance of giving to the most effective charities, the paradox of how our emotional responses to giving don’t tend to scale with the impact of our giving, why we should care about people in the future and much more.



Explore Further:



https://givingmultiplier.org/ (Use code “Minding”)