Brain & Butter

We dive into the neuroscience of dreams in this episode, where we uncover the mysteries of why we dream, the meaning behind our dreams, and the brain's activity during this nightly journey.

In this episode, we delve deep into why some people might become addicted to marijuana, and others don’t. Additionally, we explore the importance of resilience and how it can help prevent the onset of addiction in the first place.

In this episode, we explore the lives of Iranian Dutch immigrants in the Netherlands, focusing on their personal and cultural changes. We'll talk about the mental and emotional challenges they face moving from conservative societies to a liberal environment. Join us to understand more about how immigrants adapt and grow in new cultures, shedding light on the broader immigrant experience in Europe.

In this episode, we dive into the art of creating purposeful buildings that blend history with innovation and infuse emotions into design. We explore the psychology of spaces that boost well-being, from colour choices to material selections. We will touch upon how architects weave cultural narratives, cognitive ergonomics, and embodied cognition into their designs to impact our emotions, behaviours, and memories.

In this episode, we are joined once again by Gerben van Kleef as we delve into the role of mimicry and empathy in both everyday life and leadership. We'll examine how emotions can foster teamwork and motivation and explore how leaders can effectively apply these concepts in practice.

This episode delves into the fascinating world of psychedelic drugs and their profound impact on the brain. With Drummond McCulloch, we explore the ability of different psychedelic drugs to induce hallucinations and altered consciousness. We also discuss their potential for rewiring the brain and enhancing mental health.

Discover the potential of your biological clock as we delve into the secrets of optimizing your activities in your daily rhythm for maximum health and vitality. In this episode with Andries Kalsbeek, we discuss practical strategies to increase performance and overall well-being.

The rise of science and technology has transformed just about every aspect of our life. Instead of turning to religion for guidance on our pursuit of happiness, we turn to popular-science books. Instead of grabbing a pencil and mastering the art of drawing, we can give AI systems a few prompts to create masterful drawings. With the availability of digital platforms and AI programs, everybody can make good art. But then what makes out a good artist? This is an eclectic episode about how science and emerging technologies change society.

We tend to underestimate how much our emotions guide our thinking and behavior. In this episode, we explore the functions of emotions with prof. dr Gerben van Kleef: How do they serve us purpose, guide social interactions, and inform our own behaviors? And how do cultures and genders differ in recognizing and expressing emotions?

Everyone of us has a unique cognitive profile. How flexibly can you jump between thoughts and topics, how good are you in focusing your attention, how fast can you pull the mental break and inhibit intrusive thoughts? In this episode we dive into human cognition, answering questions around how stable our cognitive skills are and whether we can tweak them.

Many of us make new year's resolutions and many of us fail to stick with them. In this episode, we attempt to unravel why it is so difficult to stick with resolutions and how our brain forms new habits. What does it take to achieve a new year's resolution?

We say hello and tell you what our plans are for the podcast!