How do we regulate our impulsive emotions, resist temptation, break bad habits, and come up to our best potential - and why do we sometimes run short? Is willpower anything like muscle power? 

In this episode, we welcome prominent social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister, who has published some 700 scientific works, including 40 books. A recipient of many awards, in 2013 Roy received the highest award given by the Association for Psychological Science, the William James Fellow award, in recognition of his lifetime achievements.

Roy has studied major aspects of the self, the pros and cons of self-esteem, and why it is so hard to do mentally effortful tasks, like studying long hours for a math exam. He is especially known for his work on willpower, self-control, ego depletion, and the dark side of self esteem — how these factors relate to human morality and life success, and can even trigger interpersonal violence.

Talking Points

• 0:00 - Intro 
• 04:44 - Is mental effort (willpower) analogous to a muscle?
• 09:32 - Eating glucose can help restore mental energy. 
• 20:50 -  “Ego Depletion” is another useful analogy. 
• 24:32 - The Practical Implications of Baumeister’s Work.
• 34:27 -  Practice can make mental effort easier. 
• 45:24 - Is Free Will an illusion? A scientific view. 
• 54:46 - Self-esteem without achievement is a trap.

Links

— Website and Social Media —

Website: https://bernardbaars.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BernardJBaars

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BernardJBaars/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardjbaars/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BernardBaarsOnConsciousness

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baarslab/?hl=en

— Roy F. Baumeister —

Personal Website: https://roybaumeister.com/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Baumeister

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ShSEUuoAAAAJ&hl=en

Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwlDLe6O7NE

Books on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roy-F.-Baumeister/author/B001H6IAJY?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Neurobiologist Stuart Firestein, one of the world's leading experts on olfaction, joins Bernard Baars to discuss the similarities and surprising differences of smell and taste in relation to vision, hearing and somatosensory systems, like touch. The olfactory system presents us with alternative views of how sensory stimuli are parsed in the brain and how we integrate those into some sort of conscious worldview.

Dr. Stuart Firestein specializes in the olfactory system ⎯ why and how our brains and noses sense smell. Stuart is the former chair of Columbia University's Department of Biological Sciences and a neurobiology professor, where his laboratory studies the vertebrate olfactory system, possibly the best chemical detector on the face of the planet.

Stuart is devoted to the history, evolution, and future of science. Author of "Ignorance: How it Drives Science" and "Failure: Why Science is so Successful” (OUP), his books cast science as an unending quest to illuminate ignorance and failure as an essential component in that process.

Talking Points

• 0:00 - Intro
• 3:59 - The Ups and Downs of Consciousness in Science 
• 12:30 - Stuart’s Journey from Theater to Neuroscience
• 19:14 - Is Olfaction an Idiosyncratic or Unique Brain System?
• 25:30 - The Connection Between Smell, Memory & Emotion
• 34:37 - The Immune System Recognizes a Repertoire of Molecules Just Like the Olfactory System
• 42:51 - The Regenerative Capabilities of Olfactory Neurons
• 51:48 - Are Olfactory Receptors Like Other Chemoreceptors?
• 01:02:34 - The Integration of Olfactory Stimuli into a Chemical Panorama
• 01:10:24 - Is Olfaction a Low- or High-Dimensional Input System?
• 01:16:56 - How to Improve Science Learning
• 01:22:25 - The Value of Ignorance and Failure in Science

Producer: Natalie Geld

Links

— Website and Social Media —

Website: https://bernardbaars.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BernardJBaars

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BernardJBaars/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardjbaars/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BernardBaarsOnConsciousness

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baarslab/?hl=en

— Stuart Firestein —

Website: http://stuartfirestein.com/

Columbia University: https://www.biology.columbia.edu/people/firestein

Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq0_zGzSc8g

Books:

- Ignorance: How It Drives Science: Buy at Amazon

- Failure: Why Science Is So Successful: Buy at Amazon