Thoughtful Cynic

New empirical research suggests that language has a powerful influence over the way we think and perceive the world.

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We explore how speaking more than one language influences our cognitive capacity.

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Dr Judy Willis applies new knowledge in neuroscience to develop better learning strategies for children.

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Barbara Arrowsmith-Young tells the inspiring story of how she overcame her severe learning difficulties with specific brain exercises. We also hear the moving accounts of two Australians who’ve taken a leaf out of her book.

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Are we getting smarter? We know our IQ scores have been steadily rising since we began measuring intelligence, but that’s not the full story. Moral philosopher James Flynn joins usto tackle the controversial questions of IQ in relation to race, gender and class. 

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Leonard Mlodinow is a theoretical physicist who’s turned his mind to the unconscious. Not the unconscious mind of Freudian fame which was examined through psychoanalysis in the 19th century – but a new science of the unconscious made possible by technologies which reveal the physiology of our brains. We discuss the hidden forces that rule our behaviour. 

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Do you privately shake with nerves or shyly blush when the attention is on you? Most people experience some form of shyness but others are so immobilised by the fear of being judged negatively that they can barely function. Social phobia is the third most common mental illness after depression and substance abuse. We hear about one woman’s 20 year struggle with social anxiety and some recent scientific findings about the brain activity associated with this disorder.

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Keeping up with phone calls, sms messages, Facebook updates, tweets … sometimes it feels like technology rules our lives. Psychology of technology researcher Dr Larry Rosen warns that our technology is causing us to develop symptoms of disorders such as narcissistic personality disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. He points out the warning signs of what he calls ‘i-disorders’ and suggests some strategies to maintain our humanity.

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Adolescence and young adulthood is a time of life dominated by highs and lows – it’s part of normal development, but it’s also the time when people are at greatest risk of developing mental illness. We hear about some new approaches to assisting young people when they are at the most vulnerable. 

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In 1961 Stanley Milgram conducted a controversial series of experiments which were said to show that we’re all capable of evil in certain circumstances. Many of the participants are still traumatised. This is a panel discussion about the lessons and ethics of these experiments..

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