Today, I spoke with Dr Douglas Fields, who is a neuroscientist and author of numerous books and articles about the brain. We discussed his excellent and important book, Why We Snap: Understanding the Rage Circuit in Your Brain, which focuses on the neuroscience that triggers rage and violence. It turns out, evolution has endowed every single one of us with nine neural pathways that, when activated, will lead to a violent and oftentimes involuntary and non-conscious response. During our chat, Doug explained these circuits—captured in the mnemonic LIFEMORTS—and how they relate to many important issues, including: their applicability to our interpersonal relationships; origins in threat detection; their unconscious nature and subsequent voluntary expression; impact of social media and technology; disproportionate effect of stress; power of genes and the environment; manifestations of violence in different genders; utility in peacebuilding; training of responses; role in PTSD and, perhaps most-importantly, geopolitics and war.
Several previous episodes that link to the topics we discussed include:
Role of the environment:
Geopolitics:
PTSD and trauma
I also mentioned an article I recently published on the state of Western democracy, grey zone warfare by authoritarian states and how social media is contributing to a build-up of tension in our societies. You can view the article here.
----
Full show notes:
My guest today is Dr Douglas Fields, who is a neuroscientist and author of numerous books and articles about the brain. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, University of Maryland adjunct professor, and Chief of the Nervous System Development and Plasticity Section at the National Institutes of Health. He received advanced degrees at UC Berkeley, San Jose State University, UC San Diego, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford and Yale University.
He writes about science for Scientific American, Quanta, Outside Magazine, Huffington Post, Undark Magazine, Psychology Today, and similar prestigious outlets. His neuroscience research has been featured on national television, radio, NPR, the National Geographic and others, and he speaks about neuroscience for the general public on mediums like NPR, World Science Festival, TEDex and Google Talks.
He is the author of three books about neuroscience for the general reader, The Other Brain, about glia, which are brain cells that communicate without electricity, Why We Snap, about the neuroscience of rage, and his new award-winning book, Electric Brain, about brainwaves, brain-computer interface, and brain stimulation. Some of the topics we discussed today include:
111. Lest We Forget: Our Duty Is Not To The People with David McBride
110. 🎙 AI's Impact on Massive Death Toll in Gaza with Meron Rapoport
109. Chris Gunness: Israel's Opposition to UNRWA and the Campaign to Delegitimise the Organisation
108. Return of The Voices Of War
107. 2023 Wrap-Up: A Year of Insight and Inquiry
106. Jason Pack – Aspirations of Peace in the Middle East: A Deep Dive into Regional Dynamics and the Global Enduring Disorder
105. Professor Greg Barton - Terrorism, Jihadism, and Violent Extremism: Exploring the Roots and Impacts of Radicalisation
104. Nadim Shehadi – Beyond Gaza: Unpacking the Middle East’s Entrenched Conflicts and Power Dynamics
103. Dr David Livingstone Smith - Dehumanisation in the Israel-Palestine War and its consequences
102. Special Release: Chris Gunness - Scratching Beneath the Complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
101. Professor Rashid Khalidi - Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: An Exploration of Root Causes and Geopolitical Dynamics
100. Carl Miller - The AI Revolution: Exploring its Ethical, Social, and Political Ramifications
99. Special Release: Vlad Sakovich - The View from Russia: An In-Depth Conversation on Anti-War Activism under Putin’s Regime
98. Dr. Jonathan French Flint - Navigating the Ethical Maze of War: On Strategic Theory and Military Ethics
97. Yousuf Sediq – The War in Afghanistan: Exploring its Complexities, Absurdities, and Challenges with an Afghan Special Forces Commander
96. LTC Kevin Cutright - Empathy Unleashed: Transforming Military Decision-Making and Operational Effectiveness
95. Heidi Langbein-Allen - From Propaganda to Desperation: Understanding Nazi Indoctrination of German Youth in Hitler’s Army
94. Special Release: Dr Mike Martin - Cracks in Putin’s Autocracy: Dissent, Mutiny, and Shifting Tides
93. Dr Neil Greenberg - Battlefield Minds: Understanding the Complexities of Military Mental Health
92. Hasan Aygun - Turkish Elections Unveiled: Erdogan’s Rise to Power, Dimming of Democracy, and Geopolitical Ramifications
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Voices of Misery Podcast
House of Whimsical Terror
Dairyland Frights
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL