BRAINLAND

GEORGE SAND: The life, times and shifting reputation of an early feminist writer and thinker.

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 16:13:23 GMT

In this podcast we discuss 19th century French novelist, dramatist and memoirist George Sand. In a wide-ranging conversation, based on Fiona's very readable and recent biography, we talk about Sand's great literary success in an era in which she was a political progressive abolitionist, early feminist and even ecologist. Her unusual origins, unhappy marriage, rapid literary success and famous relationship with/patronage of the composer Chopin get an airing. We talk about her first novel, 'Indiana', which contains critiques of arranged marriage and slavery, insightful reflections on language and the politics of her era and influenced the later Bronte sisters, George Elliot and others. We also discuss how her reputation rapidly faded after her death, outside France, such that she is more remembered as Chopin's partner/patron, her love affairs and cross-dressing, than her great literary output and influence on her time. Fiona also reads an extract. A fascinating book and conversation.

Participants:

Fiona Sampson, poet, biographer, Professor Emerita, University of Roehampton; Senior Research Fellow, Harris Manchester College University of Oxford. https://www.fionasampson.co.uk/

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Fiona's biography 'Becoming George' : https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/460324/becoming-george-by-sampson-fiona/9781529924336

George Sand's novel 'Indiana': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_(novel)

Her autobiography 'Histoire de Ma Vie': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histoire_de_ma_vie_(George_Sand)

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by KB

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TRANSHUMANISM: Humanity's great hope or the devil's work?

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:14:06 GMT

In this episode Stefan Sorgner, a leading academic in the growing field of transhumanist philosophy defines and talks about his route to the subject before drawing a distinction, elaborated in his upcoming book, on the difference between 'classical' and 'Euro' varieties. He stresses that, in a sense, we have been augmented humans ('cyborgs'), since we acquired the ability to create and use language, tools, clothes, fire, writing, herbs etc. all of which enable us to go beyond our basic physical and mental limitations. He talks about the importance of Nietzsche's philosophy importance for the subject and defends him against accusations of proto-fascism. He distances himself and the Euro tradition from the utopian and immortality obsessed transhumanism of Silicone Valley billionaires and from those who consider transhumanism 'the devil's work', including a leading Russian Orthodox religious leader, Steve Bannon and others. We touch on transhumanism in culture then Stefan concludes by emphasising Euro-transhumanism's aim as promoting human flourishing, safety, protection from disease and starvation for the majority, rather than more power and longevity for the few.

Participants:

Stefan Lorenz Sorgner, Associate Professor of Philosophy, John Cabot University, Rome, Director and co-founder of the Beyond Humanism Network, Fellow at the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies www.sorgner.de

Ken Barrett is an artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Stefan's upcoming book: Euro-Transhumanism: Twisting truth, Goodness, Beauty https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/euro-transhumanism

His book 'We have always been cyborgs': https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/we-have-always-been-cyborgs

For Stefan's other publications and work consult his website: www.sorgner.de

Music: Prelude to Act 1 of the opera Brainland composed by Stephen Brown www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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THE MATCHBOX GIRL: Recreating Hans Asperger's world in fiction

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:52:48 GMT

In this episode novelist and playwright Alice Jolly talks about her latest novel, 'The Matchbox Girl'' about a neurodiverse girl and then young woman who is referred to Asperger's clinic in Vienna in the 1930s. Alice talks about her decision to use a female patient/narrator and how the book 'felt like a radio you couldn't properly tune in' until she found Adelheid, her narrator's voice. We discuss other members of the clinical team including Annie Weiss and George Frankl, both of who had to leave the clinic because they were Jewish and migrated to America. We discuss revelations about Asperger's child referrals to the clinic where the disabled were killed, a practice that wasn't public at the time but seems to have been widely known - an action at odds with the clinic sheltering a Jewish boy througout the war and the way he emphasises the social value of the patients he describes in his paper on 'autistic psychopathy'. We also touch on the appalling and discredited 'refrigerator mother' theory from the 1950s, an idea dismissed by Asperger in his 1944 paper. Great insights into the backgorund to an engaging novel.

Participants:

Alice Jolly, novelist and playwright https://alicejolly.com/wp/

Ken Barrett is an artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Alice's novel ‘The Matchbox Girl’: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/matchbox-girl-9781526681034

More on Hans Asperger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Asperger

More on Annie Weiss and Georg Frankl: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337935440_The_Forgotten_Pioneers_The_Life_and_Work_of_Anni_Weiss_and_Georg_Frankl_updated

Music: Prelude to Act 1 of the opera Brainland composed by Stephen Brown www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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HANS ASPERGER AND THE AUTISTIC SPECTRUM: Reflections on the past, present and future

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 20:50:48 GMT

For the first episode of season 3 your host travelled to North London to record a conversation with Dame Uta Frith whose translation of Hans Asperger’s now famous paper was published 35 years ago. After discussing her reasons for moving to the UK, Uta talks about Lorna Wing’s work and influence before discussing the innovative and multidisciplinary clinic in which Asperger worked in the 1930 and 40s and the structure of his paper - four detailed case descriptions of children with what best translates as ‘autistic psychopathology’. We discuss origin of the term ‘autistic’ and how the concept has evolved since the 1960s, from a narrow and severely disabling non-verbal condition to a spectrum and the difficulties inherent in a condition of varying severity. The episode concludes with three short extracts from Dame Uta’s translation. In the next episode, with novelist Alice Jolly, we will discuss Asperger’s world in more detail, including recent evidence of complicity with Nazi eugenic practices. Check out Alice’s novel ‘The Matchbox Girl’.

Participants:

Dame Uta Frith FRS is Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College, London.

Ken Barrett is an artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/ http://cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm

More on Dame Uta and her research : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uta_Frith

And on the BBC's "Life Scientific: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b017w65r

A review of Two Heads is here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/mar/29/two-heads-by-uta-frith-chris-frith-alex-frith-and-daniel-locke-review

Alice Jolly's novel ‘The Matchbox Girl’: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/matchbox-girl-9781526681034

More on Hans Asperger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Asperger

Read extract from Uta's translation of Asperger's paper (with the permission of the translator) from: Chapter 2, 'Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Edied by Uta Frith, Cambridge, 1991.

Alice Jolly's novel 'The Matchbox Girl': https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/matchbox-girl-9781526681034/

Music: Prelude to Act 1 of the opera Brainland composed by Stephen Brown www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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SEASON 2 FINALE: Surfing Brainland

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 20:47:18 GMT

The final episode of season 2 is a compilation of 10 male and 10 female voices from season two, chosen more or less at random, about 90 seconds from each episode sampled at or around 20 minutes in. Thanks to all guests for a fascinating season and see you in season 3.

The key to the episodes and timings is below:

1.10. Kimberly Campanello.(26) DANTE, DOPAMINE AND ME: Neuro-poetic and other explorations into language.

2.36. Mark Solms. (29) '...PERCHANCE TO DREAM: On the neuroscience of sleep and dreaming...

4.12. Raquel Medina. (2) I FEEL I AM NOT IN MY PERFECT MIND: Alzheimer's and cognitive decline in movies.

5.45. Antony Penrose. (31) DREAM WARRIORS: Exploring the world of the surrealists...

7.40. Eileen Joyce and Sheldon Benjamin (10) NEUROPSYCHIATRY: Second Coming or Unholy Alliance?

9.15. Erika Dyck (13) EXPANDING MINDSCAPES: A psychedelic world tour.

10.40. Owen Flanagan (8) WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN ADDICT? A philosopher tells it like it is.

12.33. Fiona Sampson. (39) FRANKENSTEIN DISASSEMBLED: The remarkable life of Mary Shelley.

13.43. Nick Lane. (3) EVOLUTIONARY BIOCHEMISTRY: New perspectives on the chemistry of you.

15.20. Joanna Kempner (11) PSYCHEDELIC OUTLAWS

16.16. Jon Stock (35) WILLIAM SARGANT AND HIS 'SLEEP ROOM': Shrinks, spooks and medical hubris.

17.56 Julia Vassilieva (38) DISCOVERING EISENSTEIN: Part 2 - Neuroscientific collaborations.

19.24. Jonathan Dove (21) OH FOR THE WINGS OF A DOVE: From choirboy to Operatic Maestro.

20.57. Tricia Durdey. (7) UPSIDE DOWN IN A HOOP: Processing change through writing, dance and circus skills

22.25. Eugen Wassiliwitzky (9) POETRY AND THE NEUROAESTHETICS OF SURVIVAL.

23.33. Pia Tikka. (19) NEUROCINEMATIC EXPLORATIONS: Cinema creators in the act of creation.

25.20 Frank Burke (30) DREAMWORKS: Fellini's dream obsession, from graphic diaries to movies.

26.26. Emily MacGregor (18) WHILE THE MUSIC LASTS: Life, loss and musicology.

28.28. Austin Lim (32) HORROR ON THE BRAIN: The neuroscience behind sci fi and horror.

Host: Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Opening music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketches by KB

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FRANKENSTEIN DISASSEMBLED: The remarkable life of Mary Shelley.

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Fiona Sampson's probing biography of Mary Shelley is the first of a trilogy of biographies of 19th century writers of the romantic period. After sharing her approach to biography, Fiona talks about Mary's famous parents: Mary Wollstonecraft, influential philosopher and educator, who died of puerpural fever shortly after Mary's birth, and William Godwin and radical philosopher. We discuss the intellectual household in which she became a precociously intelligent child, her reading that included key 'natural philosophers, of the day, two long childhood trips that found their way into 'Frankenstein', her elopement at 16 with philandering poet Shelley, the ever-present step-sister, and their subsequent travels. These included the fateful stay in Geneva where Byron had taken a villa and the idea of writing horror stories arose. The book was completed when she was only 18 and we explore the various themes and interpretations of the novel, an immediate best-seller with several early stage versions. We talk about her bereavments (3 of 4 children and Shelley, in 1822), her challenging life post-Shelley, and her other novels, including the less known but equally genre-creating 'The Last Man'. To conclude, Fiona reads a summing up section from the end of her book. A terrific in depth conversation about an extraordinary woman.

Participants:

Fiona Sampson, poet, biographer, Professor Emerita, University of Roehampton; Senior Research Fellow, Harris Manchester College University of Oxford. https://www.fionasampson.co.uk/

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Fiona's biography 'In search of Mary Shelley': https://www.fionasampson.co.uk/book/in-search-of-mary-shelley-the-girl-who-wrote-frankenstein/

Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus' (1818): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein

Mary Shelley's 'The Last Man' (1826): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Man

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by KB

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DISCOVERING EISENSTEIN: Part 2 - Neuroscientific collaborations.

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 20:19:39 GMT

Soviet era film director and theorist Sergei Eisenstein began collaborating with Alexander Luria and Lev Vigotsky, key figures in neuropsychology and developmental psychology, in 1925, the year he released his most famous film, Battleship Potemkin. Julia Vassilieva, after studying psychology in Moscow, got the opportunity to study the papers of Luria and Vigotsky, both of whom had a long term collaboration with Eisenstein. We talk about them, their work, Eisenstein's involvement in their research and what he took from them. Julia outlines the perilous times they lived in, Luria means of surviving the various purges and how out of favour Vigotsky was perhaps spared execution by dying of TB in 1934. We talk about what Eisenstein regarded as his life's work, the still largely untranslated 'Method' uncompleted when he died in 1948 and future directions for Eisenstein research. Another great transdisciplinary Brainland conversation.

Participants:

Julia Vassileva, Senior Lecturer in Film and Screen Studies at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/julia-vassilieva/

Ian Christie, Professor of Film and Media History, Birkbeck, University of London. www.ianchristie.org

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Papers by Julia: EISENSTEIN AND CULTURAL-HISTORICAL THEORY, 2017,

The Flying Carpet. Studies on Eisenstein and Russian Cinema in Honor of Naum Kleiman

https://www.academia.edu/40926187/

"The Eisenstein-Vygotsky-Luria Collaboration", 2019, Projections

https://www.academia.edu/100293838/The_Eisenstein_Vygotsky_Luria_Collaboration

"Psychological Humanities, Sciences, and the Arts in Russia"

in Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology,2020

https://www.academia.edu/100293865/Psychological_Humanities_Sciences_and_the_Arts_in_Russia

"Sergei Eisenstein", in Screening the Past, December 2017 Great Directors Issue 85

https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2017/great-directors/sergei-eisenstein/

Oksana Bulgakowa’s biography of Eisenstein: https://europe.potemkinpress.com/products/oksana-bulgakowa-sergei-eisenstein-a-biography-1

More on Eisenstein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Eisenstein

Julia and Ian's recent book 'Eisenstein Universe'. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/eisenstein-universe-9781350142091/

More on A.R.Luria: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Luria

A. R. Luria's 'The man with the shattered world': https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674546257

Lev Vigotsky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Vygotsky

Vigotsky's 'Psychology of Art': https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262720052/the-psychology-of-art/

Opening music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by KB

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DISCOVERING EISENSTEIN: Part 1 - Life and films.

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:39:51 GMT

This is the first of two episodes on the life, work and collaborations of Soviet film director and theorist Sergei Eisenstein. Ian Christie has researched and written about Eisenstein for more than 40 years. In this wide ranging conversation, we talk about the influence of his troubled childhood, the importance of drawing throughout his life, the international fame that resulted from his second film 'Battleship Potemkin' (made a century ago) and his early theoretical writing on montage. We discuss his 3 year trip abroad, including Hollywood where he became a friend of Chaplin, the profound effect on his thinking and work of an extended trip to Mexico and the criticism he received on his return. His ill-fated and banned sound film 'Behzin Meadow', made at the height of Stalin's Purges, gets an airing before we move on to his last two films based on the life of Ivan the Terrible, the first part of which led to later criticism of him as a Stalin apologist, whilst the second part was banned by Stalin. Another great conversation. Part 2 coming soon...

Participants:

Ian Christie, Professor of Film and Media History, Birckbeck, University of London. www.ianchristie.org

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Oksana Bulgakowa’s biography of Eisenstein: https://europe.potemkinpress.com/products/oksana-bulgakowa-sergei-eisenstein-a-biography-1

Ian's recent book 'Eisenstein Universe' edited with Julia Vassilieva. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/eisenstein-universe-9781350142091/

Opening music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by KB

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AN ARTIFICIAL HISTORY OF NATURAL INTELLIGENCE: Time travelling the mind.

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 12:19:12 GMT

In this episode David Bates discusses his recent book An Artificial History of Natural Intelligence: Thinking with machines from Decartes to the digital age', a masterly survey of the history of intelligence and its aids. The book is the summation of 20 years of scholarship, a kind of time travel of the mind, and the range of topics we cherry-pick include the influence of automata on Descartes's thinking and pocket watches on Kant's, Spinoza's 'bloodworms', Peirce's hypothesis as 'emergency thought', Hughling Jackson on the brain as a continuously evolving organ, the origin of the notion of brain plasticity, Wolfgang' Köher's chimps and Alan Turing's 'spiritual machines'. Lyotard wrote that 'technology wasn't invented by us. Rather the other way round'. Discuss....or just have a listen.

Participants:

David W. Bates, Professor, Department of Rhetoric, University of California, Berkeley https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/david-bates

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

David's book: An Artificial History of Natural Intelligence: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/A/bo212878817.html

Opening music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by KB

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WILLIAM SARGANT AND HIS 'SLEEP ROOM': Shrinks, spooks and medical hubris.

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:25:02 GMT

In this podcast novelist and journalist Jon Stock discusses his latest book 'The Sleep Room: A very British Medical scandal', is a factual account of psychiatrist William Sargant (1907-88 ) that focusses particularly on Sargant's controversial 20 year 'sleep room' regimen for mental illness that combined continuous narcosis, high dose mixed antidepressants, major tranquillisers and ECT, sometimes extending over several months. We talk about Sargant's early life and the influence of his strict methodist father, who sparked an interest in conversion and, later in brainwashing, a subject that brought him to the attention of intelligence services at the height of the Cold War. We discuss his failure to get into general medicine and his determination to drag psychiatry, where he ended up, into mainstream physical medicine. Sargant's own mental illness episodes get a mention, and his lack of public acknowledgement of same; we outline the atmosphere of deference to senior medics in his period and his friendships in politics and intelligence, fertile ground for untried treatment experiments that also fed into his advice on interrogation techniques and protected him following accusations of sexal improprieties. A really interesting portrait of the man and his times.

Participants:

Jon Stock, novelist, journalist and historian. : https://williamsargant.com/ jsthrillers.com

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Willaim Sargant: https://williamsargant.com/index.php/about/

Jon's Book 'The Sleep Room': https://williamsargant.com/

Opening music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by KB

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MANHANDLING THE BRAIN: How did damaging the brains of the mentally ill ever seem a good idea?

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 17:12:17 GMT

In this festive episode Ken reads 'Manhandling the Brain', his essay on the origins of mid-20th century psychosurgery, an attempt to understand how, for over 20 years, so many people thought it such a good idea to damage the brains of the severely mentally ill and the lessons that can be learned.

Participants:

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Full text of the essay with bibliography and references are here, preceded by an essay on the early days of the EEG and more: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/writing/

Bibliography top picks in bold)

Moniz E (1935), Tentatives operatoires dans le traitement de certaines psychoses, Masson, Paris.

Freeman W, Watts JW & Hunt T (1942) Psychosurgery: Intelligence, emotion and social behavior following prefrontal lobotomy for mental disorders. Springfield, Thomas.

Board of Control (1947), Pre-frontal Leucotomy in 1000 Cases, HMSO.

Shutts D (1982), Lobotomy: Resort to the Knife, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.

Rylander G ( 1948), Personality Analysis Before and After Frontal Lobotomy, in The Frontal Lobes , John F Fulton et al Eds., pp691-705. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore.

Vallenstein ES (1986), Great and Desperate Cures: The Rise and Decline of Psychosurgery and Other Radical treatments for Mental Illness, Basic Books Inc..

Pressman JD, Last Resort: Psychosurgery and the Limits of Medicine, Cambridge University Press, 1998.

El-Hai J (2005), The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness, John Wiley & Sons.

Howard Dully and Charles Fleming, Messing with my Head: The shocking true story of my lobotomy, Vermilion, 2007.

Kotowicz Z (2012), Psychosurgery: the Birth of a New Scientific Paradigm, Centre for Philosophy of Science, University of Lisbon.

Raz M (2013), The Lobotomy Letters: The Making of American Psychosurgery , University of Rochester Press.

Ferone G & Vincent J-D (2011), Bienvenue en Transhumanie: sur l’homme de demain, Editions Grasset & Fasquelle, Paris.

Todes DP (2014), Ivan Pavlov: A Russian Life in Science, Oxford University Press.

Papers:

Hutton E L (1941), Early Results of Prefrontal Leucotomy, Lancet, July 5, 3-12.

Hutton E L (1942), The Investigation of Personality in Patients treated by Prefrontal Leucotomy, Journal of Mental Science, 371, 275-281.

Golla F L,(1943), The Range and Technique of Prefrontal Leucotomy, Journal of Mental Science, 89; 189-191.

Opening music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

For comment or to share your own essay Ken can be contacted at kenb@kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Festive wax model (of Walter Freeman) by KB

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THE HORROR! The anatomy of fear in film.

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:52:31 GMT

In this episode film critic/writer Matt Glasby and artist Barney Bodoano discuss their innovative book on horror movies 'The Book of Horror: The anatomy of fear in film'. After talking about their gateway into their horror obsession Matt takes us through his seven 'scare tactics', techniques used by film makers to evoke shock, dread, revulsion etc. including specifically filmic techniques such as 'dead space'. Barney talks about how he chose an evocative image to represent each film and his decision to use charcoal and chalk as his medium. Their book scores each of 37 films on each of the 7 parameters, summarises the plot and suggests similar movies. We discuss five films in some detail: Hitchcock's 'Psycho' (1960), the Italian classic 'Suspiria' (1977), Japanese trailblazer 'Ring' (1999), lockdown movie 'Host' (2020) and Matt's highest scoring film 'Hereditary' (2018), with a nod to a number of other movies. Lovely chat and an enjoyable book about a creepy subject.

Participants:

Matt Glasby writer, critic https://mattglasby.com/index.php

Barney Bodoano, artist and illustrator https://www.instagram.com/bbodoano?igsh=c3B4d3hsNnhrYXk1&utm_source=qr

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Their 'Book of Horror: The anatomy of fear in film' : https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-book-of-horror/matt-glasby/barney-bodoano/9781836009399

The movies we discuss: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7784604/?ref_=fn_t_1

Dario Argento's 'Suspiria' from 1977: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076786/

Hideo Nakata's 'Ring' from 1998: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0178868/?ref_=nm_knf_c_2

Rob Savage's 'Host' from 2020: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12749596/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_host%25202020

Ari Aster's 'Hereditary' from 2018: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7784604/

The band Barney mentions at the end, 'Crumbling Ghost':

Opening music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB (Barney is on the left)

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HORROR ON THE BRAIN: The neuroscience behind sci fi and horror.

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:50:01 GMT

Austin Lim's book 'Horror and the Brain' uses work from the horror and science fiction genres as a way into discussing a neuroscience and a range of related stories. We discuss why on earth so many people inflict the feelings provoked by horror fiction on themselves ans talk about a range of brain structures that play a role in fear, emotion and attachment behaviour (with a diversion into love, oxytocin and prairie voles). We talk about the amygdala, insula and the pathways that include them and the systems triggered by disgust and the uncanny, moving from the real story of a mass shooting to various films and stories, including Jordan Peele's 'Get Out' and 'Us', Gondry's ' Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein'. Brain mapper Wilder Penfield leads us into a closing horror story (real if you happen to be a mouse) about Toxoplasmosis. Great chat with an excellent communicator.

Participants:

Austin Lim, Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Neuroscience, De Paul University, Chicago. https://csh.depaul.edu/faculty-staff/faculty-a-z/Pages/neuroscience/sean-austin-lim.aspx

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Austin's book 'Horror on the Brain': https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Horror-on-the-Brain/Austin-Lim/9781493084791

The 'uncanny valley': https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Horror-on-the-Brain/Austin-Lim/9781493084791

More on oxytocin: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666497621000813

Opening music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DREAM WARRIORS: Exploring the world of the surrealists...

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 09:39:56 GMT

In 1924 French poet Andre Breton wrote that ‘Surrealism is based on the belief in the omnipotence of dreams, in the undirected play of thought’. Surrealism grew out of the anarchistic DaDa movement triggered by the carnage of WW and was fueled by Freud's writing on the unconscious. Roland Penrose was a leading surrealist artist and also a key figure in bringing the movement to the UK in the 1930s and setting up the Institute of Contemporary Art. Photographer Lee Miller's work was also often surreal in composition and intention, including her accidental discovery of the 'solarisation' technique whilst working with Man Ray. In this episode, recorded at Farleys House and Gallery, their son and biographer Antony Penrose discusses his parent's lives and work. He outlines key events and recalls the many visitors during his childhood at Farleys, including leading figures in surrealism Man Ray and Max Ernst. We also discuss his parent's close relationship with Picasso and much else.

Participants:

Antony Penrose, author, photographer and director of the Lee Miller Archive and Penrose Collection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Penrose

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Farleys House and gallery: https://www.farleyshouseandgallery.co.uk/

Antony's books:

The Friendly Surrealist: https://www.farleyshouseandgallery.co.uk/product/roland-penrose-the-friendly-surrealist/

'The Lives of Lee Miller https://www.farleyshouseandgallery.co.uk/product/the-lives-of-lee-miller/

Tate Britain Lee Miller exhibition: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/lee-miller?utm_source=google&utm_medium=performance_max&utm_campaign=CAMP_lee-miller_conversion_pmax&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23123668076&gclid=Cj0KCQiAubrJBhCbARIsAHIdxD-asxTHY4Vut8eo1p2meDDW42wf7y2IjxkqJ0oDPm3qOECkrGpvGZ4aAn2zEALw_wcB

Also discussed:

Man Ray, https://www.manray.net/

Max Ernst, https://www.max-ernst.com/

Also discussed: 'Visiting Picasso' by Elizabeth Cowling

Ken's Ernst inspired animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFBYu2OKJi4

Opening music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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DREAMWORKS: Fellini's dream obsession, from graphic diaries to movies.

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 17:13:01 GMT

Frank Burke is a leading film scholar with a long interest in Italian director Federico Fellini (1920-1993). Few artists were more obsessed with their dreams than Fellini. In this conversation we talk about his early interest in puppets and circus, and his jobs, before moving into film, as an illustrator and caracaturist. Drawing was always an important part of his preparation for movies but he also kept a graphic, drawn dream diary in the '60s and '70s, at the suggestion of Jungian analyst Ernst Bernhard. We discuss his interest in the work of another analyst, James Hillman who leaned more to the mystical and symbolic, and explore the recurring themes in those diaries (published postumously). Films in which dreams feature large are also discussed - we mention several but we focus on four including the feted 'Eight and a half'( 1963) and the vilified 'City of Women' (1980). To close Frank suggests movies that listeners new to Fellini may watch as an as a way into his work (depending on their interests and state of intoxication).

Participants:

Frank Burke, Independent film scholar and Professor Emeritus, Department of Film and Media, Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada. https://www.queensu.ca/filmandmedia/people-search/frank-burke

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

More on Federico Fellini: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_Fellini

Some films discussed:

Eight and a Half: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056801/

Juliet of the spirits: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059229/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_6_nm_2_in_0_q_%2520%2520Juliet%2520of%2520the%2520spirits

City of Women: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080539/

More on James Hillman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_HillmanParticipant:

More on Carlos Castaneda: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Castaneda

'CAPOLAVORO! Masterworks of Italian Cinema' podcast: https://shows.acast.com/capolavoro-masterworks-of-italian-cinema/episodes/68c9445da8e1b0e4bfd2ee12

Opening music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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'...PERCHANCE TO DREAM: On the neuroscience of sleep and dreaming...

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 14:27:53 GMT

In this wide ranging conversation Mark Solms talks about his seminal research in the '80s on the effect of brain lesions on patient reports of dreaming. After a brief visit to Charcot and Wilbrand in the late 19th century, we discuss the research of Dement and colleagues in the 1950s, when it was discoverd that every 90 minutes or so during sleep our EEG is more like the awake state, with asociated rapid eye movments (REM). We discuss Jouvet's work in the '60s in which the origin of REM sleep was found to be in the brain stem the belief at the time that REM and dreaming were part of the same process, later disproved by the work of Mark and others who found it to be cortical. There's an interesting diversion into culture wars in the science community (where, in his early days, studying something as subjective as dreams was 'unthinkable') before moving on to somnambulism, the implications of all this for Freudian theory and concluding thoughts about current dream research including a quite incredible recent Japanese study. Great conversation with an enthusiastic communicator.

Participants:

Mark Solms, Professor, Department of Neuropsychology, University of Capetown, SA. https://neuroscience.uct.ac.za/contacts/mark-solms

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Mark's books 'The Hidden Spring': https://profilebooks.com/work/the-hidden-spring/

'The Neuropsychology of dreams: https://www.karnacbooks.com/product/the-neuropsychology-of-dreams-a-clinico-anatomical-study/94585/?

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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MUSIC OF THE SPHERES: Exploring the strange power of plainchant.

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 11:06:46 GMT

In this podcast we discuss the music called plainchant or plainsong - what it is, how did it arise and what effect does it have? We discuss the modal nature of the music, possible links to earlier Jewish intoning and the importance of resonance in recording. Bernard describes his research project in which subjects record their responses, relating to memory, emotion and transcendence. Three short extracts of the recordings he used are included in the podcast and fuller versions can be accessed through the links below. Some results are included before a diversion into philosopher Vladimir Jankélévitch and and quantum time. To conclude, Bernard talks about ways in which his research could be developed, not least the involvement of brain investigation. For a readable thesis on an under researched subject check out the link below .

Participants:

Bernard Salter, retired Anglican priest, organist and post-doctoral scholar.

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Bernard's dissertation is here: https://etheses.dur.ac.uk/15491/

Vladimir Jankélévitch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Jank%C3%A9l%C3%A9vitch

A full version of plainchant sample A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvfjgSvq6KA

The full album 'Chant' by monks of Sana Domingo di Silo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3T8V-IM4Xk

A full version of plainchant sample C: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZFaZWi2uSI

If you prefer female voices try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn6gXCW_quc

Opening music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Closing music: Introit for Christmas Day, from the album 'Chant' by monks of Sana Domingo di Silo, Spain.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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NEUROPSYCHIATRY AFTER DARK: Service development as 'social sculpture'?

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Joseph Beuys was a radical post-war German artist who worked in unusual media and in the 1970s developed the notion of ‘social sculpture’ based on the concept that everything is art and every aspect of life could be approached creatively. For episode 17 this season Hugh Rickards, a younger neuropsychiatric colleague from the English Midlands, read and discussed his essay 'The lost tribes of neuropsychiatry'. At the end of that Hugh asked if he could ask me about my experience of creating a neuropsychiatry service in the ‘80s and ‘early ‘90s, with the help of a lot of colleagues, in a National Health Service that didn’t know it needed one. When I left clinical practice I took a deep dive into contemporary art, discovered Joseph Beuys and realised that creative clinical work can also be viewed as a kind of art practice, a social sculpture'. We'd recorded that conversation and it is definitiely niche but, hey, this is Brainland...welcome to ‘neuropsychiatry after dark...'

Participants:

Hugh Rickards, Consultant and Honorary Professor of Neuropsychiatry, National Centre for Mental Health, Birmingham, UK. http//:www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/clinical-sciences/Rickards-Hugh.aspx

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

More about Joseph Beuys and 'social sculpture': https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/s/social-sculpture

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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DANTE, DOPAMINE AND ME: Neuro-poetic and other explorations into language.

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:45:19 GMT

In this podcast Kimberly Campanello, a poet, novelist and academic, talks frankly about her early onset Parkinson's disease and how this lead her to pursue her Italian roots in Puglia. On a visit there, to her great grandmother's village, she literally discovered Dante's 'Comedia', which she is currently 'reversioning' - a method that involves processing the original Italian, a range of translations and commentaries, plus her life experience, coloured by her condition. She discussed making creative use of the effects of Parkinson's and the beneficial effects of her writing on her motor function, similar to the benefits of walking on irregular surfaces. We discuss the recent remarkable finding that, not only does PD influence movement, but also use of language, and especially verbs (see the link to the paper below). Along the way Kimberly reads one of her poems based on a canto from Dante and extracts from her published and recently finished novel. We end with a reading from her current poetry collection. This is 'Brainland'! Grreat conversation.

Participants:

Kimberly Campanello, Poet, novelist and Professor of Poetry, University of Leeds. https://www.kimberlycampanello.com/

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist. http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Kimberly’s published canti from her Dante versioning:

https://www.stillpointldn.com/articles/kimberly-campanello-two-cantos-from-this-knot/

https://www.pamenarpress.com/post/kimberly-campanello

https://blackboxmanifold.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/

https://www.poetryireland.ie/publications/poetry-ireland-review/back-issues/issue-144

The books discussed [Use the Words You Have (novel) & An Interesting Detail (poetry collection)]:

https://somesuch.co/shop/use-the-words-you-have-by-kimberly-campanello

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/interesting-detail-9781526690616/

Kimberly's recent and really interesting Parkinson's disease inspired poem 'Moving Nowhere Here' is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzRJTZ2lHgU

Read Paradoxical Kinesia (short prose): https://checkout.somesuch.co/products/somesuch-stories-7

A paper on Parkinson's disease and use of language: file:///Users/kenbarrett/Downloads/Words_in_motion_Motor-language_coupling_in_Parkins-1.pd

Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portraitsketch by KB.

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'THE BURDEN': The life and times of the Burden Neurological Institute and Hospital.

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 11:12:15 GMT

The Burden Neurological Institute (and Hospital) opened its' doors in 1939 and closed in 2000. In this wide ranging conversation, Jonathan Bird and Ken Barrett, neuropsychiatric alumni, chew the fat about the history of 'The Burden', the research home of Grey Walter who featured in the last Brainland episode. We discuss the unusual origin, Frederick Golla, the first director, the impact of the war, a wide range of characters who worked there and the work they did. A bit niche? Absolutely, but hey, that's Brainland!

Participants:

Jonathan Bird, Retired Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, Bristol.

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist. .http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by KB.

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GREY WALTER: Maverick genius of cybernetics and the EEG

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 16:51:32 GMT

Grey Walter was an important figure in mid-20th century neurophysiology and cybernetics and this episode brings together professors of history of science and AI to discuss his life and work. We talk about his early personal and academic life, moving on to his work as a pioneer of the clinical applications of the EEG, particularly at the Burden Neurological Institute in Bristol. After setting the scene, we discuss his creation of the earliest EEG frequency analyser and brain mapper (the toposcope) before moving onto his influential book 'The Living Brain' and, in Cornelius's phrase, the 'vital abstraction' paradigm . We discuss his creation of a simple robot, in the late 1940s, the reason why he is revered in cybernetics circles, and later his experiments on brain computer interfacing. We touch on his controvertial personal life, a possible reason why he was never invited to become a Royal Society member, before talking about his legacy. A great conversation about an important figure form 20th century brain science.

Participants:

Cornelius Borck, Professor and Director of the Institute for History of Medicine and Science Studies, Lübeck University, Germany. https://www.imgwf.uni-luebeck.de/

Phil Husbands, Emeritus Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Sussex ( https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p1334-phil-husbands/about)

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist. .http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

More on William Grey Walter: https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/ap28659/walter-william-grey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Grey_Walter

His robotic tortoises: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLULRlmXkKo

His book 'The Living Brain': https://wwnorton.com/books/The-Living-Brain/

Grey Walter's novel 'Further Outlook' (published as 'The curve of the snowflake' in the US): https://openlibrary.org/books/OL6200854M/The_curve_of_the_snowflake.

Ken's recent paper on the first forensic use of the EEG: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-bulletin/article/first-appearance-of-eeg-evidence-in-a-uk-court-of-law-a-cautionary-tale/9D97D5564586762599DBA680D61C994D

Music: Stephen Brown’s prologue to the opera 'Brainland'

Sketch by KB.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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CIRCLING AROUND EXPLICITNESS: Adventures in the 'thatosphere'.

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:57:36 GMT

In this conversation philospher Raymond Tallis talks about his new book 'Circling Around Explicitness: The heart of human being'. Ray's book opens with a quote from German philosopher Friedrich Schelling ‘Uniquely within us nature opens her eyes and sees that she exists.’ What follows is an exploration of the meaning of 'thatness', his attempt to, in his words, 'eff the uneffed'. Our circling alights on a number of thinkers who he believes oversimplify misrepresent being, how 'the blob and the brain' become 'the bloke' . Donald Hoffman, Phillip K. Dick and Martin Buber get a mention, not all favourable, as does the 'autocidal tendency in contemproary philosophy', as we work through the four section of his book. To close he reads the closing paragraphs and gives us a peek at what is coming next. Great conversation.

Participants:

Raymond Tallis, philosopher and former professor of geriatric medicine, http://www.raymondtallis.co.uk/pages/home.html

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Ray's books: Circling around explicitness:https://cup.columbia.edu/book/circling-round-explicitness/9781788217903/

Black mirror: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-black-mirror/raymond-tallis/9781848871298

Also discussed: Martin Buber: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_and_Thou

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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MONTALE'S CRUCIBLE: The life, loves and poetry of an Italian Nobel Laureate.

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Earlier this season we recorded an episode on poetry and neuroscience in which Eugen Wassiliwitzki pointed out that in German the grammar produces many more internal rhymes and rhythms. This is perhaps even more true of Italian. The leading Italian poet of the last century is probably Nobel Prize winner Eugenio Montale. Jonathan Galassi has been reading, researching and translating Montale for decades. In this podcast he talks about Montale's background, influences, politics, religion and love-life. Jonathan reads one of his most famous poems in Italian and in his translation and one of his own from his collection 'North Street'. We touch on his antipathy for fellow poet and film director Pasolini before concluding with a brief discussion of Italian poetry after Montale.

Participants:

Jonathan Galassi, poet, novelist, translator and publisher. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Galassi

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Jonathan's translations of Montale: http://www.everymanslibrary.co.uk/pocket-poets-author.aspx?letter=m&search=&firstname=Eugenio&surname=Montale

The poem Jonathan reads, 'In limine' read in Italian by Montale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6-JXcllsIw

A sung version of the Montale poem 'Meriggiare pallido e assorto':https://open.spotify.com/artist/61zXi10WbO8ZCyCy9CyW0n?si=Upq_coi3TVq1TdOwR1sT-A

Examples of Jonathan's own poetry: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/jonathan-galassi

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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CHANGING HOW WE CHOOSE: The new science of morality.

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 08:27:37 GMT

How can current thinking in psychology and neuroscience, about how we make decisions, inform our understanding of moral questions and make for a better society? That question is central to David Redish's book 'Changing How We Choose'. In this podcast David defines neuroeconomics and explains why applying science and engineering models to moral questions is useful, 'engineering' relating to applying what is learned from science to the real world situations. He talks through 'deliberative', 'procedura'l and 'instinctual' decision making systems, underpinned by different neural structures. He explains two key games that help inform his discipline, the 'prisoner's dilemma' and the 'assurance game' with real world examples. David also explains 'asabiya', an Arabic term that denotes an important concept relating to collaboration. We conclude with a discussion of how the optimistic tone of his book, and this approach, stands up to the world as it has evolved since his book was released in 2022.

Participants:

A David Redish, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota. https://med.umn.edu/bio/david-redish

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

David's book, 'Changing How We Choose: The new science of morality': https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262047364/changing-how-we-choose/

An episode of 'Golden Balls', a game show discussed: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=golden+balls+split+or+steal+100+000

'The prisoner's dilemma' briefly explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdITTDl5coE

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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OH FOR THE WINGS OF A DOVE: From choirboy to Operatic Maestro.

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 08:50:37 GMT

In this specially extended episode of the podcast we speak with Jonathan Dove, one of the most performed contemporary opera/classical composers working today. He talks about his first steps in music, making up tunes on the piano well before taking formal lessons, his organ playing in church, often improvising, and the great contribution of London schools' music provision to his education. Jonathan tells us of his years he worked as an accompanist and arranger, particularly for operas, before focussing on composing in his late '20s. He shares aspects of his composition practice, including creating a mood or affective tone before adding tunes. There are diversions into Karl Marx's chaotic home life (the subject of a comic opera), Covid and the climate crisis, the latter a subject that has helped fuel several compositions, including his most recent community opera, 'Uprising'. We conclude by talking about the works currently on Jonathan's desk desk. An extraordinary look into a successful composer's mind and creative practice.

Participants:

Jonathan Dove, composer, https://www.jonathandove.com/

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Andy Platman, writer, musicophile, retired physician.

Some of the pieces discussed:

Uprising:

https://www.jonathandove.com/news/new-community-opera-uprising

Pinocchio:

https://www.jonathandove.com/the-adventures-of-pinocchio.html

Tobias and the angel:

https://www.jonathandove.com/tobias-and-the-angel.html

Marx in London:

https://www.jonathandove.com/marx-in-london.html

Gaia Theory:

https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/work/68312/Gaia-Theory--Jonathan-Dove/

'On the streets and iin the sky' string quartet:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0yXaKLDTOx5BWvy6NbpKb3?si=O0Wgu3epScG0xVDMwTWx9A

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB based on an image from Marshall Light Studio.

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RE-ANIMATING FREUD: Sigmund at the movies

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 14:23:42 GMT

In this podcast we talk about the way Freud has been depicted in the movies, particularly the 1962 John Houston film 'Freud: The Secret Passion'. Ian discusses Houston's complicated relationship with the star, Montgomery Clift, Sartre's early involvement with the script, the film's 'film noir' feel, Jerry Goldsmith's music, with a detour into avant garde composers work on horror films. Ian characteries the film as a big game movie about the unconscious and we go on to discuss the 2011 David Cronenberg film 'A Dangerous Method' about Freud's rift with Jung, and the struggle of Jung's patient and subsequent lover to forger her own career in psychoanalysis. This leads to the 2023 film Freud's last session that includes Freud's daughter Anna and is based on an imagined conversation with CS Lewis, which lead to a conversation about Atenborough's film about Lewis, 'Shadowlands. To conclude, we discuss three movies inspired by ideas from psychoanalysis, 'Secrets of the Soul' (Pabst, 1926), Spellbound (1945) and particularly 'Under Capricorm' (1948), the latter two from Hitchcock. Ian discusses Freud's unwillingness to advise on movies, before concluding with a consideration of Fellini's use of his dreams as a source of movies. Great conversation.

Participants:

Ian Christie, Professor of Film and Media History, Birckbeck, University of London. www.ianchristie.org

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

The movies:

Freud: The Secret Passion(1962): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055998/

A Dangerous Method(2011):https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571222/

Freud's Last Session (2023): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20420628/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1

Under Capricorn (1948): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042004/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1

The Dali designed Spellbound dream sequence from 'Spelbound': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ITPLLIcPSM

GW Pabst's 'Secrets of the Soul' (1926): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYoXy3bYD1k

The Italian movie podcast mentioned: 'Capolavoro!: https://open.acast.com/networks/6452b6516dd22500113dc7d2/shows/67ab6f20c6f97f89d80e2d26/episodes/681cbfbe5acb8b715f1b5b17

Brainland the podcast website: https://shows.acast.com/brainland

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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NEUROCINEMATIC EXPLORATIONS: Cinema creators in the act of creation.

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 12:47:12 GMT

Finnish film director Pia Tikka began studying the psychology and later the neuroscience of film making 25 years ago and is currently studying the experience and process of cinematographers and film editors.she talks about how writings of Soviet film maker and theorist Sergei Eisenstein has been particularly influential, particularly following his later interactions with neuropsychologist Luria, Gestalt psychologists and developmental psychologist Vigotsky. Pia talks about her concept of 'enactive cinema' and describes her current five year project studying cinematographers and film editors using microphenomenological and other methods. We also talk about the importance of narrative and the way stories work on us. After the main podcast I asked pia to talk about a contemporary multimedia art project invovling multi screen projection modified by psychophysical readings taken from the viewer, followed by a little more discussion of Eisenstein so stay listening for that...

Participants:

Pia Tikka, Research Professor, CINEMATIC MINDS, Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School (BFM)

Centre of Excellence in Media Innovation and Digital Culture (MEDIT) Tallinn University, Estonia.

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

To learn more about microphenomenolgy: https://www.microphenomenology.com/home

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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WHILE THE MUSIC LASTS: Life, loss and musicology.

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 15:45:04 GMT

In this podcast, Emily talks about how she came to write 'While the music lasts', her very personal account of her response to the death of her father, one of the key inspirations for her career choice. Her book documents how for several months after his death she avoided music as it made her angry and how eventually her musicologist training helped her navigate that period. This included an in depth look at the musical Boulanger sisters, the younger of whom died at 24. Emily talks about her father and their relationship and how going through his overloaded music stand (he was a guitarist) and creating the Spotify playlist that accompanies the book, was another way to adjust to his absence and bring him to mind. We briefly detour into grief dogs and the male bias over centuries of classical music and music academia before talking about Emily's trip to Cadiz, a journey her father suggested making with her, a week before he died. She made the trip alone and stayed a friend who was also grieving - a postive conclusion to her story..

Participants:

Emily MacGregor, musicologist and cultural historian, broadcaster; Research Fellow in Music, King's College London; Classical music Editor-at-large, Faber andd Faber. https://emilymacgregor.co.uk/

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Emily's book: https://www.welbooks.co.uk/shop/p/while-the-music-lasts-a-memoir-of-music-grief-and-joy-by-emily-macgregor

Emily's playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3FV5NJxh2jgQ9JcgYt4pqG?si=4c710734a5e14446

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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RE-ANIMATING FREUD: The Neuropsychoanalyst can see you now...

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 21:05:02 GMT

Mark Solms is a clinical neuropsychologist, neuroscientist and psychoanalyst. In this wide-ranging conversation Marks talks about his career path and the influence of a brain injury in family member when Mark was a child. Mark talks about Freud's pre-psychoanalytic work as a neuroscientist and neurologist and his own ongoing retranslation of Freud's neuroscientific writing. We discuss Mark's discovery of the brain lesions that supress dreams (not those relating to REM sleep) and how this lead to his interest in the affective rather than cognitive nature of consciousness. We discuss the work of Panksepp and Damasio and Mark outlines the computational neuroscience model and the way Karl Friston is applying this before mapping all this on Freud's original model of mind.

Participants:

Mark Solms, Professor, Department of Neuropsychology, University of Capetown, SA. https://neuroscience.uct.ac.za/contacts/mark-solms

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Mark's book 'The Hidden Spring': https://profilebooks.com/work/the-hidden-spring/

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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NEUROPSYCHIATRY REVISITED: The lost tribes.

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:31:01 GMT

In this podcast Hugh Rickards reads his unpublished essay, 'The Lost Tribes of Neuropsychiatry', raising a number of interesting issues relating to neuropsychiatric services in the UK, and their lack. We chew over some of the issues raised including causes for the abandonment of poeple with chronic mental disorders arising directly from brain disease or damage, and whether the still small discipline of neuropsychiatry has facilitated this. Hugh talks about the historic shift away from the brain in psychiatric nurse training and how some centres are revertng to joint RMN/RN courses. Ken talks about the origins of the still thriving comprehensive neuropsychiatry service in North Staffordshire and Hugh also sketch some solutions. An interesting format this, so if anyone else has an essay that might be in our wheelhouse do get in touch.

Participants:

Hugh Rickards, Consultant and Honorary Professor of Neuropsychiatry, National Centre for Mental Health, Birmingham, UK. http//:www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/clinical-sciences/Rickards-Hugh.aspx

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

YOUR BRAIN ON VISUAL ART: Exploring the world of visual neuroaesthetics.

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 17:20:58 GMT

In this conversation we survey the field of contemporary visual neuroaesthetics. After defining terms, Ed talks through a current project by way of illustration before discussing the so-called 'aesthetic triad', dopamine and opioids, prediction models and computational neuroscience. We talk about neuro-investigation including recent techniques for processing an applications of EEG, a much more portable tool than fMRI and other scans.

Participants:

Ed Vessel, Eugene Surovitz Assistant Professor, Deprtment of Psychology, City College of New York, part of CUNY. https://www.edvessel.com

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former psychophysiologist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Opening and closing music: Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by KB

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TODAY IS ALWAYS YESTERDAY: Contemporary art through the lens of Brazil

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 20:43:25 GMT

In this wide ranging conversation Michael Asbury discusses the history of Brazil and the way contemporary art has interrogated the legacies of colonialism, slavery, treatment of indigenous peoples and management of natural resources, and, more recently, demonisation by right wing political figures. We also take a deep dive into the concept of 'anthropophagia' and the multi media 'Tropicalia' movement. Artists discussed including Meirelis, Oticica, Obá, Bispo do Rosario and the influence of art produced in psychiatric institutions on Brazilian contemporary art. Like Michael's book, a terrific introduction to contemporary art, done the Brazilian way.

Participants:

Michael Asbury, Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art from Brazil, Chelsea College of the Arts and Deputy Director of a Research Centre for Transnational Art, Identity and Nation, University of the Arts London. https://www.arts.ac.uk/research/research-centres/train

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Michael's book:https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/today-is-always-yesterday

Some artists/works discussed:

Cildo Mierelis 'Missions (how to build a cathedral)':https://uk.images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/

Artur Bispo do Rosario:

https://uk.images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrFDe6TXW1oIqQQO22e3olQ;_ylu=c2VjA3NlYXJjaARzbGsDYnV0dG9u;_ylc=X1MDMTM1MTIxMjcwMgRfcgMyBGZyA3locy10cnAtMDIwBGZyMgNwOnMsdjppLG06c2ItdG9wBGdwcmlkA2wzU2JKWmtFUzZXY3luXy5tMjUyZkEEbl9yc2x0AzAEbl9zdWdnAzIEb3Jp

Antonio Obá: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Ob%C3%A1

Opening and closing music: Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by KB

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EXPANDING MINDSCAPES: A psychedelic world tour.

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 20:57:19 GMT

In this wide ranging conversation Erika discusses the evidence for psychedelic use over millennia and world-wide. We talk about her investigation into and opportunity to speak with Humphry Osmond, the British psychiatrists who coined the term 'psychedelic', and introduced Aldous Huxley to mescaline. We roam from Canada to India, West Africa, Cold War Czechoslovakia and Sartre's bad trip before moving on to South America, the CIA and the influence of psychedelics on 60s and 70s music and art, ending with a look to the future. Really fascinating conversation.

Participants:

Erika Dyck, Professor, Canada Research Chair in the History of Medicine, Department of History, University of Saskatchewan, Canada. https://artsandscience.usask.ca/profile/EDyck

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

'Expanding Mindscapes': https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-edited-volume/5697/Expanding-MindscapesA-Global-History-of

Opening and closing music: Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by KB

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IMPROV! When the process is the product.

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 16:43:05 GMT

David Escobebo has been involved in improv theatre for over 25 years, beginning in California and more recently in Chester, UK where he has recenty compelted his PhD thesis on the subject. We talk about the social and educational roots of improv is 1930s Chicago and it's evolution into performance/theatre leading to 'Second City, contrasted with the UK where it was a 'revolutionary act against theatre'. We talk about some of the leaders in the field and their views before David talk about how he arrived at his own 'six principles of improv' (and you heard them here first). We talk about the application of improv training, and particularly active listening, to other groups (healthcare, tech companies, etc.) and include a brief example of a warm up as an afterword to the podcast. Great chat.

Participants:

David Escobebo Improv performer and educator www.ImprovBoost.com LinkTree https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=738465012079167&set=a.178659034726437

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Opening and closing music: 'Improv' a blues improvised and played by Stephen Asma

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by KB illustration

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PSYCHEDELIC OUTLAWS

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 21:43:39 GMT

In this podcast, Joanna talks about working with and studying the patient support group 'Clusterbusters' for over a decade and their willingness to become 'outlaws' to obtain or grow illegal psilocybin to treat severe 'cluster' headaches too often after appalling treatment by the medical profession. We discuss the sociology and politics of psychedelics, and medical research generally, reflecting on the many forces that act on researchers in supposedly objective science. We also talk about the members of the current US administration who have spoken openly and positively about their use of psychedlics and contrast this with the way drug users from other ethnicities are treated by the criminal justice system. Fascinating conversation and book.

Participants:

Joanna Kempner, Associate Professor of Sociology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. www.joannakempner.com

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Joanna's book, 'Psychedelic Outlaws': https://www.joannakempner.com/psychedelic-outlaws

Cluster headache:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cluster-headaches/

Clusterbusters:https://clusterbusters.org/

Chemical structure of psychedelics (the 'indole ring'): https://psychedelics.cornell.edu/

Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by KB illustration

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NEUROPSYCHIATRY: Second Coming or Unholy Alliance?

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:01:30 GMT

In the special extended 50th episode of the podcast we bring together four of the leading figures in Neuropsychiatry over the last 40 years for a wide ranging discussion that considers the varying definitions of neuropsychiatry, behavioural neurology and neuropsychology and who needs them. We discuss trailblazers in the field over the last century or so, including Solomon Carter Fuller, an African American neuropathologist and neurologist who spent a year working with Alzheimer. Adolph Meyer, Charcot and Freud (a surprise and controversial appearance) also got a look inbefore a discussion of the pivotal role played by Alwyn Lishman and his book 1978 book ‘Organic Psychiatry’ in advancing the subject. We hear about the success of joint Neuropsychiatry/Behavioural Neurology fellowship training in the US and the increasing amount of functional neurological disorders coming to the speciality in the UK, concluding with a look to the future. Terrific conversation.

Participants:

Eileen Joyce, Professor Emeritus of Neuropsychiatry, University College, London.

Sheldon Benjamin, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurology, UMass Chan Medical School

Jonathan Bird, Retired Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, Bristol.

Stephen Brown, Composer, Cellist, Retired Professor of Neuropsychiatry, Cornwall .http://cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm

Neuropsychiatry defined (UK): https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/become-a-psychiatrist/choose-psychiatry/what-is-psychiatry/types-of-psychiatrist/neuropsychiatry

Solomon Carter Fuller https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Carter_Fuller

Alwyn Lishman

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00997-1/fulltext

Norman Geschwind

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Geschwind

Produced and scripted by Ken Barrett.

Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB illustration.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

POETRY AND THE NEUROAESTHETICS OF SURVIVAL

Tue, 13 May 2025 16:03:45 GMT

In this wide ranging conversation we talk about current views on the subject of 'aesthetics', as covering judgements well outside of the arts (choosing a partner, home etc..) and why studying brain and other physiological responses to individually meaningful poems can be a valuable research tool. We talk about the importance of piloerection responses (goosebumps-shivers) across a wide range of species and the tool Eugen and his colleagues have developed and used to measure this, alongside a range of more traditional measures, some of the studies undertaken, and their results.

Participants:

Eugen Wassiliwizky, Post-doctoral Researcher, Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main,

Germany. https://www.aesthetics.mpg.de/institut/mitarbeiterinnen/eugen-wassiliwizky.html

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Some of Eugen and his colleague's papers:

Wassiliwizky, E., & Menninghaus, W. (2021). Why and How Should Cognitive Science Care about Aesthetics? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 25(6), 437–449.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136466132100067X?via%3Dihub

Wassiliwizky, E., Koelsch, S., Wagner, V., Jacobsen, T., & Menninghaus, W. (2017). The emotional power of poetry: Neural circuitry, psychophysiology and compositional principles. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 12(8), 1229–1240.

https://academic.oup.com/scan/article/12/8/1229/3778354

Wassiliwizky, E., Jacobsen, T., Heinrich, J., Schneiderbauer, M., & Menninghaus, W. (2017). Tears falling on goosebumps: Co-occurrence of emotional lacrimation and emotional piloerection indicates a psychophysiological climax in emotional arousal. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, Article 41.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00041/full

Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN ADDICT? A philosopher tells it like it is.

Thu, 08 May 2025 08:51:56 GMT

If you want to get a clear view of a subject ask a philiosopher who has thought deeply about it. In this podcast, philosopher Owen Flanangan speaks frankly about his experience of addiction to alcohol and tranquillisers, 18 years on, and why he felt compelled to write about his experience and analysis of the problem. We talk about substance use and creativity, identity, social cohesive, marker of major life events and as a way to make life more interesting or tolerable. We talk about AA and NA and why, during his first period of recovery he avoided them, but also why they have been so useful to him subseqeuntly. Finally, Owen discusses why a broad 'ecumenical' approach to management of addiction offers the best chance of recovery (rather than a narrow psychological, social or neurological model).

Participants:

Owen Flanagan Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Neurobiology, Duke University, North Carolina, https://www.neuro.duke.edu/profile/owen-flanagan

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Owen's book WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE AN ADDICT?: https://academic.oup.com/book/59281?login=false

Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UPSIDE DOWN IN A HOOP: Processing change through writing, dance and circus skills

Thu, 01 May 2025 12:45:30 GMT

Tricia is a dancer, teacher and the author of two historical novels based around dance and dancers. In this podcast she talks about the experience of dancing solo and in a group and her writing. Her most recent book, and a related performance piece, is a memoir/journal of the final days of her parent that also tracks her regular attendance at a circus school alongside memories of her childhood and youth. We discuss her route into dance and the seminal influence of time spent learning contemporary in Amsterdam in the 1970s. She tell us about 'The Green Table', a dance created by Kurt Jooss in Germany that satirised powerful elites, and the inspiration behind her first novel. She incorporates extracts from her most recent book 'Upside down in a hoop' with newly acquired circus hoop skills in a performance peice that deals with the loss of her parents to dementia, and her surprise at the very warm response it has provoked. Tricia concludes by telling us about her next writing project.

Participants:

Tricia Durdey, contemporary dancer, teacher, writer Tricia's website

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Tricia's books:

Upside down in a hoop:

The Green Table:

The dancer at the world's end:

Extracts prom Tricia's performance piece and more conversation

Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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YOUR BRAIN ON DANCE: Navigating the complex world of dance neuroscience.

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 09:36:13 GMT

Following on from the last episode, today we consider how neuroscientists investigate the brain in relation to dance. Peter talks about his background as a classical musician before branching into the psychology and then neuroscience of dance. He explains the complexity of the subject - the many variables at play during dance and between dancers - and what progress has been made to understand the neural basis of dance. We talk about therapeutic uses of dance and studies of social cohesion promoted by dance. We wander into evolution and species differences and end by talking about his hopes for the future of the subject.

Participants:

Peter Keller, Professor of Neuroscience, Centre for Music and the Brain, University of Aarhus, Denmark. https://www.au.dk/p.keller@clin.au.dk/

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Links to papers from Peter's department:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763424002859?via%3Dihub

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763423001665?via%3Dihub

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763423004918?via%3Dihub

Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TRANSFORMING MENTAL STATES INTO DANCE: Evolving German Tanztheatre in London.

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 20:21:05 GMT

Adrian Look, London-based choreographer and specialist in German 'Tanztheatre', talks about the origin of Tanztheatre within the 1920s Germany expressionist movement, tand aken to the next level by Pina Bausch in the modern era. Adrian talks about his unusual entry into dance, after a background of sport and philosophy. He discusses his reasons for coming to London, to be free of the over-respectful approach to the Bausch legacy, his experience as a dancer and his approach to choreography. We talk about his work on the 'Brainland' project, as an example of his working method (working with dancers of a wide range of ages). We concludes by talking about his current projects and material he would like to work with in future.

Participants:

Adrian Look, Teacher and Choreographer, Director of Tanztheatre Adrian Look. https://tanztheateradrianlook.com/ ; http://www.lookatmovement.co.uk/

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

For more on Adrian's choreography: https://tanztheateradrianlook.com/productions/

For more on his teaching: http://www.lookatmovement.co.uk/locations/

For more on Pina Bausch: https://www.pinabausch.org/en/post/biography

For more on the history of Tanztheatre: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanztheater

Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DECONSTRUCTING CONSCIOUSNESS: A philosophy for the science of animal consciousness

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 14:28:54 GMT

In this podcast philosopher Walter Veit outlines five elements of conscious experience he believes can be scientifically explored,

why and when, in evolutionary terms, those elements first appeared. He explains his concept of 'pathological complexity', which of those five may have appeared first, and the ethical imperatives that underpin animal consciousness research. After talking about slugs, octopuses and corvids we end with a discussion on how his approach may assist in creating machines that are in some sense conscious.

Participants:

Walter Veit, Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Reading, UK. External Member at the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy' Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.https://walterveit.com/

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Walter's book, 'A PHILOSOPHY FOR THE SCIENCE OF ANIMAL CONSCIOUSNESS': is here: https://www.routledge.com/A-Philosophy-for-the-Science-of-Animal-Consciousness/Veit/p/book/9781032343617#:~:text=This%20book%20aims%20to%20advance%20a%20true%20Darwinian,integrate%20consciousness%20into%20an%20evolutionary%20view%20of%20life.

Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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EVOLUTIONARY BIOCHEMISTRY: New perspectives on the chemistry of you.

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:44:51 GMT

In this podcast, Nick Lane talks about his path to research in the rarefied field of evolutionary biochemistry, before describing some of the pioneers of biochemistry and the aesthetic pleasure he takes in their experimental designs. He gives a jargon free account of the Krebs cycle, the central metabolic pathway of life and the basis of his most recent book 'Transformer'. We discuss the origin of mitochondria, the mind boggling number of chemical reactions that takes in them each second and the possibly far reaching consequences of electrical and magnetic fields they generate (a possible source of the EEG!). Nick concludes by talking about his work on the mode of action of anaesthetic agents. Great conversation.

Participants:

Nick Lane, Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry, University College, London. https://nick-lane.net/

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Nick's book,'Transformer': https://nick-lane.net/books/transformer-the-deep-chemistry-of-life-and-death

A diagram of the Krebs (citric acid): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle#/media/File:Citric_acid_cycle_with_aconitate_2.svg

Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I FEEL I AM NOT IN MY PERFECT MIND: Alzheimer's and cognitive decline in movies.

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 14:27:13 GMT

In this podcast we complete the series on memory and cinema with an in-depth look at the way Alzheimer's disease/progressive cognitive impairment has been depicted in the movies this century. Raquel discusses her unusual route to studying and writing about this subject, via the work of a contemporary Spanish poet, then, before focussing on the three very different films listed below, we talk about the way different cultures represent the subject and the marked and predictable gender differences is the cinematic representation of cognitive decline. We explore the way several biopics, including 'Iris' and 'Still Alice' highlight disability, loss and burden, whereas more recent films focus on surprising positives, including deepening love, new creative departures and coping strategies. We also explore the idea of historical memory of traumatic national events and how this has been woven into films, The Eternal Memory being one example.

Participants

Raquel Medina, Dean of Area Studies & Assistant Dean of Faculty, IES Abroad, Barcelona, Spain. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Raquel-Medina

Ken Barrett visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Raquel's book 'Cinematic Representaions of Alzheimer's Disease': https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/978-1-137-53371-5

The films discussed:

The Father(2021): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10272386/

The Eternal Memory (released in 2024 in the UK and available in the UK on BBC iPlayer, in January 2025) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24082488/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1

Poetry (2010): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1287878/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1

Opening and closing music: Prelude to Brainland the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SOLARIS: Probing the Lem/Tarkovsky masterwork.

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:07:48 GMT

Film historian and science fiction specialist Mark Bould discusses the Lem novel and Tarkovsky film 'Solaris'. After an in depth exploration of the life and work of Lem and Tarkovsy, Mark outlines the plot discusses the unusual way in which Tarkovsky tells the story. We discuss traumatic memory and the links to earlier gothic stories and hauntings. We take a detour into the role of the EEG in the story and the possible origins of that before exploring Tarkovsky's use of sound in the film. We conclude with a brief discussion of the 2002 Soderburgh remake of Solaris, it's place in that director's work and how it contrasts with the original.

Participants:

Mark Bould, professor of Film and Literature, University of the West of England: https://westengland.academia.edu/MarkBould

Ken Barrett visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Mark's book on Solaris:https://shop.bfi.org.uk/solaris-bfi-film-classics.html

Solaris the Lem novel: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/solaris/author/stanislaw-lem/pics/?ref_=ps_ms_363834005&cm_mmc=msn-_-uk_dsa_srp-_-naa-_-naa&msclkid=958c7519f54a1dc330fc12926fc0d005

Solaris the Tarkovsky film: Solaris the Tarkovsky film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069293/

Opening and closing music: Prelude to Brainland the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SEASON 1 FINALE: Brainland at the Messina Cinema and Opera Festival 2024.

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 18:12:34 GMT

The Brainland podcast began by exploring the historical background of our opera "Brainland". At the end of 2023 we filmed a scene from the opera, directed by Chaira D'Anna and choreography by Adrian Look, in collaboration with Morely College and the Old Operating Theatre Museum in London. The film was nominated in the best short film category at the Messina Cinema and Opera Festival in Sicily, in December 2024, and won the Special Jury Prize! Before the awards were announced artistic director, Ninni Panzera, agreed to sit down with Chiara and I and answer some questions about the festival. Chiara translated the answers, with a little help from AI, and co-librettist Andy Platman voiced the English version. Ninni tells us about his background as the long term director of the Taomina Arts Festival in Sicily and how his long history in the history of cinema and more recent interest in opera in cinema, lead him to create this festival. The conversation shifts from the influence of oepratic plots on cionema, especially in the silent era, to 1930s barber's shop calendars via the use of opera to tell products on adverts. He talks about the wide range of content in the festival including several Italian premiers, as well as several early films, including a 1913 silent film of Marriage of Figaro with a live chamber group.

Participants:

Ninni Panzera, Artistic Director of the Messina Cinema and Opera Festival.

Chiara D'Anna, director, actor, teacher and Commedia Dell'Arte specialist.https://www.chiaradanna.com/

Ken Barrett, artist and writer, retired neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

The festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6mrH0ezmq0

Trailer for the Brainland the movie: https://vimeo.com/1032229461

Opening and closing music: Prelude to Brainland the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LITERARY THEORY FOR ROBOTS: The weird and wonderful origins of machine language.

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:20:35 GMT

In this wide ranging conversation we discuss the varying roots of contemporary computer language, from medieval Arabic phiosophy and divination machines, via the religious search for a universal language, to punch cards in 19th century industry. We talk about Babbage and Lovelace's work on mathematical and reasoning engines and their link to Turing's universal machine in the 1940s. Dennis describes little studied literary templates in the late 19th century before moving to Propp's 'morphology of folk tales' in the Soviet era and how that impacted aviation safety in later years. We conclude with a discussion of the impossibility of an 'ethical AI', drawing comparison to corporate ethics.

Dennis Yi Tenen, Associate Professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University, New York. https://dennistenen.com/

Ken Barrett visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

The book discussed: 'Literary Theory for Robots'

https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393882186

Opening and closing music: Prelude to Brainland the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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CURIOUS MINDS: What good is curiosity?

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 18:45:25 GMT

In this podcast philosopher Perry Zurn discusses ‘Curious Minds’, the book he wrote with his twin Danni Bassett. We talk about their unusual upbinging, home schooled in a large family that encouraged curiosity, then negotiating the more restrictive world of academia. They view curiosity as ‘edgework’, an exploration of connections between ‘nodes’ of information. We discuss ‘busybodies’,’ hunters’ and ‘dancers’. three curious behaviours they identified, and research evidence that supports them. The effect of language on curiosity gets a mention (Eg differences between First Nation and modern languages), and how curiosity plays out in non-verbal domains (such a sport and visual art) with a diversion into the role of the hippocampus in remembering both physical and conceptual space (such as between related words). After an appreciation of Virginia Woolf, we touch on possible dangers of curiosity, such as supporting the idea of alternative realities and the fake news that builds them, before talking about curious animals.

Participants:

Perry Zane is Visiting Associate Professor of Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Cornell University and Provost Associate Professor of Philosophy at American University

https://www.perryzurn.com/projects

Ken Barrett visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

The book discussed:

https://www.amazon.com/Curious-Minds-Connection-Perry-Zurn/dp/0262047039

Opening and closing music: Prelude to Brainland the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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SCREEN TIME 2: Sci-fi cinema's art of memory.

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 22:47:46 GMT

This is part 2 of the conversation with Russell Kilbourn on memory and movies. In part 1 we talked about the way memory is treated in literature and movies but we didn't have time to discuss memory in sci-fi movies so Russ agreed to return. In this podcast we discuss the varying treatment of memory in the genre. Eg: removing memories (Total Recall, Severance and particularly Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind); inserting false memories (Blade Runner); repurposing memories (Strange Days, and particularly Solaris and La Jetee). La Jetée led to an interesting discussion about the strange and interesting Canadian film My Winnipeg. We close by returning to literature, in the science fiction genre.

Participants:

Russell J Kilbourn is Professor of Literature and Film, Dept of English and Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada. http://rjakilbourn.com/

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Sci fi movies discussed (Russ's 'must sees' in bold):

Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982) and BR 2049 (Denis Villeneuve, 2017)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)

La Jetée (Chris Marker, 1962)

Solaris (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972)

Oblivion (Joseph Kosinski, 2013)

2046 (Kar-wai Wong, 2004) (lost memories)

After Life (Hirokazu Koreeda, 1998)

Minority Report (Steven Spielberg, 2002)

Source Code (Duncan Jones, 2011)

Strange Days (Kathryn Bigelow, 1995)

Total Recall (Paul Verhoeven, 1990)

Upstream Color (Shane Carruth, 2013)

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?: Memory, the brain and our sense of self.

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 09:15:56 GMT

In this podcast Veronica O'Keane and Ken Barrett share cases and discuss some of the themes explored in Veronica's book 'A Sense of Self'. We explore the various structures in the brain essential for memory to function, talk about the importance of place to memory (we often remember where we where if not when) and recent findings on how our brain does that, the role of the frontal lobes and the hidden area of cortext called the insula, before with interesting detours into nostalgia and memory in the work of Irish writer Samuel Beckett.

Veronica O' Keane, Professor of Psychiatry, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Tallaght Hospital, Dublin.

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Veronica's book 'A Sense of Self: Memory, the brain and who we are':https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324021834

Opening and closing music: Prelude to Brainland the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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OBJECTS WITH SOUL: The strange power of puppetry in healthcare.

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 17:43:54 GMT

In this podcast puppeteer and academic Cariad Astles talks about how she got interested and trained in puppetry, before discussing her experience of puppetry in China and Africa. We explore why puppetry tends to be viewed as a practice for children in the UK (Cariad blames protestantism) before talking about a number of healthcare applications of puppetry including training medical students and nurses, in psychotherapy (citing an especially powerful project in Chile), health education including promoting empathy, in dementia and autism. Cariad concludes by speculating on how robotics and AI may impact puppetry and its applications in the future and shares her hope that its' value should be more widely recognised in the west, not least in ritual.

Participants:

Cariad Astles, Lecturer at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and at Exeter University. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cariad-Astles

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Cariad's paper 'the Art of Puppetry Practice: Embodiment, Enchantment, Memory History' can be downloaded here:https://www.academia.edu/83808501/Puppetry_The_Art_of_Puppetry_Practice_Embodiment_Enchantment_Memory_History

Opening and closing music: Prelude to Brainland the opera by Stephen Brown

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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SCREEN TIME: Cinema's art of memory

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 08:48:58 GMT

In this conversation we talk about the earliest representations of memory in classical, latin, literature (the original 'art of memory') then move, via St Augustine, to Proust and his madeleine. Russell describes how the representaion of memory, the 'flash back', appeared in the first years of film-making but identifies the real innovations in Casablanca (1942) and Citizen Kane (1941). We move on to what made Fellini and Bergan masters in the use of memory before coming up to date with last year's excellent 'All of Us Strangers' . We end with an extended discussion of the ethics of memory in film, in particular the way the Holocaust has been depicted, and give the views of Goddard and Deleuze an airing.

Participants:

Russell J Kilbourn is Professor in the Dept of English and Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada. http://rjakilbourn.com/

Ken Barrett is an artist, writer and former neuropsychiatristhttp://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Some of the films discussed:

Curtiz - Casablanca: : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/videogallery/

Wells - Citzen Kane: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033467/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_5_nm_3_in_0_q_citizen%2520

Bergman - Wild Strawberries: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050986/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_wild%2520strawberies

Fellini - 8 1/2: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056801/

Haigh - 'All of Us Strangers': https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21192142/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Opening and closing music: Prelude to Brainland the opera by Stephen Brown

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Instagram: #brainlandcollective

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MOOD MUSIC: Could Shostakovich change your mind?

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 09:58:05 GMT

In this extended podcast Stephen Johnson shares his experience of the healing effects of Shostakovich’s music during dark periods in his life, both as a youth and later when coping with depression. He recalls his often solitary teenage years, when his passion for the music of Shostakovich took root, fueled by a prodigious ability to recall music, and text. He goes on to discuss the composer’s life, music and unlikely survival during the Stalin purges. Stephen also describes interviewing people who knew the composer, for a BBC documentary, including a member of the orchestra during the famous performance of his 7th symphony during the Leningrad siege. We conclude with an in depth discussion of the specific therapeutic effects of music.

Participants.

Stephen Johnson, Broadcaster, writer and composer https://www.stephen-johnson.co.uk/

Andy Platman, writer and former GP.

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Stephen’s documentary on Shostakovitch: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b007g7hp

His book: https://www.stephen-johnson.co.uk/publications/how-shostakovich-changed-my-mind/

Opening and closing music: Prelude to Brainland the opera by Stephen Brown

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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THE VITAL SPARK: The Evolution of Imagination.

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:21:33 GMT

In this conversation we discuss Stephen's ideas about the evolution of imagination and improvisation. After defining terms Stephen's talks about his idea of the 'second universe', the link between dreams and storytelling and his view that drawing, dance and gesture preceded language in evolution. We talk about the difference between 'hot' and 'cold' cognition and explore the necessary conditions for improvisation then end with a discussion of cultural differences in the importance attached to improvisation, contrasting particularly the USA and China.

Participants:

Stephen Asma, Professor of Philosophy, Columbia College, Chicago, USA. www.stephenasma.com

Ken Barrett, artist, writer, retired neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Stephen's Book, The Evol;ution of Imagination': https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Imagination-Stephen-T-Asma-ebook/dp/B06WWJC8JX/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=p7r7l&content-id=amzn1.sym.f911c8db-3a2b-4b3e-952f-b80fdcee83f4&pf_rd_p=f911c8db-3a2b-4b3e-952f-b80fdcee83f4&pf_rd_r=131-8110503-3306616&pd_rd_wg=A284i&pd_rd_r=b4eef1a3-7076-4640-9f69-d105cfccb0e7&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk

Stephen's podcast, “Chinwag”, cohosted with Paul Giamatti

https://www.treefort.fm/series/chinwag

Opening and closing music: 'Improvisation for Brainland' by Stephen Asma.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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THE VITAL SPARK: The Creative Brain.

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 14:22:11 GMT

In this wide ranging conversation Anna outlines the particular difficulties involved in researching the psychology and neuroscience of creativity. We talk about the popular idea that the right hemisphere is the creative brain (it isn't), links between mental health and psychedelics to creativity, and the possible contribution of the default mode network. We also discuss the special quality of creativity in the context of humour. In an afterword we talk about some of the problems involved in research that engages the popular press, bypassing peer review, but also the 'status bias' that can colour even peer review.

Participants:

Anna Abraham PhD, E. Paul Torrance Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Director, Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development, Mary Frances Early College of Education, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. http://www.anna-abraham.com/

Ken Barrett, artist, writer, retired neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Anna's Books: The Creative Brain: Myths and Truths: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262548007/the-creative-brain/

The Neuroscience of Creativity:http://www.anna-abraham.com/book-the-neuroscience-of-creativity-2018.html

Opening music: Prelude to Brainland Act 1, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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OBJECTS WITH SOUL: The strange power of puppets in opera.

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 16:02:05 GMT

In this podcast Hayley talks us through the early history of puppets in opera, including the eighteenth century fashion for opera composed specifically for puppets. She goes on to describe the conclusions reached in her doctoral research, applying musicological thinking to marionette operas in our era, conclusions she considers applicable more widely to cinema and animation. These include her theory 'performance networks and poetic synchronicity. She talks about her experience of various performances and her conviction that the movement of puppets, expertly 'played', are inherently musical.

Participants:

Hayley Burton Richards, musicologist, musician, educator, Head of Music, Wilson's School.

Ken Barrett, artist, writer, retired neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Hayley"s beautifully written Harvard PhD thesi. 'Breath, Gravity and Death' can be accessed here: https://dash.lib.harvard.edu/handle/1/37372118?show=full

Some of the performances discussed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWi-7aTW_po

https://www.kentridge.studio/projects/wozzeck/

Richard Teschner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY38P-6TYQM

Lotte Reiniger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-TJvNBO1fw

Opening music: extract from scene 2 of Brainland composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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YOUR BRAIN ON RELIGION: Exploring the neuroscience of religious experience.

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 09:36:52 GMT

In this podcast, after outlining some of the positive and negative of religious behaviour, Patrick discusses the key areas currently being studied in order to better understand the cognitive neuroscience of religion. These include REM sleep, the effects of psychedelic substances and the default mode network. ‘Decentering’, a key aspect of his team’s approach to the subject is explained along with the possible involvement of predictive processing. He discusses why he believes religion to be a ‘transformational technology’ and the impact of brain pathology on religiosity.

Participants:

Patrick McNamara, Professor, Department of Psychology, National University

Associate Professor of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, President Emeritus, Center for Mind and Culture, Boston MA. cognitiveneuroscienceofreligion.org

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Patrick's recent books mentioned in the podcast: The cognitive neurosciecne of religious experience: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cognitive-Neuroscience-Religious-Experience-Decentering/dp/1108977898/ref=sr_1_1?crid=27ANJMOV7L933&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VfizW2OdtY7ieLd7pOKo2MsVsdjfAQTK6opPXGdf80lTCzNQKZ1ObrMeL7XUel1JRw0jAan9OeTAELpC2UFtOluJui4pquuCKfZfOVZzJdbmIW9rw

Religion, neuroscience and the self: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Religion-Neuroscience-Self-Personalism-Neurotheology/dp/1032176008/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_1_1/262-6697966-8243913?pd_rd_w=5GUcv&content-id=amzn1.sym.ad51136c-8d04-4e54-9ec5-18cad2a65d61&pf_rd_p=ad51136c-8d04-4e54-9ec5-18cad2a65d61&pf_r

Opening music: extract from the prelude to Brainland by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH: The story of a movie.

Sun, 23 Jun 2024 14:25:32 GMT

'A Matter of Life and Death' (AMOLAD) is a 1946 film by Michael Powell and Emerich Pressberger. Peter Carter, a bomber pilot is returning from the last raid of the war. His plane and parachute are shot up so he decides to 'jump rather than fry' and has a last conversation over the radio with June, an American radio operator before jumping, as he expects, to his death. He doesn't die but washes up on a beach and as a love story unfolds between him and June he is menaced by recurrent episodes (clinically, complex partial epileptic seizures though the words aren't mentioned in the film) during which a 'conductor' from the afterlife tries to persuade him to return with him as he shouldn't really have survived. The film culminates in a realistically staged neurosurgical operation on Peter whilst in the afterlife his case to go on living is put on trial trial. Ian explains why this is his favourite film of all time (as it is Ken's),their conversation ranging over origin and influences, forebears and progeny, design and music, the clincial neuroscience that underpins it and much more.

Participants:

Ian Christie, Professor of Film and Media History, Birckbeck, University of London. www.ianchristie.org

Ken Barrett, artist and writer, retired neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

For more about 'A Matter of Life and Death'https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038733/ (SEE IT!)

https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/b58b75d7-e9e2-5a1f-a448-afa92a35462d/a-matter-of-life-and-death

In the UK it is currently (on 21.6.24) On BBC Iplayer.

Ian's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Matter-Life-Death-Film-Classics/dp/1839023899

The other book mentioned, on the neuroscientific background of the film, is by Diane Broadbent Friedman: K4rfe3RUVnVfT9z9-aIffzEet5ZKUBDQFbGEV1HSo4yU3JpZWvHWWe5uGzjy5AUH9iAiT5oKdx7a4wWP-x7lubaTLPDggjtJ2wGe_Lz08kwaBYDzg2E6_aKIPxfYYVvKk2vtaR4ghzBqTRUdFZ8-kE.RnIRY1ho2lgxZvWxZW4th9yrxYt89JrWLPj42mXYmKg&dib_tag=se&keywords=friedman.+a+matter+of+life+and+death&qid

This is the the book by Frigyes Karinthy which was part of the inspiration: https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/A_Journey_Round_My_Skull.html?id=trCxtdw5OHcC&redir_esc=y

Opening music, extract from the prelude to Brainland by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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THE VITAL SPARK: A pianist's tale.

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 13:40:51 GMT

Susan Tomes is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning pianist specialising in chamber music as well as solo repertoire. Here she talks to Stephen Brown about her musical origins in Edinburgh, what it was like being the first woman to read music at King’s College Cambridge, how she built her performing career starting from a single room in Crystal Palace, and the transformative influence of working with the violinist Sándor Végh at the Prussia Cove seminars in Cornwall. She talks about sensitivity and reciprocity in ensemble playing, about communicating with audiences and the mysteries of how a musical phrase sometimes sounds exactly right. She has written seven books to date. The latest, "Women and the Piano: A History in 50 Lives" was published in March 2024 by Yale University Press.

Participants:

Susan Tomes, pianist and writer https://www.susantomes.com/.

Stephen Brown, composer, cellist and former neuropsychiatrist http://www.cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm.

Amazon link for Women and the Piano

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Women-Piano-History-50-Lives/dp/030026657X

The recording of the Faure Piano Quartets has been reissued by Hyperion and is available here.

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA30007

Music: Extract from Faure Piano Quartets, with permission, reissued by Hyperion and available here.

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA30007.

Brainland the oepra website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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YOUR MUSICAL HEALTH: The efficacy of music as therapy.

Sun, 19 May 2024 22:16:51 GMT

In this podcast academic and clinical music therapists, musicians and friends Helen Odell-Miller and Penny Rogers discuss their life work – music therapy. They define and outline the varieties of music therapy, discuss their journey from training as musicians to studying music therapy and cognitive psychology (Penny) and psychodynamic psychotherapy (Helen). Penny talks about her clinical work in various settings and Helen her career at the forefront of research into the positive effects of music therapy (ameliorating conditions as varied as agitation in dementia to PTSD). They also talk about how their continuing musical practice in group settings (Helen singing, Penny cello) enriches their day-to-day lives and improves their professional practice.

Participants:

Helen Odell-Miller OBE, Professor Emeritus, Anglia Ruskin University; Founding Director of Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research; Chair of The Music Therapy Charity; Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts

https://www.aru.ac.uk/people/helen-odell-miller

Penny Rogers, music therapist; Deputy Director, Safeguarding & Public Protection at Devon Partnership NHS Trust; Trustee, British Association for Music Therapy; 'cellist.

https://www.bamt.org/bamt/people/penny-rogers

Stephen Brown, musician; composer; retired professor of neuropsychiatry

http://www.cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm

Resources and further reading:

Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy (CIMTR):

https://www.aru.ac.uk/cambridge-institute-for-music-therapy-research

British Association for Music Therapy

https://www.bamt.org/

Royal College of Psychiatrists Introductory Module at E-LEARNING hub:

https://elearninghub.rcpsych.ac.uk/products/Music_therapy-an_introduction

Some recent research papers:

Thompson, N et al.(2023). Investigating the impact of music therapy on two in-patient psychiatric wards for people living with dementia: retrospective observational study. BJPsych Open, 9(2), e42. doi:10.1192/bjo.2023.20

Odell-Miller, H et al.(2022). The HOMESIDE Music Intervention: A Training Protocol for Family Carers of People Living with Dementia. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 12(12), 1812-1832. Doi: 10.3390/ejihpe12120127

Odell-Miller, H., (2021) Embedding Music and Music Therapy in Care Pathways for People with Dementia in the 21st Century—a position paper. Music and Science. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F20592043211020424

Hsu MH et al.(2015). The impact of music therapy on managing neuropsychiatric symptoms for people with dementia and their carers: a randomised controlled feasibility study. BMC Geriatrics. 15:84 doi:10.1186/s12877-015-0082-4

Music: Opening and closing music to the opera 'Brainland', composed by Stephen Brown

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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THE VITAL SPARK: A director's tale.

Mon, 13 May 2024 17:50:31 GMT

This is another in the Vital Spark series exploring facets of creativity with a range of artists and academics. In this conversation Italian director, actor and teacher Chiara D'Anna speaks about her work and creative process, beginning with images, physical and emotional atmosphere before involving words. We discuss her acting in film, particularly with Peter Strickland (Duke of Burgundy and Berberian Sound Studio) and her training and teaching in commedia dell’arte, an Italian tradition of theatre she outlines for us. We talk about her evolving one woman show and the differences in performing in Italian or English, particularly in relation to humour and comic timing. She also speaks about her major upcoming project. co-directing Strauss’ opera Ariadne auf Naxos in Budapest.

Participants:

Chiara D’Anna, director, actor, teacher and Commedia Dell’Arte specialist. https://www.chiaradanna.com/

Ken Barrett, artist and writer, retired neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

For more on commedia dell'Arte this is Chiara's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@movementactortraining

Music: Prelude to the opera 'Brainland' composed by Stephen Brown.

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Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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THE VITAL SPARK: A novelist's tale.

Tue, 07 May 2024 20:27:18 GMT

The Vital Spark’ is an occasional series delving into aspects of creativity. For this podcast Stephen Brown travelled to the far west of Cornwall for a conversation with novelist, screen writer and fellow cellist Patrick Gale. Patrick talks about his unusual childhood, his journey from musician and singer to becoming a successful writer, the life events that help enliven his novels and the research that underpins them. He speaks about his writing process, including the need to leave self behind and inhabit characters. Other aspects of the creative process are also touched upon and good editors get a mention. They discuss the similarity between composing music and writing to commission and, as a case in point, Patrick talks about his recent stage adaptation of his novel ‘Take Nothing With You’ and his hopes for a multipart screen adaptation of ‘A Town Called Winter’.

Participants:

Patrick Gale, novelist, screenwriter, playwright and musician https://galewarning.org/

Stephen Brown, musician, composer and retired neuropsychiatrist. http://cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm

Music: Prelude to the opera 'Brainland' composed by Stephen Brown.

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Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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BRAINWAVES: Hans Berger and the discovery of the EEG.

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 21:04:31 GMT

In this special extended edition of the podcast, we take a deep dive into the life and work of Hans Berger, the German psychiatrist who discovered the EEG a century ago this year, the inspiration for a major character in the opera Brainland. Cornelius Borck is a leading German historian of medicine and science and an expert on Berger and his work. In a wide ranging conversation he describes the scientific backdrop to Berger’s discovery, his early career and personality, how the discovery came about, why it took him 5 years to report his findings and why he was denied the Nobel Prize. We also discuss his eugenic sympathies and relationship with the Nazis, his decline into depression and the post-war mythology that grew up around him.

Participants:

Cornelius Borck, Professor and Director of the Institute for History of Medicine and Science Studies, Lübeck University, Germany. https://www.imgwf.uni-luebeck.de/

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist. .http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Cornelius’s book on this subject: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-mono/10.4324/9781315569840/brainwaves-cultural-history-electroencephalography-cornelius-borck-ann-hentschel

Music: Stephen Brown’s depiction of the alpha rhythm of the EEG, from Brainland Act 1, scene 2.

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Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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OBJECTS WITH SOUL: The strange power of puppetry.

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 16:26:38 GMT

Why do we respond to puppets? That's what this episode explores, with the help of Pia and Ana, academics who approach the question from different perspectives. We discover what is meant by the 'uncanny valley' and how it links puppetry to robots (and zombies!) and discuss if 'conceptual blending' might be useful. Does the old notion of 'suspending disbelief' hold water? Ana talks about her project using a viewer's direction of gaze to explore this question in relation to puppetry.

Participants:

Pia Banzhaf, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University, Department of Linguistics , Lanuages and Culture; Center for Integrrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities; Collaborations for Applied puppetry Research. Website: Kaleidoscopia

Ana Diaz Barriga, Doctoral Candidate, Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Theatre & Drama, Northwestern University. https://www.anadiazbarriga.com/

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Pia's chapter, 'The Ontology of puppets' is here: http://otworzksiazke.pl/images/ksiazki/dolls_and_puppets/dolls_and_puppets.pdf#page=9

More about the show Ana has been studying is here

More about the 'uncanny valley is here: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/ai-uncanny-valley

and this image illustrates it: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6f/d2/2c/6fd22c3c6e5cc72c1e7f4f840c594c56.jpg

Music: Prelude to Brainland, Act 1, composed by Stephen Brown

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Brainland the opera: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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POEMS, CHATBOTS AND EPILEPSY: Understanding and ameliorating life with seizures.

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 17:29:41 GMT

In this conversation poet and visual artist Andrea Mbarushimana and neurologist/poet Heather Angus-Leppan talk about their project exploring the value of chatbots to help people cope with and better understand their epilepsy. The project began by collecting over 1700 questions about the condition posted by people living with epilepsy. Heather describes how Andrea was integral to the project, facilitating workshops with people living epilepsy. Andrea shares poems written during the project, including two from the perspective of those chatbots! Heather also shares a moving poem about one of her patients.

Participants:

Andrea Mbarushimana, poet, visual artist.

www.andrea-mbarushimana.com

Heather Angus-Leppan, Neurologist, Royal Free Hospital, Professor of Medical Education, University of East London.

https://www.royalfree.nhs.uk/services/consultants/dr-heather-angus-leppan

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer, former neuropsychiatrist.

http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Music composed by Stephen Brown: Extract from Act 1 Scene 2 of Brainland.

Portrait sketch by KB.

Brainland the opera website: https://www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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FEELING GROOVY: Exploring the brain's response to music.

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 18:57:43 GMT

Peter Vuust is that rare combintion - a professional musician and composer, and a professor of neuroscience investigating how our brain responds to music. This wide ranging conversation includes why we humans are so attracted and responsive to music, the link between groove and predictive cognition, the Mozart effect, the tingle/chill factor in music, and how to get more out of atonal music. As if that weren’t enough, Peter shares a track of his upcoming album (he can be seen and heard in several bands at the Aarhus Jazz Festival in July).

Participants:

Peter Vuust, musician, composer, professor of neuroscience and Head of the Department of Music and the Brain at Aarhus University, Denmark. http://www.petervuust.dk http://www.musicinthebrain.dk/peter-vuust/

Andrew Platman, writer and retired physican.

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist/psychophysiologist.

http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Music : 'Homage to Keith', composed by Peter Vuust, played by the Peter Vuust Quartet (2024, with permission).

Portrait sketch by KB.

Brainland the opera website:

https://www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

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OBJECTS WITH SOUL: The strange power of puppetry.

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 12:08:27 GMT

Those animated objects, puppets, can work powerfully on our emotions and generate empathy, seemingly tapping into some very basic part of our psyche and, perhaps, neurology. Which is the main reason why we are devoting two podcasts to this subject. In this podcast Claudia Orenstein, a leading authority on puppets and physical theatre worldwide discusses the various ways objects are deployed in performance, including their use in ritual, education and entertainment, for adults as well as children. A number of examples are described as she shares her lifelong passion for the subject and there is also an interesting theoretical discussion as to why this and other types of animation have become more popular this century. Next month on the podcast: the psychology and neuropsychology of puppetry.

Participants: Claudia Orenstein, Professor of Theatre at Hunter College and Graduate Centre CUNY, USA (who also launched a new journal of puppetry in January).

https://www.gc.cuny.edu/people/claudia-orenstein

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.

http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

For more about Claudia Orenstein's book Reading the Puppet Stage:

https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003096627/reading-puppet-stage-claudia-orenstein

Here is a website for The plastic bag store, which I mentioned in the conversation.

https://www.theplasticbagstore.com

Blind Summit’s Paper Story.

https://www.blindsummit.com/paperstory

Bread and Puppet theatre’s website:

https://breadandpuppet.org

William Kentridge on Wozzeck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AwwwMN6q3I

Music by Stephen Brown: Prelude to Brainland.

Brainland the opera: https://www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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NO HAMMER NEEDED: The wonderful world of neurointeractive art.

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 22:38:39 GMT

Since completing her degree in interactive art 30 years ago Luciana Haill has worked at the cutting edge of the field. She recounts how childhood meningitis got her interested in the brain and Grey Walter's 'The Living Brain' the EEG - she sold her car in order to buy a portable EEG recorder, her tool for exploring the boundary of consciousness. More recently, her obsession with lost historical artefacts led her to create the Arts Council funded 'Apparitions' app - the app recreates lost landmarks when a phone is pointed at the original site (such as the 900 foot St Leonards pier, demolished over 70 years ago - and it really does, as I saw last weekend). Future projects explore aspects of nostalgia and grief.

Participants:

Luciana Haill, visual and mixed media artist. Formerly Research Artist Sussex University, Department of Informatics, and Department of Psychology and Social Sciences, Greenwich University.

https://lucianahaill.wordpress.com

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist.

http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

The following links relate to the projects discussed:

https://sites.google.com/view/nohammerneeded/no-hammer

https://apparitions.site/

https://lucianahaill.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/dreamonline-cobwebgenienmo1.png

https://lucianahaill.wordpress.com/2022/03/14/creativity-culture-capital-my-interview-video-immersive-spotlight-on-the-future-of-live-performance/

https://doc.gold.ac.uk/aisb50/AISB50-S12/AISB50-S12-Haill-paper.pdf

Music by Stephen Brown: Extract from Brainland Act 1 Scene 2.

Brainland the opera: https://www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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BRAVE NEW WORLDS : Your neural interface awaits...

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:24:59 GMT

In this podcast Professor Andrew Jackson talks about how he came to be, literally, at the cutting edge between the human central nervous system and new neuro-technologies. After explaining ‘neural interface’, he discusses how the field is starting to change the management of paralysis and epilepsy. There is also an interesting discussion about the effects of exhsiting current tech, including possible implications of Google's acquisition of FitBit and how social media is already effectively modifies behaviour. He also shares a lockdown project – 'closed loop' music generated by and modified in real time by brain oscillations (with some samples included).

Participants:

Andrew Jackson, Professor of Neural Interfaces, University of Newcastle, UK http://research.ncl.ac.uk/jacksonlab/

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist/psychophysiologist.

http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Music: Closed loop music generated by Andrew Jackson’s brain (with permission).

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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YOUR BRAIN ON BEAUTY: Welcome to the world of neuroaesthetics...

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 12:47:14 GMT

In this podcast neurologist and academic Anjan Chatterjee opens up the world of neuroaesthetics, from basic definitions and a taxonomy of aesthetics, including individual responses to the built environment, to neurological correlates of our responses to beauty. The influence of expectation and beliefs regarding value of objects/works of art are also touched upon, and the way neuroimaging results reflect this effect. Some current projects of the Penn Centre for Neuroaesthetics also get a mention, including a study using the arts in a structured way to aid recovery and readjustment of veterans.

Participants:

Anjan Chatterjee, Professor of Neurology, Psychology and Architecture, University of Pennsylvania and Head of the Penn Centre for Neuroaesthetics (the extraordinary range of projects can be viewed here https://neuroaesthetics.med.upenn.edu/ )

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by Ken Barrett.

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MUSIC AND THE DEEPEST PART OF YOU...

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 11:28:09 GMT

In this podcast we give the brain a rest and take an excursion into the music world. Trevor Ford, Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, talks to Stephen Brown about his journey from the East End of London to a career as a professional flautist, organist and choir master (an organiser of the annual 'Messiah from Scratch' at the Albert Hall) alongside, accountancy, business management and editing. They discuss the benefits he and Stephen gained from the free music tuition available to children of working class families in the East End in the 1960s and the importance of giving the next generation musical opportunities, but also survival skills necessary for a life in the music jungle.

Participants:

Trevor Ford, professor, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/staff/trevor-ford

Stephen Brown, cellist, composer http://cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm

Music (with the permission): Handel's Messiah were sung by the Really Big Chorus accompanied by the English Festival Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in 2014.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by Ken Barrett.

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THE VITAL SPARK: Tourette syndrome and creativity.

Sat, 27 Jan 2024 22:34:51 GMT

'The Vital Spark' is an occasional series exploring different facets of creativity.

Hugh Rickards, in conversation with Stephen Brown and Ken Barrett, talks about Tourette's syndrome, including a suggested association with increased levels of creativity. After outlining why he was first attracted to Neuropsychiatry (Oliver Sacks' fault) and to do research on this condition, Hugh goes over what we mean by Tourette's, it's overlap with OCD and the little we known about it's causes. We unpack possible links to creativity, performer Tourettes Hero gets a mention (see link below), Hugh and Ken share their own experience of tics.

Participants:

Hugh Rickards, Consultant and Honorary Professor of Neuropsychiatry, National Centre for Mental Health, Birmingham, UK. http//:www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/clinical-sciences/Rickards-Hugh.aspx

Stephen Brown, cellist, composer and retired professor of neuropsychiatry: http://cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist: http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

More about Tourette's is here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/tourettes-syndrome/

and here: https://www.tourettes-action.org.uk/

Tourettes Hero : https://www.touretteshero.com/

Opening and closing music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by KB.

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COMPUTATIONAL PSYCHIATRY IS IN THE BUILDING: Brain information processing and the future of psychiatry.

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 13:33:15 GMT

In this podcast Ken Barrett is in conversation with Professor David Redish. David explains what is meant by ‘computational psychiatry’ and the concept of ‘computational breakdown', with a great falling bridge analogy, before going on to outline how this approach is being applied to addiction and depression. Our discussion ranges over aspects of memory, eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) and sleep, and much else, before considering possible pitfalls of the approach.

Participants:

A David Redish, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota. https://med.umn.edu/bio/david-redish

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired clinical neuropsychiatrist. http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Sketch by Ken Barrett.

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BRAINHACKING: Ethical and legal challenges posed by new neurotechnologies.

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 17:32:15 GMT

In this podcast Ken Barrett is in conversation with Marcello Ienca, professor of the ethics of articicial intelligence. We discuss the ethical challenges of new neurotechnologices, including brain-computer interfaces and other wearable and implanted devices. Are our brains about to be at risk of being ‘hacked’ or ‘jacked’ and what steps should be taken to safeguard us? Marcello outlines and unpacks four human rights he believes should be protected: the right to cognitive liberty, mental privacy, mental integrity and psychological continuity.

Participants:

Marcello Ienca, Professor of Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience.

Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics and History of Medicine, Technische Universität München.

Group Leader - Intelligent Systems Ethics Group - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.

https://www.professoren.tum.de/en/ienca-marcello

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and retired clinical neuropsychiatrist.

http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

An interesting article by Marcello Ienca on this subject: https://www.scientificamerican.com/author/marcello-ienca/

Music: Prelude to the opera Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: https://www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk/

Portrait sketch by Ken Barrett

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MIND WARS: Military and intelligence funding of brain science - a curious history.

Sat, 18 Nov 2023 13:21:22 GMT

In this podcast Professor Jonathan D Moreno, author of the book Mind Wars, is in conversation with Ken Barrett. Their chat ranges from human experimentation, in the US in World War 2, to fears of mind control in the intelligence community in the 1950s and related experiments with LSD and mescaline, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and various specific projects up to the present day. On the subject of bioethics, we speak about the Nuremberg Code, the surprising origin of informed consent and much more, ending on an optimistic note.

Participants:

Ken Barrett is an artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist

http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Jonathan D. Moreno is the David and Lyn Silfen University Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, of History and Sociology of Science, and of Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania.

https://pikprofessors.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/2021-10/moreno-cv.pdf

Musical extract is from Act 1, Scene 2 of Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown

Portrait by Ken Barrett

Discussed on the podcast:

DARPA: https://www.darpa.mil/

MIND WARS: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mind-Wars-Science-Military-Century/dp/193413743X

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ROBOTS: Taking over or just overtaking?

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 19:49:44 GMT

In this podcast Professor Phil Husbands is in conversation with Andy Platman and Ken Barrett. The chat ranges over a number of topics presented in Phil’s excellent book Robots: What everyone needs to know, including his views on the current media hysterics regarding the immediate dangers of AI, the surprisingly long history of robotics, ethical challenges of AI and autonomous robots now and in the future. He also reads an extract from his book, part of a vignette imagining robotics 600 years in the future.

Participants:

Phil Husbands, Research Professor of Artificial Intelligence (informatics) at the University of Sussex ( https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p1334-phil-husbands/about)

Andy Platman, writer and retired medic.

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and retired neuropsychiatrist (http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/)

The book we were discussing is Robots: What everyone needs to know. OUP, 2021. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robots-What-Everyone-Needs-Know%C2%AE/dp/0198845391

Music: Prologue to Act 1 of Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.

www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Portrait sketch by Ken Barrett

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ILLUMINATING THE SELF

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 21:45:01 GMT

In this podcast contemporary artist Susan Aldworth is in conversation with Ken Barrett. Susan has worked on collaboratively with neuroscientists and clinicians for over twenty years following a health scare. We speak about her projects based on brain imaging, epilepsy and sleep, her interest in embroidery as a story telling medium, combined with old garments, and her novel appraoch to print-making. We also take a dive into her most recent work, created in response to current political rhetoric regarding migration, exploring her own migrant, Italian, heritage.

Participants:

Susan Aldworth, artist. https://susanaldworth.com/

Ken Barrett, artist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Music: Prelude to Act 1 of Brainland, by Stephen Brown http://cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm

A film about Illuminating the Self, the extraordinary epilepsy proejct we discuss is here:

https://susanaldworth.com/exhibitions/illuminating-the-self/

Animation of the toposcope images :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhH1XYALLPg

Brainland the opera:

https://www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk/

Portrait sketch by Ken Barrett.

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EUGENICS: The pseudoscience that's never really gone away.

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 20:54:42 GMT

In this podcast Professor Philippa Levine, formerly Walter Prescott Webb Professor in History and Ideas at the University of Texas at Austin, is in conversation with Andy Platman and Ken Barrett. We discuss the British origins of eugenic ideas and the worldwide movement that followed. Nazi eugenics, from sterilisation to euthanasia are explored, but also how these ideas took off and were applied, in different forms, worldwide, most enthusiastically in the USA but also in Scandinavia, Australia, Latin America and beyond. But that doesn't entirely capture the depth and range of subjects covered in this extraordinary conversation.

Participants:

Professor Philippa Levine,

Dr Andy Platman, writer and former GP.

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.

Eugenics: A very short introduction by Philippa Levine https://academic.oup.com/book/825?login=false

Musical extracts are from the opera Brainland composed by Stephen Brown https://www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk/

Portrait of Philippa Levine by Ken Barrett.

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JOYFUL ASTONISHMENT AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF OPTIMISM.

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 14:08:22 GMT

In this episode Raymond Tallis, philosopher, poet and one time professor of geriatric medicine is in conversation with Stephen Brown. Their chat moves from the metaphysics of quantum mechanics to the definition of art and the language of music. Goethe's view of poetry and Scruton's thoughts on music get a mention before moving to the art of medicine, the difference between philosophical enquiry and artistic creativity and the philosophy of free will.

Their conversation concludes with Ray admitting to being a philosopher of optimism before reading his poem 'Meta-sonnet for the Dark Lady' followed by Steve Brown's setting.

Meta-sonnet for the Dark Lady

Or shall I live your epitaph to make,

Or you survive when I in earth am rotten.

There's nothing of you lives in these his lines

- they did not lift you clear of death in pain.

Long since, beneath the air that heard his rhymes,

you flowed away, dissolved like him in rain.

Your ghost shook off the flesh, its thrilling dark,

those evening tones his fluent verse acclaimed.

What's saved of you?

The tetchy question mark of rival experts

squabbling when you're named.

Your smooth white neck was lost to red-lipped lust

when Night reclaimed the sable from your hair.

Dark Lady, arid footnotes, learned dust,

your absence, wide and sexless as the air,

behind the word-webbed nothing of your face,

makes these his sonnets crypts for empty space.

Contributors:

Stephen Brown, composer, http://cornwallcomposers.com/

Raymond Tallis, philosopher and poet, http://www.raymondtallis.co.uk/

Music: All the music was written by Stephen Brown.

“Meta-sonnet to the dark lady” was sung by Maria Heseltine (mezzo-soprano) accompanied by the Corineus String Quartet. There is a very brief orchestral extract from a piece by Stephen called “Fear no more” performed by the Orchestra of St Mary’s, Penzance.

Other musical extracts are from a forthcoming suite that will combine two Shakespeare sonnets with the meta-sonnet.

Portrait of Raymond Tallis by Ken Barrett.

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TWO HEADS: Where two neuroscientists explore how our brains work with other brains (Part 2)

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 13:19:20 GMT

In this podcast writer Alex Frith and illustrator Daniel Locke provide fascinating insights into the creation of their book Two Heads, produced in collaboration with Uta and Chris Frith. This is a deep dive into their creative process and a wider discussion about telling science stories using the comic format. The conversation ranged from Tintin to Dave Gibbons via Peanuts, Micky Mouse and Spider Man and the links between scientific and artistic creativity.

Contributors:

Alex Frith, writer. https://www.pewliterary.com/author/alex-frith

Daniel Locke, illustrator http://www.daniellocke.com/

Ken Barrett, artist, writer and illustrator http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Music: Prelude to Act 1of Brainland, by Stephen Brown. www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

We also discuss Dan’s graphic novel ‘Out of Nothing’ created with David Blandy and Adam Rutherford.

http://www.daniellocke.com/out-of-nothing/

The illustration is based on an original by Daniel Locke.

A review of Two Heads is here:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/mar/29/two-heads-by-uta-frith-chris-frith-alex-frith-and-daniel-locke-review

We also discussed ‘Logicomix’ a great graphic novel about Bertrand Russell.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logicomix

and discussed - Dave Gibbons book ‘How comics work’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySWlFbxUK0g

https://www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk/

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TWO HEADS: Where two neuroscientists explore how our brains work with other brains (Part 1)

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 13:53:59 GMT

In this podcast Professors Uta and Chris Frith, in conversation with Ken Barrett, speak about their brilliant and original book 'Two Heads', a 300 page comic that tracks their neuroscientific journeys (with over 300 academic references), acknowledges the many researchers they have worked with, and outlines their current understanding of how our brains work with other brains. The book was created with writer Alex Frith and illustrator Daniel Locke who have agreed to speak with us for part 2 later in the month. We talk about the origins of their book and their wider interest in the comic medium, Uta's work on ASD and neurodiversity and Chris's work on schizophrenia and functional imaging, and their most recent collaboration with the Interacting Minds Centre in Aarhus, Denmark. Max and Moritz, Phillip K Dick and Rain Man and a certain opera also get a mention.

Contributors:

Dame Uta Frith FRS is Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College, London.

Chris Frith FRS is Emeritus Professor of Neuropsychology at the Welcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, and Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute of Philosophy, University of London.

Ken Barrett is a retired neuropsychiatrist and some time psychophysiology reseracher before his migration to the arts http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/ http://cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm

Music: Prelude to Act 1 of the opera Brainland composed by Stephen Brown www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

A review of Two Heads is here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/mar/29/two-heads-by-uta-frith-chris-frith-alex-frith-and-daniel-locke-review

Portrait sketch by Ken Barrett.

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MESSAGES FROM ANOTHER WORLD

Wed, 17 May 2023 10:21:57 GMT

Brainland is a new opera that interweaves three stories from the history of 20th Neuroscience, created by four artists with a background in neuroscience and medicine, currently in development with by a range of associates. In these podcasts the creators of Brainland talk about the project and explore the historical background to those stories by speaking to academics and collaborators.

PODCAST 2: MESSAGES FROM ANOTHER WORLD

The second storyline in Brainland focusses on Professor Hans Berger, the German psychiatrist who, in the 1920s, discovered that the brain emits rhythmic electrical pulsations, the EEG. In this episode we hear about his personal doubts, struggle with the scientific establishment and final vindication, as the Nazis take power in his country.

Contributors:

Andrew Platman (librettist)

Ken Barrett (librettist/designer) http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Stephen Brown (composer) ( http://cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm

Musical extracts: Opening of Brainland scenes 2 and theme to accompany the discovery of the alpha rhythm.

The book mentioned in the podcast is Brainwaves: A cultural history of Electroencephalography, by Cornelius Borck. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-mono/10.4324/9781315569840/brainwaves-cultural-history-electroencephalography-cornelius-borck-ann-hentschel

Brainland the Podcast produced by Ken Barrett.

The image is from Brainland act 1, scene 2 - concept drawing in charcoal and chalk by Ken Barrett.

For the full score, libretto, story outline, designs, animations and more go to the opera website:

www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Click the link below for an animated prelude to Act 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNNcslZ2Mnc

Contact: steve4cello@ gmail.com

kenb@kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

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MANHANDLING THE BRAIN

Fri, 12 May 2023 13:43:24 GMT

Brainland is a new opera that interweaves three stories from the history of 20th Neuroscience, created by four artists with a background in neuroscience and medicine, currently in development with by a range of associates. In these podcasts the creators of Brainland talk about the project and explore the historical background to those stories by speaking to academics and collaborators.

PODCAST 4: MANHANDLING THE BRAIN

One of the storylines in Brainland concerns the two leading figures of the psychosurgery movement in the middle years of the last century: Egas Moniz and Walter Freeman. In this episode we learn more about them, the clinical and neuroscientific environment of the period. We also learn about a 200-year-old operating theatre in London that is hoping to host the first performance of this central story of the opera.

Contributors:

Dr Stephen Brown, composer http://cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm

Adrian Look, dancer, teacher choreographer, https://tanztheateradrianlook.com/creatives/

Dr Ken Barrett, research and design/librettist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Dr Monica Walker. Engagement manager, Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret, London

https://oldoperatingtheatre.com/

Musical extracts: Brainland Act 1, scenes 7 and 8. Composed by Stephen Brown, libretto by Andrew Platman, Ken Barrett & Heather Angus Leppan, sung by Jodie Li-Smith and Hester Dart & Leo Selleck (Morley alumni).

Brainland the Podcast produced by Ken Barrett and Bob Barrett.

To read more mid 20th century psychosurgery, including the UK experience, click on the link:

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/members/faculties/neuropsychiatry/neuropsychiatry-january-2016.pdf?sfvrsn=875d7a1b_4

For the full score, libretto, story outline, designs, animations and more go to the opera website:

www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Click this link below to see an animated prelude to Act 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNNcslZ2Mnc

Image is of a diorama of Freeman and cadaver (act 2 scene1) made by Ken Barrett.

Contact: steve4cello@ gmail.com

kenb@kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

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TOPSY GOES TO NORWAY

Fri, 05 May 2023 13:14:19 GMT

Brainland is a new opera that interweaves three stories from the history of 20th Neuroscience, created by four artists with a background in neuroscience and medicine, currently in development with by a range of associates. In these podcasts the creators of Brainland explore the historical background to those stories by speaking to academics and collaborators.

PODCAST 2: TOPSY GOES TO NORWAY

The opera opens with four UK brain specialists led by physiologist William Grey Walter, arriving at a US Airforce base in Gloucestershire in 1957. They are enroute to Oslo where they will visit a US funded laboratory pioneering a controversial brain investigation and treatment. In this episode we explore the background of the visit.

Contributors:

Dr Andrew Platman, dramatist and retired GP.

Professor Phil Husbands, Research Professor of Artificial Intelligence, University of Sussex.

Dr Ken Barrett Visual artist, former Senior lecturer, Keele University and neuropsychiatrist.

Musical extracts: Prologue to Act 1 of Brainland.

Music by Stephen Brown, libretto by Andrew Platman, Ken Barrett & Heather Angus Leppan.

Brainland the Podcast produced by Ken Barrett and Bob Barrett.

To read more about the Norway trip and its' background click on the link:

Ken Barrett » writing

For the full score, libretto, story outline, designs, animations and more go to the opera website:

www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Click the link below for an animated prelude to Act 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNNcslZ2Mnc

The image is by Ken Barrett and based on a Soviet era collage.

Contact:

steve4cello@ gmail.com kenb@kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

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BRAINLAND THE OPERA - An introduction

Fri, 05 May 2023 13:03:57 GMT

Brainland is a new opera that interweaves three stories from the history of 20th Neuroscience, created by four artists with a background in neuroscience and medicine, in development with by a range of associates. In these podcasts the creators of Brainland talk about the project and explore the historical background to those stories by speaking to academics and collaborators.

INTRODUCING BRAINLAND

In this podcast the four artists who created Brainland talk about the origin of the project and their contributions. The four storylines, covered in detail in other episodes, are briefly outlined.

Contributors:

Tim Taylor, dancer, teacher; Programme manager for dance, Morley College, London.

Ken Barrett, research and design/librettist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Stephen Brown, composer. http://cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm

Heather Angus Leppan, poet (libretto)

Musical extracts: Act 1, Scene 7: Singers: Jodie Li-Smith and Hester Dart (Morley alumni)

For the full score, libretto, story outline, designs, animations and more go to the opera website:

www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Click the link below for an animated prelude to Act 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNNcslZ2Mnc

Contact: steve4cello@ gmail.com kenb@kenbarrettstudio.co.uk

Brainland the Podcast produced by Ken Barrett and Bob Barrett.

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