New York Academy of Sciences Podcast

Can meditation have long-term beneficial effects on the plasticity of our brains? Bon meditation practitioner Alejandro Chaoul and oncologist Lorenzo Cohen evaluate the healing potential of meditation in a discussion from the Rubin Museum of Art's Brainwave Festival.

Grizzly bears are showing up in an area of northern Manitoba where they've never been seen before. It's also an area inhabited by polar bears. S&C talks to the AMNH's Robert Rockwell about why the grizzlies are moving, and what it means for both bear species.

NYU's food guru Marion Nestle gives you a lesson in decoding food labels, holding big food corporations accountable, and choosing food wisely. She spoke as part of S&C's Girls Night Out series.

Science journalist and adventure-seeker Jeff Wise talks about his new book Extreme Fear: The Science of Your Mind in Danger.

Our circadian rhythms control everything from when we sleep and wake, to when we get hungry. Learn about what (literally) makes us tick, and hear about Carla Green's research into a circadian gene that could offer a cure for obesity.

We talk to two scientists at Hunter College who research different aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD). Jason Dictenberg studies synapses in our brain, and Michael Siller looks at play-based therapies for autistic children. Both are on the cutting edge of new research in the field of autism.

Neuropsychologist Jeffrey Halperin is using behavioral therapy on preschoolers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He hopes to train their brains to develop in new ways and if effective, his therapies could offer permanent, drug-free treatment for the disorder.

Take an anthropological tour of the Silk Road exhibit at the AMNH with its curator, Mark Norell. The 4,600-mile trail was the most important trade route in the Eastern world for more than 3,000 years.

Researchers at Harvard have discovered why the headaches of some migraine sufferers worsen when the person is exposed to light. Rami Burstein, the study's senior author, explains what's happening in the brain, and how they made the breakthrough.

Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist and chief scientific adviser for Chemistry.com, delves into the science of why we lust for some people and not for others. Fisher kicked off S&C's 2010 Girl's Night Out series. Watch the Thirteen WNET video of this event here.

Danish biophysicist Ole Mouritsen also happens to be an expert on, and lover of sushi. This week, we talk to him about his new book, Sushi: Food for the Eye, the Body, and the Soul.

We sit down with science photographer Felice Frankel and nanotechnology pioneer and Harvard chemist George Whitesides to hear about their new book on nanoscience, No Small Matter.

Nobel Laureate and neurobiologist Gerald Edelman, psychologist Paul Ekman, and anthropologist Terrence Deacon tell us how Charles Darwin has influenced science and their personal careers. View the Thirteen WNET video of this event here.

According to the New York City Panel on Climate Change, global warming could have a big impact on the five boroughs. Three experts discuss the Panel's recent findings, and tell us what weather and policy changes to expect.

Seven scientists and science-lovers—Dean Kamen, Helen Fisher, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and more—recommend their favorite science books, fiction and non, for you to wrap up and gift for the holidays (or maybe just read yourself).