The OIST Podcast

In episode #8 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark sits down with cognitive scientist and ethical AI researcher, Dr. Abeba Birhane.

In this episode, they talk about Abeba's work auditing large image datasets, how they have discovered racial biases in these data sets,  and what the implications of that are.

They also talk about Abeba's work in embodied cognitive science, and how the understanding of the person that emerges from that work challenges some of the assumptions underlying the value of the 'predictive' algorithms that are being used more and more in, for instance, crime prevention.

Abeba provides a great overview of the state of AI research at the moment, some of the challenges it faces, and some of the things we can do to ensure we are developing technologies that serve everyone and not just certain privileged groups.

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University.

Cover art is provided by Cian Brennan. 

Prof. Paola Laurino leads the Protein Engineering and Evolution Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST). Fascinated by proteins, she has spent much of her career looking at the structure, function, and evolution of enzymes, a group of proteins that facilitates vital chemical reactions for living organisms. At the end of 2021, Prof. Laurino’s group published three scientific articles on different aspects of enzyme research. In this episode of the OIST podcast, science communicator Lucy Dickie caught up with Prof. Laurino to hear about this work.

In episode #6 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark speaks with philosopher of embodied cognitive science, Dr. Mog Stapleton. 

Mog is presently a visiting researcher at OIST, and is working on understanding the relationship between cognition and the gut-brain axis. 

In this episode, they talked about the role of aesthetics in the production of knowledge, the relationship between enaction and the empirical mind sciences, affectivity in cognition, enacting eduction and the value of ritual for transformation. 

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University.

Cover art is provided by Cian Brennan. 

In episode #5 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark speaks with sustainability researcher Roope Kaaronen. 

Roope is a postdoc at the University of Helsinki, Finland. 

In this episode, they talked about Roope's fortuitous introduction to ecological psychology and its value to his present work, his present work on strategic design interventions for large scale behaviour change/cultural evolution, the challenges and opportunities at the intersection between individual and collective change, nudging, and more.  

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University.

In episode #4 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark speaks with theoretical cognitive scientist Marek McGann. 

Marek is a lecturer in the psychology department in Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, Ireland.

In this episode they talked about Marek existing at the intersection of enaction and ecological psychology, the concept of behaviour settings and his understanding of agency as a multiscale affair, emergentism as a framing for embodied cognitive science, and the craft of research and education. 

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University.

In episode #3 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark speaks with philosopher Laura Mojica. 

At the time of recording Laura was also working in the Embodied Cognitive Science Unit at OIST. Laura works on the notion of normativity from an enactive standpoint, though she brings her experience working in analytic philosophy to bear on the topic. Laura is also very concerned with how enaction intersects with more cultural concerns and is interested in thinking about how enactive cognitive science can illuminate discussions about race, gender, intersectionality and so on. 

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University.

In episode #2 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark speaks with Dr. Fred Cummin, head of the Cognitive Science program at University College Dublin. 

Fred is a linguist and the originator of the field of study that is joint speech: where two or more people say the same thing at the same time, such as within religious rituals, at sporting events, or at political protests. Fred is also an incredibly well studied individual in a range of disciplines and has a profoundly philosophical, idiosyncratic and insightful take on embodiment as a frame within the sciences.  

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

In episode #1 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark speaks with Dr. Tom Froese, head of the Embodied Cognitive Science Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST). 

The conversation touches on the central themes of embodied cognitive science and the enactive framework in particular, the methods of this approach, the mission of the unit at OIST, and some of the implications of developing or adopting such an understanding. 

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

Connectomics explores the intersection between embodied cognitive science, philosophy, culture, technology and design. 

In this episode Dr. Teresa Iglesias, team leader for cephalopod support in OIST’s Animal Resources Section, talks about her career working with cephalopods, that is octopus, cuttlefish, and squid, and what they can tell us about animal behavior and two-stage sleep.

The Connectomics podcast, a spin-off from the OIST podcast, explores the intersection between embodied cognitive science, philosophy, culture, technology and design. 

In this intro episode of Connectomics, host, Mark James, research fellow in OIST's Embodied Cognitive Science Unit, asks the question 'Where is my mind?' and introduces you to some ideas that will provide some – possibly – surprising answers. 

Mark also talks about some of the central topics for the podcast going forward (e.g., embodied cognition, social cognition), and why he thinks these ideas are relevant to thinking about and maybe even addressing some of the problems of our present age. 

Will robots become researchers? On this episode, Prof. Hiroaki Kitano talks about his vision for utilizing AI to move beyond human limitations in the lab and to revolutionize scientific discovery.

In this episode of the OIST podcast, Dr. Dan Warren talks about his many research projects, or ‘hobbies’, that use quantitative methods to answer questions about the natural world.

Podcast host, Lucy Dickie, speaks to four female researchers about the challenges that come with being a woman working in STEM, their own personal experiences, and what they would like to see change.

In this episode, Prof. Filip Husnik, who leads the Evolution, Cell Biology, and Symbiosis Unit, talks about his research on symbiosis. Tune in to hear about coral reefs, insects, the deep sea, and Okinawa’s star sand.

This episode, Lucy Dickie speaks to Prof. Sam Reiter about cephalopods, the emerging field of neuroethology, and how we can learn more about the brain and intelligence.

This episode is all about scientific outreach. Science Communicator Lucy Dickie speaks to a community relations staff member and two scientists about outreach and what it was like running the annual OIST science festival during the time of COVID-19. 

It’s part two of our clownfish podcast! Professor Tim Ravasi uses clownfish to determine how a warmer, more acidic ocean might impact fish communities. Science Communicator Lucy Dickie caught up with him to find out more.

This episode is all about clownfish! Science Communicator Lucy Dickie speaks to Professor Vincent Laudet who leads OIST’s Marine Eco-Evo-Devo Unit and uses the well-known orange-and-white fish as his model species. 

Margaret Mars Brisbin is a recent OIST graduate whose PhD focused on Acantharians – tiny, marine organisms. Science communication fellow, Lucy Dickie, spoke to Maggi about this research, marine conservation more broadly, and why it’s important for marine scientists to inspire others to care about the ocean. 

In this episode, we speak to OIST Provost Professor Mary Collins about COVID-19. We talk about the virus but also OIST’s response to the outbreak in Okinawa, and the many projects that have been started here to help contain the spread within the community.

This episode Lucy Dickie speaks to OIST adjunct researcher Professor Greg Stephens about quantifying behavior. Greg looks at systems across the biological world, from tiny wiggling worms and rowdy zebrafish to crowds of people.

This episode we're I’m talking with James Higa, Okinawan raised luminary of Silicon Valley. We talk Apple, philanthropy, and the future of tech in Okinawa and beyond.

This episode, we talk with OIST Researcher Dr. Tamar Gutnick about working with animals, choosy tortoises, petting stingrays and the mysterious lives of wibbly-wobbly cephalopods.

Today we're chatting with Dr GP. Yeh - veteran of FermiLab for 30 years, and now heading up the GP Yeh Foundation as well as being a member of the advisory board fro the OIST Foundation.

Dr. Yeh talks with us about his foundation's projects to develop particle therapies for cancer sufferers, sustainable energy, and his boundless enthusiasm for the solutions science offers.

This episode, we talk to Dr. Thomas Kornberg, professor of biochemistry and biophysics in the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of California, San Francisco. He obtained his BA and PhD degrees at Columbia University in New York. 

His work on cellular communication mechanisms led to the discovery of cytonemes, the thin cellular projections that are specialized for the exchange of signaling proteins between cells - and might just hold the key to significant medical breakthroughs!

Tadashi Tokieda is a professor in the Department of Mathematics, Stanford University.  He grew up as a painter in Japan, became a classical philologist in France, and has been an applied mathematician in Europe and elsewhere.  He is active in outreach in the developing world, especially via the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences.  At the last International Congress of Mathematicians he gave a plenary public lecture, and his demos are popular on the youtube channel Numberphile.

We sit down for an enthralling chat with Prof. Tokeida that takes us on journey through mathematics, child prodigies and how language frames science. Get ready for an enthralling 30 minutes!

For more from Prof. Tokeida, see his website at MSRI

Samaya Nissanke is an astrophysicist at the University of Amsterdam’s center of excellence for Gravitation and Astroparticle Physics (GRAPPA). She is also a joint faculty member at the Anton Pannekoek Institute and the Institute for High Energy Physics.

This episode, Dr. Nissanke talks about a cosmic scavenger hunt to find evidence of merging events in binary neutron stars using an array of telescopes to detect gravitational and electromagnetic waves - and also how they disrupted a family holiday!

Professor Tom Froese is the head of the Embodied Cognitive Science Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST). He studies the interaction between agents and their environment, and the role of these interactions in cognition.

In this episode we cover the possibilities and limitations of considering brains as isolated computers, the alternative positions adopted in embodied cognitive science, and the experimental setups used to make sense of agent-environment interactions. We also move beyond the lab to consider the implications of this work on wider culture.

To find out more about Professor Froese's work, head over to groups.oist.jp/ecsu.

Enjoy!

Professor Yasha Neiman is the head of the Quantum Gravity Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST). He spends his time thinking about how gravity and quantum mechanics can coexist in a universe that is expanding at an accelerating rate.

In this episode we cover the standard model of particle physics, how limits in the model led to research on quantum gravity, and the approaches now being taken by physicists to understand the laws of nature. We also touch on the failed promises of physics, and its role in capturing imaginations.

To find out more about Professor Neiman's work, including his lectures and lively TED talk, head over to groups.oist.jp/qgu.

Enjoy!

Professor Fred Turek is the Director of the Center for Sleep & Circadian Biology and Charles & Emma Professor of Biology in the Department of Neurobiology at Northwestern University. He is also the founder and first President of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms.

In this episode, we cover the basics of the “master clock” in the brain, and its control on downstream processes in the body via two well-known circadian rhythms - the sleep/wake cycle and the feed/fast cycle. We also talk about changing policy, and Professor Turek's involvement in the recent NASA Twins Study.

Enjoy!

Sir Jim Smith is Head of the Wellcome Science Review and Group Leader at the Francis Crick Institute’s Developmental Biology Laboratory. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society and was knighted in 2017 for services to medical research and science education.

In this episode, we talk about the future of embryonic research, including the development of new stem cell therapies for humans. We also talk about Sir Jim's leadership, including how he decides who gets funding, how to make science more collaborative, and how to bring a diverse community of people together for the best results.

Enjoy!

In 2012, when OIST had only 200+ researchers, representing approximately 30 countries, OIST's first podcast “Crossing Frontiers, a Scientific Passport Podcast" was created to highlight the interesting backgrounds and fascinating research of five OIST researchers. This is the fifth of those episodes.

Pinaki Chakraborty, a Physicist from India explains why studying the motion of fluids, for example the turbulent churning and whirling movements of typhoons, can assist us in better understanding and coping with such adverse weather conditions.

Creator: Juliette Mutheu February 20, 2012

In 2012, when OIST had only 200+ researchers, representing approximately 30 countries, OIST's first podcast “Crossing Frontiers, a Scientific Passport Podcast" was created to highlight the interesting backgrounds and fascinating research of five OIST researchers. This is the fourth of those episodes.

Masako Nakamura, Marine Biologist from Chiba, Japan speaks about sessile or immobile small animals referred to as benthos or benthic animals living at the bottom of the sea. She explains why studying larvae of those benthos assists in marine protection and conservation.

Creator: Juliette Mutheu February 19, 2012

In 2012, when OIST had only 200+ researchers, representing approximately 30 countries, OIST's first podcast “Crossing Frontiers, a Scientific Passport Podcast" was created to highlight the interesting backgrounds and fascinating research of five OIST researchers. This is the third of those episodes.

Lars Goran Ofverstedt, a Swedish Structural Biologist talks about examining the structures of molecules in 3D using a new Transmission Electron Microscope. 

Creator: Juliette Mutheu February 18, 2012

In 2012, when OIST had only 200+ researchers, representing approximately 30 countries, OIST's first podcast “Crossing Frontiers, a Scientific Passport Podcast" was created to highlight the interesting backgrounds and fascinating research of five OIST researchers. This is the second of those episodes.

Marianela Garcia-Munoz, Neuroscientist from Costa Rica explains her enthusiasm for research on basal ganglia and underlines why OIST is the perfect place for science. 

Creator: Juliette Mutheu February 17, 2012

In 2012, when OIST had only 200+ researchers, representing approximately 30 countries, OIST's first podcast “Crossing Frontiers, a Scientific Passport Podcast" was created to highlight the interesting backgrounds and fascinating research of five OIST researchers. This is the first of those episodes.

Ivan Raikov, a Bulgarian Computational Neuroscientist at OIST gives us a glimpse of how computers can be used to model brain behavior.

Creator: Juliette Mutheu February 16, 2012