The OIST Podcast

This episode, Lucy speaks to Prof. Paola Laurino about her research looking at the structure, function, and evolution of enzymes, a group of proteins that facilitates vital chemical reactions for living organisms.

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.

Produced by Shane Byrne in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Cover art provided by Cian Brennan.

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. 

Produced by Shane Byrne in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

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 talk 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.

Produced by Shane Byrne in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

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.

Produced by Shane Byrne in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

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.

Produced by Shane Byrne in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

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. 

Produced by Shane Byrne in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

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 spinoff from the OIST podcast, explores the intersection between embodied cognitive science, philosophy, culture, technology and design. In this intro episode, host, Mark James, research fellow in OIST's Embodied Cognitive Science Unit, asks the question 'Where is my mind?' and introduces some ideas that will provide some surprising answers.

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.