Episodes 39

1 Grayson Brulte Interview

October 6, 2017

3m

I get candid with Grayson Brulte, autonomous vehicle expert, as we discuss the potential ethical issues associated with driverless cars.

2 Uncut Shaman Song

December 6, 2017

17m

Watch as a Peruvian Shaman performs his icaro—or healing chant—in its entirety, from my Ayahuasca ceremony.

3 A Few Personal Questions

December 6, 2017

2m

With just seven days until my Ayahuasca ceremony, I fill out a recommended personality survey—which becomes a little revealing.

4 Gail Thomas Interview

December 6, 2017

6m

I explore how psychedelics can improve mental health in my interview with cancer survivor Gail Thomas, as we discuss her experience in a study involving psilocybin--or mushrooms.

5 Digital Drugs

December 6, 2017

3m

Is there a way to experience the effects of psychedelic drugs without having to ingest anything? Watch as I test out a few of these unconventional audio and visual files to see if their claims are true.

6 Uncut False Confession

December 6, 2017

14m

Expert Melissa Russano elicits a false confession from one of our test subjects in this fascinating, uncut session.

7 False Confession Victim

December 6, 2017

5m

I sit down with Jeffrey Deskovic, a real-life victim of a false confession conviction.

8 The Human Lab Rat

December 6, 2017

6m

Check out this extended cut of my challenging experience as a human lab rat in a giant, 60-foot real-world maze.

9 Hero in the Sky

December 13, 2017

3m

I interview Shirley Dygert, a first time skydiver, and her tandem skydiving instructor, Dave Hartsock, about a treacherous skydive they both miraculously survived.

10 Mr. Xtreme

December 13, 2017

2m

In San Diego, real-life superheroes walk the streets as part of the Xtreme Justice League. I chat with Mr. Xtreme, one of the league’s most visible members, to discuss what it means to be a hero in today’s society.

11 Thought Implant

December 20, 2017

5m

Check out the final stage of our power of suggestion test, where we try to convince our subjects that a brain scanner can implant a number in their minds.

12 Sham Acupuncture

December 20, 2017

1m

I go deeper into accessory-assisted placebos by discussing sham acupuncture—and getting stuck with a few needles in the process.

13 Unleashed

December 20, 2017

1m

I attempt to discuss placebos, but my furry co-star keeps stealing the scene.

14 Hearing Test

December 27, 2017

1m

Let’s do a little test. I’ll play two tones and you see if you’re one of the few people who can notice a difference between them.

15 The Musical Savant

December 27, 2017

4m

Derek Paravicini, a blind, autistic pianist and musical savant, sits down with me at the keyboard and shows off his incredible range of musical styles.

16 Dynamic Duet

December 27, 2017

4m

Jazz pianist Dave O’Brien and his student Derek Paravicini play an impressive piano duet for me.

17 Marcie Bockbrader Interview

January 3, 2018

1m

Research Physiatrist Marcie Bockbrader talks to me about a brain-computer interface project that is helping a paralyzed man move his arm.

18 Sending a Signal

January 3, 2018

5m

I interview principal research statistician David Friedenberg about his role in analyzing all the data collected in a project aimed at helping a paralyzed man move again.

19 The Origins of Disgust

December 5, 2018

13m

With the help of Cecile Sarabian, Dr. Andrew MacIntosh and some fake poop, Michael observes levels of disgust among Japanese Macaques.

20 Rock, Paper, Scissors

December 5, 2018

4m

Kyoto University Ph.D. candidate Jie Gao shares her research involving Chimpanzees and the schoolyard game “Rock, Paper, Scissors.”

21 Brains and Language

December 5, 2018

3m

Michael and Dr. Terrence Deacon discuss the connection between language and the physical brain.

22 The Park PSA

December 5, 2018

1m

We edited the fake Los Angeles parks PSA from our Moral Licensing demonstration!

23 Virtual Dilemmas

December 5, 2018

7m

Michael wrestles with two moral dilemmas in VR, designed by researchers Dr. Erick Ramirez and Dr. Scott LaBarge.

24 Coin Toss

December 12, 2018

3m

Michael uses a series of coin flips and a large group of people to demonstrate the “wisdom of the crowd.”

25 Q & A

December 12, 2018

3m

Michael recruits local Vsauce fans for his Brain experiment, and fields questions in a Q&A setting.

26 Memory Lane

December 12, 2018

2m

Michael shares memories with his mom, who has saved everything from his childhood - from report cards to his space camp jacket.

27 Fast Times at Blue Valley High

December 12, 2018

1m

Michael takes Dr. Chris Eliasmith on a tour through his high school, including his forensics team’s wall of fame.

28 Jelly Bean Experiment

December 12, 2018

2m

Michael conducts his own version of the famous “jelly bean jar” experiment and reveals the statistical significance of the results.

29 A Great Performance

December 19, 2018

3m

Michael learns the true story behind Stanford Prison Experiment guard Dave Eshleman’s “John Wayne” moniker.

30 Personal Responsibility

December 19, 2018

2m

Michael learns more about Ben Blum’s cousin Alex and his personal transformation after participating in an armed bank robbery

31 A Death Positive World

December 26, 2018

2m

Michael meets with Caitlin Doughty and learns about a death-positive culture in Indonesia, where relatives keep their dead loved ones in their homes.

32 World Views

December 26, 2018

3m

Michael meets with psychologists Dr. Jeff Greenberg and Dr. Sheldon Solomon to discuss how death affects our world views.

33 A Frozen Pioneer

December 26, 2018

2m

Michael visits Alcor life extension and learns about the first person to ever be frozen using cryonics.

34 A Family Affair

October 26, 2018

2m

Michael visits Alcor life extension and learns about the family behind – and preserved by – cryonics.

35 Philosophizing About Death

December 26, 2018

6m

Michael discusses the philosophy of death, and its changing definition, with Dr. Max More, CEO of Alcor life extension.

36 Barnard's Star

January 2, 2019

3m

Michael and Dr. Douglas Vakoch discuss Barnard’s Star, the closest star to our solar system, within the context of sending messages into space.

37 The Golden Record

January 2, 2019

3m

Michael and Dr. Steven Vance discuss the famous “Golden Record”, which was sent aboard NASA’s Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft.

38 What Is The Scariest Thing?

October 24, 2019

30m

Stevens talks about fear and if there exists an innate fear of which all people are afraid.

39 I Watch 3 Episodes of Mind Field With Our Experts & Researchers

October 14, 2019

30m

I asked a group of colleagues who worked with me on the series to sit down at Vsauce HQ and watch through three entire episodes. We go behind the scenes, elaborate on topics in the episodes, and dig in to what impact working on Mind Field has had on their current research.

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