Aging, Addiction & AI: A Neuroscientist Explains – The Academy Podcast with Dr. Thad Polk
Neuroscientist Dr. Thad Polk (University of Michigan) joins Dr. Mark Guadagnoli to explain why aging isn't all decline, it's a process we have real control over.
They discuss why brains "de-differentiate" with age, the role of GABA, how exercise and diet reshape brain structure, why addiction is biology (not moral failure), a wild goose-and-volleyball study on "supernormal stimuli," AI's impact on education, and what Thad's twin studies reveal about nature vs. nurture.
A science-packed, genuinely fun conversation about getting older, thinking clearly, and understanding the brain behind our habits.
They discuss why brains "de-differentiate" with age, the role of GABA, how exercise and diet reshape brain structure, why addiction is biology (not moral failure), a wild goose-and-volleyball study on "supernormal stimuli," AI's impact on education, and what Thad's twin studies reveal about nature vs. nurture.
A science-packed, genuinely fun conversation about getting older, thinking clearly, and understanding the brain behind our habits.
