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By |May 1st, 2022|Information, Podcasts, Research|
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“Wireheads”: History of Technology in the Brain with Mike Jay

Can technology tap into our minds and influence or even control our thoughts, emotions and behaviour? Could machines one day enhance our intelligence, create artificial happiness, or allow us to experience entirely simulated realities? And if machines become part of our brains, what happens to human freedom and identity? These are some of the fascinating questions explored in Mike Jay’s new book, “Wireheads: An Unnatural History of Technology in the Brain”. The book traces more than two centuries of attempts to understand, stimulate and reshape the human mind through technology. The book begins with early experiments in electricity and fears of mechanical mind control, and moves through the discovery of brainwaves, electrical stimulation, the search for pleasure centres and controversial efforts to alter human behaviour. The book also examines Cold War research and cybernetics. It brings this history into the present, exploring brain-computer interfaces and the ambitious promises surrounding Elon Musk’s Neuralink. Combining fascinating historical stories with scientific insights and philosophical reflection, the book examines both the extraordinary possibilities and the troubling consequences of brain technology. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Mike Jay.

Mike Jay is a celebrated historian of science, medicine, and culture. He is the author of a number of acclaimed books including “Psychonauts”, described by Michael Pollan as “easily the most interesting work of psychedelic history I’ve read in years.”

We start off by exploring why human beings have long been fascinated by the idea of connecting the brain to machines, and how far back this fascination goes. We explore the remarkable story of James Tilly Matthews, who believed that a mysterious machine was controlling his thoughts, and discuss how such beliefs influenced our early understanding of the relationship between the mind and technology.

We then move on to the beginnings of experimental neuroscience, including the disturbing story of Mary Rafferty and the ethical questions raised by early attempts to stimulate the human brain. From there, we explore the development of the EEG, which makes brain activity visible, and its significance for the emerging field of cybernetics.
I then ask Mike about the title “Wireheads” and how this book connects with his earlier research into psychedelic drugs and altered states of consciousness. We examine the search for pleasure centres in the brain, attempts to control violent behaviour through neurological interventions, and the scientific assumptions behind these experiments.

Our conversation then turns to the fascinating story of the God helmet, a device that supposedly produces religious and mystical experiences through electromagnetic stimulation. We discuss what this research reveals about the difficulties of studying consciousness and subjective human experiences.We also explore the darker side of brain technology, including Cold War efforts to develop mind-control techniques and the controversy surrounding Havana syndrome. These stories raise important questions about the boundaries between scientific research, political interests and conspiracy theories.

Looking towards the future, I ask Mike about Neuralink and other brain-computer interfaces, their potential medical applications, and the ambitious claims that such technologies might enhance human intelligence or connect our minds directly to artificial intelligence.

Finally, we discuss the fascinating relationship between science fiction and scientific progress. Why do some imagined technologies eventually become reality, while others remain speculative dreams for centuries? We also reflect on Mike’s remarkable ability to bring these complex historical stories to life. It is a highly informative, thought-provoking and thoroughly interesting discussion about the history, possibilities and limitations of brain technology, and what these developments might mean for our future.

Complement this discussion with “Spark: The Life of Electricity and the Electricity of Life” with Professor Timothy Jorgensen and then listen to “Geniuses, Heroes, and Saints: The Nobel Prize and the Public Image of Science” with Professor Massimiano Bucchi

By |November 13th, 2026|Future, History, Neuroscience, Technology|
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“The Elegant Universe”: The Theory of Everything, Mind, Meaning and AI with Professor Brian Greene

What is the true nature of reality? Can the two great pillars of modern physics — Einstein’s general relativity and quantum mechanics — ever be reconciled into a single theory of everything? Could our universe be just one among countless others? Is the passage of time an illusion? And can the laws of physics ultimately explain consciousness, meaning, and our place in the cosmos? Few scientists have explored these profound questions with as much depth, imagination, and clarity as Professor Brian Greene, one of the world’s leading theoretical physicists and one of the most gifted communicators of modern science. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Professor Brian Greene.

Brian Greene is a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University and director of its Center for Theoretical Physics. He is renowned for his pioneering contributions to string theory, including his co-discovery of mirror symmetry and groundbreaking work on the changing geometry of space. A Harvard graduate and Oxford-trained Rhodes Scholar, he is also the bestselling author of “The Elegant Universe”, “The Fabric of the Cosmos”, “The Hidden Reality”, and “Until the End of Time” — remarkable books that have brought some of the deepest mysteries of physics, cosmology, and human existence to readers around the world. He is also the co-founder of the World Science Festival, an initiative dedicated to bringing science to the wider public.

We begin our conversation by exploring his intellectual journey into string theory and the enduring quest for a unified understanding of nature. We discuss the fascinating ideas of vibrating strings, hidden dimensions, and the fundamental structure of spacetime, before examining the scientific challenges facing string theory and the continuing search for experimental evidence.

We then discuss the extraordinary possibilities of multiverses and parallel universes, and explore the mysterious nature of time — why it seems to move in only one direction, and whether the boundaries between past, present, and future are as real as they appear.

Our discussion then moves beyond physics into some of the deepest questions of human existence: how mind and consciousness emerge from matter, whether subjective experience can be explained by physical laws, and what it means to search for purpose and meaning in a vast and seemingly indifferent universe.

We also turn to artificial intelligence, examining its extraordinary advances, its implications for our understanding of cognition, and the profound ethical and societal challenges it presents. We reflect on the importance of making science accessible to everyone, before concluding with a fascinating question about extraterrestrial life: Would it be more unsettling to discover that we are not alone in the universe, or to learn that we truly are?

It has been a wide-ranging conversation that takes us from the smallest vibrating strings to the largest cosmic horizons, and from the fundamental laws of nature to the mysteries of consciousness, intelligence, and human existence.

Complement this discussion with “Welcome to the Universe in 3D: A Visual Tour” with Neil deGrasse Tyson and then listen to Time, Space and Nature of Reality through the Lens of Quantum Theory with Dr Carlo Rovelli.

By |October 27th, 2026|Artificial Intelligence, Cosmology, Future, Philosophy, Physics|
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“What’s Eating the Universe?” with Professor Paul Davies

The universe is full of mysteries that scientists are still trying to understand. In the constellation of Eridanus, astronomers have discovered a strange region that looks like a giant hole in space. What caused it? This is just one of many fascinating questions about the universe. In “What’s Eating the Universe?”, famous cosmologist Paul Davies explores some of the biggest mysteries of space, including enormous black holes, disappearing regions of the universe, and the possibility of one universe swallowing another. He also explores two of the most important questions in science: Why does the universe exist, and how did lifeless particles eventually produce intelligent beings capable of thinking and questioning their existence? Through exciting discoveries and thought-provoking ideas, this book takes readers on a journey through space and time, encouraging curiosity about the universe, its origins, and the mysteries that remain unsolved. In this episode of Bridging the Gaps, I speak with Professor Paul Davies.

Paul Davies is a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, astrobiologist, broadcaster, and best-selling author. A winner of the prestigious Templeton Prize, he is Regents’ Professor of Physics and director of the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science at Arizona State University.

Our conversation begins with a discussion about the structure of the book. Unlike his previous books, which explore specific topics through longer chapters, this book features short, accessible chapters, each addressing a fascinating question about the cosmos.

I then ask Paul about the intriguing title: What exactly is eating the universe? This leads us to explore the large-scale structure of the cosmos and the remarkable mathematical precision of its physical laws. We discuss whether mathematics is something humans invent or discover, and how mathematical principles help us understand the universe.

Next, we explore the nature of information and whether it might be a fundamental feature of reality. Our discussion then turns to the relationship between physics and biology. Can existing physical laws fully explain life, or do we need new physics? We also examine Paul’s view of life as a system that processes and replicates information, leading to one of science’s greatest mysteries: How did life begin?

We then consider the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and two possible outcomes: discovering that we are not alone or finding that life may be unique to Earth. I ask Paul which possibility he would find more troubling.

Towards the end, we explore some of the deepest questions raised in the book: Does the universe have meaning or purpose? How does consciousness emerge from physical processes? And will scientists ever develop a unified theory of everything?

Overall, this has been a fascinating and thought-provoking conversation, exploring the mysteries of the universe, the origins of life, and the fundamental nature of existence.

Complement this discussion with “Ten Patterns That Explain the Universe” and “Ten Days in Physics That Shook the World” with Brian Clegg and then listen to “Welcome to the Universe in 3D: A Visual Tour” with Neil deGrasse Tyson.

By |October 17th, 2026|Cosmology, Physics, Podcasts|
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