Since its launch in August 2023, a new episode has been published every other week with guests from cognitive science and related disciplines. The podcast is now reaching a growing audience both inside and outside the university. In the current season, topics such as pain research, BrainTech, focus and attention, music and AI simulation of the brain were discussed. Now the final thematic block is starting with the title "Gender & Sexuality", which deals with current discourses on gender identity, sexuality and the influence of social structures in the context of cognitive research.
"From the very beginning, our aim was to make complex scientific topics accessible to a broad audience," says Elisa Palme, host of the podcast. "The last two years have shown us how diverse, critical and inspiring such conversations can be." Scientists from all over the world are invited to take part in the discussions.
In the current season, for example, Prof. Dr. Ellie Dommett from King's College London was a guest. The podcast team spoke to her about what ADHD has to do with attention and whether the disorder goes beyond that. Prof. Dr. Tim Kietzmann from Osnabrück University then addressed the question of how the functioning of the brain can be simulated using AI. In the "Pain" series, Dr. Helena Hartmann from Essen University Hospital explained how the pain of others influences our own feelings.
"Kaleidoscience" is an example of successful science communication: a dedicated team of young scientists from various disciplines hold discussions with experts from the field of cognitive science - openly, critically and at eye level. In changing formats, the dialog between research and society is made lively and accessible. The podcast is published on the website of the Cognitive Science Student Journal and can be found on all common podcast platforms. The podcast is moderated by four hosts - Elisa Palme, Sönke Lülf, Sophie Kühne and Imogen Hüsing - and produced by media scientist Clara Kühne.
Click here for the Cognitive Science Student Journal
Further information for the media:
Editorial office Kaleidoscience
Institute of Cognitive Science
kaleidopod@uos.de
