Cognitive Corner

Welcome to Cognitive Corner, a youth-led podcast where the mysteries of the mind meet the frontiers of technology. I aspire to explore the fascinating intersection of cognitive science, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and psychology.From understanding how our brains process information to examining the latest breakthroughs in AI, we'll explore questions that challenge our understanding of consciousness, learning, and human potential.

Cognitive Corner is a health podcast hosted by Rayna Kumar, with 21 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Rayna Kumar hosts Cognitive Corner, a health show with 21 episodes published.

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  Episode #17

  S2E17: How the Brain Regulates Emotion with Professor Bryan Denny

  Sep 18, 202649 minS2

  Join me for an enlightening conversation with Professor Bryan Denny, Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences at Rice University and Director of the T-SCAN Lab. A leading researcher in affective neuroscience, his groundbreaking work uses neuroimaging and behavioral methods to understand how the brain and body shape our emotional experiences. His translational research focuses on developing emotional regulation interventions for clinical populations, family caregivers, and bereaved spouses. We explore cognitive reappraisal and psychological distancing, why emotion regulation strategies work differently across people and situations, and what happens when these skills are trained. Professor Denny discusses applications in bereavement, borderline personality disorder, and Alzheimer's caregiving, along with research on emotion regulation during COVID-19 and healthy eating. We also examine how distancing can help manage overwhelming emotions, why reappraisal is not appropriate in every situation, and his advice for students pursuing psychology and neuroscience.

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  Cognitive Corner

  S2E15: How the Mind Produces Speech and Language with Professor Matthew Goldrick

  Aug 21, 202634 min

  In this episode, I speak with Professor Matthew Goldrick, Professor of Linguistics and Director of the Cognitive Science Program at Northwestern University. A leading researcher in the cognitive science of language, he combines behavioral, acoustic, and computational methods to explore speech and multilingual processing. Professor Goldrick is also the recipient of the 2026 Jeffrey L. Elman Prize for Scientific Achievement and Community Building from the Cognitive Science Society. We explore how the mind transforms thoughts into speech and what speech errors reveal about language processing. Professor Goldrick explains how multiple languages interact in bilingual speakers, how cascading activation shapes speech, and how bilingualism affects pronunciation. We also discuss how speech may reveal motor dysfunction in people at risk for psychosis and his advice for aspiring cognitive scientists.

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  Cognitive Corner

  S2E14: How the Brain Understands Speech, Language, and Music with Professor David Poeppel

  Jul 24, 202659 min

  In this engaging episode, I speak with Professor David Poeppel, Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at NYU, and one of the world's leading cognitive neuroscientists studying speech, language, and auditory perception. By combining cognitive neuroscience, linguistics, psychology, and advanced brain imaging, his research has transformed our understanding of how the brain converts sounds into the words and ideas we understand. We explore the "parts list" of how the brain recognizes speech. Professor Poeppel explains why timing is fundamental to speech perception, how different brain pathways and hemispheres support language, and what his influential theories reveal about human communication. We also discuss the brain's remarkable ability to process music, one of the biggest unanswered questions about language and memory, and his advice for students pursuing cognitive science.

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  Cognitive Corner

  S2E13: The Science of Analogy, Reasoning, and Creativity with Professor Keith Holyoak

  Jul 20, 202644 min

  In this episode, I speak with Professor Keith Holyoak, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at UCLA, a Guggenheim Fellow, and one of the world's leading researchers on human reasoning and analogy. By combining behavioral research, cognitive neuroscience, and computational modeling, his research has transformed our understanding of how analogy serves as a fundamental building block of human thought. We explore how analogy helps us solve problems, transfer knowledge across domains, and fuel creativity, while also examining the situations in which it can lead us astray. Professor Holyoak discusses what distinguishes human analogical thinking from today's large language models, why current AI lacks biological consciousness, and what insights from his recent book and research reveal about AI-generated writing. We also discuss how relational thinking develops from childhood and the role of the prefrontal cortex in complex reasoning.

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  Episode #11

  S2E11: The Neuroscience of Pleasure, Desire, and Addiction with Professor Kent Berridge

  Jun 5, 202644 minS2

  <p>Professor Kent Berridge, a leading neuroscientist and the James Olds Distinguished University Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, has revolutionized our understanding of pleasure, desire, and motivation.</p><p>In this captivating episode, we discuss the difference between “liking” and “wanting,” why dopamine drives desire rather than pleasure, and how specific “hedonic hotspots” in the brain generate pleasurable experiences. Professor Berridge also explains how these discoveries have reshaped our understanding of addiction, craving, and reward. We explore the surprising links between desire and fear, how motivation is created in the brain, and what these findings reveal about...

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