The Monkey Dance

How does the brain process music and how has the perception of music changed over time? We sit down with cognitive neuroscientist Anja-Xiaoxing Cui [https://musikwissenschaft.univie.ac.at/ueber-uns/team/institut/cui/] to chat about how we relate to music, music's role in social interactions, and how music might be used as a tool for regulating emotions. We cover theories of the emergence of music in human history, the relationship between music and other art forms, and whether reading sheet music is at all similar to hearing it. My co-host this episode is Arianna Curioni [https://www.tuwien.at/en/etit/ict/asl/team/arianna-curioni] (who was also our guest on Episode 13).

What makes systemic inequality such a hard problem to tackle? We sit down with cognitive anthropologist Angarika Deb [https://cognitivescience.ceu.edu/people/angarika-deb] and cognitive psychologist Ákos Szegőfi [https://cognitivescience.ceu.edu/people/akos-szegofi-0] and chat about their research on different aspects of the problem. We chat about the cognitive mechanisms involved in perpetuating systemic inequality both on the part of those benefiting from such systems and those who are marginalized by them. We also discuss the importance of narratives and access to information when it comes to both upholding and justifying inequality as well as challenging and dismantling it.   Show notes on the Monkey Dance website [https://www.monkeydancepod.com/episodes/episode-21]

What are emotions and how do they impact cognition? We sit down with philosopher Juliette Vazard [https://www.juliettevazardphilosophy.com/] to talk about what we can learn from our emotions, the relationship between emotions and beliefs, and how emotions can shape our behavior. We cover everything from learning and curiosity, to the epistemic value of emotional states, to their impact on how we relate to the world. Joining me as a co-host is philosopher Maria Fedorova [https://mariiafedorova.com/], our guest on Episode 17.   As always, you can check out the show notes on the website [https://www.monkeydancepod.com/episodes/episode-20]   You an also watch the episode on youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1VbusC0zAc]

Does everybody experience memory in the same way? We sit down with Andreas Arslan [https://cognitivescience.ceu.edu/people/andreas-arslan] to chat about what we spontaneously imagine when we read or actively remember, and how everything from inferring causal relationships to the salience of symbols can impact recall. We also talk about how the structure of experience impacts and possibly even determines what and how we remember.   Show notes on the website [https://www.monkeydancepod.com/] Or watch on youtube [https://youtu.be/yWiJ24tvuGs]

How do we use symbols to construct and reconstruct our internal realities? We sit down with two new cohosts of The Monkey Dance, Mariem Diané [https://cognitivescience.ceu.edu/people/mariem-diane] and Xueyi Yao [https://cognitivescience.ceu.edu/people/xueyi-yao], to talk about the relationship between language and memory and the importance of symbols in abstract thought. We cover a lot of ground, going from temporal perception and learning to social dynamics and the mitigation of uncertainty from early childhood to adulthood.   Full show notes here: https://www.monkeydancepod.com/episodes/episode-18