It’s not the first time we’ve talked about it, and it won’t be the last.  The human brain is plain ol’ amazing.  For example, have you ever thought about where a memory is stored? Give it a real long ponder.  Somewhere in your 3 pound ball of spongy tissue, memories from decades past are filed just to be recalled in a moments notice. Then you know what else it will do? It will take that memory, analyze it, and use the information it gathered to help you navigate the world ahead.  It even does a fairly decent job of predicting the future! But, as we will talk about in this week’s episode, even the best computers have their bugs.  I mean, the human computer was created a heck of a long time ago and I’m pretty sure there haven’t been many updates (and if so, please let me know because I haven’t had a chance to download them).  So sometimes, our brain might be acting in a way that is, frankly, outdated.  In fact, much of what makes our brains “happy” leads to errors, biases, and distortions, which make getting out of our own way extremely difficult.  Grrrrrreat, now what am I supposed to do? (Answer: Listen to this podcast, it will make your brain really happy.)

Let’s learn more about our brain by speaking with author David DiSalvo.  David is a science writer and public education specialist who writes about the intersection of science, technology and culture. His work has appeared in Scientific American Mind, Psychology Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Mental Floss, Salon, Esquire and other publications, and he is the writer behind the widely read blogs, Neuropsyched, Neuronarrative and The Daily Brain. He is frequently interviewed about science and technology topics, including appearances on NBC Nightly News and CNN Headline News. David has also served as a consulting research analyst and communications specialist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and several public and private organizations in the U.S. and abroad. His first non-fiction book, What Makes Your Brain Happy and Why You Should Do the Opposite, has been translated into 10 languages and is available worldwide. He is currently working on his second book, due out in Fall 2013.