Navigate Select ESC Close

Neuroscience of Focus with Heather Berlin & Neil deGrasse Tyson

2023-02-10 Science & Technology
112.9k
4.1k
299
StarTalk
StarTalk
5.7m subscribers

Unlock all features

FREE: Get instant access to 10 AI summaries, chats, or transcripts per day.

Description

What makes some people better at focusing? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly learn about the neuroscience behind concentration and performance with neuroscientist Heather Berlin, PhD. WARNING: This episode contains strong language. Can you train to get better at concentration? We dive into cognitive control and the role of the frontal lobe. What causes people to “snap”? Unravel differences in people’s tolerance of stress with us and how music helps us access different parts of our brains. Why can some people tune out outside noise and why others are so distracted? Learn about ADHD and the role of the prefrontal cortex in impulse control. What part of the brain is the ego in? We discuss if the ego is good or bad and what a vulnerable narcissist is. How do you stop the brain from getting in its own way? Is trash talking actually motivating? Neil talks about his father running track and what motivated him to run faster. Is there such a thing as a sports IQ? Find out about pattern recognitions and neuropsych tests in athletes. How can you sharpen intuition and game intelligence? How do you become “a natural” at something? When does the subconscious take over certain tasks? All that, plus, discover what motivates cockroaches. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free. Get the NEW Cosmic Queries book (5/5 ⭐s on Amazon!): https://amzn.to/3dYIEQF Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk About StarTalk: Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

Top Comments (10)

@davetom8517 2023-02-10

As someone with ADD, this video is a very welcome installment to the StarTalk lineup!

25 1 replies
@StarTalk 2023-02-14

What's Your Attention Hack?

18 18 replies
@samantha-jane4424 2023-02-10

A very interesting conversation. Thankyou. I personally find it difficult at times to let go of those intrusive, distracting thoughts. However, I feel I tend to compartmentalize them. I don't let go perse, it's sort of there, like dull white noise in the background. However, I can still do things I need to do pretty efficiently. Like, I can walk and chew gum.

11
@thegreenhornetkato6211 2023-02-11

Being a product of A Family of Musicians Three generations deep.... This just confirms how I've always felt about Music , experienced, grown up with, studied historically and in theory, as well as performed insturmentaly, all my life !!

9
@jmanj3917 2023-06-16

37:30 The four stages of gaining competence: 1. Unconscious Incompetence - You're so bad that you don't even know how bad you are; 2. Conscious Incompetence - You're learning how much there is to learn, and you know that you're bad at it; 3. Conscious Competence - You're fairly competent, but you need to focus on the task in order for your competence to show itself; and, 4. Unconscious Competence - You're so good at it that you really don't need to think about what you're doing, when you're doing it, to achieve competent results.

7
@Habesha-JO3 2023-02-11

Always a pleasure to hear you speak Heather! Wish StarTalk would do these questionnaires more with you.

7
@tylerneve-harris3336 2023-02-11

As a musician, I was also taught to be confident but not cocky when performing. Concentration and mood definitely effects playing.

4
@LocalFiveGuy 2023-03-08

I just wish I could tell miss Berlin, that everyone should be playing video games, and NOT just watching TV. It's so much better for the brain.

3
@HeyJune102 2023-02-28

2:05 To quote The Todd, the most skilled surgeon from the TV show Scrubs, "dum-dada-dum-dada-dum-dada-dum Shiny Scalpel!"

1
@DentArthurDent68 2025-06-10

I always enjoy a Neil, Chuck, and Gary Startalk. Such great rapport.

1

Unlock the Data Inside
Turn Videos into Knowledge

  • Get FREE 10/day: transcripts, summaries, chats
  • Chat with videos, export text & PDF
  • $1 free API credit for RAG, chatbots & research

Free forever plan • All features unlocked

App screenshot