OIST Podcast

In this latest episode of OIST’s podcast featuring researchers from the OIST Global Bioconvergence Center of Innovation, a center dedicated to promoting mental, physical, and environmental health based on the “One World, One Health” approach, OIST Podcaster in Residence, DJ Nick Luscombe spoke with Prof. Kenji Doya, leader of the Neural Computation Unit. Prof. Doya and his team work to understand how a healthy mind works by combining artificial intelligence and biological models.  

DJ Nick Luscombe, OIST Podcaster in Residence, checks out OIST's Visiting Program (TSVP). In this episode, he introduces the Thematic Programs that started last year as part of the TSVP. He talks to Dr. Samuel Ross, OIST researcher who is the scientific coordinator for the second the Thematic Program on "The Future of Response Diversity and Ecosystem Stability" in March 2024 and Dr. Harini Desiraju from the University of Sydney, who was one of the coordinators of the first TSVP Thematic Program "Exact Asymptotics: From Fluid Dynamics to Quantum Geometry", which took place from August 1 to October 28, 2023. Last but not least he interviews Prof. Nic Shannon of OIST's Theory of Quantum Matter unit, who was one of the founders of the TSVP. 

Check out the TSVP’s website: https://groups.oist.jp/ja/tsvp 

And its Thematic Programs: https://groups.oist.jp/tsvp/thematic-programs 

Embark on a journey into the future of healthcare with the fifth OIST podcast episode on the Global Bioconvergence Center of Innovation. DJ Nick Luscombe dives deep into groundbreaking research with Profs. Amy Shen and Keiko Kono, who are reshaping healthcare through microfluidic devices and anti-senescence supplements. From disease detection to food security, their work blurs the lines between science fiction and reality. Explore how the Center fosters collaboration across scientific fields to tackle global challenges. Prof. Shen discusses lab-on-a-chip devices for medical research, while Prof. Kono unveils insights into cell aging and potential anti-senescence solutions. Tune in now to unlock the secrets of tomorrow's healthcare

For more information on the Global Bioconvergence Center of Innovation’s goals and projects, see here.

In the latest episode of OIST’s Global Bioconvergence Center podcast series, DJ Nick Luscombe speaks to the team managing the Global Bioconvergence Center of Innovation at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) about the highlights and challenges of pursuing the new center’s long-term objectives. The core team ensures the smooth running of the center which allows exciting scientific collaborations to unfold. They’re on a quest to create a sustainable society founded on mental, physical, and environmental health.

For more information on the Global Bioconvergence Center of Innovation’s goals and projects, see here.

In this episode of the OIST Podcast, we introduce listeners to the latest episode of New Ratio, a podcast by OIST Podcaster in Residence DJ Nick Luscombe. In this interview and performance recorded at OIST in August of 2023, Okinawan musician ARAGAKI Mutsumi demonstrates how she combines Okinawan sanshin and traditional singing with environmental recordings and electronica to produce soundscapes that are based in tradition but also firmly avante-garde. A video of the musical performance can be found on the OIST Youtube channel. 

https://www.mscty.space/ 

https://www.mixcloud.com/newratio/nick-luscombe-new-ratio-programme-94-mutsumi-aragaki-special/ 

https://www.aragakimutsumi.com/ 

In the latest episode of our Global Bioconvergence Center of Innovation podcast series, DJ Nick Luscombe speaks with researchers from the OKEON Churamori Project, who use genomics, machine learning and acoustic monitoring to gain new insights into ecosystem health.

Get more information at the Global Bioconvergence Center of Innovation.

In this second episode of the Global Bioconvergence Center of Innovation podcast series, DJ Nick Luscombe discusses coral reef research at OIST with Prof. Nori Satoh and Prof. Timothy Ravasi. From field trips to exotic places, to the valuable support of local Okinawans, it’s a fascinating journey!  

Delve into the first episode of a six-part series on the innovative research conducted at the Global Bioconvergence Center of Innovation. DJ Nick Luscombe, OIST Podcaster in Residence, talks to Prof. Tom Froese, leader of the Embodied Cognitive Science Unit at OIST. They discuss the center’s research on mental health and what mental well-being means today.

Check out the Global Bioconvergence Center of Innovation’s website: https://bioconvergence.jp/en/

DJ Nick Luscombe, OIST Podcaster in Residence, checks out OIST's Theoretical Sciences Visiting Program (TSVP). In this episode, he talks to Dr. Jonas Fischer, TSVP Academic Coordinator, and Prof. Simone Pigolotti to learn more about the program. He also interviews the guest researchers visiting OIST as part of the program and asks them about their experiences at OIST.

Check out the TSVP’s website: https://groups.oist.jp/ja/tsvp

In episode #9 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark sits down with neuroscientist and philosopher Andrea Hiott.

In this episode they talk about Andrea's work in providing a new metaphor for understanding cognition: cognition as navigation or way-making.

As well as exploring what exactly is meant by the claim that cognition is way-making, they explore how this intersects with contemporary views within philosophy and science, what some of its practical implications are, and indeed, how Andrea made her way to these ideas in the first place. As you will hear, the path was long and winding, and no doubt played a substantial role in making Andrea the fascinating and lively conversation partner she is today.

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University.

Cover art is provided by Cian Brennan.

In episode #8 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark sits down with cognitive scientist and ethical AI researcher, Dr. Abeba Birhane.

In this episode, they talk about Abeba's work auditing large image datasets, how they have discovered racial biases in these data sets,  and what the implications of that are.

They also talk about Abeba's work in embodied cognitive science, and how the understanding of the person that emerges from that work challenges some of the assumptions underlying the value of the 'predictive' algorithms that are being used more and more in, for instance, crime prevention.

Abeba provides a great overview of the state of AI research at the moment, some of the challenges it faces, and some of the things we can do to ensure we are developing technologies that serve everyone and not just certain privileged groups.

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University.

Cover art is provided by Cian Brennan. 

Prof. Paola Laurino leads the Protein Engineering and Evolution Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST). Fascinated by proteins, she has spent much of her career looking at the structure, function, and evolution of enzymes, a group of proteins that facilitates vital chemical reactions for living organisms. At the end of 2021, Prof. Laurino’s group published three scientific articles on different aspects of enzyme research. In this episode of the OIST podcast, science communicator Lucy Dickie caught up with Prof. Laurino to hear about this work.

In episode #6 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark speaks with philosopher of embodied cognitive science, Dr. Mog Stapleton. 

Mog is presently a visiting researcher at OIST, and is working on understanding the relationship between cognition and the gut-brain axis. 

In this episode, they talked about the role of aesthetics in the production of knowledge, the relationship between enaction and the empirical mind sciences, affectivity in cognition, enacting eduction and the value of ritual for transformation. 

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University.

Cover art is provided by Cian Brennan. 

In episode #3 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark speaks with philosopher Laura Mojica. 

At the time of recording Laura was also working in the Embodied Cognitive Science Unit at OIST. Laura works on the notion of normativity from an enactive standpoint, though she brings her experience working in analytic philosophy to bear on the topic. Laura is also very concerned with how enaction intersects with more cultural concerns and is interested in thinking about how enactive cognitive science can illuminate discussions about race, gender, intersectionality and so on. 

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University.

In episode #2 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark speaks with Dr. Fred Cummin, head of the Cognitive Science program at University College Dublin. 

Fred is a linguist and the originator of the field of study that is joint speech: where two or more people say the same thing at the same time, such as within religious rituals, at sporting events, or at political protests. Fred is also an incredibly well studied individual in a range of disciplines and has a profoundly philosophical, idiosyncratic and insightful take on embodiment as a frame within the sciences.  

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

In episode #1 of the Connectomics podcast, Mark speaks with Dr. Tom Froese, head of the Embodied Cognitive Science Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST). 

The conversation touches on the central themes of embodied cognitive science and the enactive framework in particular, the methods of this approach, the mission of the unit at OIST, and some of the implications of developing or adopting such an understanding. 

This episode was edited and produced by Shane Byrne and in association with the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

Connectomics explores the intersection between embodied cognitive science, philosophy, culture, technology and design. 

In this episode Dr. Teresa Iglesias, team leader for cephalopod support in OIST’s Animal Resources Section, talks about her career working with cephalopods, that is octopus, cuttlefish, and squid, and what they can tell us about animal behavior and two-stage sleep.