1. How the Brain Creates the Body: Who Moved My Hand? (Part 2)
Following Episode 1 - Part 1, this second part of Hedi’s conversation with science writer Moheb Costandi unpacks how our sense of agency – the feeling of being in control of our actions and responsible for their outcomes – can be disrupted in conditions like Alien Hand Syndrome and schizophrenia, manipulated on the operating table, or even altered in everyday life. Their discussion also ranges from the science behind anorexia nervosa and Alice in Wonderland Syndrome to peripersonal space – the invisible bubble around our bodies that helps define the boundary between self and world. What do these insights reveal about the nature of consciousness itself?Relevant links:Book – Body Am I: The New Science of Self-Consciousness by Moheb CostandiMore about MohebFurther Reading & Support for Conditions Mentioned:Research and support for chronic pain and phantom limb painSupport for amputees and prosthetics usersCharity for limbless veterans and their familiesSupporting those with eating disorders, including anorexia nervosaChapters:(00:00) Introduction and Overview of Bodily Awareness(01:52) When Hands Have a Mind of Their Own(03:30) Distorted Agency in Schizophrenia(06:25) Avatar Therapy(07:33) An Alien Hand Case(08:52) Manipulating Agency in the Lab(10:57) Surgically Hijacking Free Will(12:25) Body Awareness in Anorexia(16:27) Alice in Wonderland Syndrome(19:53) Peripersonal Space(24:40) Prosthetic Limbs and Robotic Hands(26:15) Implications for Consciousness(27:34) Wrapping UpEpisode Credits:Creator & Series Producer: Hedi YoungConcept Development & Curation: Ana Rita Mendes, António Monteiro, Carla Emilie Pereira, Catarina Ramos, Diana Cadete, Hedi Young, João Van Zelst, John Lee, Marta Correia, Thaïs Lindemann and Teresa FernandesHost: Hedi YoungGuest: Moheb CostandiGraphic Design: Marta CorreiaSound Design: João Van ZelstDissemination: Ana Rita Mendes and Diana Cadete
--------
29:24
1. How the Brain Creates the Body: Whose Leg is This? (Part 1)
In this inaugural episode, Hedi sits down with veteran science writer Moheb Costandi about his fascinating book Body Am I: The New Science of Self-Consciousness.From phantom breasts and rubber hands to the Pinocchio illusion and out-of-body experiences; from amputating a healthy leg to feel whole, to scratching an itch with a ghostly third arm – prepare to journey through the strange and astonishing ways our brains construct a sense of bodily self. Moheb walks us through the science, the syndromes, and the people whose experiences reveal just how malleable – and downright bizarre – our sense of owning a body really is.Relevant links:Book – Body Am I: The New Science of Self-Consciousness by Moheb CostandiMore about MohebChapters:(00:00) Losing a Limb to Feel Whole(01:12) Introduction(03:36) Understanding Bodily Awareness(04:41) A Hand That Isn’t Mine vs. A Hand I Can’t Control(05:51) Phantom Limbs, Breasts, and Beyond(08:26) Phantom Sensations in Transgender Individuals(09:49) Counting with Invisible Fingers(11:14) Therapies for Phantom Pain(12:50) Rubber Hands, Rubber Tails: The Illusion from Humans to Mice(16:34) Hammers, Knives, and Illusions in the Pub(18:32) Body Integrity Identity Disorder(21:08) A Surgeon, a Pistol, and a Leg(22:02) Hemiplegia and The Denial of Paralysis(23:36) Discovering Body Maps in the Brain(26:58) Scratching an Itch with a Ghostly Third Arm(29:02) The Multisensory Mind(30:13) Inducing Out-of-body Experiences(31:50) The Body Swap Illusion(32:35) The Barbie Doll Illusion(33:49) Proprioception and the Pinocchio Illusion(35:00) The Story of Ian Waterman(36:20) Interoception and the Origins of Emotion(39:21) Alexithymia and Emotional Blindness(39:56) Wrapping Up & What’s NextEpisode Credits:Creator & Series Producer: Hedi YoungConcept Development & Curation: Ana Rita Mendes, António Monteiro, Carla Emilie Pereira, Catarina Ramos, Diana Cadete, Hedi Young, João Van Zelst, John Lee, Marta Correia, Thaïs Lindemann and Teresa FernandesHost: Hedi YoungGuest: Moheb CostandiGraphic Design: Marta CorreiaSound Design: João Van ZelstDissemination: Ana Rita Mendes and Diana Cadete
Every two weeks, the new podcast series Leafing Through Science brings together host Hedi Young, Champalimaud Foundation neuroscientist and science communicator, with the authors behind some of the most fascinating non-fiction books in the life sciences. From new releases to timeless classics, we explore everything from the mysteries of consciousness and free will, to broken hearts, alien hands, and minds under siege. Expect page-turning ideas, head-spinning science, and stories that might just change how you see the world – and yourself.
Polska