• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • WordPress
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
Science Update

Science Update

Sharing Science | Satisfying Curiosity | Debunking BS

  • Spotlights
  • Reality Check
  • Why Is It?
  • Radio Archives
  • Sciup @ School
Home » Radio Archive » Daily Show » Fearless Woman

Fearless Woman

January 10, 2011
https://podcast.scienceupdate.com/110110_sciup_fewo.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window

BOB HIRSHON (host):
The fearless woman …I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.

Having a healthy sense of fear protects us from potentially dangerous situations. But a woman who researchers refer to as “SM” feels no fear at all. A rare congenital condition damaged the amygdala region of her brain, which is involved in emotional memory. University of Iowa clinical neuropsychologist Justin Feinstein says she finds horror movies and haunted houses fascinating rather than scary. And in an exotic pet store, she went right up to snakes and tarantulas and started touching them.

JUSTIN FEINSTEIN (University of Iowa):
This is someone who’s unable to detect danger in the world, and because of this puts herself in harms way time and time again.

HIRSHON:
He says understanding SM’s condition could help identify therapies and medications which could dampen the fear response in people with post-traumatic stress, which is characterized by an hyperactive amygdala. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.

Category: Daily ShowTag: Brain Science, Social & Behavioral Sciences
Previous Post:Download Shows for Week of XX-YY-ZZ
Next Post:Revised Periodic Table

Sidebar

Radio Program Archives

Want to learn more about the brain? The environment? Here you can browse the topics that come up regularly on Science Update.

Search the Archives

Categories

  • Daily Show
  • Station Download
  • Weekly Show

Find By Tag

  • 2020
  • Acoustics & Sound
  • Aging
  • Animal Behavior
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Astronomy & Space
  • Biology
  • Brain Science
  • Bugs
  • Chemistry
  • Children & Families
  • cicadas
  • Climate & Weather
  • Communications
  • Computer Science
  • Economics & Business
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Engineering & Technology
  • Environment & Conservation
  • Genetics & Evolution
  • Geology
  • Marine Science
  • Materials Science
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine & Health
  • Microbiology
  • Nanotechnology
  • Nutrition & Food Science
  • Paleontology & Dinosaurs
  • Physics
  • Plants & Agriculture
  • Political Science
  • Reality Check
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences
  • Sports & Fitness
  • spotlight
  • Spotlight Bugs
  • Terrorism & War
  • Why Is It? Questions
  • Wildlife
  • Year in Review

Find By Date

Science Update
  • About Science Update
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

Mayan Honeybee hives
House sparrow wearing top hat rides aboard a red fireworks rocket

Copyright © 2023 · Springtail Media LLC · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Pongos