Critically Speaking

Our cities are anything but concrete jungles. Listen in as Therese Markow and Dr. Dan Werb reveal the hidden world of synanthropes - the wild animals that not only live alongside us, but thrive because of us.
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Dan Werb discuss Dan's new book "Our Wild Familiars", which explores how animals (and plants) adapt to urban environments. They dive into the history and impact of synanthropes, such as raccoons, coyotes, and rats. He also highlights the adaptability of these animals and why they have expanded into cities. Dr. Werb emphasizes the importance of viewing cities as living, thriving ecosystems and the need for human ecosystem-based solutions for the good of humans and animals alike in these ecosystems. 
 Key Takeaways:
Humanity has a much higher risk of experiencing viral spillover events now than before, because we are increasingly intersecting with wild animals that we have never seen before in urban spaces that carry pathogens that we've never been exposed to before.

As humans, we have a relationship with synanthropes that is so deep and long-standing that it has become central to our spiritual selves as well. 

With more small animals being drawn into cities, that is going to continue to draw in more predators, such as coyotes, which have expanded their home range by about 50 kilometers per year for the last 150-200 years.

It may be impossible to eliminate any synanthrope that has found an ecosystem within a city. Even if you remove one creature from an area, the niche they had developed will still be there ready for the next synanthrope to move in.

Solutions that make life better for humans can actually be profoundly beneficial for animals as well, or at least for the functioning of our urban ecosystems. 

"Cities are more biodiverse than the areas that surround them, and that's because humans, like any other organism, want to live in places that are as fertile and rich as possible." —  Dr. Dan Werb
Connect with Dr. Dan Werb:
Professional Bio: https://ihpme.utoronto.ca/faculty-profile/dan-werb/,  https://profiles.ucsd.edu/daniel.werb 
Website: https://danwerb.substack.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danwerb/ 
Books: 
PREORDER: Our Wild Familiars - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/769255/our-wild-familiars-by-dan-werb/ 

City of Omens - https://www.amazon.com/City-Omens-Search-Missing-Borderlands-ebook/dp/B07QLN4K3T 

The Invisible Siege - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670859/the-invisible-siege-by-dan-werb/ 

Connect with Therese:
Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net
Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social
Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Boris Konrad discuss the striking impact of memorization on functional changes and connectivity in the brain. Dr. Konrad is a neuroscientist as well as an international Memory Champion. He not only studies brain connectivity, but also trains other memory athletes, as well as those who simply wish to improve their memories. They discuss more specific aspects of memorization and its benefits across a range of other activities and problem-solving, independent of the particular memorization training utilized. Dr. Konrad summarizes his recent study, published in the journal Neuron, and the techniques used to train the brain to improve memory. 
 
 Key Takeaways:
Memorization and memory are not a part of the brain; they are functions of the brain. It is a capability of our brain and our neural system. 

Without exception, memory athletes use the method of loci (colloquially called the "memory palace") as a technique to memorize and remember information. 

Memory training actually decreases the brain activity needed to complete a range of tasks.

 
"Learning and thinking in your brain are not separate. We don't have a thinking brain and a learning brain; it's exactly one brain which does both." —  Dr. Boris Konrad
 
Connect with Dr. Boris Konrad:
Donders Institute: https://www.ru.nl/en/people/konrad-b 
Website: https://www.boriskonrad.com/en/ 
Memory Training: Superbrain! Memory Training with Boris Konrad - https://memory1.teachable.com/p/memory-training    
TED Talks: 
How to use memory techniques to improve education - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qIBe0h0-Ig 
The mind and methods of a Memory Champion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t76N00urDlU 
https://www.ted.com/talks/boris_nikolai_konrad_how_to_use_memory_techniques_to_improve_learning_and_education_jan_2018
 
Connect with Therese:
Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net
Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social
Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
  
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Long COVID isn't just lingering fatigue. It's a complex, often life-altering condition that can follow even mild or unnoticed infections. Listen in as Mayo Clinic's Dr. Stephanie Grach breaks down what we really know about Long COVID, who's at risk, and why believing and individualizing care for patients is absolutely critical.
 
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Stephanie Grach discuss the emergence and impact of Long COVID. Dr. Grach explains that Long COVID affects an estimated 18 million Americans with a wide variety of symptoms that can manifest differently from patient to patient, influenced by a variety of factors, such as viral variant, genetics, and immune responses. Dr. Grach emphasizes the importance of individualized treatment and highlights ongoing research and the need for better understanding and management of this complex chronic condition. 
 
 Key Takeaways:
Long COVID can look very different from person to person, with over 200 symptoms. However, common symptoms can include fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, changes in smell, and more, affecting nearly every organ system. 

The larger proportion of people with Long COVID had multiple COVID infections, partly because of sheer numbers - each additional infection is another opportunity for post-acute symptoms to develop or worsen. 

The presentation of the Long COVID symptoms is not going to be consistent - patients may have good weeks and feel pretty close to normal, as well as bad weeks, where the symptoms are at their strongest. 

Telling someone to "push through" on the assumption that it will just get better really isn't what helps the Long COVID patients.

 
"Long COVID is real. Patients deserve to be believed, and treatment should be individualized, rather than trying to fit or wait for a one-size-fits-all." —  Dr. Stephanie Grach
 
Connect with Dr. Stephanie Grach:
Professional Bio: https://www.mayoclinic.org/biographies/grach-stephanie-l-m-d-m-s/bio-20536370 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniegrach 
 
Connect with Therese:
Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net
Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social
Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
   
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

How does ChatGPT affect your ability to learn, recall, and share information?
 
In this episode, Therese Markow and Natalie Wexler discuss the impact of generative AI (like ChatGPT) on education. They discuss the change in writing skills, how AI can undermine the learning process that comes with writing, and the incorrect information often provided by generative AI. Natalie explains how AI can function as cognitive outsourcing, which can reduce the cognitive benefits of learning and memory retention. She emphasizes the importance of explicit writing instruction in education and background fundamental knowledge stored in long-term memory for critical thinking and effective learning - including the importance of memorization (even if you don't use that word). Finally, Natalie warns of a potential downward spiral where AI dependence weakens cognitive abilities and advocates for systematic changes to combat this trend.
 
 Key Takeaways:
Generally speaking, reading and writing are connected. But writing is harder, so you can be a good reader and still not be a good writer. However, if you learn to write well, you're almost certainly going to be a good reader as well.

The problem is over-reliance on AI, and when students use it as a crutch, they don't develop the understanding or the cognitive abilities that they would develop if they did the cognitive work themselves.

Writing helps with the cognitive processes of long-term memory, retrieval, elaboration, and more. When we offload that cognitive work, it can hamper our ability to retrieve the information from our long-term memory bank.

Unconsciously, we use background knowledge to understand pretty much anything that we try to read.

Democracy depends on a citizenry that is educated enough to understand the issues and to be able to distinguish misleading information from reliable information.

 
"Writing is, itself, a way of thinking, of deepening understanding, maybe of realizing that you didn't understand something as well as you thought you did, and you need to go and do some more research. If we skip that step of doing the writing, then we're missing out on developing those cognitive abilities, retaining knowledge, and deepening our understanding of things." —  Natalie Wexler
 
Connect with Natalie Wexler:
Professional Bio: https://nataliewexler.com/about/ 
Show:  https://nataliewexler.com/podcast/ 
Substack: https://nataliewexler.substack.com/   
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-wexler-0b89979/ 
Books:
Beyond the Science of Reading: https://nataliewexler.com/beyond-the-science-of-reading/ 

The Knowledge Gap: https://nataliewexler.com/the-knowledge-gap/ 

The Writing Revolution: https://nataliewexler.com/the-writing-revolution/twr-2-0-cover-amazon/ 

 
Connect with Therese:
Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net
Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social
Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
 
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Ru Marshall pulls back the curtain on the man behind the myth of Carlos Castaneda, exposing the real lives, lies, and losses buried beneath his legendary books.
In this episode, Therese Markow and Ru Marshall discuss the life and legacy of Carlos Castaneda, who claimed to have been trained as a shaman by Don Juan. Castaneda's books, which sold over 8 million copies, were initially believed but later dismissed as fiction. Marshall's book, "American Trickster," explores Castaneda's origins in Peru and his life in the U.S. Castaneda, born Cesar Arana, was a charismatic storyteller who seduced both women and academics. Despite initial academic support, his claims were eventually debunked. Ru's research spanned 20 years, revealing Castaneda's complex personal life and the impact of his cult-like following.
 
 Key Takeaways:
Long before the books, Carlos Castaneda was known as a gifted storyteller and trickster, blurring the line between entertainment, fabrication, and manipulation.

Castaneda's real power was psychological. He made individuals, especially women, feel uniquely seen, chosen, and special, a classic mechanism of charismatic control.

The disappearance and deaths of key followers after Castaneda's passing reveal the devastating human cost when a closed belief system collides with reality. And when followers are willing to follow a narrative all the way to the end.

 
"It's a really interesting thing, that when people, both professionally and, more importantly, I think, emotionally, become invested in a belief, it is incredibly hard for people to admit they're wrong." —  Ru Marshall
 
Connect with Ru Marshall:
Website: https://rmarshallstudio.com/ 
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@robtmars 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robtmars/ 
American Trickster: The Hidden Lives of Carlos Castaneda: https://orbooks.com/catalog/american-trickster/ 
 
Connect with Therese:
Website:  www.criticallyspeaking.net
Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social
Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast
Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net
 
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.