Episode 64: What is a Common Mycorrhizal Network? – features Dr. Jason Hoeksema, a conversation that explores what common mycorrhizal networks are, how large they can grow, and whether they truly benefit the plants they connect.

Episode Summary: Dr. Jason Hoeksema is a plant ecologist and professor at the University of Mississippi who has studied mycorrhizal fungi and tree interactions since the early 1990s. He is co-author of a major 2023 review on mycorrhizal networks, has led international research collaborations in Europe, and has mentored graduate students while publishing findings on rare ectomycorrhizal plant discoveries. In this episode, he explains what common mycorrhizal networks actually are, how scientists study their size and structure, and why determining whether they benefit connected plants is far more complicated than it first appears.

Listen as Dr. Hoeksema distinguishes common mycorrhizal networks from general fungal networks, describes the confounding factors that complicate experiments testing whether these networks benefit plants, and shares the surprising discovery of an unexpected ectomycorrhizal relationship in a rare European wildflower.

In this episode we discuss:

• 01:36 – How Dr. Hoeksema first became fascinated with common mycorrhizal networks during graduate school
• 04:28 – His path into plant ecology, starting from an early interest in birds
• 06:38 – What distinguishes a "common mycorrhizal network" from general fungal networks or ecological interaction networks
• 09:08 – How large common mycorrhizal networks can grow, and the uncertainty around their continuity over space and time
• 11:25 – What resources and signals (phosphorus, nitrogen, carbon, water, and potential hormone signals) move through these networks
• 12:32 – Open questions about whether resource movement is meaningful or simply random diffusion
• 14:07 – Why testing whether common mycorrhizal networks benefit plants is experimentally difficult, including confounding effects from fungal community composition and soil volume restrictions
• 20:51 – Findings from the meta-analysis showing highly variable outcomes—from strongly positive to strongly negative effects on plants
• 22:22 – The personal and intellectual experience of re-examining his own past research for these confounding factors
• 25:34 – How common mycorrhizal networks may vary across different biomes, tree species, and mycorrhizal types (ectomycorrhizal vs. arbuscular)
• 25:41 – The research bias toward temperate Northern Hemisphere conifer forests and the need for more global studies
• 28:24 – A surprising discovery of ectomycorrhizal fungi on Pulsatilla patens (pasque flower), a plant not expected to form this type of symbiosis
• 32:30 – Advice for young researchers interested in mycorrhizal ecology and remaining open questions in the field
• 35:35 – Where listeners can learn more about Dr. Hoeksema's work

Resources:

• Dr. Jason Hoeksema's research website

This episode includes the track 'RSPN' by Blank & Kytt. The song is used under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. You can find more of Blank & Kytt's music ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠

Episode 63: How Are High Performers Made? – features Dr. Alex Auerbach, exploring the science of how high performers optimize stress, environment, and psychology to deliver consistent results under pressure.

Episode Summary: This episode features a conversation with Dr. Alex Auerbach, a performance psychologist who has worked with the Toronto Raptors and now the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Listen as Dr. Auerbach breaks down what it really takes to become a high performer, how performance psychology principles apply well beyond professional sports, and why self-regulation and pressure management matter as much as raw talent.

In this episode we discuss:

• 00:52 – Introducing Dr. Alex Auerbach

• 01:42 – How Dr. Auerbach became interested in performance psychology
• 04:45 – Earning a PhD in sport and performance psychology
• 06:34 – Choosing the Toronto Raptors and building out a team mental performance program
• 07:36 – The move from the Raptors to the Jacksonville Jaguars
• 08:19 – Common challenges athletes bring to a performance psychologist
• 09:19 – Navigating hierarchy and relationship issues between athletes and coaches
• 12:02 – Understanding and managing performance anxiety
• 14:44 – Concepts that carry over from athletes to high performers in any field
• 17:04 – How high performers are made, using Steph Curry as an example
• 18:09 – Why discipline looks different for every performer, from Jay-Z to Eminem
• 19:47 – Finding and doubling down on your natural strengths
• 22:37 – Solving the "transfer problem" between practice and real performance
• 25:39 – Guidance for parents supporting a young athlete
• 29:13 – The most surprising and humbling parts of the work
• 30:51 – What to say to someone skeptical of performance psychology
• 32:11 – Practical performance strategies anyone can use
• 34:12 – The right and wrong ways to use visualization
• 36:03 – Building better self-talk habits
• 38:26 – Reframing rest and recovery as part of performance
• 41:14 – Where to learn more from Dr. Auerbach and other resources
• 42:09 – Conclusion

Resources:

• ⁠⁠Professional Website
• ⁠⁠Called to Greatness Book

This episode includes the track 'RSPN' by Blank & Kytt. The song is used under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. You can find more of Blank & Kytt's music ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠

Episode 62: What Is Prosopagnosia? – features Dr. Brad Duchaine, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth College, exploring the science, social impact, and neural mechanisms of face blindness.

Episode Summary: This episode features a conversation with Dr. Brad Duchaine, a researcher with over two decades of experience studying face perception.

Listen as Dr. Duchaine breaks down what prosopagnosia is, how the brain calculates facial measurements, the distinction between perception and memory deficits, the visual distortion condition known as PMO, and how face blindness impacts everyday social interactions.

In this episode we discuss:

• ​00:00 – Introduction to Dr. Brad Duchaine and the question of prosopagnosia
• ​01:17 – Pronunciation of prosopagnosia and Dr. Duchaine's early interest in the condition
• ​02:31 – Specialized psychological mechanisms and entering face recognition research
• ​03:27 – How the brain processes person recognition and measures facial characteristics
• ​04:57 – Perceptual precision deficits vs. memory/indexing impairments in prosopagnosia
• ​07:39 – Prosopometamorphopsia (PMO) and active facial feature distortions
• ​10:48 – Causes of face blindness: Acquired prosopagnosia vs. developmental prosopagnosia
• ​12:53 – How the internet expanded research access and public awareness
• ​14:12 – Coping strategies, non-facial identity cues, and contextual recognition
• ​16:03 – Testing for face blindness online (Cambridge Face Memory Test and famous face tests)
• ​17:42 – Diagnostic thresholds and normal distribution of face recognition ability
• ​19:03 – Current gaps in understanding neural computations and information processing
• ​20:33 – Prevalence of developmental prosopagnosia and findings from public reach-out
• ​22:03 – The "prosopagnosia epiphany" and validating past social experiences
• ​23:51 – Social implications, interpersonal misunderstandings, and emotional costs
• ​25:21 – Practical advice for navigating face recognition challenges with others
• ​26:24 – Resources for learning more and participating in research
• ​27:35 – Conclusion

Resources:

• ​⁠⁠Face Blind Research

This episode includes the track 'RSPN' by Blank & Kytt. The song is used under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. You can find more of Blank & Kytt's music ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠