In this podcast, Nick Lane talks about his path to research in the rarefied field of evolutionary biochemistry, before describing some of the pioneers of biochemistry and the aesthetic pleasure he takes in their experimental designs. He gives a jargon free account of the Krebs cycle, the central metabolic pathway of life and the basis of his most recent book 'Transformer'. We discuss the origin of mitochondria, the mind boggling number of chemical reactions that takes in them each second and the possibly far reaching consequences of electrical and magnetic fields they generate (a possible source of the EEG!). Nick concludes by talking about his work on the mode of action of anaesthetic agents. Great conversation.

Participants:

Nick Lane, Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry, University College, London. https://nick-lane.net/

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Nick's book,'Transformer': https://nick-lane.net/books/transformer-the-deep-chemistry-of-life-and-death

A diagram of the Krebs (citric acid): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citric_acid_cycle#/media/File:Citric_acid_cycle_with_aconitate_2.svg

Opening and closing music: Prelude to 'Brainland', the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Follow us us on Instagram:#brainlandcollective #brainlandthepodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast we complete the series on memory and cinema with an in-depth look at the way Alzheimer's disease/progressive cognitive impairment has been depicted in the movies this century. Raquel discusses her unusual route to studying and writing about this subject, via the work of a contemporary Spanish poet, then, before focussing on the three very different films listed below, we talk about the way different cultures represent the subject and the marked and predictable gender differences is the cinematic representation of cognitive decline. We explore the way several biopics, including 'Iris' and 'Still Alice' highlight disability, loss and burden, whereas more recent films focus on surprising positives, including deepening love, new creative departures and coping strategies. We also explore the idea of historical memory of traumatic national events and how this has been woven into films, The Eternal Memory being one example.

Participants

Raquel Medina, Dean of Area Studies & Assistant Dean of Faculty, IES Abroad, Barcelona, Spain. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Raquel-Medina

Ken Barrett visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Raquel's book 'Cinematic Representaions of Alzheimer's Disease': https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/978-1-137-53371-5

The films discussed:

The Father(2021): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10272386/

The Eternal Memory (released in 2024 in the UK and available in the UK on BBC iPlayer, in January 2025) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24082488/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1

Poetry (2010): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1287878/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1

Opening and closing music: Prelude to Brainland the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Follow us us on Instagram:#brainlandcollective

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Film historian and science fiction specialist Mark Bould discusses the Lem novel and Tarkovsky film 'Solaris'. After an in depth exploration of the life and work of Lem and Tarkovsy, Mark outlines the plot discusses the unusual way in which Tarkovsky tells the story. We discuss traumatic memory and the links to earlier gothic stories and hauntings. We take a detour into the role of the EEG in the story and the possible origins of that before exploring Tarkovsky's use of sound in the film. We conclude with a brief discussion of the 2002 Soderburgh remake of Solaris, it's place in that director's work and how it contrasts with the original.

Participants:

Mark Bould, professor of Film and Literature, University of the West of England.

Ken Barrett visual artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist.http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

Mark's book on Solaris: https://shop.bfi.org.uk/solaris-bfi-film-classics.html

Solaris the Lem novel: https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/title/solaris/author/stanislaw-lem/pics/?ref_=ps_ms_363834005&cm_mmc=msn-_-uk_dsa_srp-_-naa-_-naa&msclkid=958c7519f54a1dc330fc12926fc0d005

Solaris the Tarkovsky film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069293/

Opening and closing music: Prelude to Brainland the opera by Stephen Brown.

Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Follow us us on Instagram:#brainlandcollective

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.