Episode 19: Cognitive Control & Executive Function: An Interview with David Badre

Thinking Tools Podcast Episode 19 - Executive function is a set of mental skills that we humans use to plan, hold information in working memory, and generally get things done. Collectively, these are often referred to as “cognitive control,” and they go a long way in explaining what makes humans unique in the animal kingdom. Not other animals can plan in the way we do, thinking decades ahead and making sacrifices now for that far off future. So how does executive function work? In this episode of the Thinking Tools Podcast, I speak with Dr. David Badre, a cognitive neuroscientist and the author of this 2020 book, On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done, (2020, PRinceton University Press) which is all about cognitive control. David Badre is Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences at Brown University, where he is also on the faculty of the Carney Institute for Brain Science. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan. He received his PhD from MIT and did his postdoctoral fellowship at UC Berkeley before joining Brown as faculty in 2008. His laboratory studies the neuroscience of cognitive control and executive function. ❓ When do you find it difficult to exert cognitive control?❓ -- With this newsletter, I want to connect with you and give you exclusive content that I think will be beneficial or interesting. Every one of them will contain the following five items: 1. A fascinating fact about the human brain 2. Science-based productivity and happiness tips 3. My thoughts about life, culture, or current events 4. A book recommendation 5. A thought-provoking quote -- Connect, Follow and Subscribe! Sign up for the video version: https://mailchi.mp/d76edf98390b/sense-of-mind-newsletter-sign-up-page Link to all of our video newsletters: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC92ipyM9i9L_9yna8Jn6eM5RSQmNbSJj Subscribe to the Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC610T-s8gpOVDtAVXTZ35FQ Website: www.Senseofmindshow.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sense.ofmind/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/senseofmind By the way, the newsletter is 100% free, it has zero ads, and I will NEVER sell or give your information to third parties. Please follow, share and subscribe if you found this helpful, thanks for listening! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/senseofmind/support