Ever Thought About…?
A Research Peer Advisor Podcast
Ever Thought About...? is a podcast created by undergraduates at the University of Pennsylvania, with exciting episodes about a wide range of research undertaken around campus. Sit down with us as we chat with Penn professors about the work they’ve dedicated their lives to. Scroll down and click on individual episode titles to hear full episodes!
Unthinking and Rethinking Categories: Madness, the Spiritual Realm, Gods, and Greed
Episode: 3Is the spiritual world still relevant? Dr. Emily Ng, Professor of Anthropology, certainly thinks so! In this episode, sit down with Professor Ng and learn about her work in psychological and medical anthropology, and hear her perspectives on the implications of creating knowledge about a people. At the intersection of Asian American Studies and Anthropology, Dr. Ng's work in urban and rural China has led her to study such topics as madness and subjectivity, transgenerational historical traumas, and more.
Decoding the Human Brain: How Anatomy Translates to Behavior, and the Societal Implications
Episode: 2"How do physical changes in the brain ultimately give rise to changes in the mind?" This is a key question that guides the research that takes place in Dr. Allyson Mackey's lab, The Changing Brain. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mackey, a professor of psychology here at Penn to talk about the significance and applicability of research in cognitive neuroscience. Dr. Mackey's work focuses on understanding the basic mechanisms underlying brain plasticity in children and how environmental factors can influence windows of peak plasticity.
Researching the Ancient Greeks: Wars, Plague, Hybrids, and... Cows?
Episode: 1In this first episode of "Ever Thought About," we spend some time with Professor Jeremy McInerney to discuss the amazing breadth of his research. From investigating cattle in ancient Greece to understanding the concept of ethnicity in the ancient Mediterranean to exploring hybrids such as centaurs and pegasi, Professor McInerney's work reveals just how flexible and meaningful research in Classical Studies can be.