The Matt Walker Podcast
The Matt Walker Podcast is all about sleep, the brain, and the body. Matt is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of the book, Why We Sleep and has given a few TED talks. Matt is an awkward British nerd who adores science and the communication of science to the public.
The Matt Walker Podcast
Latest Episodes
#158 - 10 Small Brain Quirks
From the "stopped clock illusion" to "cute aggression," Matt explores ten everyday brain quirks and proves these oddities are actually signs of a healthy mind. He groups them into categories of prediction, filtering, internal wiring, and mem...
#157 - Sleep Walking and Talking
Matt examines the world of parasomnias this week, focusing on sleepwalking and sleep talking. Dispelling the myth that sleep is a simple on/off switch, he explains how these behaviors reveal a brain that is simultaneously awake and asleep. R...
#156 - Smell and Memory
Examining the "Proust phenomenon," Matt reveals how smell acts as a direct portal to our past. Unlike sight or hearing, olfaction bypasses the brain's typical sensory relay and connects directly to memory centers like the hippocampus. This e...