The Craving Brain: Neuroscience of Uncontrollable Urges | World Science Festival

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 23:15:33 +0000

When we try to get rid of a bad habit, whether it involves food or drugs or gambling, it often seems like we're fighting ourselves inside. The reality's not far off: Addiction twists the reward pathways of the brain to keep addicts tied to whatever gets them high. But can we use our knowledge of the brain to undo these neurological knots? Watch psychiatrist Nora Volkow, chemist Kim Janda, and neuroscientists Eric Nestler and Amir Levine explain the latest thinking in the science of addiction in the mind in "The Craving Brain".

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Original Program date: May 31, 2014
Host: Elizabeth Vargas
Participants: Nora D. Volkow, Kim D. Janda, Eric Nestler, Amir Levine

Elizabeth Vargas's Introduction. 00:11

Drug addiction and every day life. 1:54

Participant Introductions. 5:41

What is the state of addiction in U.S.? 8:30

Are memories formed under the influence more vivid? 14:20

Will the brain go back to normal if addicts quit? 20:25

Can you look at a brain and determine if they will be an addict? 27:47

The facts of gateway drugs and adolescence. 35:11

Is it easier to quit an addiction if you are younger? 43:40

The heroin vaccine. 49:58

Is heroin the most addictive drugs? 58:04

Big pharmacy and the bottom line. 1:05:52

The social stigma of addiction. 1:09:50

How do you break the addiction cycle? 1:22:30

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The Craving Brain: Neuroscience of Uncontrollable Urges