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What if we’ve misunderstood intelligence all along? In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Ilana Nankin sits down with Dr. Michael Jacob, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist at UCSF, to explore what it really means to be human in the age of AI.
Michael has spent his career studying how the brain, heart, and body communicate and how meaning, emotion, and creativity shape our minds. Together they unpack why the brain isn’t a machine, how heart-brain coherence changes the way we experience stress and learning, and why connection and belonging are as vital to cognition as logic or memory.
Here are some of the best moments from the episode:
- Why test scores and IQ barely scratch the surface of real intelligence
- The science behind how breathing and awareness can rewire your nervous system
- What distinguishes human intelligence from artificial intelligence
- How art, music, and story awaken the brain’s creative potential
- Practical ways educators can nurture emotional and somatic awareness in the classroom
This is a love letter to humanity and how educators can transform their roles in their students’ lives from the inside out. Because as Michael reminds us: our brains don’t just compute… they create.
If this conversation moved you, don’t let it be a one-time moment.
Follow “A Work of Heart” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if it resonated, take 30 seconds to rate and review. It helps more educators find these conversations and reminds the algorithm that teachers matter. Your support helps us keep bringing voices like Michael’s to life.
