In this engaging episode, I speak with Professor David Poeppel, Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at NYU, and one of the world's leading cognitive neuroscientists studying speech, language, and auditory perception. By combining cognitive neuroscience, linguistics, psychology, and advanced brain imaging, his research has transformed our understanding of how the brain converts sounds into the words and ideas we understand.

We explore the "parts list" of how the brain recognizes speech. Professor Poeppel explains why timing is fundamental to speech perception, how different brain pathways and hemispheres support language, and what his influential theories reveal about human communication. We also discuss the brain's remarkable ability to process music, one of the biggest unanswered questions about language and memory, and his advice for students pursuing cognitive science.