Dr. Niko Kukushkin - One Hand Clapping: Rethinking the Human Mind

Thoughts on Record: Podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Comments or feedback? Send us a text!

In this conversation, neuroscientist and author Dr. Nikolay Kukushkin joins us to explore some of the deepest questions about the human mind. Drawing from his book One Hand Clapping, Dr. Kukushkin offers a rare synthesis of biology, evolution, and philosophy—challenging us to reconsider not only how the mind works, but what it means to be a mind at all.

Topics & Questions Covered:

• What inspired One Hand Clapping and the central questions it seeks to answer
• The brain as a “singularity” of nature’s complexity and its implications for consciousness
• Consciousness through the neurobiology of psychedelics
• The value and meaning of memory vs. the present moment
• The dopamine “economy” and its links to addiction, burnout, and anxiety
• Why unpredictability—not reward—drives behavior
• “The cortex wants peace, the reward system wants chaos” – reconciling two competing systems
• How social life shaped intelligence and what loneliness does to the brain
• Can AI help us understand our own minds?
• The role of uncertainty in long-term happiness and mental wellness
• Why “life isn’t a problem to solve—it’s something to be experienced”

Nikolay Kukushkin, PhD, is a neuroscientist, writer, and science communicator whose work bridges hard science and human experience. Trained at institutions such as Oxford and Harvard, he has conducted pioneering research on memory formation, synaptic plasticity, and the neural basis of learning. Currently based at NYU’s Carew Laboratory, he investigates the molecular foundations of behavior.

Beyond his academic work, Dr. Kukushkin has written hundreds of popular science articles in both Russian and international media, earning recognition for his ability to combine clarity, scientific rigor, and philosophical insight. One Hand Clapping is his first book in English, following its acclaimed Russian release by Alpina Non-Fiction. He lives in New York with his wife, continuing to explore what makes the human brain not only a machine of thought but a vessel of meaning.

Learn More:
Website: nikolaykukushkin.com