Getting scared is part of life. Whether it's animals, heights, the dark, bugs, or flying in an airplane, we all experience fears. Sometimes, you have a bad experience and get scared-- but then when you do it again, you realize it's not actually scary or dangerous. Maybe you visited a haunted house as a kid and you felt nervous, convinced something bad was going to happen, or that you would get hurt. Then, as an adult, you went back to the haunted house and nothing bad happened, so you weren't afraid or anticipating danger anymore.

While this is just an analogy, this is applicable to real life in many different scenarios. Just as there is a neural circuit for establishing fear, there is also one to overwrite a fearful memory with a new memory that signals to you that you are safe.

In this episode, Dr. Jonathan Karp and student producer Kaya Basatemur discuss a recent paper that figures out what these circuits are, how they work, and how we can eliminate fearful memories faster. In the future, this could possibly lead to more research for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is a disorder in which a person cannot forget traumatic memories. Tune in to the latest episode of Health 411 to find out more about these recently discovered neural circuits and what makes them so important!

Article Link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250428220605.htm

This week on Health 411, Dr. Jonathan Karp and student producer Kaya Basatemur are joined by a Reiki Master, Taylor Smith, from Belmar New Jersey. According to Smith's description of her practice,

"Reiki (pronounced ray-kee) is a Japanese healing practice based on the idea that a universal life force energy flows through all living things. The word itself means universal (Rei) life force energy (ki) . Reiki is about channeling this energy through the hands to bring balance and harmony to the body, mind, and spirit. It’s a gentle, calming practice that helps clear energetic blockages and supports the body’s natural ability to heal, leaving you with a deep sense of peace and relaxation.

From a scientific point of view, Reiki is seen as a form of biofield therapy, which means it works with the body’s natural energy. Studies show that Reiki can help trigger the body’s relaxation response, lower stress, and bring the nervous system into balance. In simple terms, it helps your body shift out of stress mode and into a state where it can rest, restore, and heal itself more easily."

Listen in on this exciting and informative conversation to learn about how Smith became a Reiki Master, the reasons behind her passion, and her incredible journey.

You can find out more about her after the episode on Instagram @RisingSol.Offerings

With more and more new research coming out on cancer treatments, it seems that we're bound to have some sort of breakthrough soon. Today Dr. Jonathan Karp and student producer Kaya Basatemur discuss an article that might just be one of the newest and best concepts that we have right now for advancement of cancer treatment. This article was published on October 9th, 2025, in the Cell Reports Medicine journal; since its publication it has become very well-discussed and brought up in the press. So what is this "cancer vaccine"? Does it work for all types of cancer? Is this a viable concept to continue researching in hopes of a cure for cancer? Tune in to this week's episode of Health 411 to find out!