Tackling the Greatest Challenge of the 21st Century:
Understanding the Human Brain
Brain science is at a tipping point, entering a new era in which an ever deeper understanding of how the brain works will challenge our very sense of what it means to be human.
Through citizen juries, online discussions, participatory science, and other means, The Brain Dialogue aims to share the journey. And to share it with everyone — opera singer, engineer, CEO, or chef.
We will talk about what we are learning about the human brain, how we are learning it, and what still seems frustratingly unlearnable.
We will contemplate how understanding the human brain, the most complex object in the known universe, will change how we educate our children, mete out justice, or design our roads.
And last, but certainly not least, we will listen to what non-neuroscientists think and feel about this new frontier.
DISCOVERY
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Movies offer new tool for studying adaptive brain function
In a nutshell: Movies can be used as a structured simulation of the real world, giving researchers a reliable and reproducible way to study the brain’s responses. Read more
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Detecting ultra-low fluorescence with a new light-sensing device
In a nutshell: An organic photodetector measures the activity of brain cells at high resolution, overcoming the limitations of existing techniques. Read more
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Measuring changes in attention, not perception
In a nutshell: Attention and perception are separate brain processes. A tool commonly used to track one could actually be measuring the other. Read more