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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Using physics to understand the ‘music’ of the brain
In a nutshell: A physics-based approach successfully explains mysterious oscillations in brain activity that are like the notes produced by a musical instrument. Read more
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Paying attention helps your brain process what you can’t see
In a nutshell: Paying attention to a location helps the brain to process not just what you can see there, but also what you can’t – suggesting that attention and awareness are controlled by different pathways in the brain. Read more
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Without attention, you can see a lot – but not everything
In a nutshell: Novel research shows that we can be conscious of a face’s gender even when paying little or no attention to it. Read more
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