brain
Videos
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What Is Memory?
Just what is memory anyway? How much of it is conscious, and how much of it is subconscious? Find out in this short, animated primer on the different types of memory.
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To Remember Better, Build a Mansion in Your Mind
Joshua Foer, author of Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, walks us through the process of constructing “memory palaces”—an age-old...
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‘Genius Cells’ in the Brain?
After his death in 1955, Albert Einstein’s brain was studied by scientists worldwide—all wanting to gain insight into the anatomy of a genius. But it wasn’t until the 1980s when...
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Genius: Striking Out a New Path
Genius represents the ability of unprecedented execution and perspective in any given field. It embodies ideas that force the rest of the world to rethink what it thought it knew....
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Instinctually Musical
When you think about music as a survival instinct, taking the edge off a long train ride is probably what first comes to mind. But neuroscientist Lawrence Parsons wants you to...
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The Faint Echoes of Memory
Neuroscientist Frank Tong elaborates on the processes used by scientists to decipher what a person is visualizing. The insights gained by being able to visualize the human brain...
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Decoding Dreams
Being able to visualize another person’s imagination for all to see is a staple of science fiction stories. According to Frank Tong, a neuroscientist and psychology professor, we...
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It Sounds Like You’re Talking About Mind Reading
Is it possible to read somebody’s mind? Stage mentalists and magicians have entertained audiences for years with feats of telepathy, but can it be done for real? Neuroscientist...
Blog Posts
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Is Genius Hiding in Plain Sight?
After his death in 1955, Albert Einstein’s brain was studied by scientists worldwide—all wanting to gain insight into the anatomy of a genius.
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Understanding Genius: The Grand Enigma
The 18th-century German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer, once remarked: "Talent hits a target no one else can hit; genius hits a target no one else can see." But what gives rise to this special vision? Why is it so difficult to define, and what of the relationship between...
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I, Learning Robot
Yesterday we saw Eric Horvitz's Bayesian Medical Kiosk in action. He showed us the potential in human/robot interaction and it's potential in public health applications. Today we look at machines that interact on an interpersonal, physical level—from making eye contact and...
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Instant Reaction: The Enigma of Genius
Genius: What is it and how do geniuses get that way? This diverse panel of scientists and artists discussed the characteristics that define a genius, its relationship with mental illness, sacrifice, and whether modern information overload could degrade creativity.
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Instant Reaction: The Unbearable Lightness of Memory
"One of the primary functions of memory is to be able to use our experience of the past to be able to act adaptively in the future" – Elizabeth Phelps
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The Curious Symmetry of Sleep
Not long ago, I woke up in a hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Waking up for me is a slow climb, and so I was still a bit bleary by the time I reached the front desk. I was checking my bags for the day, which I would be spending at a conference nearby, when I noticed a...
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Evolutionary Bridges
Sam McDougle joins us from re:COGNITION at The Beautiful Brain. Sam splits this time between behavioral neuroscience research at the University of Pennsylvania, playing fiddle in an Appalachian string-band, and drumming in an indie rock trio.
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How We Face the World
Imagine a chair. It has physical attributes: four legs, a seat, some sort of a back. Now imagine a human face. It also has physical attributes: eyes, a nose, a mouth. But, remarkably, the ways we process these features in our brains—and more crucially how we remember them—are...
