Science of the Brain
The more we know.
We hope we won’t lose you in an Escher drawing by meta-suggesting you bulk up your brain by learning about your brain, but we think it’s a worthwhile endeavor. After all, understanding the brain’s finer points can help us keep it from playing tricks on us. But there’s an even more powerful reason to cozy up to your cognition: simply to marvel at how truly miraculous and spectacular it truly is. You might even find the ‘why’ behind your wonder.
Old faithful.
You didn’t actually think we were going to send you off on a learning expedition without bringing our friends at “Explained”into the fold, did you? Natch, we recommend their excellent series “The Mind, Explained.” Through two seasons of episodes that clock in under 30 minutes, the show gets you smarter on topics like memory, dreams, creativity—and even the teenage brain.
Fantastic plastic machine.
The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph From the Frontiers of Brain Science is hardly a new book, but it is a fascinating one nonetheless. The book explores the relatively new idea of neuroplasticity—literally, the idea that the brain can indeed rewire and reorganize itself. Marcus Aurelis once said, “The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.” Indeed.
What’s happening upstairs.
In the excellent podcast, “Neuroscience: Amateur Hour,” topics run the gamut from Candy Crush to Magic Mushrooms (maybe not an everyday experience) to cover “the neuroscience of everyday experiences.” The episodes are all around 20 minutes, which seems like a lot of bang for your brain considering the time invested. Smarter in no time? We’re in.
First prize.
For both a moving portrait of a brilliant neuroscientist and exposure to his Nobel Prize-winning work, look no further than the documentary “In Search of Memory.” Kandel and his colleague were able to determine how short-term memory converts to long-term memories, and how they are then stored—biologically speaking. A takeaway? Since each of our brains is different, it stands to reason that we can have wildly different interpretations of the same event.
Putting their heads together.
While not entirely focused on the inner workings of the brain, The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds will probably give you a lot more “aha” moments than technical information. With his approachable style breaking down complex concepts and wrapping them in portraits of interesting people, Michael Lewis tells the story of the friendship between psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, and their groundbreaking work that birthed behavioral economics. It adds up to a gripping story worth your time and mind.
