taste of science: Neuro-Night

Two great neuroscientists will talk about how illusion can be used as a therapy and how we can increase our brain cognitive power.

The age of the brain

The world is entering "the age of the brain," an era of exponential need to understand and modify our most complex organ. Fixing and even upgrading our brains will be one of the most important social, technological, and economic endeavors of this century. Dr. Don Vaughn explains the state of neuroscience and envisions its future: How close are we to solving mental health issues? Can we massively increase the brain’s computational and cognitive power? How can you contribute or invest?

Speaker: Dr. Don Vaughn, Neuroscientist

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Using Visual Illusions to Decrease Chronic Pain and Restore Brain Function

We’ll take a brief survey course through some seemingly bizarre neurological syndromes that illustrate fundamental principles for how the human mind works, shedding light on the nature of body image, self-awareness, consciousness, and human perceptual experience. We will then review the use of optical illusions, focusing on mirror visual feedback, for the treatment of several forms of chronic pain and hemiparesis following stroke.

Speaker: Dr. Elizabeth Seckel, Stanford