Discovery Forum 2011

In this captivating presentation, Jonah Lehrer will explore creativity from a scientific perspective, and will advocate for integrating science and art to understand and advance human culture and reasoning. Discovery Forum advances the importance of igniting creativity in children, and how the Bay Area Discovery Museum is a critical resource for preparing children for the challenges of the 21st century. The event supports the Museum's educational programs and exhibitions and innovative outreach to communities where the need for creative development is most acute.

Jonah Lehrer -- hailed as "an important new thinker" by The Los Angeles Times -- is the author of Proust Was a Neuroscientist and the instant bestseller, How We Decide. Captivating, accessible, and never dull, he talks about how we make decisions -- and how we can make better decisions. "Lehrer ingeniously weaves neuroscience, sports, war, psychology, and politics into a fascinating tale of human decision making," says Dan Ariely (Predictably Irrational). "He makes us much wiser."

Lehrer, 27, has been called "something of a popular science prodigy," by The New York Times, a man of "considerable talents." A graduate of Columbia University with a degree in neuroscience, Jonah Lehrer studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar where he received his Masters Degree in 20th century literature and philosophy. He is the author of Proust was a Neuroscientist and How We Decide. Lehrer is a contributing editor at Wired Magazine and National Public Radio's Radio Lab. He has also written for The New Yorker, Nature, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.