Watch Brain Myths Exploded: Lessons from Neuroscience

Name: Brain Myths Exploded: Lessons from Neuroscience
Released: 2017-02-03
Cast: Indre Viskontas

2017
1 Season

Brain Myths Exploded: Lessons from Neuroscience is an educational and insightful lecture series presented by Indre Viskontas, a cognitive neuroscientist, opera singer, and professor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. This series is part of The Great Courses Signature Collection, which offers in-depth knowledge on various subjects and topics.

In this engaging series, Viskontas delves into the widely-held beliefs and myths about the human brain and neuroscience. By drawing on her extensive knowledge and research, she explores the truth behind common misconceptions about the brain, such as the belief that we only use 10% of our brains or that certain activities can boost our intelligence. Viskontas explains the science behind the myths and debunks them through fascinating experiments and studies.

Throughout the series, Viskontas takes a closer look at the brain's many functions, from memory and emotions to perception and decision-making. She also discusses the role of the brain in our social interactions and explores how our environment affects our brain development. Along the way, she uses examples from literature, music, and art to illustrate her points and make the subject matter more relatable.

One of the most interesting things about Brain Myths Exploded is how Viskontas integrates her own experiences and background as an opera singer and cognitive neuroscientist. She draws on her personal anecdotes to explain complex scientific concepts and uses music and singing as a way to demonstrate how the brain processes sound.

Viskontas is an engaging and knowledgeable presenter who has a knack for simplifying complex ideas and making them accessible to a broad audience. She uses humor and clever analogies to help listeners understand difficult concepts, and her enthusiasm for the subject matter is infectious.

Overall, Brain Myths Exploded: Lessons from Neuroscience is an excellent introduction to the complex world of neuroscience. It provides a deep understanding of the brain's functions and the myths that surround them, while also offering practical insights into how we can improve our own cognitive abilities. Whether you're a student of neuroscience, a curious layperson, or someone interested in personal growth, this series is a must-watch.

Brain Myths Exploded: Lessons from Neuroscience is a series that ran for 1 seasons (24 episodes) between February 3, 2017 and on The Great Courses Signature Collection

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Seasons

24. Does Technology Make You Stupid?

February 3, 2017

In this final lecture, ponder several prevalent myths about the relationship between technology and the brain. Among these: smartphones are killing our attention spans, social media is addictive (and leads us to be less social), computers make us less intelligent, and search engines are destroying our memory.

23. Is Your Brain Unprejudiced?

February 3, 2017

You might not be racist, but your brain likely is. How did neuroscientists come to this startling conclusion? And what can we, as individuals, do about it? Find out in this fascinating lecture on the neurology of prejudice, implicit and explicit biases, stereotyping, and in-group preferences.

22. Do Special Neurons Enable Social Life?

February 3, 2017

From mirror neurons to von Economo cells, learn the role that special neurons might play in human social behavior. Recent breakthroughs in neuroscience have expanded our understanding of how we interact with and understand people, but myths about these special neurons abound.

21. Can Adult Brains Change for the Better?

February 3, 2017

Just because you're an adult doesn't mean you can't still learn and master new things. After considering how neuroplasticity works in a toddler's brain, explore how exercise and musical training are two ways to influence the growth of new neurons and the formation of new synapses (known as neurogenesis).

20. Can Brain Scans Read Your Mind?

February 3, 2017

Discover what neuroimaging can - and can't - tell us about how the human mind works. First, examine what brain scans are actually showing us. Then, consider three regions of the brain prone to common misunderstanding in the media: the amygdala, the reward circuitry, and the prefrontal cortex.

19. Are Dreams Meaningful?

February 3, 2017

Consider some of the potential roots (and purposes) of dreams and how neuroscientists study them. While dreams continue to remain mysterious, some theories posit that dreams play a role in consolidating your memory, and that they can be driven by emotional events (including traumatic ones).

18. Can You Multitask Effectively?

February 3, 2017

Multitasking is a critical skill in today's world. But does it really work as well as you think? Dr. Viskontas lays bare the neurology of the multitasker and uses key studies to draw several powerful conclusions, including that doing two things at once is impossible when both tasks require your conscious attention.

17. Are Other Animals Conscious?

February 3, 2017

Continue exploring consciousness with a consideration of its appearance in other animals. Scientific studies in animals ranging from primates to octopi have uncovered some illuminating insights into how animals can potentially show complex behaviors (including compassion, self-recognition, and generosity) we typically associate exclusively with conscious humans.

16. Are You Always Conscious while Awake?

February 3, 2017

In this lecture, probe the eternal "problem" of consciousness - perhaps the most difficult topic in all of neuroscience. How have scientists tried to determine what consciousness is and how it works? Along the way, examine several theories, including the intriguing idea that consciousness is nothing more than a neural afterthought.

15. Are Your Decisions Rational?

February 3, 2017

When we make decisions, we're actually swayed by things that any truly rational human being would ignore. Why do our brains work this way? Explore the "mental laziness" hardwired into our nature, and why we easily fall prey to superficial judgments. Central to this idea: the brain's two thinking systems.

14. Does Your Brain Shut Down during Sleep?

February 3, 2017

What, exactly, happens when you fall asleep? Why do our brains need sleep in order to function? What are some of the neurological dangers of not getting enough sleep? What are the sleep patterns of other animals, and how do they compare to our own? Dr. Viskontas provides some answers.

13. Can Brain Games Make You Smarter?

January 1, 1970

An increased focus among scientists on neuroplasticity (changes in the brain's biology) has led to a flurry of brain-training games and tools aimed at improving our cognitive skills. Here, probe the potential of these games, and consider some alternate ways to train your brain, including exercising and socializing.

12. Can Certain Foods Make You Smarter?

February 3, 2017

In this lecture on "brain food," consider the scientific truths behind the food fads that make headlines; test out the myths associated with foods like fish oil, vitamins, power drinks, chocolate, and tea; and ponder the potential of smart pills (known as nootropics) such as Adderall and Ritalin.

11. Do You Have 5 Independent Senses?

February 3, 2017

Discover why your senses aren't as separate as you think - and why you actually have more than five. Topics in this lecture include proprioception (sensing where you are) and synesthesia (a neurological condition in which the stimulation of one sense causes the involuntary activation of a different sense).

10. Is Your Brain Objective?

February 3, 2017

Contrary to what you might believe, we don't weight evidence equally before building personal beliefs. Instead, we're beholden to confirmation bias. Is this a bug our brains could do without? Is it an evolutionary advantage? Can it also lead to sublime experiences (like appreciating a piece of music)?

9. Is Your Brain Too Smart for Magic Tricks?

February 3, 2017

We've all been fooled by a magic trick at one point or another. But we rarely stop to think about how magicians are simply manipulating pre-existing shortcomings in our minds. Here, explore some of the neurological principles magicians rely on, including selective attention, inattention blindness, and change blindness.

8. Do You Perceive the World as It Really Is?

February 3, 2017

According to Dr. Viskontas, the biggest myth about our senses is that they reflect the world as it actually is. Using vision as an example, discover how your sensory system uses shortcuts and fills in details to create, from portions of the environment, the illusion that you're perceiving reality objectively.

7. Do You Only Use 10% of Your Brain?

February 3, 2017

Are you using your brain to its fullest potential? Here, clear up some of the mystery about how much of our brain power we're using. As you'll learn, you use a lot more of your brain than you think, whether you're practicing a new skill or simply zoning out in front of the television.

6. How Accurate is Your Memory?

February 3, 2017

In this lecture that unpacks the accuracy of your memories, learn how information is encoded, stored, and retrieved in the brain; examine how Alzheimer's disease and amnesia affect the brain's ability to remember; and explore the "Seven Sins of Memory," including absentmindedness, memory blocking, and misattribution.

5. How Different Are Male and Female Brains?

February 3, 2017

We're always hearing about studies that find significant differences the brains of men and women. How should we be thinking about gender differences in the brain? How are these differences misinterpreted? What are the differences in the male and female amygdala and hippocampus? Which genders express which emotions more openly?

4. Are Creative People Right-Brained?

February 3, 2017

Think your brain is divided into a creative side and an analytical side? Think again. The two hemispheres of your brain are actually quite interconnected. Discover what neuroimaging has revealed about the way our brains think and create, and why it's all about collaboration - not competition.

3. Is Mental Illness Just a Chemical Imbalance?

February 3, 2017

According to Dr. Viskontas, major psychiatric illnesses aren't just the result of chemical concentrations in the brain. The focus of this lecture is an intriguing exploration of two disorders that have proven to be far more complicated and nuanced in our understanding of mental illness: schizophrenia and depression.

2. Are Bigger Brains Smarter?

February 3, 2017

When it comes to brains, size doesn't matter as much as you think. Here, explore concepts including the Encephalization quotient (which compares brain mass to body mass), the "g" factor (a long-sought-after standard of cognitive ability), and the lessons scientists have learned from studying the brain of Albert Einstein.

1. Is Your Brain Perfectly Designed?

February 3, 2017

Begin the course by debunking one of the most fundamental myths about the human brain. Along the way, discover how our brains are shaped by evolution and experience, which neurons are responsible for self-awareness and motor coordination, and why the brain is still very much a work in progress.

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Where to Watch Brain Myths Exploded: Lessons from Neuroscience

Brain Myths Exploded: Lessons from Neuroscience is available for streaming on the The Great Courses Signature Collection website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Brain Myths Exploded: Lessons from Neuroscience on demand at Amazon Prime, Amazon and Hoopla.