The Ever-Changing Brain with David Eagleman and Brian Eno

Jul 9, 2021

Guest

Brian Eno

Guest

David Eagleman

David Eagleman, a leading neuroscientist known for his work on brain plasticity, chats with musician Brian Eno about the remarkable adaptability of the human brain. They delve into how sensory experiences can be enhanced through technology, allowing the blind to 'see' with their tongues. The conversation also touches on the relationship between dreaming and sensory functions, and how our emotions, like love and heartbreak, intertwine with neuroscience, challenging the notion that aging diminishes cognitive abilities.

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ADVICE

Seeking Novelty

Seek novelty and challenge your brain to maintain plasticity.
The pandemic disrupted routines, prompting reflection and new life choices, beneficial for brain plasticity.

INSIGHT

Rapid Plasticity

Brain plasticity isn't slow; changes occur rapidly due to the brain's cross-wiring.
This allows different brain areas to communicate and adapt quickly to changes in input.

INSIGHT

Defensive Dreaming

David Eagleman theorizes that dreaming defends the visual cortex against takeover by other senses during sleep.
This defensive activation keeps the visual cortex stimulated and prevents its functions from being taken over while we can't see.

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What does drug withdrawal have in common with a broken heart? Why is the enemy of memory not time, but other memories? How can a blind person learn to see with her tongue or a deaf person learn to hear with his skin? Why did many people in the 1980s mistakenly perceive book pages to be slightly red in colour? Will we one day be able to control a robot with our thoughts, just as we do our fingers and toes? Why do we dream at night, and what does that have to do with the rotation of the planet? These are just some of the questions David Eagleman answered when he came to Intelligence Squared for this exclusive online event. Eagleman is a leading neuroscientist, as well as one of the world’s most dynamic and engaging science communicators. He specialises in brain plasticity – the idea that our brains are constantly changing and reconfiguring the world around us. The more experiences we have, the more the brain absorbs and the more it adjusts. In conversation with musician and producer Brian Eno, Eagleman discussed his latest findings which he outlines in his new book, Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain. And he showed that far from getting less malleable as we get older, our brains can continue to learn and absorb information quickly, if we keep on providing them with stimuli and new experiences. To buy the book click here: https://www.primrosehillbooks.com/product/livewired-the-inside-story-of-the-ever-changing-brain-david-eagleman-intel/

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