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The Human Brain in the Age of Insight

- Eminent neuroscientist and Nobel laureate Eric Kandel in a recorded livestream from Big Think, interviewed about creativity and the brain, the challenges facing neuroscience research, differences between the brain and computers, imaging, and questions from viewers. “Understanding the human brain is the most important task that confronts us, both from an intellectual point of view and a medical point of view. We’re now at the verge of a major advance,” he says. Check out his new book, The Age of Insight. Click the image above or this link to view video.

[Image by dreamglow.]

Blue Brain: Year One

The Blue Brain Project is an ambitious effort to model a brain, neuron by neuron, in order to understand its systems and functions in new ways and to build the facility to model brains across species. “I believe we will understand the brain before we finish building it,” says the project’s director, Henry Markram. First video release of a ten year documentary series by director Noah Hutton, following the project as it develops. Gorgeous imagery and an inspiring subject. See also: Blue Brain Neocortical Column Visualization, and the short lecture Simulated Brain by Dr. Markram. Hat tip: The Beautiful Brain.