Week 4 of the semester had us focusing on the wonder that is the human brain. We started off discussing how we investigate the brain (specifically the types of brain imaging used), then moved on to neurons, brain structures, and lateralization. To connect with cutting edge brain research, I gave my students the option of 7 different TED talks which focused on the brain (because who doesn’t like TED Talks right?). Most chose the talk focused on serial killers, with a call for a new approach to mental illness coming in second. The links to the talks are below, and the full prompt for the week is available here. Please take a look at my students’ reactions and share your own thoughts and ideas via comments on their posts.
TED talks:
- Daniel Wolpert: The real reason for brains
- No Blogs
- Jim Fallon: Exploring the mind of a killer
- Rebecca Saxe: How we read each other’s minds
- Suzana Herculano Houzel: What is so special about the human brain?
- Siddharthan Chandran: Can the damaged brain repair itself?
- Thomas Insel: Toward a new understanding of mental illness
- Miguel Nicolelis: Brain to brain communication has arrived
