20 TED talks about the brain

Over at onlineclasses.org, they have recently posted a list of 20 fascinating TED talks about the brain.  I have recproduced their post below.

The brain is man’s most amazing organ, and appropriately, much thought has been put into it. TED talks explore creativity, and quite a few of these talks have been devoted to thinking creatively about the brain, from brain-modeled supercomputers to brains in love. Check out these talks from TED to explore your mind.

1. Al Seckel Says Our Brains are Mis-Wired: Humans are smart, but our brains are easily fooled. Al Seckel insists that our brains are miswired, and can be fooled with perceptual illusions.
2. Christopher deCharms Looks Inside the Brain: Have you ever wanted to see how you feel? Neuroscientist and inventor Christopher deCharms can show you how, using fMRI in a whole new way, viewing thoughts, emotions, and pain while they are happening.
3. Tom Wujec on 3 Ways the Brain Creates Meaning: How does your brain understand ideas? This information designer discusses the way the brain understands words, images, feelings, and connections to learn how we can engage our brains for understanding big ideas.
4. Charles Limb: Your Brain on Improv: Musical improvisation is amazing — and understanding the brain while improvising music is even more amazing. Charles Limb takes a look at how the brain works during musical improvisation in this talk.
5. Gregory Petsko on the Coming Neurological Epidemic: As the world population ages, neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, will likely reach epidemic proportions. Gregory Petsko offers both a warning and solution to this issue.
6. Bobby McFerrin Hacks Your Brain With Music: Did you know that music can hack your brain? Musician Bobby McFerrin’s talk shows how the pentatonic scale can be revealing to your brain.
7. Diane Benscoter on How Cults Rewire the Brain: Extremist mentalities can have a profound effect on the brain. Diane Benscoter, a former cult member, shares her perspective on how cults rewaire the brain.
8. Jeff Hawkins on How Brain Science Will Change Computing: Take a new look at the brain with Jeff Hawkins. You’ll see the brain as a memory system, rather than a processor, which allows us to store and play back experiences.
9. Michael Merzenich on Re-Wiring the Brain: Michael Merzenich takes a look at the way the brain can re-wire itself. Watch this talk to learn about his research on the brain’s plasticity.
10. Kim Gorgens: Protecting the Brain Against Concussion: The brain is our most vital organ, and Kim Gorgens is here to protect it. This neuropsychologist advocates protecting against the risk of concussion with helmets for kids.
11. Rebecca Saxe: How We Read Each Others’ Minds: So many of us have tried to finish another’s sentences — accurately or not. It’s a natural talent that Rebecca Saxe has studied. In this talk, you will take a look at how the brain thinks about and senses the feelings and thoughts of others.
12. Heribert Watzke: The Brain in Your Gut: Knowledge tells us that the brain is in our head, but Heribert Watzke insists there’s one in our guts, too. There are millions of functioning neurons in our intestines, and this “hidden brain” has a few surprises.
13. Kwabena Boahen on a Computer That Works Like the Brain: The brain works better than any supercomputer, and Kwabena Boahen wants to mimic those powers. In this talk, you’ll see how Boahen is working to create a small, light, and superfast computer that mimics the brain.
14. Gero Miesenboeck Reengineers a Brain: Instead of recording the activity of each neuron, Gero Miesenboeck manipulates neurons to find out what they do. Watch this talk for an advanced understanding of how the brain works.
15. Tom Chatfield: 7 Ways Games Reward the Brain: People love to play games, and most players feel rewarded and fulfilled during and after playing a game. Tom Chatfield explores how games engage the brain and dole out rewards.
16. VS Ramachandran on Your Mind: Take a look into the brain’s most basic mechanisms with VS Ramachandran. This neurologist discusses what brain damage can tell us about cerebral tissue and the mind.
17. Keith Barry Does Brain Magic: We all know that the brain is magical, but Keith Barry takes it a step further. This talk shows us how our brains can fool our bodies with feats of brain magic.
18. Henry Markram Builds a Brain in a Supercomputer: Supercomputers may be modeled after the brain, but this one in particular is designed to help the brain. Henry Markram’s supercomputer models the brain’s synapses in order to solve the mysteries of the mind.
19. Helen Fisher Studies the Brain in Love: Romantic love has a profound impact on life, and Helen Fisher studies what it does to our brains. In this talk, Fisher discusses MRIs of people in love, and people who have been dumped.
20. Jim Fallon: Exploring the Mind of a Killer: Have you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of a killer? Neuroscientist Jim Fallon takes a look into what exactly makes them tick.