Brainscapes: The Warped, Wondrous Maps Written in Your Brain

The brain is made of maps, and that’s not a metaphor. Our brain is a whole atlas, and its maps describe our body, emotions, movements, and how we perceive the outside world through our senses. The existence of maps in the brain was discovered more than a century ago, but only recently have scientists managed to uncover some of their secrets and understand their deep impact on our lives. Brain landscapes determine our way of thinking and explain why we think, feel, and act the way we do. The structure of these maps shapes, on the one hand, the uniqueness of our personality, and on the other—our shared understanding and connection with other people. Neurobiologist Rebecca Schwarczloуз makes us look at ourselves from a new perspective and reveals the astonishing connection between our mind and the world around us.