Professor David Linden gathered answers from thirty-nine leading neuroscientists to the question: “What would you most like to tell people about the work of the brain?” That’s how this collection of popular-science essays was born—expanding our understanding of the human brain and its capabilities. In it, specialists in human behavior, molecular genetics, evolutionary biology, and comparative anatomy cover a wide variety of topics. Why does time in our perception sometimes fly by unnoticed and at other times drag on endlessly? Why, when driving a car, do we feel it as part of our own body? Why do children learn many skills faster than adults? What goes on in a teenager’s head? What mechanism is responsible for our intuition? Can we read other people’s thoughts? How do biological factors influence sexual orientation? How does the brain change under the influence of drugs? How can we help the brain recover after a stroke? Finally, is it ever possible to create an artificial brain similar to the human one?
The authors describe the most astonishing features of the brain, honestly explaining what is known—and what is still unknown to scientists—about how the nervous system works. The book will captivate everyone who is interested in brain science.