V.S. Ramachandran

Wednesday, February 29
Schofield Auditorium
7:30 pm

The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist's Quest for What Makes Us Human

Vilayanur S. Ramachandran is a mesmerizing speaker, able to concretely and simply describe the most complicated inner workings of the brain. His investigations into phantom limb pain, synesthesia and other brain disorders have allowed him to explore — and begin to answer — the most basic philosophical questions about the nature of self and human consciousness. In his new book, The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Quest for What Makes Us Human (2011), Ramachandran addresses the mystery of human uniqueness,
in an attempt to shed light on such complex areas as self-awareness, free will and consciousness.  Ramachandran is director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California, San Diego, and an adjunct professor at the Salk Institute. He was named one of 2011’s 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time magazine.