This program is from a six-part series that aired on NOVA scienceNOW on PBS. The brain is a miraculous organ that can be held in the palm of a hand; it has 100 billion nerve cells functioning in complex ways. Although there are still many mysteries related to the brain, cutting edge research by neuroscientists is telling us more about it.
Host Neil deGrasse Tyson travels to Las Vegas where he chats with magicians, including Penn and Teller, about their craft. They have much to teach us about attention and human perception. The second segment focuses on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the preparations of Watson, a machine getting ready to take on a human contestants in "Jeopardy." Watching this account, we are compelled to think about the differences between AI and human intelligence. Host Neil deGrasse Tyson speculates on whether machines might do research work and serve as assistants to doctors and lawyers.
Magnetic wands are being used with people who have physical pain as well as those with depression. Researchers discovered these therapeutic results by applying the wand to the appropriate areas of the brain. The final section of the program profiles the work of David Eagleman, a neuroscientist doing pioneer work in time perception and in synesthesia.
