Brain Myths Exploded: Lessons from Neuroscience

Team up with a brain expert and use the needle of neuroscience to burst popular myths about memory, dreams, and more.

Overview

Course No. 1671

Much of what we think we know about the brain is based on misconceptions. This 24-lecture course shatters common brain myths while revealing fascinating truths about how our minds really work. Neuroscientist Dr. Viskontas replaces popular misconceptions with scientific facts from cutting-edge research, covering topics including:

• Memory and perception
• Consciousness and decision-making
• Mental illness and neuroplasticity
• Sleep and dreams
• Gender differences and social behavior

Each lecture tackles a specific myth, using it as a springboard to explore deeper neuroscience concepts through experiments, case studies, and research findings.

Video Lectures

01: Is Your Brain Perfectly Designed? (33 min)

Debunk the myth of perfect brain design while exploring how evolution and experience shape our neural architecture.

02: Are Bigger Brains Smarter? (30 min)

Examine brain size versus intelligence through concepts like the Encephalization quotient and studies of Einstein’s brain.

03: Is Mental Illness Just a Chemical Imbalance? (32 min)

Explore the complex realities behind schizophrenia and depression that go beyond simple chemical explanations.

04: Are Creative People Right-Brained? (28 min)

Discover why the left-brain/right-brain dichotomy is misleading and how creativity actually involves whole-brain collaboration.

05: How Different Are Male and Female Brains? (31 min)

Separate fact from fiction regarding gender differences in brain structure and emotional expression.

06: How Accurate Is Your Memory? (30 min)

Learn how memories are encoded and retrieved, and explore the “Seven Sins of Memory” that distort our recollections.

07: Do You Only Use 10% of Your Brain? (30 min)

Reveal the truth about brain capacity usage during both focused activities and passive states.

08: Do You Perceive the World as It Really Is? (29 min)

Discover how your brain creates sensory shortcuts that construct your subjective reality.

09: Is Your Brain Too Smart for Magic Tricks? (30 min)

Understand how magicians exploit neurological principles like selective attention and change blindness.

10: Is Your Brain Objective? (31 min)

Explore confirmation bias and why our brains favor existing beliefs over objective evidence.

11: Do You Have 5 Independent Senses? (28 min)

Learn about proprioception, synesthesia, and how our senses constantly interact.

12: Can Certain Foods Make You Smarter? (31 min)

Evaluate scientific truths behind “brain foods” and the potential of cognitive-enhancing drugs.

13: Can Brain Games Make You Smarter? (30 min)

Assess the effectiveness of brain-training programs versus alternatives like exercise and socialization.

14: Does Your Brain Shut Down during Sleep? (28 min)

Explore what really happens neurologically during sleep and why we need it.

15: Are Your Decisions Rational? (29 min)

Uncover the “mental laziness” hardwired into our decision-making processes.

16: Are You Always Conscious while Awake? (31 min)

Probe theories about the nature and purpose of consciousness in neuroscience.

17: Are Other Animals Conscious? (29 min)

Examine evidence of consciousness in animals from primates to octopi.

18: Can You Multitask Efficiently? (30 min)

Learn why true multitasking is neurologically impossible for attention-demanding tasks.

19: Are Dreams Meaningful? (31 min)

Explore theories about dream functions in memory consolidation and emotional processing.

20: Can Brain Scans Read Your Mind? (30 min)

Understand what neuroimaging can (and can’t) reveal about mental processes.

21: Can Adult Brains Change for the Better? (29 min)

Discover neuroplasticity and how adults can still grow new neural connections.

22: Do Special Neurons Enable Social Life? (31 min)

Investigate mirror neurons and other specialized cells involved in social behavior.

23: Is Your Brain Unprejudiced? (31 min)

Confront the neuroscience of implicit bias and in-group preferences.

24: Does Technology Make You Stupid? (32 min)

Evaluate claims about technology’s effects on attention spans, memory, and intelligence.