What if your brain at 77 were as plastic as it was at 7? What if you could learn Mandarin with the ease of a toddler or play Rachmaninoff without breaking a sweat? A growing understanding of neuroplasticity suggests these fantasies could one day become reality. Neuroplasticity may also be the key to solving diseases like Alzheimer’s, depression, and autism. In this program, leading neuroscientists discuss their most recent findings and both the tantalizing possibilities and pitfalls for our future cognitive selves.

PARTICIPANTS: Alvaro Pascual-Leone, Nim Tottenham, Carla Shatz

MODERATOR: Guy McKhann

MORE INFO ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND PARTICIPANTS: https://www.worldsciencefestiv....al.com/programs/nuts

This program is part of the BIG IDEAS SERIES, made possible with support from the JOHN TEMPLETON FOUNDATION.

- SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel and "ring the bell" for all the latest videos from WSF
- VISIT our Website: http://www.worldsciencefestival.com
- LIKE us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldsciencefestival
- FOLLOW us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorldSciFest

TOPICS:
- Opening film 00:00
- What is neuroplasticity? 03:53
- Participant introductions 04:21
- Structure of the brain 05:21
- Is the brain fundamentally unwired at the start? 07:02
- Why does the process of human brain development seem inefficient? 08:30
- Balancing stability and plasticity 10:43
- Critical periods of brain development 13:01
- Extended human childhood development compared to other animals 14:54
- Stability and. plasticity in the visual system 17:37
- Reopening the visual system 25:13
- Pros and cons of brain plasticity vs. stability 27:28
- Plasticity in the autistic brain 29:55
- What is Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) 31:25
- Phases of emotional development 33:10
- Schizophrenia and plasticity 37:40
- Recovery from brain injury 40:24
- Modern rehabilitation techniques 47:21
- Holy grail of Neuroscience 50:12
- Enhancing memory performance as we age 53:37
- Regulating emotions 57:19

PROGRAM CREDITS:
- Produced by Nils Kongshaug
- Associate Produced by Christine Driscoll
- Opening film written / produced by Vin Liota
- Music provided by APM
- Additional images and footage provided by: Getty Images, Shutterstock, Videoblocks

This program was recorded live at the 2018 World Science Festival and has been edited and condensed for YouTube.

SEMINAR TITLE: “Black People in the Biblical Lands of Kush andEgypt & Their Contributions to the World.”

3) Ancient African contributions in Social Organization – August 13th"Social Organization & Female Rulers." Article written by Professor Manu on the misleading Queen Hatshepsut exhibit at the de Young Museum (SF) in 2006. https://manuampim.com/hatshepsut_exhibit06.html

Background:Presenter is Professor Manu Ampim:Prof. Manu Ampim is the director of Advancing The Research and is a noted historian and scholar specializing in Africana Studies. He has conducted primary (first-hand) research in nearly two dozen countries over the past 30 years, and is the author of numerous scholarly articles and several books, including his latest work, A History of African Civilizations (2019). Prof. Ampim is also a tenured professor at Contra Costa College (San Pablo, CA) and Chair of the History, Anthropology, and Geography Department. In addition, he has facilitated various workshops throughout North America, and has worked with several renowned scholars.Week 1 Resources document that Professor Ampim compiled to help support the attendees of the class last week and to further answer the main questions that were raised. I noted in the Bibliography that my book, A History of African Civilizations ($24.95), is the most relevant source for the 6-week seminar and can be ordered below.https://advancingtheresearch.o....rg/product/a-history This Seminar is part of the Brother-to-Brother Education SeriesHosted by the Brother-to-Brother Grouphttps://www.brother-to-brother.org/

God, they say, is in the details. But could God also be in our frontal lobes? Every culture from the dawn of humankind has imagined planes of existence beyond the reach of our senses, spiritual domains that shape our Earthly experiences. Why do beliefs of the fantastic hold such powerful sway over our species? Is there something in our evolutionary history that points to an answer? Does neuroscience hold the key? Straddling the gap between science and religion, Brian Greene is joined by renowned neuroscientists, anthropologists, and evolutionary biologists, to explore one of the most profound mysteries of our existence.

PARTICIPANTS: Lisa Barrett, Barbara J. King, Zoran Josipovic, Steven Pinker

MODERATOR: Brian Greene

MORE INFO ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND PARTICIPANTS: https://www.worldsciencefestiv....al.com/programs/beli

This program is part of the BIG IDEAS SERIES, made possible with support from the JOHN TEMPLETON FOUNDATION.

- SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel and "ring the bell" for all the latest videos from WSF
- VISIT our Website: http://www.worldsciencefestival.com
- LIKE us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldsciencefestival
- FOLLOW us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorldSciFest

TOPICS:
0:00 - Introduction
01:05 - Overview of religious beliefs
12:15 - Panelist intros
14:27 - Panelists share personal religious beliefs
18:28 - Broadening our views of belief
19:15 - Do other animals have a sense of spirituality?
20:50 - What is evolutionary psychology?
27:51 - Are humans wired for belief?
32:36 - Is there evidence of an internal predilection of religious belief?
37:46 - Searching for the origin of religious belief
45:21 - Is there an adaptive value of religious belief?
49:31 - Advantages of religious belief relating to the nervous system
55:24 - Why has religion persisted for so long?
1:00:30 - Religion as an emotional response vs a social mechanism
1:08:20 - The future of the role of religion
1:14:15 - What would aliens think of our religious beliefs?

PROGRAM CREDITS:
- Produced by John Plummer
- Associate Produced by Laura Dattaro
- Opening media created by Josh Zimmerman
- Music provided by APM
- Additional images and footage provided by: Getty Images, Shutterstock, Videoblocks

This program was recorded live at the 2018 World Science Festival and has been edited and condensed for YouTube.

For more cool science visit http://www.scienceandcocktails.org
In the framework of the largest string theory conference in the world, Strings 2019, Science and Cocktails organized a special event at Flagey in Brussels. We were sipping cocktails in the art-deco building with string theorist and science superstar Robbert Dijkgraaf as he told us all about the fundamental laws of Nature. Afterwards, cellist and composer Benjamin Glorieux performed a musical piece together with invited guests especially commissioned for the occasion, while live-video artist Klaas Verpoest accompanied them with his visual magic.

What is string theory? What happens to stuff that falls inside a black hole? What are the fundamental building blocks of space and time? Did Nature have any choice in picking the fundamental laws of physics? What is the role of mathematics in physics?

This talk by professor Robbert Dijkgraaf was recorded on 13 July 2019 at Flagey in Brussels. For more science lectures with dry ice cocktails and live music, visit:

• Science & Cocktails Brussels
Web: http://www.scienceandcocktails.org/bxl
Contact: bxl@scienceandcocktails.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scienceandcocktailsbxl
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playli....st?list=PL2c_ujuXhAv