Neuroscientist David Eagleman on Our Ever-Changing Brain

Dr. David Eagleman is creator/host of PBS's The Brain, a professor of neuroscience at Stanford University, and CEO/founder of Neosensory, a company that builds the next generation of neuroscience hardware.  He overturns science's traditional understand of brain plasticity and explains how the mind is able to constantly adapt to suit different circumstances.  He shares how a child can still function with half his brain missing, how babies start modeling the world from the moment they are born, and what happens if babies are deprived of that opportunity in their first months and years.  David also discusses why our 16-year-old self and our 40-year-old self are like entirely different people, why we lose brain plasticity as we age, but how areas of the brain age at different rates.  He reveals what neuroscience can contribute to criminal law, how his company NeoSensory is able to help deaf people hear through their skin, and how Elon Musk’s Neuralink technology may help overcome other injuries, but probably won’t turn you into a super-intelligent cyborg.  Plus David talks about what it’s like to be a science consultant for HBO’s Westworld. Order David Eagleman's book Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain on Amazon, Audible, or wherever books are sold.  Follow David at eagleman.com or on Twitter at @davideagleman.  Today's podcast was sponsored by V-Thrive, the Vitamin Shoppe brand of quality vitamins, supplements, & more.  Learn more/order at www.vitaminshoppe.com/PODCAST or visit The Vitamin Shoppe store near you. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.