The complexity of the human brain and how it gives rise to our understanding and experience of the world around us is one of the greatest mysteries remaining in science today. While recent discoveries in neuroscience are providing us with new insights into the workings of the brain, a comprehensive science of the mind is only just beginning to emerge.

Moderated by Steve Paulson, Executive Producer of Wisconsin Public Radio's To The Best Of Our Knowledge, this four-part lecture series brings together leading experts from various fields to discuss how the latest research is challenging our understanding of the very nature and function of consciousness in our daily lives.

The Thinking Ape: The Enigma of Human Consciousness
Wednesday, October 10, 2012 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Sold Out

Nobel laureate psychologist Daniel Kahneman, philosopher David Chalmers, expert in primate cognition Laurie Santos, and physician-scientist Nicholas Schiff discuss the origin and nature of consciousness, with a special emphasis on what makes humans unique with respect to our cognitive, aesthetic, and ethical behaviors. Learn More
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The Mystery of Memory: In Search of the Past
Wednesday, November 14, 2012 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Sold Out

Psychologist Daniel Schacter, neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux, historian of science and medicine Alison Winter, and novelist and comparative literature professor André Aciman join forces to discuss how memory impacts our perception of ourselves, the development of personality, and the ability to construct and reconstruct our past experience. Learn More
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Music & the Mind: The Magical Power of Sound
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Sold Out

Cognitive neuroscientists and musicians Daniel Levitin and Jamshed Bharucha join music therapy pioneer Concetta Tomaino and jazz pianist Vijay Iyer to discuss the ability of music to both heal and elicit specific emotions at the interface of body, mind, and memory. Learn More
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Becoming Conscious: The Science of Mindfulness
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Sold Out

Neuroscientists Richard Davidson and Amishi Jha join mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn to explore the role of consciousness in mental and physical health, and what science is revealing about the transformation of consciousness through mindfulness and contemplative practice. Learn More
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