Your Best Brain [reduced]

The human brain is the most complex object in the known universe. This amazing organ has unique powers to make predictions about the future, form relationships with other people, adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, and much, much more.

But how does the brain accomplish these astonishing feats? We all have a basic conception of our brain’s role in consciousness, memory, emotion, attention, creativity, and so forth. But what exactly goes on in the brain to make these things happen? And—even more intriguing—what happens when the intricate systems in the brain are not functioning as they should?

In Your Best Brain, Professor Medina walks you through the latest, peer-reviewed neuroscience research in an attempt to shed light on the mysterious world inside your head. Explore what science has discovered about:

Memory: Although we tend think of memory systems like hard drives in computers, there are actually many memory systems, and they are nothing like computer hard drives. You'll see exactly how your brain remembers details and events… and the surprising reason it forgets about them all.
Senses: Between your senses—like sight and smell—and your perception of those senses sit powerful processing and interpretative filtering systems. You’ll uncover how the brain translates cues from the environment to create what we perceive as reality.
Emotions: Fear. Excitement. Happiness. Grief. Anger. From where do all these emotions come? You’ll explore how the brain generates and uses emotions to connect with others, as well as to direct your attention to what’s important.
Creativity: Brain scientists don’t really know what “creativity” is, but the cognitive gadget that may come closest to describing it is something called “cognitive disinhibition”. This is a process where the brain stubbornly refuses to rule out information that on the surface seems irrelevant to the task at hand. This fluidity of thought allows for staggering innovation—for example, the production of a designer fabric from discarded sour milk.

Lectures:
1 How Your Brain Works
2 Your Unique Thinking Abilities
3 Damaged Brain, Damaged Function
4 Neuroplasticity: Your Flexible Brain
5 How Your Brain Uses Memory
6 The Advantages of Forgetting
7 Creativity and Fluid Intelligence
8 How Your Brain Uses Your Senses
9 Seeing with Your Brain: Vision
10 Feeling with Your Brain: Emotion
11 How Emotion Drives Attention
12 Pleasure and Your Brain
13 What Makes You Happy
14 How Your Brain Manages Stress
15 Your Social Brain
16 How Infant Brains Work
17 How Adolescent Brains Work
18 Sex and Your Brain
19 How Your Brain Ages
20 How Your Brain Copes with Grief
21 How Self-Control Works
22 The Power of Exercise
23 Improving Your Memory
24 Why Your Brain Needs Sleep

Natural Law and Human Nature

Neuroscience of Everyday Life

New Frontiers: Modern Perspectives on Our Solar System

No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life

Nutrition Made Clear

Oceanography: Exploring Earth's Final Wilderness

Odyssey of Homer

On the Frontiers of Astronomy

Origins of the Human Mind

Understanding Complexity

An Introduction to Formal Logic