Greg Berns's guest appearances

Greg Berns

Center for Mind, Brain, and Culture

Jimmy Carter

Gordon Ramsay

Salman Rushdie

Jinho Choi

Joseph Ledoux

Anjan Chatterjee

Robert Frank

Melanie Mitchell

Matt Ridley

Chris Martin

Andy Clark

John Dunne

Dan Reynolds

Fiery Cushman

Molly Crockett

OwlTail

Mark Risjord

Neuroscience has advanced considerably in the 40 years after Nagel’s classic essay, posing the question of “what it’s like to be a bat.” Drawing on recent results in which dogs are trained for awake fMRI studies, Profs. Berns and Risjord will discuss and debate whether we are at the point where neuroscience can provide meaningful insights into the subjective experiences of other animals.

Neuroscience has advanced considerably in the 40 years after Nagel’s classic essay, posing the question of “what it’s like to be a bat.” Drawing on recent results in which dogs are trained for awake fMRI studies, Profs. Berns and Risjord will discuss and debate whether we are at the point where neuroscience can provide meaningful insights into the subjective experiences of other animals.

Public Conversation | Greg Berns and Mark Risjord | Can We Know What it's Like to Be a Dog?

We hypothesize that when people engage sacred values that underpin many political conflicts, they behave differently than when operating with the more mundane values of the marketplace and normal social interactions. Given the importance of sacred values, and their potential for triggering violent conflict, it is important to understand how sacred values become intertwined in decision making. Traditionally, this type of investigation has been the purview of anthropology and sociology. However, recent advances in functional brain imaging make it possible to use this technology to uncover biological signatures in the brain for sacred values and the neural systems that come online when they are violated.

We hypothesize that when people engage sacred values that underpin many political conflicts, they behave differently than when operating with the more mundane values of the marketplace and normal social interactions. Given the importance of sacred values, and their potential for triggering violent conflict, it is important to understand how sacred values become intertwined in decision making. Traditionally, this type of investigation has been the purview of anthropology and sociology. However, recent advances in functional brain imaging make it possible to use this technology to uncover biological signatures in the brain for sacred values and the neural systems that come online when they are violated.

Workshop 2014 (5 of 11) | Greg Berns | Brain Imaging Studies of Sacred Values and Social Norms

Scott Lilienfeld

What can we learn from brain imaging, and what are its limits? Drs. Gregory Berns and Scott Lilienfeld will discuss – and debate – the promise and perils of brain imaging with regard to mind-reading, neuromarketing, lie detection, criminal responsibility, and psychiatric diagnosis. More broadly, they will explore scientific and ethical controversies concerning neuroimaging, and strive to separate fact from fiction in both popular and academic coverage of this technology. (March 27, 2014)

What can we learn from brain imaging, and what are its limits? Drs. Gregory Berns and Scott Lilienfeld will discuss – and debate – the promise and perils of brain imaging with regard to mind-reading, neuromarketing, lie detection, criminal responsibility, and psychiatric diagnosis. More broadly, they will explore scientific and ethical controversies concerning neuroimaging, and strive to separate fact from fiction in both popular and academic coverage of this technology. (March 27, 2014)

Public Conversation | Greg Berns, Scott Lilienfeld | Brain Imaging:  Sense and Nonsense, Science and Nonscience