The Plastic Brain: How It Shapes the Human Being

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I think the notion of how plastic the brain actually is is something that's totally underappreciated. I started off the book with a quotation from Heidegger who says, every man begins life as 10,000 men and dies as a single one. Anyone can achieve their fullest potential. Who we are might be predetermined, but the path we follow is always of our own choosing. We should never allow our fears or the expectations of others to set the frontiers of our destiny.

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David Eagleman (@davideagleman) is a neuroscientist, New York Times bestselling author, TED speaker, and Guggenheim Fellow. He is the writer and presenter of the Emmy-nominated series The Brain on PBS, as well as the podcast Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman. In Palo Alto, California, he teaches at Stanford University, runs a startup neurotech company called Neosensory, and directs the Center for Science and Law. Dr. Eagleman also runs a film and television production company, Cognito Entertainment, to bring scientific themes (fiction and nonfiction) to the screen. He is the author of eight books, including the international bestsellers Sum, Incognito, and his newest book, Livewired.

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[07:10] Mnemonists and synesthetes.

[12:13] Creating new senses.

[17:39] Practical applications in practice.

[24:36] Five years from now.

[28:26] The curious resilience and vulnerability of memory.

[32:25] Testing the accuracy of memory.

[34:50] Meeting Francis Crick.

[36:25] The dangerous lumberjack.

[39:43] Dream projects.

[41:23] Exploring consciousness.

[44:38] Dreaming and brain plasticity.

[54:13] Influences.