

Does having a big brain make your smarter? - Alain Goriely
Sep 20, 2024
Alain Goriely, a leading researcher in mathematical brain studies and Gresham Professor of Geometry, dives into the relationship between brain size and intelligence. He challenges the myth that bigger brains mean smarter minds, discussing how statistical methods can uncover deeper insights. The conversation covers historical contexts like phrenology, modern studies using MRI technology, and emphasizes the importance of neuron count over mere size. Through allometry and scaling laws, Goriely reveals the intricate connections between brain capacity, metabolic demands, and cognitive abilities across species.
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
1 2 3 4 5 6
Intro
00:00 • 3min
Mathematics and the Myths of Phrenology
02:50 • 5min
Analyzing Gossa's Brain Weight and Distribution
08:13 • 3min
Rethinking Intelligence: Brain Size vs. Capability
10:58 • 26min
Understanding Nonlinear Scaling in Biology: Allometry and Power Laws
37:03 • 5min
Rethinking Brain Size and Intelligence
41:37 • 13min