The brain continues to arouse interest and excitement in both scientists and laypeople. Not surprising, given two facts: 1) the brain is the most complex functional structure in the universe, and 2) we all have one! In this series you will get to know your brain, and the storm that rages inside it, every second of every day. You will learn about the organisation that emerges from it. We will discuss the neural bases for perception, emotion, action. We will discuss how this brain came to be, and what it can do. We will also discuss how high-tech brain imaging and brain stimulation tools are being used to understand your brain. And what else can these methods do? Can they read our mind, by measuring our brain? What is the neural basis of consciousness, and do we have free will?

Our brains have created statutes and statues, skyscrapers and sublime art. It is a social brain. It is a smart brain. Maybe it is time you got to know it...

The individual lectures
1. Meet your brain. Basics of brain and brain research. Organizational principles and the tools of neuroscience. (11 Mar)
2. Brain Storm. Learn how the brain works! From neurons to networks. (18 Mar)
3. Perception and Action. How we perceive and interact with our world. (25 Mar)
4. Consciousness. The neural basis of our experience and humanity (8 Apr)
​5. Brain reading. The present, future, and limitations, of cutting edge brain imaging. (15 April / van den Hurk)