As part of a series of For Humanity Illuminated events, on November 9, more than 300 members of the Yale community gathered in Boston, MA, to hear how research at the university is transforming the field of neuroscience.
The brain is at the core of our humanity. It enables creativity and problem solving, feeds empathy and altruism, and builds relationships and organizations. For thousands of years, philosophers and scientists have sought to understand how the brain and mind work, asking fundamental questions such as: What makes the human brain distinct from that of other species? How do neurons give rise to complex thought, emotion, memory, and behavior? How does the brain develop, how does it change with age, and what can go awry?