Course Descriptions

This course offers an introduction to the larger issues concerning the nature of consciousness and the brain. It will survey the most prominent theories of how the brain and consciousness are related and how they interact. It will also explore current topics such as consciousness in the left and right hemispheres, mirror neurons and the social brain, and the nature of emotion, thought, memory, and perception, much of this through fascinating case studies such as those by Oliver Sacks, Vilaynaur Subramanian, and Michael S. Gazzaniga. The course will use a variety of readings, including Alan Comb's book in preparation, the The Protean Brain: A Metaphoric Tour of the Multifaceted Machinery of Thought, Reason, and Feeling. No experience in the study of the brain is required, but it is recommended that students have some background or comfort with biological ideas.