Course Description
Our brain makes up about 2% of our total weight but uses 20% of our available energy in its resting state, more than a half hour of strenuous exercise? A remarkable organ, with more than 100 billion neurons and hundreds of trillions of connections, our brain developed for survival and procreation, not accuracy, and so routinely steers us wrong. That is not a weakness but is rather necessary to maximize speed and efficiency. Advertisers and politicians use this knowledge to manipulate us. Designed for the layperson, this course does not require a science background. We will study how the brain is structured, how it works, and how it influences our behaviors and beliefs. Students will understand why our brain works as it does, how it sometimes lets us down, and how we can improve its health and our use of it. The course includes lecture, slides, and videos, with time set aside for questions and discussion.
Matt Epstein
Matt Epstein has had multiple careers including law, Executive Director of university based centers, teaching high school, college, law school, and medical school, starting various businesses, and working with youth, prisoners, and addicts. He is presently a principle in both a for profit consulting company and a not for profit service organization. He has a BA in Psychology from Yale and Law Degrees from the University of New Hampshire and Boston University.