The 47th Nobel Conference: The Brain and Being Human Posted on July 7th, 2011 by

The 47th annual Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College, scheduled for Oct. 4-5, 2011, is titled The Brain and Being Human and will engage audience members with topics and discussion in the field of neuroscience.

Understanding what it is to be human means understanding the brain. This intriguing scientific challenge has grabbed the attention of more and more people from all walks of life. You may have noticed how often brain science pops up; breakthroughs are highlighted in the news almost daily and even serve as the basis for TV entertainment in shows like Law and Order or interviews on the Colbert Report. The application of neuroscience has changed the way the NFL manages concussive injuries, led to laws prohibiting the exchange of text messages while driving, and suggested that exercise will not only trim your waistline but also improve your memory.

Just three years ago, during the 44th Nobel Conference, “Who Were the First Humans?” we learned how human brains have grown larger as our communities have grown. Our hope is that people with a variety of interests and backgrounds and from all corners of campus and the wider community will realize that they can be part of this neuroscience conversation.

In 1994, the distinguished speakers who participated in the 30th Nobel Conference, “Unlocking the Brain,” provided a window for us to see how a set of electrical events traveling around in our head could account for how we move, feel, and learn. In the past two decades, the pace of discovery in neuroscience has been astonishing, and the breadth of the field has expanded dramatically to encompass almost all human activities. It serves as a bridge between different disciplinary perspectives, producing exciting new vantage points in the study of the human experience. Now, in 2011, we make the leap to explore these grand new ideas at the 47th Nobel Conference. Although we are humbled by the complexity of the undertaking, we are excited to share with you the boundless possibilities of “The Brain and Being Human.”

Please note a slight change in Tuesday’s schedule as Larry J. Young will now deliver the opening lecture at 10 a.m. Vilayanur Ramachandran’s lecture has been moved to 1 p.m. and will occur via teleconference.

Tuesday, Oct. 4:

Wednesday, Oct. 5:

For almost five decades, Gustavus has organized and hosted the two-day Nobel Conference, which draws about 6,000 people to the college campus in St. Peter, Minn. The conference links a general audience, including high school students and teachers, with the world’s foremost scholars and researchers in discussion centered on contemporary issues relating to the natural and social sciences.

Tickets are sold out for the 47th annual Nobel Conference, however, the conference will be streamed live online.

For more information about the 47th annual Nobel Conference, go online to gustavus.edu/nobelconference.

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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510

 

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