Title

This is Your Brain on Sci-Fi

Speaker

Narayanan "Bobby" Kasthuri
M.T. Anderson
Paul Kassel, Northern Illinois University

Files

Description

Bobby Kasthuri is a neuroscientist developing technology and methods to create a complete map of the human brain. His work has implications for the future of everything from treating mental illness to reverse-engineering aspects of human creativity and personality for artificial intelligence. M.T. Anderson writes mind-bending books for readers of all ages. His award-winning novel Feed featured a near-future society where people have the internet beamed directly into their brains. His most recent sci-fi novel Landscape with Invisible Hand explores what would happen if Earth suddenly became a member of a galactic empire that dominated humanity with economic and technological superiority rather than hostile invasion. The two share their work and share thoughts about the scientific and social impacts that might come from today’s bleeding-edge science.

The webinar commences with an interview with Paul Kassel, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and a full professor in the School of Theatre and Dance at Northern Illinois University. His current work explores how acting can be informed by an understanding of biology, neuroscience, and human evolution. Kassel has also worked with the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, and uses improv theater techniques to help researchers communicate their work to non-scientists.

Publication Date

8-19-2020

Keywords

science fiction, acting, science, technology advancements

Disciplines

Acting | Fiction | Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Legacy Department

School of Theatre and Dance

Recommended Citation

Kasthuri, Narayanan "Bobby"; Anderson, M.T.; and Kassel, Paul, "This is Your Brain on Sci-Fi" (2020). Future Telling: Science + Fiction Webinars. 7.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/events-futuretelling/7