Neuroscience Unveiled: Understanding Yourself & Others

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What can we learn from neuroscience that can better help us to understand ourselves and others? I was joined by renowned cognitive neuroscientist Chantel Prat, as we explored what neuroscience reveals about understanding ourselves and others. From unravelling the intricate neural mechanisms behind language and executive functions to uncovering the biological basis of individual differences in cognition there is a lot to discuss. Join us to gain profound insights into human behaviour, communication, and relationships. You can watch the interview here or review some insights further below.

The very biggest trick our brain plays on us is to remove uncertainty, and give us the illusion that the reality it is creating for us, based on incomplete snapshots of this infinite physical world and a huge amount of filling in the blanks based on what it expects to be going on, is based on our previous experiences.

1/ 🧐 The Role of Hemispheres: Did you know our brain has areas specifically for creating and evaluating stories we tell ourselves? Left hemisphere builds causal stories, right checks if they make sense – our stories shape our beliefs and actions!

2/ 🚀 Curiosity as a Change Agent: Chantel emphasizes how curiosity isn’t just a trait but a critical process, moderated by dopamine. It’s about feeling safe and motivated to explore, if we have this in the workplace it can lead to greater innovation.

3/ 🤝 Building Better Connections: According to Chantel, understanding our brain’s love for coherence (how our stories fit together) can help us foster healthier professional relationships and develop greater empathy.

4/ 🎓 Curiosity Over Confirmation Bias: Narcissistic traits and a fixed mindset can block our curiosity, leading us to only seek information that supports our pre-existing beliefs. Opening up to new perspectives from others enhances creativity and reduces biases.

5/ 🧠 Strategies for Piloting Your Brain: Chantel discusses understanding your brain’s unique wiring to better navigate challenges and learn new skills effectively.

6/ 📚 The Neuroscience of Learning: Chantel is currently exploring how we can use personalized neuroscience to control our learning experiences.

Chantel Prat is a professor at the University of Washington with appointments in the departments of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Linguistics; with affiliations at the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, the Center for Neurotechnology, and the Institute for Neuroengineering. She is a recipient of the Tom Trabasso Young Investigator Award from the Society for Text and Discourse and a Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institutes of Health. Chantel also speaks internationally at events like the World Science Festival. She is featured in the documentary film I Am Human. Her studies have been profiled in media ranging from Scientific American, Psychology Today, and Science Daily to Rolling Stone, Popular Mechanics, Pacific Standard, Travel + Leisure, and National Public Radio.

https://www.chantelprat.com/