The Brain by New-Scientist -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

COVER TITLE PAGE COPYRIGHT CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 01. MEET YOUR BRAIN

Welcome to your brain A brief history of your grey matter Your brain through the ages Mapping the mind How your brain works

02. PERCEPTION

How your brain invents reality You are hallucinating right now The mind’s eye: sorting out what you see Making sense of your senses Your 22+ senses How your brain creates ‘now’ Magicology: magic and the brain Trick your sense of touch Fool your eyes A special case for faces

03. INTELLIGENCE

What exactly is intelligence? Can you boost your IQ? Are we getting more intelligent? Brain-off: you vs octopus Emotional intelligence Test your pillars of wisdom Why your high IQ doesn’t make you a genius

04. CONSCIOUSNESS

The enigma of consciousness What’s the point of being conscious? Meditate to expand consciousness How the brain creates consciousness DIY hallucinations Pay attention!

05. THE UNCONSCIOUS

Meet the unsung hero of your mind Don’t think about the white bear What your mind gets up to when your back is turned The weird world of your brain on autopilot The science of lying Accessing thoughts you don’t know you’re having How to hack your brain’s autopilot

06. THINKING

How we think Your hare and tortoise thinking systems Test your lateral thinking How language shapes your thoughts What if you can’t think in pictures? Why it’s good that I know that I know Your brain is not the only one doing the thinking What is a brainwave? Who is the brainiest of them all? Tools for better thinking

07. MEMORY AND LEARNING

How we recall the past What does a memory look like in the brain? Remembrance of things to come What if we couldn’t forget? How to remember anything Boost your memory How good is your memory? How do we learn? Harness the power of knowledge Do animals ever forget?

08. THE SELF

Who are you? Think your mind is firmly anchored in your body? Are you a psychopath? What makes you the person you are New body, old brain The essence of the true self Why your sense of self isn’t really about you When the self breaks What if you have no free will?

09. CREATIVITY

Your creative mind What goes on in your head when new ideas form? Humanity’s greatest inventions The power of imagining ‘what if?’ Is creativity linked to mental illness? Test your creative spark How to ignite your creative spark

10. DECISION-MAKING

Decisions, decisions ... Why clever people make stupid decisions Avoid the flaws that lead you astray How subtle forces shape your choices How do we decide right from wrong? How to make better decisions In three minds

11. THE SOCIAL BRAIN

Reading other people’s minds I think that you think that I think ... Why we’re wired to persuade The benefits of copying Moral dilemas Feeling lonely? You’re not on your own Hive minds: the power of group psychology

12. SLEEP AND DREAMING

What is sleep? Why we can’t stay awake 24/7 Can you sleep too much? When sleep goes wrong What makes a good night’s rest? Can I fill in the gaps with naps? Getting inside the dreaming mind Control your dreams

13. TROUBLESHOOTING

The pitfalls of sloppy thinking The mind-slips that lead to catastrophe Your brain on drugs Why falling in love derails the mind Six ways your brain can make you feel stupid The path to happiness Why we are so anxious – and how to get around it

14. UNLOCKING YOUR POTENTIAL

Defeating dementia and old age with brainpower Exercise to help your mind How to unleash your inner genius Brain gyms: is it worth visiting? Hack your brain the high-tech way Meditation: what can it do for your brain? How to master your memory Future-proof your brain

ABOUT THE OPTICAL ILLUSIONS MAKE YOUR OWN 3D BRAIN ANSWERS GLOSSARY FURTHER READING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHORS