The Mind

"Theway Brockman interlaces essays about research on the frontiers of science withones on artistic vision, education, psychology and economics is sure to buzzany brain." —Chicago Sun-Times on This WillChange Everything

Markingthe debut of a hard-hitting new series from Edge.org and Harper Perennial,editor John Brockman delivers a cutting-edge master class covering everythingyou need to know about The Mind. With original contributions by theworld’s leading thinkers and scientists, including Steven Pinker, George Lakoff, Philip Zimbardo, V. S. Ramachandran, and others, The Mind offers aconsciousness-expanding primer on a fundamental topic. Unparalleled in scope,depth, insight and quality, Edge.org’s The Mind isnot to be missed.

From the frontiers of cognitive science and evolutionary psychology, leading thinkers explore:

• The Brain as Computer: Steven Pinker argues that the human mind is not a blank slate but a complex system of computational organs designed by natural selection.
• Emotions and Memory: Neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux reveals how emotional memories are formed in parallel to conscious ones, exploring the brain circuits that underlie fear and anxiety.
• Mirror Neurons and Self-Awareness: V. S. Ramachandran explains how ‘monkey-see-monkey-do’ neurons may be the key to empathy, imitation, and our ability to understand the minds of others—and our own.
• The Science of Happiness: Martin Seligman, a founder of positive psychology, distinguishes between the pleasant life, the good life, and the meaningful life, offering a scientific framework for eudaemonia.
• Moral Psychology: Why are we so passionate about right and wrong? Jonathan Haidt explores the evolutionary roots of morality, religion, and the intuitions that bind us into groups.