Pint of Science Presents: The Art of Perception | Brain Awareness Week 2016

We rely on our senses to avoid cabs, bicyclists, and terrible Tinder dates, but why does our brain sometimes misinterpret the signals it receives from the outside world? At this Pint of Science event we will dive into the biology behind our senses, from the organs that sense external cues to the neurons that integrate sensory signals. Through discussions with Drs. Jim Hudspeth and Paula Croxson, along with live science demos, your questions about perception and why the brain and senses sometimes conflict will finally be answered!

7-10pm (show starts at 7:30)

Jim Hudspeth, Rockefeller University

“In your ear”

A Professor at Rockefeller University, Jim Hudspeth conducts research on hair cells, the sensory receptors of the inner ear.  He and his colleagues are especially interested in the active process that sensitizes the ear, sharpens its frequency selectivity, broadens its dynamic range—and even causes the spontaneous emission of sounds from the ear!  They also investigate the replacement of hair cells as a potential therapy for hearing loss.

Paula Croxson, Mount Sinai

“Your lying brain: how memory and perception influence each other”

Paula Croxson is an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she researches the brain mechanisms and chemicals that are responsible for memory. She’s particularly interested in complex, autobiographical life memories. Paula is from the UK and before coming to New York she received an M.A. in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and a M.Sc. and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Oxford. When she is not doing science, she plays the flute in alternative rock band Marlowe Grey.

DROM (dromnyc.com) at 85 Avenue A (between 5^th and 6^th Sts.) in the East Village. F, 6, R, V all walking distance from venue.

Free.