Brain CafÉ 2013
All Brain Cafés take place at the University Library (UB), Floor 1, Room 9, of the Ruhr-University Bochum at 6 pm. All lectures are held in German.
Brain CafÉ - JANUARY to MARCH 2013
23.01.2013 General Basics of Stem Cell Research, Current Controversies and Perspectives for Neuroscience
Prof. Dr. Andreas Faissner, Cellmorphology and Molecular Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology
Research in the area of Stem cell biology has shown a dramatic increase for several years now. The importance of this scientific field is also reflected in the awarding the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine 2012 to J.B. Gurdon and S. Yamanaka – two stem cell researchers. The analysis of embryonic as well as tissue-specific stem cells concerns fundamental research and has led to rapid progress in the field. Furthermore, questions about the keeping, reproduction and application of stem cells provide numerous references to biotechnology and medical applications. But the possibilities of expansion and manipulation of stem cells also raise general questions, which extend into several fields of ethics, jurisdiction and social policy and which have been subject of controversial debate throughout Europe for years.
Download audio podcast (98 MB | 53:22 min)
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20.02.2013 Learning and forgetting in a healthy brain
Prof. Dr. Denise Manahan-Vaughan, Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine
When we learn we store what we have learned in our brain. That is to say we store this information in our neurons. How is it possible for us to be able to create so many memories, which sometimes last for a lifetime? Does forgetfulness mean that our brain is no longer healthy? This lecture will explain the physiology of memory formation.
20.03.2013 Learning under Stress: Does this work? And if so, how?
PD Dr. Lars Schwabe, Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology
Everybody knows stress. Whether in school, at university, or at the office, for many of us stress is part of everyday life. But did you know that stress can have influence on how and how much we learn and remember?
Do we become forgetful due to stress? Do we learn more or less under pressure or simply differently? How does stress influence learning and memory processes in our brain? In his lecture Dr. Lars Schwabe will answer these and further exciting questions.
All Brain Cafés take place at the University Library (UB), Floor 1, Room 9, of the Ruhr-University Bochum at 6 pm. All lectures are held in German.
You can download the Flyer Brain Café Jan-Mar with the exact location here.
Brain CafÉ 2012
Brain CafÉ - September to November 2012
19.09.2012 My Left and my Right Self: How our two halves of the brain contribute to the development of the concept of self
PD Dr. Martina Manns, Biopsychology, Institute for Cognitive Neurosciences, Faculty of Psychology
When we think about ourselves, we tend to see ourselves as a person: our being, our “self” does not seem divided to us. This, however, is not a given; we do indeed have two halves of the brain, which differ in structure and function and therefore process and evaluate information in different manners. “Folk psychology” likes to discuss our rational left and our emotional right hemispheres of the brain. What if both hemispheres had their own concept of self? With the help of current research from the cognitive neurosciences, the talk by Martina Manns will examine the question of where our two halves of the brain differ and how this differentiation contributes to the development of a concept of self. A series of fascinating, bizarre phenomena and disorders illustrate that the picture we have of our “self” is an interpretation of the brain, a process in which various networks of both halves of the brain are involved in.
Download audio podcast (93 MB | 64:41 min)
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24.10.2012 Gone to the dogs: Neurogenetics
Prof. Dr. Jörg T. Epplen, Human genetics, Faculty of Medicine
“Man’s best friend”, the dog, can suffer from various diverse hereditary diseases, just like his or her owner. Depending on the breed of dog, such diseases can actually occur more frequently in the household pet. With clarification about what the causes of these illnesses are, so-called Gen-Tests can be developed with which a breed can be freed of hereditary disease through selective breeding. Modern research methods can even give us deeper insight into the corresponding diseases in people. Prof. Dr. Jörg T. Epplen shows this in his talk with the example of hereditary vision disorders. His research also endeavors to develop brand new strategies for the treatment of hereditary diseases for both dog and man.
Download audio podcast (74 MB | 52:04 min)
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21.11.2012 Zen and the Neurosciences: When body and spirit come closer together
Dipl. Phys. Sebastian Thomas Philipp, Neuroinformatics, LMU München & Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Meditative practices have been at home in almost all cultures of the world for thousands of years; their common core is a visibly present lifestyle in the here and now, and their common practice is “sitting still.” Outwardly, nothing really happens during meditation, but within the body much can be happening. Sebastian Philipp wants his talk to impart that the inner conditions during meditation have the potential to initiate learning processes in the brain, and that meditation can thus radically change our perception of ourselves and of the world. The basis for the talk is composed of research findings from a collaboration project between the LMU München and the Institute for Neuroinformatics at the RUB.
Download audio podcast (91 MB | 38:39 min)
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All Brain Cafés take place at the University Library (UB), Floor 1, Room 9, of the Ruhr-University Bochum at 6 pm. All lectures are held in German.
You can download the Flyer Brain Café Sep-Nov with the exact location here.