Learn · Gresham College

Lecture series6 lectures

Mathematics and the Brain: How Mathematics Changed the Way We Think about Ourselves

Professor Alain Goriely FRS · Gresham College

Start with lecture 1 At Gresham College

About

For centuries, scientists have tried to identify what is special about the human brain. How do we approach this problem from a mathematical standpoint? The first hypothesis is that bigger is better, in some sense. This introductory lecture uses scaling laws and simple ideas from statistics to study the brains of humans and animals and uncover basic principles that govern their sizes, as well as testing hypotheses that link size to intelligence.

Lectures

  1. The Big Brain: Size and Intelligence 2024-09-17 · YouTube
  2. The Convoluted Brain: Wrinkles and Folds 2024-11-12 · Audio
  3. The Connected Brain: Network and Communication 2025-02-04 · Audio
  4. The Turbulent Brain: Rhythms and Waves 2025-03-18 · Audio
  5. The Troubled Brain: Ageing and Dementia 2025-05-13 · Audio
  6. The Deceived Brain: Coding and Illusion 2025-06-17 · Audio

Credits and licence

Institution
Gresham College
Speaker
Professor Alain Goriely FRS
Year
2024
Level
For everyone
Language
English
Subjects
Mathematics, Biology, Medicine and health, Psychology and the brain
Source
Gresham College
Licence
Educational use (Gresham College's terms), as Gresham College states it. Gresham College's terms
Attribution
Gresham College states: "We positively encourage the use of the Gresham College lecture transcripts, audio and video files for educational purposes. However, we do not allow use of Gresham College materials for commercial, personal or institutional gain."
Who can watch
Gresham College gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Teens profiles and older, judged from what the source says about it. How courses are placed