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

- 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](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/series/mathematics-and-brain-how-mathematics-changed-way-we-think-about-ourselves)
- Licence: [Educational use (Gresham College's terms)](https://www.gresham.ac.uk/terms-and-conditions)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

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](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/gresham/series-mathematics-and-brain-how-mathematics-changed-way-we-think-about-ourselves/c775d4ce1703) (YouTube)
2. [The Convoluted Brain: Wrinkles and Folds](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/gresham/series-mathematics-and-brain-how-mathematics-changed-way-we-think-about-ourselves/ebc166dc9b35) (Audio)
3. [The Connected Brain: Network and Communication](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/gresham/series-mathematics-and-brain-how-mathematics-changed-way-we-think-about-ourselves/643f352f4bea) (Audio)
4. [The Turbulent Brain: Rhythms and Waves](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/gresham/series-mathematics-and-brain-how-mathematics-changed-way-we-think-about-ourselves/363857e1a0db) (Audio)
5. [The Troubled Brain: Ageing and Dementia](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/gresham/series-mathematics-and-brain-how-mathematics-changed-way-we-think-about-ourselves/c7d5222e660a) (Audio)
6. [The Deceived Brain: Coding and Illusion](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/gresham/series-mathematics-and-brain-how-mathematics-changed-way-we-think-about-ourselves/fb6270ea83df) (Audio)