What can the brain tell us about the mind? Mon 20th January, 6:30pm, London School of Economics

The Ethics of the Cognitive Sciences: what can the brain tell us about the mind?

Monday 20 January, 6.30 – 8pm
Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE

Ray Dolan, Mary Kinross Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London
Peter Hacker, Emeritus Research Fellow, St John’s College, University of Oxford

Nikolas Rose, Professor of Sociology, King’s College London

Chair: Tali Sharot, Faculty Member and Director of the Affective Brain Lab, Department of Cognitive, Perceptual and Brain Sciences, UCL and Forum for European Philosophy Fellow

In April President Obama unveiled the ‘BRAIN’ Initiative—‘a bold new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind’. What, if anything, can neuroscience teach us about the mind? Does understanding the biology of the brain help illuminate human emotions, social relationships, decision making, personality? This session will bring together neuroscientists, sociologists and philosophers to debate this question.

Suggested hashtag for this event for Twitter users: #LSEbrain

This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. For any queries email events@lse.ac.uk or call 020 7955 6043.

http://www.lse.ac.uk/europeanInstitute/research/forumForEuropeanPhilosophy/events/consilience/Consilience.aspx

Posted: 17/01/2013

Measuring Happiness? Wed 15th January 2014, 6.30pm, London School of Economics

Measuring Happiness?

Wednesday 15 January, 6.30 – 8pm
Old Theatre, Old Building, London School of Economics

Paul Dolan, Professor of Behavioural Science, LSE
Elaine Fox, Professor of Cognitive & Affective Psychology and Director of The Oxford Centre for Emotions and Affective Neuroscience, University of Oxford
Andrew Oswald, Professor of Economics, Warwick University
Ben Page, Chief Executive, Ipsos MORI

Chair: Tali Sharot, Faculty Member and Director of the Affective Brain Lab, Department of Cognitive, Perceptual and Brain Sciences, UCL and Forum for European Philosophy Fellow

In 2010 Prime Minister David Cameron launched the ‘happiness index’ initiative, to calculate the wellbeing of the nation alongside financial data like GDP. The first reports regarding the nations’ happiness were published last year. What does it mean to measure happiness? Can it really be measured? If so, how? Is this a more meaningful indicator of the state of the nation than GDP? What have we learned about the happiness of UK citizens? This session will bring together neuroscientists, psychologists and economists to discuss these issues.

Suggested hashtag for this event for Twitter users: #LSEhappiness

http://www.lse.ac.uk/europeanInstitute/research/forumForEuropeanPhilosophy/Home.aspx

Posted: 10/01/2014