Exploring New Frontiers in Neuroscience | Dr. Douglas Fields | Talks at Google
207Dr. R. Douglas Fields walks us through some of his fascinating discoveries in neuroscience. In the first part of his talk, he describes the research identifying neural circuits responsible for sudden aggression - from road rage to violence that fills the daily news. In the second part (starting at 28:54), he presents the roles and functioning of glia - strange brain cells that communicate without electricity. Glia comprise 85% of all cells in the brain and play very important roles, yet they were largely overlooked until recently.
Dr. Fields is a neurobiologist and internationally recognized as authority on brain development and the cellular mechanisms of memory. He is the author of books "Why We Snap", about the neuroscience of sudden aggression, and "The Other Brain", about glia. He is currently Chief of the Nervous System Development and Plasticity Section at the National Institutes of Health, and Adjunct Professor in the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program at the University of Maryland.
Get the book "Why We Snap": http://goo.gl/E57XzZ
Get the book "The Other Brain": http://goo.gl/awKfUS