The Brain

The brain directs the human body. It influences the other organs and also coordinates thoughts and actions. Instinctive responses, speech, reflexive capacity and the emotions all depend on the brain. However, the question as to the precise functioning of the thousands of millions of neurones making up the brain is yet to be answered and is, perhaps, one of the most fascinating challenges facing the scientific community.

Aware of the extraordinary importance of this research, the European Commission has recently chosen the project The Human Brain as the flagship research initiative for its investment in science since it is considered that this will open up the way for future advances in the information technologies, which are then expected to benefit industry and society. In this lecture series, four Catalan scientists describe the new horizons that have been opened up by the latest discoveries in neuroscience.

“The Brain” is the third cycle in the ICREA-CCCB Debates, a regularly occurring joint endeavour which aims to inform the general public of the advances being made and challenges facing top-ranking scientists currently working in Catalonia.