The Mind and Methods of V.S. Ramachandran

8232“A lot of the time when you think the patient is crazy, it means you’re not smart enough to figure it out.” – V.S. Ramachandran

Seeing numbers as colors. Feeling the pain from a phantom limb. Sensing shadowy figures around your bed. V.S. Ramachandran, PhD studies these seeming anomalies of the mind to discover the bigger questions about how our brains function. Dive in to a fascinating conversation as he joins William Mobley, MD, PhD to discuss his fascinating career and his scientific process.

Watch The Mind and Methods of V.S. Ramachandran on The Brain Channel.

Critical Thinking and Imagination in Science, with Ryan Shenvi

8232“…how do you know that you know?”

With this, The Scripps Research Institute’s Ryan Shenvi delivers a captivating exposition of why the most important function of science is not to provide answers, but to ask more and better questions in order to advance our knowledge – and what is critical to this process.

From CS Lewis, one of the greatest literary critics and debate masters of the 20th century, to Karl Popper, grandfather of science philosophy, to his own use of the scientific method to overturn assumptions about processes in metabolic reactions — and perhaps provide better preventive treatments against malarial infection — Ryan weaves a fascinating and engaging proof of one of the most fundamental, but most oft forgotten facts about science. As Karl Popper wrote: “There is no such thing as proof in science…science advances only by disproof.”

With some interesting stops along the way to ask — and answer — simple questions like “is water really blue?” Ryan goes beyond a convincing proof of Popper. What qualities enable this process of continual disproof we call the scientific method?

Ryan’s vital message is the absolute necessity of imagination and critical thinking in asking the questions that advance this process of “disproof,” and give us assurances that we do know what we know.

Watch Ryan Shenvi – Strong Inference, then browse more programs in the Saturday Science series.

Irwin Jacobs: Research Universities, Industry and Innovation

8232Irwin Jacobs – hotel magnate?

Had he listened to a high school counselor who said there was no future in science and that he should pursue the hotel business at Cornell, Irwin Jacobs’ career could have taken a whole other track. Fortunately for the world of technology, Jacobs was drawn back to engineering.

In this presentation of the Herb York Memorial Lecture Series, Jacobs recounts stories about life before and after Qualcomm — from his relocation to San Diego from MIT, to the tumultuous student life here at UC San Diego in the ’60’s, to the shift from academic life to the business realm and the development of Linkabit and Qualcomm.

The Co-Founder of Qualcomm provides insight into the role UC San Diego played in enabling him and his colleagues to build one of the largest information technology companies in the world. Dr. Jacobs is the featured speaker in this presentation by the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation at the University of California.

Watch Research Universities, Industry and Innovation with Irwin Jacobs — Herb York Memorial Lecture 2014.

Saturday Science at The Scripps Research Institute

8232Saturday Science at Scripps Research brings the excitement of research and the passion of The Scripps Research Institutes’ scientists and researchers to middle and high school students in Southern California. Every lecture highlights the cutting-edge research occurring at The Scripps Research Institute and provides a window into the life of a scientist.

In the first program, Sandra Encalada describes her work that interfaces the fields of cell biology, genetics and biochemistry in understanding the role of cellular motor-based transport in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Watch Saturday Science at The Scripps Research Institute.

Understanding and Protecting the Planet, Enriching Human Life and Society — UC San Diego Founders Symposium 2014

8232This annual celebration of UC San Diego’s founding in 1960 highlights guest speakers showcasing the knowledge and innovation originating on this dynamic campus.

Areas of research cover various topics, from air quality and the environment, economics of energy costs and climate change, to personalized cancer treatment and big data.

The 2014 Founders Symposium features top UC San Diego faculty presenting their latest research, including:

Matthew Alford of Scripps Institution of Oceanography on “Chasing Waves: Measuring Skyscraper-High Waves Beneath the Sea and Their Importance for Submarines, Coastal Ecosystems and Climate

Eugene Pawlak from the Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering on “Turbulence: Chicken Soup for the Coral Reef Soul

Economist Richard Carson on “China: Consumption, CO2 and Climate Change

Dr. Razelle Kurzrock of the Moores Cancer Center on “Personalized Cancer Therapy: Promise and Challenge

William Griswold of Computer Science and Engineering on “Pervasive Air-Quality Monitoring via the Crowd

Dr. Lucila Ohno-Machado, associate dean for Informatics and Technology on “Big Data: What it Means To You

Watch this program online or browse more programs from The UC San Diego Founders’ Symposium.