Apr 16
Martha's Vineyard Film Society Tisbury, MA
TicketsJohn P Donoghue
Henry Merritt Wriston Professor of Neuroscience, Brown University
Theatre of Thought— Merging brains & machines
Program Description
Professor Donoghue, who appears as an expert in the film itself, provides a look into the study of the mind and consciousness, and if our brains will inevitably become infused with mind-controlling technology in the not so distant future. An exploration of the ethical, and existential, effects that neurotechnology presents in our rapidly advancing world.
Film Synopsis
Werner Herzog shows off his fascination with the human brain in his latest documentary.
Werner Herzog sets his sights on yet another mysterious landscape — the human brain — for clues as to why a hunk of tissue can produce profound thoughts and feelings while considering the philosophical, ethical, and social implications of fast-advancing neural technology.
About the Speaker
John Donoghue is the Wriston Professor of Neuroscience and Engineering at Brown University. Prof. Donoghue is known for developing human brain computer interfaces (BCIs) to restore movement for people with paralysis (known as ‘BrainGate’) as well as fundamental research on brain computation. At Brown he was the founding Chair of the Neuroscience Department, Director of the Carney Brain Institute, and Director of the Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology Center of the US Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His awards include the Roche-Nature Medicine Prize International Prize for Translational Neuroscience and the Israeli Brain Technology Prize.