Carnegie Science Center's Podcast

This is the Q&A portion of Dr. Timothy Verstynen's talk, "The Living Dead Brain: What human brains teach us about zombie minds" The realities of modern neuroscience once only existed in the imaginations of science fiction authors. Brain signals can control robotic arms or make music, viruses are being used to reprogram neurons to fire when exposed to light, and giant magnets are capable of visualizing our thoughts in action. Join Dr. Timothy Verstynen (Assistant Professor in Psychology & Neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University) as he turn the tables and shows how real science can be used to explain science fiction. Using forensic neuroscience, Dr. Verstynen will demonstrate how the behavior of horror movie zombies (e.g., the way they move, their inability to talk or experience pain) can be understood as a surreal convergence of neurological impairments. This educational talk is designed to highlight how popular culture can be leveraged as a useful teaching tool for science education at all ages.