06/14/2013

Decoding ‘the Most Complex Object in the Universe’

22:58 minutes

The human brain contains some 100 billion neurons, which together form a network of Internet-like complexity. Christof Koch, chief scientific officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, calls the brain “the most complex object in the known universe,” and he’s mapping its connections in hopes of discovering the origins of consciousness.

Segment Guests

Christof Koch

Christof Koch is chief scientific officer at the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, Washington.

Patricia Kuhl

Patricia Kuhl is director of the NSF Science of Learning Center and professor and co-director of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.

Meet the Producer

About Christopher Intagliata

Christopher Intagliata was Science Friday’s senior producer. He once served as a prop in an optical illusion and speaks passable Ira Flatowese.