What happens in your brain when you pay attention? - Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar
401,753 Views
1,002 Questions Answered
Let’s Begin…
Attention isn't just about what we focus on -- it's also about what our brains filter out. By investigating patterns in the brain as people try to focus, computational neuroscientist Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar hopes to build computer models that can be used to treat ADHD and help those who have lost the ability to communicate.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
What percentage of your brain do you use?
Two thirds of the population believes a myth that has been propagated for over a century: that we use only 10% of our brains. Hardly! Our neuron-dense brains have evolved to use the least amount of energy while carrying the most information possible -- a feat that requires the entire brain. Richard E. Cytowic debunks this neurological myth (and explains why we aren’t so good at multitasking).
The distracted mind
Everyone knows we’re not supposed to multitask while driving, but do you know why? Refraining from texting, changing the radio, or talking to other people in the car isn’t just cautionary advice from your parents and driver’s ed teachers. It turns out your brain literally can’t focus on too much at once. Let’s learn why.
How computers translate human language
Is a universal translator possible in real life? We already have many programs that claim to be able to take a word, sentence, or entire book in one language and translate it into almost any other. The reality, however, is a bit more complicated. Ioannis Papachimonas shows how these machine translators work, and explains why they often get a bit mixed up.
The Turing test: Can a computer pass for a human?
What is consciousness? Can an artificial machine really think? For many, these have been vital considerations for the future of artificial intelligence. But British computer scientist Alan Turing decided to disregard all these questions in favor of a much simpler one: Can a computer talk like a human? Alex Gendler describes the Turing test and details some of its surprising results.
Can machines read your emotions?
Computers can beat us in board games, transcribe speech, and instantly identify almost any object. But will future robots go further by learning to figure out what we’re feeling? Kostas Karpouzis imagines a future where machines and the people who run them can accurately read our emotional states — and explains how that could allow them to assist us, or manipulate us, at unprecedented scales.
About TED Talk Lessons
TED Talk Lessons are created by TED-Ed using phenomenal TED Talks. Do you have an idea for a lesson? Create it now using any video from YouTube »
Meet The Creators
- Video created by TED
- Lesson Plan created by Lauren McAlpine