Frank Amthor is a retired neuroscientist, professor, author of Neuroscience for Dummies, and science fiction writer with over 40 years of experience researching and teaching the brain. Across his career he’s studied retinal ganglion cells, explored consciousness, investigated memory, and examined how neurons communicate at the most fundamental level. In this conversation, Frank breaks down complex neuroscience into language anyone can understand, from how synapses work to why Einstein’s brain wasn’t so unusual, while also exploring the frontiers of brain health, AI, and even humanity’s future on Mars.

Expect to learn how many neurons are actually in the brain and what a “quadrillion synapses” really means, whether we only use 10% of our brain (we don’t), why brain injuries can sometimes unlock savant-like abilities, how memory is reconstructed (and why it can be unreliable), why young people take more risks, how alcohol affects the frontal lobe, whether adults can grow new neurons, and what neuroscience suggests about consciousness, intelligence, and the possibility of life beyond Earth.

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Get in contact below:

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richie O'Brien - YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Find Frank below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-amthor-68a00116/

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Exploring Neuroscience for the General Public

(07:24) Ten Fascinating Facts About the Brain

(34:48) The Brain's Capacity for Growth and Change

(48:58) The Fascination with Mars and Science Fiction