Dr. Jacqueline Gottlieb, Professor of Neuroscience at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute and the Department of Neuroscience, studies how curiosity and attention shape the way the brain processes information.

Are you paying attention? Our ability to focus is influenced by a complex set of processes in the brain, and curiosity plays a central role. When we encounter uncertainty or a question we want answered, the brain becomes more engaged, driving us to seek information and solve the problem.

In this episode, Dr. Gottlieb explains how curiosity, emotion, and uncertainty influence brain activity. Drawing on research from neuroscience, animal behavior, and decision science, she explores why the brain becomes more motivated to learn when the outcome is uncertain.