Brain Decoding: How to Read Minds
Thursday, 4 July 2019, 4 – 5pm 
A lecture by Prof Tim Bayne (Monash University) as part of the Neurohumanities lecture series.
Register here.
The idea that we might be able to identify thoughts by studying the brain has been the subject of speculation for decades, but with recent advances in neuroimaging this idea has now passed from science fiction and into science. Mindreading—or ‘brain decoding’, as it is also known—has made great strides in recent years, and has been employed in diverse ways, from detecting consciousness in the context of severe brain-damage to predicting a person’s choices. This talk examines the philosophical basis of mindreading, asks what its limits might be, and considers its implications for what it means to be human.
Tim is a philosopher of mind and cognitive science, with a particular interest in the nature of consciousness. He is currently Professor of Philosophy at Monash University (Melbourne), having taught previously at Macquarie University, the University of Western Ontario, the University of Manchester and the University of Oxford. He is the author of The Unity of Consciousness (2010) and Thought: A Very Short Introduction (2013), and an editor of Delusion and Self-Deception (2008), The Oxford Companion to Consciousness (2009) and Cognitive Phenomenology (2011).
Tim's current research concerns the measurement of consciousness, and whether it is possible to build a consciousness meter. Other research interests include the nature of conscious thought, disorders of consciousness and taxonomy in psychiatry. He is a member of the CIFAR Brain, Mind and Consciousness program.
Campus Location: Science Gallery
Accessibility: Yes
Room: Paccar Theatre
Event Category: Lectures and Seminars, Public, Science Gallery
Type of Event: One-time event
Audience: Undergrad, Postgrad, Alumni, Faculty & Staff, Public
Cost: Free (but registration is required)
More info: www.eventbrite.co.uk…
