Dr. Sam Wang
Biography:
Sam Wang, Ph.D., is an associate professor of neuroscience at Princeton University. Before becoming a professor, he studied at Caltech, Stanford, and Bell Labs. He has published over forty articles on the brain in leading scientific journals and has received numerous awards.
Past Shows:
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| Monday February 25, 2008 |
Neuroscientist Dr. Sam Wang discussed the human brain and how it's wired to experience various phenomena. Made of 3 lbs. of tissue with 100 billion neurons, the brain acts as an information processing device and filter.The truth is, we use all parts of our brain, not just 10% of it (a myth propagated by Dale Carnegie), he noted. There is evidence that some types of criminals have had brain injuries to their prefrontal cortex which regulates self-control, he reported. Scans have also revealed brain differences between professional and amateur musicians-- the amateurs show more generalized activity in the brain, while professionals exhibit smaller, more localized areas of focus. Near-death experiences might be related to a lack of oxygen in the brain, he suggested, noting that mountaineers often describe unusual sensations at high altitudes, such as seeing light coming out of their body and 'sensing a presence.' There is not strong evidence that supplements such as gingk
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Host: George Noory
