0:00:02.318,0:00:05.270
The brain is an amazing and complex organ.

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And while many people[br]are fascinated by the brain,

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they can't really tell you that much

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about the properties[br]about how the brain works

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because we don't teach[br]neuroscience in schools.

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And one of the reasons[br]why is that the equipment

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is so complex and so expensive

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that it's really only done at major[br]universities and large institutions.

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And so in order to be able[br]to access the brain,

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you really need to dedicate your life

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and spend six and a half years[br]as a graduate student

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just to become a neuroscientist[br]to get access to these tools.

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And that's a shame[br]because one out of five of us,

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that's 20 percent of the entire world,[br]will have a neurological disorder.

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And there are zero cures[br]for these diseases.

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And so it seems that[br]what we should be doing

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is reaching back earlier[br]in the eduction process

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and teaching students about neuroscience[br]so that in the future,

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they may be thinking about possibly[br]becoming a brain scientist.

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When I was a graduate student,[br]my lab mate Tim Marzullo and myself,

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decided that what if we took[br]this complex equipment that we have

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for studying the brain and made it simple[br]enough and affordable enough

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that anyone that you know, an amateur[br]or a high school student,

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could learn and actually participate[br]in the discovery of neuroscience.

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And so we did just that.

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A few years ago, we started[br]a company called Backyard Brains

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and we make DIY neuroscience equipment[br]and I brought some here tonight,

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and I want to do some demonstrations.

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You guys want to see some?

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So I need a volunteer.

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So right before -- what is your name?[br](Applause)

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Sam Kelly: Sam.

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Greg Gage: All right, Sam, I'm going[br]to record from your brain.

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Have you had this before?

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SK: No.

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GG: I need you to stick out[br]your arm for science,

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roll up your sleeve a bit,

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So what I'm going to do,[br]I'm putting electrodes on your arm,

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and you're probably wondering,

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I just said I'm going to record from your[br]brain, what am I doing with your arm?

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Well, you have about 80 billion neurons[br]inside your brain right now.

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They're sending electrical messages[br]back and forth, and chemical messages.

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But some of your neurons[br]right here in your motor cortex

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are going to send messages down[br]when you move your arm like this.

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They're going to go down[br]across your corpus callosum,

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down onto your spinal cord[br]to your lower motor neuron

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out to your muscles here,

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and that electrical discharge[br]is going to be picked up

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by these electrodes right here

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and we're going to be able to listen

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to exactly what your brain[br]is going to be doing.

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So I'm going to turn this on for a second.

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Have you ever heard[br]what your brain sounds like?

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SK: No.

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GG: Let's try it out.[br]So go ahead and squeeze your hand.

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(Rumbling)

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So what you're listening to,

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so this is your motor units[br]happening right here.

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Let's take a look at it as well.

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So I'm going to stand over here,

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and I'm going to open up our app here.

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So now I want you to squeeze.

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(Rumbling)

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So right here, these are the motor units[br]that are happening

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from her spinal cord[br]out to her muscle right here,

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and as she's doing it,

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you're seeing the electrical activity[br]that's happening here.

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You can even click here[br]and try to see one of them.

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So keep doing it really hard.

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So now we've paused

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on one motor action potential that's[br]happening right now inside of your brain.

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Do you guys want to see some more?

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(Applause)

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That's interesting,[br]but let's get it better.

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I need one more volunteer.

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What is your name, sir?

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Miguel Goncalves: Miguel.

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GG: Miguel, all right.

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You're going to stand right here.

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So when you're moving your arm like this,

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your brain is sending a signal[br]down to your muscles right here.

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I want you to move your arm as well.

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So your brain is going to send[br]a signal down to your muscles.

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And so it turns out that there is[br]a nerve that's right here

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that runs up here that innervates[br]these three fingers,

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and it's close enough to the skin[br]that we might be able

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to stimulate that so that what we can do

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is copy your brain signals[br]going out to your hand

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and inject it into your hand,

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so that your hand will move[br]when your brain tells your hand to move.

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So in a sense, she will take away[br]your free will

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and you will no longer have[br]any control over this hand.

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You with me?

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So I just need to hook you up.

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(Laughter)

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So I'm going to find your ulnar nerve,

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which is probably right around here.

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You don't know what you're signing up for

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when you come up.

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So now I'm going to move away[br]and we're going to plug it in

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to our human-to-human interface over here.

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Okay, so Sam, I want you[br]to squeeze your hand again.

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Do it again. Perfect.

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So now I'm going to hook you up[br]over here so that you get the --

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It's going to feel[br]a little bit weird at first,

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this is going to feel like a --[br](Laughter)

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You know, when you lose your free will,[br]and someone else becomes your agent,

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it does feel a bit strange.

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Now I want you to relax your hand.

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Sam, you're with me?

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So you're going to squeeze.

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I'm not going to turn it on yet,[br]so go ahead and give it a squeeze.

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So now, are you ready, Miguel?

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MG: Ready as I'll ever be.

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GG: I've turned it on, so go ahead[br]and turn your hand.

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Do you feel that a little bit?[br]MG: Nope.

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GG: Okay, do it again?[br]MG: A little bit.

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GG: A little bit? (Laughter)

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So relax.

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So hit it again.

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(Laughter)

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Oh, perfect, perfect.

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So relax, do it again.

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All right, so right now,

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your brain is controlling your arm[br]and it's also controlling his arm,

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so go ahead and just do it one more time.

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All right, so it's perfect. (Laughter)

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So now, what would happen[br]if I took over my control of your hand?

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And so, just relax your hand.

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What happens?

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Ah, nothing.

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Why not?

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Because the brain has to do it.

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So you do it again.

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All right, that's perfect.

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Thank you guys for being[br]such a good sport.

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This is what's happening[br]all across the world --

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electrophysiology!

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We're going to bring on[br]the neuro-revolution.

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Thank you.

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(Applause)