A new science called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the old notion that the human brain is immutable. Psychoanalyst Doidge traveled the country to meet both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity and the people whose lives they've transformed--people whose mental limitations or brain damage were seen as unalterable. We see a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole, blind people who learn to see, learning...

"We've all felt anxious, sad, traumatized, grief-stricken, stressed, angry, or hopeless at some point in life. It's perfectly normal to go through emotional crises or have periods when you feel panicked or out of sorts. It is how you respond to these challenges that will make all the difference in how you feel -- not just immediately, but also in the long run. Unfortunately, many people turn to self-medicating behaviors, such as overeating, drugs,...

"As a deadly cancer spread inside her brain, leading neuroscientist Barbara Lipska was plunged into madness -- only to miraculously survive with her memories intact. In January 2015, Barbara Lipska -- a leading expert on the neuroscience of mental illness -- was diagnosed with melanoma that had spread to her brain. Within months, her frontal lobe, the seat of cognition, began shutting down. She descended into madness, exhibiting dementia- and schizophrenia-like...

A self-anointed spinster at fifty-one, Myra Lipinski is reasonably content with her quiet life, her dog, Frank, and her career as a visiting nurse. But everything changes when Chip Reardon, the golden boy she adored in high school, is assigned as her new patient. Choosing to forgo treatment for an incurable illness, Chip has returned to his New England hometown to spend what time he has left. Now, Myra and Chip find themselves engaged in a poignant...

Examines recent developments in neuroscience showing the plastic structure of a child's brain, and the potential to affect how children exercise and use their brains early in life, to become more fit and ready for lifelong learning.

Everyone knows someone who has survived cancer, but no one knows anyone who has survived Alzheimer's Disease. Dale Bredesen, MD, offers hope to anyone looking to prevent and even reverse Alzheimer's Disease and cognitive decline. Arguing that AD is not one condition, as it is currently treated, but three, Bredesen outlines 36 metabolic factors (micronutrients, hormone levels, sleep) that can trigger "downsizing" in the brain. He then shows us how...

Neuroscientist David Eagleman explores the wonders of the human brain in an epic series that reveals the ultimate story of why people feel and think the things they do. The ambitious project blends science with innovative visual effects and compelling personal stories, and addresses some big questions.