'The Mystery of Memory' To Be Explored On November 14
Event at the New York Academy of Sciences brings together experts on the neuroscience behind the processes of remembering and forgetting.
Published November 09, 2012
NEW YORK, November 9, 2012—On Wednesday, November 14, the Academy, in partnership with the Nour Foundation and Wisconsin Public Radio's nationally-syndicated program To the Best of Our Knowledge, will present The Mystery of Memory: In Search of the Past, a sold out event that will explore the universal fascination with how we remember, forget, and create false memories from a scientific perspective. The event is part of The Emerging Science of Consciousness: Mind, Brain and the Human Experience Series.
Steve Paulson, executive producer of To the Best of Our Knowledge, will moderate a panel discussion with psychologist Daniel Schacter, neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux, historian of science and medicine Alison Winter, and novelist and comparative literature professor André Aciman. Panelists will discuss how memory impacts our perception of ourselves, the development of personality, and the ability to construct and reconstruct our past experience.
"The science of memory is one of the hottest research areas in neuroscience. Memory shapes our sense of self but is also extremely elusive," says Paulson. "In our upcoming event, we'll explore the latest scientific discoveries about memory and also examine the ethical concerns over new drugs that could erase traumatic memories. We'll also get a literary perspective from the celebrated memoirist André Aciman, who has an uncanny ability to capture memories on the printed page."
At the event, Paulson will be distributing a limited edition comic book about consciousness, a new endeavor from the production team at To the Best of Our Knowledge as a companion to their "Meet Your Mind" series. Not just a gimmick, the comic book is "an imaginative story using illustrations to explore some of the deepest questions in science," says Paulson. Renowned comic book author Jim Ottaviani, who has developed a reputation for creative and educational works like "Two-Fisted Science: Stories About Scientists," penned the story and artist Natalie Nourigat ("A Boy and a Girl") provided illustrations.
All attendees will receive a limited edition comic book on consciousness from To the Best of Our Knowledge.
To learn more about the event, visit www.nyas.org/consciousness2.
Media must RSVP to Diana Friedman (dfriedman@nyas.org; 212-298-8645).
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About the New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, not-for-profit organization that since 1817 has been committed to advancing science, technology, and society worldwide. With 25,000 members in 140 countries, the Academy is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. The Academy's core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large. Please visit us online at www.nyas.org.
About the Nour Foundation
The Nour Foundation is a public charitable and nongovernmental organization in special consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Founded in 1985, the Foundation adopts a multidisciplinary and integrative approach to exploring expressions of meaning and commonality in human experience, with the aim of engendering a greater spirit of unity, tolerance, and understanding among human beings worldwide. Please visit us online at www.nourfoundation.com.
About To the Best of Our Knowledge
To The Best of Our Knowledge is a Peabody Award-winning radio show produced at Wisconsin Public Radio and syndicated by Public Radio International. Each week TTBOOK cracks open the world of ideas, featuring in-depth interviews with renowned scientists, writers, artists, scholars, and visionaries. Please visit us online at www.TTBOOK.org.