Minds and Machines

This book is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and Miguel Nicolelis, Professor of Neurobiology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Biomedical Engineering, Psychology and Neuroscience and Orthopaedic Surgery and Co-Director of the Center for Neuroengineering at Duke University. This thought-provoking conversation dives into Miguel Nicolelis’ extensive and important research for over 20 years now and how he has been blurring the line between science fiction and science fact, developing increasingly sophisticated ways of harnessing the thoughts of rats, monkeys and humans to drive mechanical devices in the rapidly emerging field of brain-machine interfaces. As he continues to explore how best to apply this fascinating technology to liberate paralysis victims and Parkinson’s sufferers from their neurological constraints, Nicolelis remains focused on challenging conventional wisdom of what the brain is and how it works, consistently probing the evolving frontier between body and mind.


This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, From Science Fiction to Science Fact, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter:


Revolutionary Rumblings - Beyond 1:1 maps

Plowing Ahead - Pivotal results and scientific scepticism

Interface - Powering robots with monkey minds

Against Reductionism - The pernicious influence of physicists

Incarnating Our Surroundings - How the brain blurs “outside” and “inside”

Imposing Representations - How the brain interacts with the world

Distributed vs. Local - The big issue

Technological Applications - From medical rehabilitation to a joint operating system

Getting Metaphysical - The brain as a reality-mediator

Final Questions - Big ones, dark ones and ontological ones



About Ideas Roadshow Conversations Series: 


This book is part of an expanding series of 100+ Ideas Roadshow conversations, each one presenting a wealth of candid insights from a leading expert in a focused yet informal setting to give non-specialists a uniquely accessible window into frontline research and scholarship that wouldn't otherwise be encountered through standard lectures and textbooks. For other books in this series visit our website: https://ideas-on-film.com/ideasroadshow/.