What neuroscience can teach us about free will | Sukumar Vijayaraghavan | TEDxMileHigh

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Published 2021-07-07
Did you CHOOSE to watch this TEDx Talk today? Think carefully about your answer. It’s a question religious leaders, scientists, and philosophers have debated for centuries: does free will exist? And if it doesn’t, are we even responsible for our actions? In this mind-blowing talk (neuroscience pun intended), Sukumar Vijayaraghavan explains what the research indicates and how that answer could affect our lives, our laws, and how we operate in the world. Sukumar Vijayaraghavan is a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. His research on neurotransmitters could one day help explain how the brain responds to drugs of abuse and also the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's disease. He is deeply interested in neuroscience research affects society, law, and ethics. He has a Ph.D in Plant Biochemistry and in his spare time, he moonlights as a standup comic. He’s performed locally and – in the age of zoom – internationally. He hopes to be good at it someday. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx
All Comments (13)
  • @SeverusStudios1980
    Sukamar is a very articulate and friendly speaker. He would make a good teacher.
  • @Forkroute
    Lovely. Thank you for this insightful talk.
  • @normajean2855
    As hard as it was to comprehend ...I enjoyed the talk, very interesting, it helped that Im one of those people also that take a mild antidepressant, so it was good to hear that my drs were telling me the truth about the help and support the drug they provided me with does.. thank you!! I love Ted..
  • @anandsharma7430
    Interested laymen should watch the following movies: The Butterfly Effect, Groundhog Day, The Adjustment Bureau, Source Code and The Matrix (obviously).
  • @Sailesh-dl6ji
    Do you agree that the primary impulse is independent of our brain but the mind acts as a filter of decision making the final act.