SEPTEMBER
7 When artists, anthropologists and neuroscientists gather at The Brain Unravelled in London through September 19, their creative efforts will range from paintings to performances to mixed-media works. In addition to the exhibition, which includes a children’s area, the event offers a daily program of film screenings, concerts, artist talks and lectures by renowned scientists. Informed by the latest research, the speakers will delve into the relation between brains and minds, plumbing the deepest reaches of human experience: our consciousness.
London
www.thebrainunravelled.com
9 Charles Darwin, in his 1871 book The Descent of Man, provoked his contemporaries by suggesting not only that our physical traits had evolved over time but also that our mental faculties had not always been as keen as they are today. At the conference Evolution of Brain, Behaviour & Intelligence in Cambridge, England, international scientists will discuss advances made since Darwin’s time, drawing on results from species as diverse as unicellular organisms and Neandertals. Darwin biographer James Moore will deliver the keynote lecture.
Cambridge, England
https://registration.hinxton.wellcome.ac.uk/display_info.asp?id=130
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12 In Huntington’s disease, genetic mutations cause a protein known as Huntingtin to become toxic to the brain, leading to movement disorders, problems swallowing and speaking, and eventually dementia and death. Hundreds of researchers and clinicians will convene in Vancouver at the 2009 Congress on Huntington’s Disease to discuss advances in our understanding of the disorder as well as the latest results from experimental treatments.
Vancouver, B.C.
www.worldcongress-hd.net
24 Will neuroscience transform national security? Is a brain-dead person alive or dead? Could new findings in brain science undermine moral and criminal responsibility? These are a few of the controversial questions that experts will take on at BRAIN Matters: New Directions in Neuroethics, a cross-disciplinary conference hosted by the Novel Tech Ethics research team at Dalhousie University.
Halifax, Nova Scotia
www.noveltechethics.ca/site_brainmatters.php
OCTOBER
1 As many as half of us may suffer from a mental disorder at some point in our life. Added to the burden of illness is the social stigma that people with mental health problems face. The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, sweeping over the country until October 22, tries to raise positive awareness about these issues through a series of concerts, film screenings and theater performances. This will be the third year for the festival, which is the largest of its kind in the world.
Scotland
http://mentalhealthfestival.dreamhosters.com
8 Ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience will collide at Mind and Life XIX, a two-day conference presided over by the Dalai Lama himself. Exploring the emerging intersections among their different fields, a panel of educators, scientists and contemplatives will discuss ways to promote personal and societal health. The Mind and Life Institute’s ultimate goal? To inspire a view of education that will “create compassionate, engaged, and ethical world citizens.”
Washington, D.C.
www.educatingworldcitizens.org
17 Fraudulent mind reading, sleight-of-hand illusions and con artistry—not exactly what you would expect to find at the world’s largest forum for brain scientists, Neuroscience 2009. But among its myriad presentations of cutting-edge research, the 39th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience features a different take on perception and memory as three renowned magicians present “Magic, the Brain and the Mind.” Workshops, posters and lectures will put a more serious face on the science, exploring the nervous system from every possible angle.
Chicago
www.sfn.org/am2009
26 When we send criminals to prison, it is partly to punish them. But if a brain scan were to reveal faulty emotional circuitry at the root of their misdeeds, should that change the way we treat them in court? At Law and Neuroscience: Our Growing Understanding of the Human Brain and Its Impact on Our Legal System, international researchers will explore how neuroscience influences legal practice in Europe.
Acquafredda di Maratea, Italy
www.esf.org/index.php?id=5679
Note: This article was originally printed with the title, "Calendar."
