The brain can seem as mysterious as a distant galaxy, but scientists are starting to map and manipulate its many regions. On this week's show, TED speakers take us on a trip through the human brain.

When neuroanatomist Jill Bolte-Taylor felt her brain shut down during a stroke, she was more fascinated than panicked. Even though she spent eight years recovering, she's grateful for the stroke.

 

Neuroscientist Suzana Herculano-Houzel turns brains into soup, so she can meticulously count the neurons and determine why human brains are unique.

 

Nancy Kanwisher studies the brain partly by staring at her own.  She's spent countless hours in an fMRI scanner, mapping her own brain to gain insight into what makes us human.

 

Sensing the motives and feelings of others is a natural talent for humans. But how do we do it? Neuroscientist Rebecca Saxe explains how one region in  the brain focuses on other people's thoughts.

 

Philosopher David Chalmers asks why humans have a sense of self, a constantly-running movie full of sensation and internal chatter. He offers two ideas about the nature of consciousness.