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08: Who is in control? How the brain controls our thoughts and actions

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Hauptschule
Seminar /
in englischer Sprache

The question of how we voluntarily control our behaviour has fascinated researchers at all times. It touches on important philosophical issues, most notably the problem of free will. In recent years several advances in cognitive neuroscience have vastly increased our understanding of voluntary behaviour. The aim of our seminar is to give an overview of the state-of-the-art in neuroscientific research on cognitive and motor control. We will discuss how these findings help us understand how the brain controls our thoughts and actions. Importantly, we will also critically discuss which implication brain science has for the old problem of free will.

Research Professor, Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University Chair
Professor for Theory and Analysis of Large-Scale Brain Signals and Research Group Leader, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin Chair

Dr. phil. habil. Marcel BRASS

Research Professor, Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University

1988-1991 Study of Philosophy and History, Free University, Berlin
1991-1997 Study of Psychology, Free University, Berlin
1994-1997 Diploma student at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Department of Lifespan Psychology (Professor Dr. Paul Baltes), Berlin
1997 Diploma in Psychology, Free University, Berlin
1997-1999 Doctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research, Department of Cognition and Action (Professor Dr. Wolfgang Prinz), Munich
2000 Ph.D. in Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich
2000-2006 Research scientist, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Department of Cognitive Neurology, Leipzig
2006 Heisenberg fellow of the German Research Foundation at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig
since 2006 Faculty position at the Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University
2007 Habilitation in Psychology (Dr. phil. habil.), Leipzig University

Dr. John-Dylan HAYNES

Professor for Theory and Analysis of Large-Scale Brain Signals and Research Group Leader, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin

2001-2003 Visiting Research Fellow at the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience and Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, University College London
2003-2005 Postdoc at the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience and Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, University College London
since 2005 Research group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig
since 2006 Professor for "Theory and Analysis of large Scale Brain Signals" at the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience and Charite - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin
since 2010 Director of Berlin Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin

Seminar Week

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14.08.2008

15:00 - 15:30Opening of the European Forum Alpbach 2008Plenary
15:30 - 17:00Opening speechesPlenary
17:00 - 18:30Presentation of the seminarsPlenary
18:30 - 21:00Opening receptionSocial

14.08.-21.08.2008

Seminar 01: Climate change and what we need to do about itSeminar
Seminar 02: Utopias and alternative (visions of) worldsSeminar
Seminar 03: Wirtschaftsforschung und WirtschaftspolitikSeminar
Seminar 04: Geschichtliche Situationsdeutungen und historische EntscheidungenSeminar
Seminar 05: A European people? Perception and formation of European citizensSeminar
Seminar 06: Ethics and biomedicine: Analysis of decisions and value judgementsSeminar
Seminar 07: Security policy becoming a European issueSeminar

14.08.-20.08.2008

Seminar 08: Who is in control? How the brain controls our thoughts and actionsSeminar
Seminar 09: PredictabilitySeminar
Seminar 10: Public opinion, opinion research and political decision-makingSeminar
Seminar 11: Transatlantic relationsSeminar
Seminar 12: Understanding fundamentalism: An interdisciplinary analysis of “Strong Religion”Seminar
Seminar 13: “Global Constitutional Network” – Limits and Possibilities of (Inter-)national JurisdictionsSeminar
Seminar 14: Art and perceptionSeminar

15.08.2008

18:30 - 19:30Special Lecture: Europe – Strategic decisions for the continentPlenary

16.08.2008

15:30 - 17:00Plenary session: Climate change and PredictabilityPlenary

18.08.2008

17:00 - 18:30Plenary session: 40 years after the Prague SpringPlenary

19.08.2008

15:30 - 17:00Plenary session: What has remained of 1968?Plenary