SciAm Mind Calendar: May/June 2010

Museum exhibits, conferences and events relating to the brain



11 Could working with animals help autistic children learn to speak? Although the scientific evidence for animal therapy is still controversial, anecdotes suggest that for some kids, four-legged friends might make all the difference. The Horse Boy, a new documentary from PBS, chronicles the story of Rowan Isaacson, an autistic boy who did not respond to modern medical treatment but started talking after befriending a neighbor’s horse. This small success inspires his parents to bring him to Mongolia, the only place in the world where horses are an integral part of healing.

11 Teens who begin drinking before the age of 15 are more likely to develop a dependence on alcohol later in life than those who start when they are older, according to a 2009 study by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Understanding the neurological basis of alcoholism and other addictions is critical to treating these diseases. A public lecture series hosted by the Duke Institute of Brain Research focuses on how the brain is changed by addictive behaviors.
Durham, N.C.


6–9 The human brain can store many times the amount of information acquirable in a lifetime. [For more on our memory capacity, see Ask the Brains.] Why did the brain evolve such complexity? The 18th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience will highlight this mystery as neuroscientists from around the world gather to discuss their work on how the brain develops in the womb and throughout childhood. Attendees will also delve into the neural circuitry that underlies common diseases, including autism, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia.
Lisbon, Portugal


Chatting with a friend and listening to music may seem like mindless tasks, but the way the brain orchestrates these everyday activities is quite complex. The Bloomfield Science Museum’s interactive exhibit Journey through the Brain illuminates the neural mechanisms underlying day-to-day cognition. In addition to the main exhibit, smaller ones investigate a variety of related topics. A display about illusions, for example, explores why the brain often makes sensory errors and how it responds to misperceptions. Another, called Neuroscapes, showcases images of neurons and neural networks.
Jerusalem, Israel

Knowledge is Power

Education efforts in May and June aim to bring attention to diseases that damage the brain and to gain support for the scientific work that could yield new treatments.

This article was originally published with the title "Calendar."

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