George Lakoff

Professor George Lakoff has been at the center of research on how thought and language arise in the brain for over two decades. He is one of the founders of the field of embodied cognition, which studies how the brain's connections to the body and bodily experience structure both ideas - even abstract ideas - and language.

Professor Lakoff observes that much of what is taught in universities is based on an outmoded theory of human reason dating back centuries. New research on the brain and mind radically changes our understanding of what human reason is, bringing in emotion, metaphor, empathy, and much more.

This is not a just simple addition to our knowledge. Understanding the brain fundamentally changes our understanding of our world and ourselves - everything from politics to mathematics, from language to religion, from philosophy to human relationships.

Thought is physical - in two ways. Every thought and feeling is carried out by neural circuitry in the brain that naturally gives rise to mental structures called frames and to metaphorical thought. Language is physical as well. This talk is an introduction to the new world of the brain. If you think you know how you think, think again!