What Goes Into Our Videos
Cutting-edge brain science
Passion for a Better World
A Sense of Humor
Our Videos
Welcome to the "Citizen Brain" video series! Hosted by Josh Kornbluth, a Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, these videos connect brain science and social justice -- focusing on such topics as empathy, ageism, loneliness, othering and belonging, and ideological extremism. This introductory video, which includes excerpts from all the individual episodes, features neuroscientists Virginia Sturm, Bruce Miller (co-creator of this series), Aimee Kao, Devanand S. Manoli, Kristen Berendzen, Brian Lawlor, and Ian Robertson, and Othering & Belonging Institute director john a. powell. Scroll down to see our individual episodes!
The Empathy Circuit
Our first episode is about how empathy works in the brain — and how it can save the world. Featuring neuroscientists Bruce Miller, MD, and Virginia Sturm, PhD.
LEARN MOREAge Without Ageism
The second episode in our series explains how fighting ageism can help us live longer — and treat ourselves and others with care and compassion. Featuring neuroscientists Rose Anne Kenny, MD, Kate Rankin, PhD, and Pascal Gagneux, PhD.
LEARN MOREThe loneliness paradox
The third episode in the "Citizen Brain" series unlocks the mysteries of loneliness — with the help of some really smart scientists and a few very cute animals. Featuring neuroscientists Aimee Kao, MD, PhD; Devanand Manoli, MD, PhD; Kristen Berendzen, MD, PhD; and Brian Lawlor, MD.
LEARN MOREOthering & Belonging
In these perilous times for our democracy and our planet, brain science shows us why we should favor belonging over "othering." This fourth episode in the "Citizen Brain" series features john a. powell, director of the Othering & Belonging Institute; UCSF neuroscientists Bruce Miller, MD, and Serggio Lanata, MD, MS; and Harvard political philosopher Danielle Allen, PhD.
LEARN MORECertainty vs. Doubt
The fifth video in our series explores how we can try to find a balance between the two hemispheres of our brain, so that we can hopefully achieve a productive, cooperative balance in our society as well. Featuring neuroscientists Ian Robertson, MPhil, PhD, FTCD; Tali Sharot, PhD; and Tania Lombrozo, PhD.
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Our Partners
The Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) is a leader in the global community dedicated to protecting the world’s aging populations from threats to brain health. GBHI works to reduce the scale and impact of dementia in three ways: by training and connecting the next generation of leaders in brain health through the Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health program; by collaborating in expanding preventions and interventions; and by sharing knowledge and engaging in advocacy.
The Atlantic Fellows program is built on the idea that achieving fairer, healthier, more inclusive societies requires leaders with diverse perspectives to collaborate on solutions and learn from one another. The Atlantic Institute connects the seven Atlantic Fellows programs, building a global community of courageous leaders who inspire positive change.
“I believe the ‘Citizen Brain’ series is an invaluable tool in our global mission to make life fairer, and healthier, for all the people on our planet.”
Our Host
Get to know Josh Kornbluth
For years Josh Kornbluth, who writes and hosts the “Citizen Brain” series, has been performing his autobiographical monologues for theater audiences all over the U.S. (and occasionally in other countries as well). His show Red Diaper Baby ran Off-Broadway, was selected for the Best American Plays collection, was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, and was made into a performance film for the Sundance Channel. His monologue The Mathematics of Change was also made into a performance film. His shows Haiku Tunnel and Love & Taxes have both been adapted into feature films by Josh and his brother Jacob: Haiku was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival and was distributed nationally by Sony Pictures Classics; Love & Taxes was distributed nationally by Abramorama and received a 100 percent “Fresh” rating from Rotten Tomatoes. For two years Josh hosted an interview program on public TV station KQED, cleverly titled The Josh Kornbluth Show. He was also artist-in-residence at the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco. Josh’s shows have been collected into a book, Red Diaper Baby: Three Comic Monologues, as well as two audiobooks from Audible.com: Red Diaper Baby: Three Comic Monologues and Ben Franklin: Unplugged … and Other Comic Monologues. Since January 2017 he has been an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at the Global Brain Health Institute; he also served a stint as Hellman Visiting Artist at UCSF's Memory and Aging Center. He lives in Berkeley, Calif., with his wife, Sara, a public schoolteacher, and their son, Guthrie, a budding filmmaker.
Let's Connect
We’d love to get your feedback on our videos and your suggestions for what issues we should tackle next!
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