Opportunities

This is a time of historic developments in mind and brain science. New vistas are also opening up in innovative media and the creative arts. Advances in basic science are making it possible to expand human potential and ameliorate disorders of mind and brain. mbSci’s Scientific Advisory Board and Committees include some of this field’s established innovators, to support artists, humanists and scientists to engage in productive dialogue.

Many scientists believe that consciousness is the key to learning, and therefore education.

Consciousness in the brain is now a major frontier question in the sciences, as stated by the journal Science in 2005.

onsciousness has a long and sophisticated history in philosophy, the spiritual traditions, the humanities and the arts. Yet this is the first time in history that we can observe the living brain during profoundly important conscious experiences of aesthetics, moral judgments, pain and pleasure, mother-child attachment, romantic relationships, the experiences of movies and theater, and much more.

Some have proposed that creativity involves a dialogue between conscious and unconscious brain events. From a biological viewpoint, human consciousness may be our primary gateway to culture and human relationships. And yet our scientific understanding is still primitive. In conventional science the topic of “consciousness” is still neglected compared to any other fundamental question.

An international collaborative effort to improve our understanding can therefore cast new light on education, medical topics, human relationships, and much more.

Fundamental new insights in science often have wide ripple effects.

The discovery of DNA gave rise to an entire new kind of medicine. The transistor continues to revolutionize our lives.

A better grasp of the conscious brain may have ramifications for legal ethics, unsolved social and psychological problems, and even aggression and sexuality.

Opportunities abound for creating dynamic, experiential education to advance knowledge of the human brain; generating more effective communication; inspiring wider involvement among academic, media, journalistic, and educational audiences.

The ultimate goal is to reach the educational system and the general public, to encourage each group and individual in their own explorations of their personal experiences and learning process, to acknowledge and value each other’s consciousness, and to deepen public appreciation of the many aspects of consciousness in humans and other species.
We have begun to reach out to the worldwide academic and educational community, bringing together existing efforts to provide a hub – and gateway – for collaborative programs.