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Department of Engineering

Daniel Wolpert: The real reason for brains

Daniel Wolpert: The real reason for brains

Professor Daniel Wolpert

Professor Daniel Wolpert in the Computational and Biological Learning Lab here at the Department of Engineering has recently given a prestigious TED talk as part of the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh. He starts from a surprising premise: the brain evolved, not to think or feel, but to control movement. In this entertaining, data-rich talk he gives us a glimpse into how the brain creates the grace and agility of human motion.

TED is a nonprofit organisation devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with two annual conferences -- the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh UK each summer -- TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Project and TED Conversations, the inspiring TED Fellows and TEDx programs, and the annual TED Prize.

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