Science Meets Music: “The Secret Pathways of Appetite, Immunity, & Thought"

Speaker: Dr. Ivan de Araujo, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics

Musical Guests: Eden Stell Guitar Duo

Can the gut control our minds? Despite traditional skepticism, we now know that signals generated deep into our gastrointestinal tissues, for the most part independent of our conscious mind, have profound effects on our psychological states.

We will learn about the novel science of body-brain interactions and how our visceral organs influence the mind. This includes an exploration of how the vagus nerve, a long nerve that connects the viscera to the brain, transmits information from the gut to the brain cells that process pleasure and other emotions.

We will also learn how our visceral nerves shape our immune system and how we react to stressful situations. We may even appreciate how events occurring deep in our stomachs account for the many effects of modern weight-loss drugs. Our visceral organs and the associated nerve maze may even open the path to less invasive treatments for some psychological ailments.

Science Meets Music is free and open to the public. Advanced registration required. The series takes place at the Benjamin Upper School, 4875 Grandiflora Circle, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418. Doors open at 6 p.m. The program begins at 6:15 p.m.

Registration: https://www.mpfi.org/smmjan26/