Greg Gage

In many ways, when it comes to understanding the brain, we’re still in the dark ages. And that’s because neuroscience is only taught in graduate schools, with expensive equipment. But what if we could instill a love for the brain in younger students, bring the science back down to the most basic, inexpensive forms, and bring the work done in the lab into the average classroom? Greg Gage is doing this, right now—changing neuroscience education for good, and helping to kickstart a profound revolution. In this inspiring keynote, he explains how studying neuroscience is not only easier than ever (with connected devices, the Internet of Things, smartphones, and more), but may be the key to unlocking a host of innovations in the world of tech and design. The implications for medicine are also incredible—neurological ailments like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and epilepsy affect approximately 20 percent of the world’s population. So why wait until graduate school to start studying the nervous system, memory, brain waves, or the senses? With cutting edge examples and experiments, Gage explains how a better understanding of the brain might transform your industry—whether in education, health care, design, business, or beyond. 

More people have Ph.Ds than ever before, and yet the amount of traditional academic jobs at universities hasn’t increased with the supply. For many, the uncertainty of their academic careers can be overwhelming: often having to choose between leaving academia all together, or waiting a very long time for a position to open up. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? In this talk, Greg Gage argues for an alternate academic career—one where you can be a true academic outside of the university setting—by using entrepreneurship. You can perform original research, publish papers and present at conferences outside of the hallowed halls of an institution: and grad students are the perfect fit. Here, Gage will share how to take the ideas generated at school and turn them into a business. Now is a really great time to be an entrepreneur, and Gage will show you how.

In this energetic, interactive, and highly entertaining talk, Greg Gage offers live experiments on-stage, showing how our brains receive and deliver electric responses. Whether employing a SpikerBox to show how signals from the brain can be used to have a stranger control your arm, or revealing how plants use electric signals to avoid predators and catch prey, Gage makes neuroscience fun and accessible, and hints at the many implications for medicine, therapy, business, design, and technology that a better understanding of the brain entails. These performances also provide astounding “Aha!” moments for audience members, breaking down the assumed barriers of neuroscience research—too expensive, too complicated, too advanced—and showing students that hands-on learning about the brain is possible, right here and right now. Ths is an unforgettable experience that will have your audience buzzing with excitement (and maybe electricity!).