The Not Old Better Show Interview series, Dr. Sarah Shomstein, Brain Scientist, Smithsonian Associates.

As part of our Smithsonian Associates, Art of Living series, our guest today on the Not Old Better Show is Dr. Sarah Shomstein. Dr. Shomstein will appear at the Ripley Center, Oct. 19, 2016, and will be speaking on the subject of “The Brain in a Digital Age.”

Born in the Kiev, Russia, now the Ukraine, Sarah Shomstein is an Associate Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, and Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Program, at the George Washington University. Her research interests are focused on investigating the neural mechanisms of  attentional selection by combining both behavioral and neuroimaging techniques in normals as well as brain damaged populations.  In her spare time she plays squash, skis, scuba dives, travels, attends art exhibits, and perfects her photography skills.

According to Shomstein, because the brain isn’t able to process the amount of information coming at us all at once, it has developed a way to select a subset of information for further processing. The critical question, she says, is how the brain chooses what to process first and what to process next.

She addresses the science behind that question and suggests ways we might enhance the brain’s ability to keep us focused. So pay attention!  Give a listen to today’s show, featuring a very interesting subject, and told by a very interesting person with great science, passion and research by her side!

Enjoy.