New PBS NOVA Series Examines the Brain

Your Brain, a two-part miniseries delving into the human brain, has premiered on PBS as part of its science series NOVA.

Hosted by neuroscientist Heather Berlin, Ph.D., the miniseries explores the latest research into the brain, uncovering new insights into how it processes the world and makes each person who they are.

Berlin is a neuroscientist, clinic psychologist and associate clinical professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In her own research, she explores the neural basis of impulsive and compulsive disorders with the aim of developing novel treatments. She is also trying to unravel the brain basis of consciousness and creativity.

The first episode of the series, “Your Brain: Perception Deception,” examines how the brain shapes reality and how you can’t always trust what you perceive, sharing surprising tricks and shortcuts the brain takes to help humans survive. The second episode, “Your Brain: Who’s in Control?” dives into the latest research on the subconscious, revealing insights behind sleepwalking, anesthesia, game theory and more.

The first one-hour episode has aired on PBS. The second episode is set to air on May 24. Both episode will then be available for streaming on PBS’s NOVA website, the NOVA YouTube channel and the PBS app.

“I have been fascinated by the human brain and its role in our subjective experiences since I was five years old,” Berlin said. “Your Brain is the perfect distillation of a lifetime of research, clinical experience and personal inquiry, enriched by the important work of many of my friends and colleagues in neuroscience. I’m so excited to share this thought-provoking new series with the world.”

“The human brain is one of the most complex structures we know and it’s the source of every thought we have. The more science reveals about this amazing organ, the more insight we gain into ourselves,” said Julia Cort, NOVA co-executive producer. “Each episode of this series takes viewers on an entertaining journey through cutting-edge research in neuroscience and real-life stories full of surprising twists and turns—shedding light on big questions that go to the very heart of who we are.”

“At NOVA, we are committed to promoting scientific literacy and curiosity through innovative and engaging storytelling, and this new series is no exception,” added Chris Schmidt, NOVA co-executive producer. “Your Brain takes viewers on a compelling quest to unravel the secrets of the brain—that amazing biological network in our heads where worlds are made.”