Neuroscience tells us there is joy in not knowing what is coming next. Uncertainty is part of what makes life interesting. Yet, most adults describe a strong feeling of discomfort around uncertainty.
On the other hand, adolescents thrive on uncertainty; it is their superpower. How might we embrace uncertainty as our superpower and, along the way, better understand the adolescent brain? Dr. Adriana Galván, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at UCLA whose expertise is in adolescent brain development. She received her B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University, and her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Cornell. She is the Director of the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory. Her research focuses on characterizing the neural mechanisms underlying adolescent behavior with an eye toward informing policy (e.g., juvenile justice). Her research is generously funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation, Jacobs Foundation, and the William T. Grant Foundation. Using a multimodal approach that combines brain imaging, task-based behavior, physiological assays, and daily diary methods. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx