Episode 5

Karl Friston

Neuroscientist, University College London

Karl Friston is a professor of Neuroscience at University College London. His main contribution to theoretical neurobiology is a variational free energy principle. He is a world renowned theoretical neuroscientist and authority on brain imaging. Karl is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and President of the international Organization of Human Brain Mapping. He received the Weldon Memorial prize and Medal in 2013 for contributions to mathematical biology. Karl holds Honorary Doctorates from the University of Zurich and Radboud University.

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BOOKS FEATURED IN THE SHOW

Arthur Eddington, Space, Time and Gravitation

His father's favorite book. His mother also read the book in her teenage.

He read it when he was 10-11 years old. It translates Einstein's ideas and explains general relativity. It's a readable book and his favorite.

George Orwell, 1984

At age of 12 or 13, it was on his mother's bookshelf. He remembered it was particularly compelling and eye-opening.

George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia

One of his mother's penguin classics collection. He thought it was a story.

Edward de Bono, Lateral Thinking: A Textbook of Creativity

At age of 13, the book enables us to understand the model of the world and learn how to think outside the box.

J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings

His first exposure to fantasy literature. He loves old English folklore and tales.

William Golding, Lord of the Flies

The book portrays a detailed picture of adolescence. It's eye-opening in terms of the way we work.

J.D. Salinger, Catcher in the Rye

He read it in his late teen and remembered reading it while traveling. It's engrossing in terms of defining a complete universe.

Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd