It’s hard to imagine that the brain was considered useless not too long ago.
The very thing we consider our primary source for thinking and reasoning was not recognized until the 17th century, according to Carl Zimmer, author and journalist. Zimmer will present a special lecture Feb. 23.

Zimmer writes for several magazines, including National Geographic, Newsweek and Science. In his new book, “Soul Made Flesh: The Birth of our Neurocentric Age,” Zimmer explores the different historical events and figures that have influenced the shifting views of our understanding of the brain.

The lecture is open to the public and begins at noon in room M-106 at the medical school. It is sponsored by the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics and the Stanford Brain Research Institute. Call 723-5760 or visit http://scbe.stanford.edu for more information.