What Does the Brain’s Trendiest Molecule Actually Do, How Do We Know, and Should We Be Doing Anything About It?
It’s as if there are two dopamines. The first was discovered in 1910, initially thought to be merely a precursor of noradrenaline, forgotten for half a century, then later studied as a substance involved in motor control. It led to the development of a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, earning a Nobel Prize in 2000. Only around that time did scientists begin to cautiously discuss dopamine’s role not just in movement control, but also in how animals make decisions about where to go and process information once they get there.
Then there’s the second dopamine — the one from glossy magazines. This one is, first of all, the “happiness hormone.” Second, it spikes when you eat chocolate, which is supposedly something to strive for. Third, in slightly more sophisticated magazines, dopamine is called the “motivation molecule,” and if you still haven’t written your book, well, that must be because you’ve got the wrong kind of dopamine.
What’s curious here is: where does all of this come from? Do the writers at these glossy magazines imagine that scientists insert a cannula into a writer’s brain, extract a sample of intercellular fluid, measure the dopamine levels in a mass spectrometer, and compare the data between those who finished their books and those still procrastinating? Or are we doing this with rats? And if so, what’s their task equivalent to writing a book?
In the lecture, we’ll try to build a bridge between the academic and glossy-world views. We’ll talk about classical lab experiments that define dopamine’s role in goal-seeking, reward anticipation, and the formation of new associative links — but also examine to what extent these results can actually be applied to people and our complex life challenges. Should we really be trying to raise (or lower) our dopamine levels — and if so, why, and how?
When: September 19 at 19:00
Where: The lecture will be held at SmArt.Point in the "SmArt.Space" hall
Language: The lecture will be held in Russian.
Google Maps link: [SmArt.Point]
(https://maps.app.goo.gl/xygNgL3uSnfvWJxcA)
About the speaker:
Asya Kazantseva is a well-known science journalist, recipient of the Enlightener Prize, author of four bestselling books on the human brain and behavior, and a traveling lecturer. She holds degrees in neurobiology (Biology Department of St. Petersburg State University), cognitive sciences (Master's from HSE University), and molecular neurobiology (Master's from the University of Bristol).
We look forward to seeing you at this fascinating event!
SmArt.Point • Baizakov Street 280, 050040 Almaty, Almaty, Kazakhstan
