Roughly 55% of the brain’s surface and an estimated 12 billion neurons are devoted to vision – more than the other senses combined. But what exactly are all these cells doing? By detailing startling patient case studies and seminal experiments, Mathew will sketch a broad overview of how neuroscientists think about the brain, and the cells that give us sight.

Solar geoengineering is the idea that we might be able to use technology to cool the Earth (and reduce climate change) by reflecting sunlight back into space. While such technologies may help mitigate damages from climate change, many also worry that solar geoengineering could have unintended consequences. In this talk Jon will discuss what we can learn about solar geoengineering from studying the massive volcanic eruptions that inspired modern geoengineering proposals.