What lies at the heart of humanity’s ability―and drive―to create? New York Times bestselling author and neuroscientist David Eagleman teams up with Musiqa Artistic Director and acclaimed composer Anthony Brandt in a wide-ranging exploration of human creativity. In their new book, The Runaway Species: How Human Creativity Remakes the World, the authors study hundreds of examples of human creativity from landing on the moon to paintings by Picasso to connect what creative acts have in common.

By uncovering the essential elements of human innovation and examining them through the lens of cutting-edge neuroscience, Eagleman and Brandt consider how we can harness creativity to better our lives, schools, businesses, and institutions. Join us for an inspiring look at humanity’s unique ability to use the powerful tools of arts, technology, science, and more to improve our future.

About the Authors

Anthony Brandt is a composer and professor at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He is also Artistic Director of the contemporary music ensemble Musiqa, winner of two Adventurous Programming Awards from Chamber Music America and ASCAP. Brandt has received a Koussevitzky Commission from the Library of Congress and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet-the-Composer and the Houston Arts Alliance. Brandt has written two chamber operas and works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, dance, theater, film, television, and sound and art installations. He has co-authored papers on music cognition published in the journals Frontiers and Brain Connectivity. He currently lives in Houston with his wife and children.

David Eagleman is a neuroscientist and the New York Times bestselling author of Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain and Sum. He is the writer and host of the Emmy-nominated PBS television series The Brain. Eagleman is an adjunct professor at Stanford University, a Guggenheim fellow, and the director of the Center for Science and Law. He has written for the New York TimesDiscover MagazineThe AtlanticSlateWired and many others, and he appears regularly on National Public Radio and BBC.

Meet the Authors

David Eagleman and Anthony Brandt – THE RUNAWAY SPECIES
November 16, 2017 7:30pm
Christ Church Cathedral

Looking Back in Time
January 13, 2018 7:30pm
The MATCH