Anthony Weiner + Moran Cerf

Former U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner learns from neuroscientist Moran Cerf to what degree emotions trump reason in political and other decision-making processes.

About the Speakers

Anthony Weiner was a member of Congress representing New York from 1999 to 2011. Before that he served in the New York City Council from 1992 to 1998. He ran for mayor of the City of New York in 2005 and 2013. Today he is president of a consulting company he founded that specializes in advising social entrepreneurs. He provides commentary on NY1 and is a columnist for the Daily News and Business Insider. Last year he appeared in the movie Sharknado 3 as the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in which he saved the world.

Moran Cerf is a professor of neuroscience (LIJ) and business (Kellogg School of Management). His research uses methods from neuroscience to understand the underlying mechanisms of our psychology. He has published works that address questions such as: “How can we control our emotions?” and “Which brain mechanisms determine if we find content interesting?”. Recently his focus has been on the neural mechanisms that underlie decision-making, thereby offering a new perspective on predicting future choices and investigating how much free will we have in our decisions. He holds multiple patents and his works have been published in wide-circulation journals such as Nature and Science, as well as Scientific American Mind and leading neuroscience journals.

Cerf has had additional short-lived careers as a furniture designer, a pilot, an inventor, a radio host, and a filmmaker. He participates regularly in story-telling competitions and is a three-time Moth Grand Slam champion. Additionally he is the Alfred P. Sloan professor at the American Film Institute (AFI), where he teaches an annual screenwriting class on science in films.

Brainwave is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.