The Performance Cortex: Zach Schonbrun with Mary Pilon

A journalist takes a deep dive into the brain power required for masterful human movement.

A journalist takes a deep dive into the brain power required for masterful human movement.Why can't Michael Jordan hit a baseball as well as he can dunk a basketball? Why can't robots be as dexterous as the average five-year-old? Journalist, sports writer, and fan Zach Schonbrun talked to experts on motor control, from two neuroscientists in Major League Baseball who are upending the ways scouts traditionally evaluate players, to musical virtuosos, dancers, rock climbers, race-car drivers, and more. Turns out it's not about the million-dollar arm—it's the million-dollar brain.

Schonbrun will be in conversation with Mary Pilon, sports and business writer and the author of The Kevin Show: An Olympic Athlete’s Battle with Mental Illness. 

FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED

Registration does not guarantee admission. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A stand by line will form thirty minutes before the program.

The Program Room opens at 6 PM.