Jason Silva to Host National Geographic's New Series BRAIN GAMES

Related: BRAIN GAMES, National Geographic

Jason-Silva-to-Host-National-Geographics-New-Series-BRAIN-GAMES-20130104

Since the day you were born, a three-pound slimy blob has been controlling your every thought, memory, movement and emotion. Using some 12 watts of power, the brain is responsible for our every fleeting thought, split-second decision and complex judgment. It has a few tricks of its own - and some ways to cut corners - when piecing together how we see the world. And now, the National Geographic Channel explores your mind's Mad skills with the spring premiere of the new series BRAIN GAMES, uncovering the true brain matter behind such topics as visual perception, sound, creativity, lying, attractiveness and persuasion.

Wonder junkie and self-proclaimed "idea DJ" Jason Silva and "The Gentleman Thief" Apollo Robbins size up the human brain with an intricate series of interactive experiments to see how easily the brain can be fooled. Top experts in the fields of cognitive science, neuroscience and psychology will give the "why" behind the "wow." Get ready for lots of mind-blowing illusions, games and challenges that will make you question whether "seeing is actually believing." For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com/braingames and follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NGC_PR.

Guiding you through the twists and turns of your gray matter is host Silva, a modern-day Carl Sagan with a touch of Timothy Leary. Through a series of man-on-the-street experiments, Silva will take you through the hard science of the brain, causing you to question even the simplest of tasks. From 2005 to 2011, Venezuela-born Silva was a presenter on Current TV, the Emmy-winning, independent cable network started by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, where he hosted, wrote and produced more than 100 hours of original content. Last year, he left the network to become, according to The Atlantic, "a part-time filmmaker and full-time walking, talking TEDTalk." In 2011, he became a fellow at the Hybrid Reality Institute, examining the symbiosis between man and machine. At TEDGlobal this past June, Silva premiered a new short video, "Radical Openness," to wide acclaim.

Robbins will be the "puppet master" behind Brain Games, making the impossible suddenly possible. Dubbed by Forbes "an artful manipulator of awareness," Robbins is a unique combination of performer, speaker and consultant. Known as "The Gentleman Thief," he first made national news as the man who pickpocketed the Secret Service while entertaining former President Jimmy Carter. His performances utilize pickpocketing and sleight of hand to demonstrate proximity manipulation, diversion techniques and attention control. This unique set of skills has led to several national television appearances as well as both corporate and academic speaking engagements. Robbins's trademark is his unique ability to tell his "target" that he is about to steal from them, before he does it, right under their nose.

Brain Games is produced for National Geographic Channel by National Geographic Television (NGT). For NGT, Jerry Kolber is executive producer. For NGC, Lynn Sadofsky is vice president of production and development, Allan Butler is executive producer, Michael Cascio is executive vice president of programming and Howard T. Owens is president.