Ransom Stephens is an author, speaker, and physicist whose work spans fantasy, science fiction, and popular science. His high-concept fiction centers conflict around characters capable of eliciting both laughter and tears. His narratives frequently delve into themes such as environmental idealism gone awry, while also offering perspective-altering explorations of science and religion. His popular science writings provide irreverent insights into the workings of the brain and how we can optimize its potential.
The narrative intertwines sex, drugs, and quantum physics with themes of artificial intelligence, faith, and free will. As Ryan navigates a conflict between hard science and fundamentalist religion, he faces challenges that jeopardize his sanity, freedom, and relationship with his son, creating a gripping exploration of belief and reality.
"I can't believe I ate a seal. And really enjoyed it." Moments after venture capitalist Gloria Baradaran experiences what it's like to be a polar bear -- really be a polar bear -- she knows she's found something revolutionary. Farley Rutherford and his team -- migraine-tortured neurologist "Chopper" Vittori and uber-geek engineer Ringo Hayes -- have created sensory saturation, a virtual reality system that drops users into the psyches of endangered animals as they fight for survival, and they believe the profound experience could turn the indifferent masses into avid environmentalists. The Sensory Deception is a mind-blowing, globe-trotting ride that will take listeners from cutthroat Silicon Valley boardrooms to pirate ships off the Somali coast to the devastated rain forests of the Amazon, all to ask the question: What is a human life worth compared to that of an entire planet?
In The Left Brain Speaks, but the Right Brain Laughs, physicist Ransom Stephens explains the interesting and often amusing tale of how the human brain works. Using understandable metaphors and easy to follow language, Stephens gives readers of any scientific level an introduction to neuroscience and shows them how things like creativity, skill, and even perception of self can grow and change by utilizing the body's most important muscle. Fans of Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson will love Stephens' down to earth attitude and those interested in science will appreciate his thoughtful explanations of scientific terms. The Left Brain Speaks, but the Right Brain Laughs is the perfect gift for anyone who wants to know what's going on inside their head and how they can use that knowledge to make themselves the best humans they can be.