Colbert : The Frontal Cortex

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Jonah Lehrer is a contributing editor at Wired. He's also written for The New Yorker, Seed, Nature, the Boston Globe and is a contributor to Radio Lab. He's the author of Proust Was A Neuroscientist. His new book is How We Decide.

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Posted on: February 6, 2009 9:22 AM, by Jonah Lehrer

That was fun!

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

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A few random notes:

1) I can't bring myself to watch the clip. Which reminds me of my brilliant idea for an fMRI experiment: show people videos of themselves in a scanner and see what brain areas turn on. Presto: you've found the neural correlates of self-loathing. I'm betting on the insula.

2) It was totally surreal being on the set of a show you watch every night. Like walking into your television or falling down a rabbit hole or something.

3) Am I allowed to say that Stephen Colbert - the person, not the character - is the nicest guy? And that he gives every guest a gift card to DonorsChoose, which allows you to buy pencils and paper and books for individual teachers?

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Comments (34)

You were fantastic! Most charming and really interesting. Made me order the book!

Posted by: Sida | February 6, 2009 9:29 AM

ELEPHANT RACES!

So good. Even better were the parts when he let you complete your sentences ;)

Posted by: Molly | February 6, 2009 10:13 AM

Great interview! going to buy the book.
P.S you are cute!

Posted by: Lisa | February 6, 2009 10:33 AM

I must say you did a great job with Colbert- this comes from my emotional brain which is now madly in love with you!

Posted by: Melissa | February 6, 2009 10:57 AM

Interesting... Contrary to the popular acclaim, Colbert is a truly bad interviewer. I understand it's schtick, but his relentless interruption never allow the viewer to come to their own conclusion.
The Plato chariot versus the modern elephant was an interesting bit.

Posted by: Onkel Bob | February 6, 2009 11:12 AM

Well done. I can hear the cash registers at Amazon ka-chinging from here...

Posted by: jim in austin | February 6, 2009 11:26 AM

I thought it was a fun interview and as soon as it was over I went to Amazon to check out the book, so obviously it served it's purpose. You were very likeable in the interview and appealing to everyone. Sometimes when you get someone really scientfic minded on there it can be a snoozefest, but your interview wasn't at all.

Posted by: Shannon | February 6, 2009 11:29 AM

I WAS SO EXCITED when it was announced at the beginning that you would be on.

It didn't disappoint!!
Only, I was kind of hoping Proust Was a Neuroscientist would come up, since it's kind of the inspiration for my senior thesis... :)

Still, excellent-e!

Posted by: Jessica | February 6, 2009 11:37 AM

What was most interesting to me was that I thought I could see you engaging in a bit of metacognition at the beginning of the interview. Colbert came on so aggressively, it almost seemed like you had to decide how to handle this barrage of relentlessly mischievous questions. I thought I detected just the briefest look of a deer in the headlights before you processed what he was doing and shifted gears to handle him appropriately, which you did with aplomb.

p.s. I'm on chapter 3. Hot stuff!

Posted by: Barry | February 6, 2009 11:41 AM

I was going to go to bed without watching the rest, and then suddenly it was you, and I sat back down! Great interview, I look forward to reading your latest book [ordered it last week]. You are my primary source for new information on cognitive biology, you are very serious and sincere about understanding and sharing your comprehensions - thanks!

Posted by: Sachman | February 6, 2009 11:55 AM

Saw the Colbert interview and finished the book this a.m. Best read while endorphins engaged during exercise--encodes better. I highly reco the book to any readers curious about brain function, no matter how much of a layperson you are vs. science geek. JL and editors weave it all together in a very engaging mix of stories and neuroscience. Strong ref and biblio too for further reading.

Posted by: sharon malcolmson | February 6, 2009 12:09 PM

YAY JONAH! You were great. And yeah, you ARE totally cute. :)

Posted by: scicurious | February 6, 2009 12:54 PM

haha this was great

i subscribed to your blog recently and im a big fan, sir - you've got some jewels in your archives. ill check out your book soon. i actually accidentally confused you with a different author i had read - alain de botton? who wrote, how proust can change your life.

Posted by: from chicago | February 6, 2009 1:52 PM

I caught the interview last night - nice work condensing some rather complicated ideas into digestable chunks, especially given Colbert's spastic interview format.

Posted by: MattXIV | February 6, 2009 2:35 PM

I really like being able to put a voice to the person.

Posted by: Marin | February 6, 2009 2:43 PM

Beats a poke in the eye with a sharp tamping rod, if you know what I'm sayin'

Posted by: Phineas | February 6, 2009 2:47 PM

I don't watch the show much, but it's easy to see what he's up to. I think you were awesome, as usual. It does take a bit of nerve to step into that arena. I think it was a good decision. The book is excellent

Posted by: Guy | February 6, 2009 3:29 PM

Good Jonah!
I still wait for your membership on facebook, and of course, i recomend your book to every body.

Posted by: Anibal | February 6, 2009 4:04 PM

"Pure reason is actually a disease."

So interesting!

Posted by: Rachael | February 6, 2009 4:40 PM

With the "Colbert Bump" your book will become a best-seller !!!

Great work there, as usual. Greetings from Chile!

Posted by: Remis | February 6, 2009 7:03 PM

omg - how did you not flick him between his eyes? Colbert is so incredibly annoying - as if he's desperately trying to mask his lack of intelligence to even remotely relate to the subject of your expertise...

Posted by: bee | February 6, 2009 7:28 PM

I love what you are telling me about myself. I read your book and loved the stories of the Korean pilots who would not listen to their underlings to the point of risking their lives by not getting the pertinent information. I remember being stunned by a British professor who, when unable to answer a question I asked, looked sternly at me and accused me of insubordination.

Posted by: Angela Anthony | February 6, 2009 9:29 PM

My husband was watching the show while I was listening and knitting, and then he commented that you were a newlywed. I gave him a confused look, since I didn't hear that come up in the interview and my husband said you kept touching your wedding ring. I looked up and could notice it too. Of course, I had to find out if he was right, and it seems he was! My husband could relate: we've been married less than a year. Congratulations!

Posted by: Liz | February 6, 2009 9:45 PM

I watched the interview on my Mac. You can't take it too seriously, after all, it's Colbert Report. You seemed very serious about your work. I had not heard of you or your book, but now I'm interested - Good job and good luck. I'll try to catch you at Town Hall Seattle.

Posted by: Lucy Garrick | February 6, 2009 11:25 PM

I watched the interview on my Mac. You can't take it too seriously, after all, it's Colbert Report. You seemed very serious about your work and I can relate. It is important, after all. I had not heard of you or your book, and now I'm interested.

I'm a org psychologist. The hardest thing I encounter is helping people to understand that changing ineffective behaviors is about balance and practice. If you are able to popularize those notions, it's good for the world.

Good job and good luck. I hope you sell a zillion copies. I'll try to catch you at Town Hall Seattle.

Posted by: Lucy Garrick | February 6, 2009 11:29 PM

I agree with the other commenter who noticed that Colbert came on super strong in the beginning. I saw him in person once and he is so damn quick to come up with witty comebacks - I can't even imagine being on the other side of his interview table.

All in all, you did a great job with the banter and in advertising your new book. Congratulations on such good press!!

Posted by: Rachael | February 7, 2009 8:49 AM

Colbert really is not an interviewer, but he opens his stage for some very interesting people, and ideas.

I have suffered from panic attacks for over forty years, and
I have tried to explain my method of dealing with them similarly to your emotional/rational theory. I think about how I am thinking, and try to move my decision making to the side that best will function for that issue.

Rationally, I have to go to the grocery store for food. Emotionally, I have to choose which food appeals to my senses. I have stood for many minutes rationally trying to choose orange juice, but it is the emotional appeal of taste, texture, fragrance, that can decide.

Will be ordering your book and following your articles with great interest.

Posted by: M. Williams | February 7, 2009 12:45 PM

Have you brought yourself to watch the clip yet? Or still waiting for an MRI on loan...?

As someone above mentioned, Colbert actually let you finish your sentences! (Most of them, anyhow). In fact, while watching it occurred to me that you may have actually been the first guest of his to get as many words in as you did ;)

The mention of issue with pure-reason (sociopath) was very well placed. Will you ever write a book on that subject?

Posted by: Gen | February 7, 2009 9:00 PM

I am a new fan -- Kathy P introduced me, I am part of her academic family. Great interview!! I am buying the book today-- can't wait!!

Posted by: Iris | February 8, 2009 2:53 PM

Fantastic job - very well done. What great questions he had. To go onto his show, with his intellect, humor, and wit? That takes guts!

Posted by: Matthew Cornell | February 9, 2009 4:01 PM

please come to chicago on your book tour! i'm going to cambridge the wrong weekend and won't be able to catch you.

Proust was a Neuroscientist inspired me to start writing again. thanks.

Posted by: maya | February 9, 2009 4:49 PM

I've been following your work for quite some time and I must say, I was thrilled to see you on The Colbert Report! I think you did a wonderful job and I'm so glad your book is getting some good media attention. I'm ordering it off of Amazon right now!

Posted by: Julia Udell | February 9, 2009 7:09 PM

Wow - from page 186 of your book "How We Decide", re: autism - 1st paragraph, last sentence - "A face generated no more emotion than a chair."

I dropped the book - in 2003 I painted a real chair an antique blue and then did a portrait of a woman's face and head falling upside down out of the seat of the chair and the hair spilling down the front leg of the chair. I've never shown it before, but your descriptive words brought it back to mind as it sits in a corner of my studio.

Posted by: lee pirozzi | February 11, 2009 7:47 PM

I think part of me cried a little (on the inside of course, as I love reading the science blogs at work) after noticing the ring on your left ring finger.

Still, awesome job with the interview/book/blog/everything. I love reading your commentary (and am sad about not finding out about your books until after your reading at Powell's).

Posted by: janevalenz | March 16, 2009 12:35 PM