Dr. Gregory Berns

Gregory Berns is the Distinguished Chair of Neuroeconomics at Emory University, where he is a professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Economics, and at the Gouzueta Business School. He has been profiled -- and his work has been ecstatically reviewed -- in The New York Times, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal, as well as other leading business and science publications. For his pioneering work in Neuroeconomics, Berns is highly sought after by political, corporate and policy leaders to speak on human motivation, decision-making and, increasingly, the science of innovation. In addition to Iconoclast, he is also the author of Satisfaction: The Science of Finding True Fulfillment.

Science + Tech

Iconoclast Thinking

Pablo Picasso, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs and Martin Luther King, Jr. are all considered iconoclasts. That is, they are people who did "something that others say can't be done." They saw the world a bit differently than most and were willing to take risks in order to achieve their respective goals. In his book, Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently, Dr. Gregory Berns explains the "biological basis" for how the brain of an iconoclast works. Though true iconoclasts are rare, by understanding how they think you can begin thinking like one.

View Video

Science + Tech

Innovation and the Brain

What does science say about how constraints introduced into a system can breed innovation and new ideas? What role does fear have in the iconoclast’s life? What are poor habits or better disciplines that might improve iconoclastic thinking?

Supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this report are by the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Hear Audio