Educating the brain

British science fiction author H.G. Wells wrote that, “Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe,” in The Outline of History. This maxim remains as true as ever. Access to education is not only a human right, it is the foundation of a successful and productive society, and it is even crucial for the future of our planet. Numeracy and literacy are skills that are required in almost every profession; humanity needs to research and develop new technologies to cope with famine, diseases, environmental degradation and energy production—all of which require highly qualified people. Education is our most important resource. Given the importance of education, it is not surprising that the growing field of educational neuroscience is attracting considerable interest. After all, neuroscience is the science of the brain and one of the major features of the brain is its ability to learn. It is hoped that, as we expand our knowledge of the brain and how it learns, we can apply this insight to improving classroom education. Indeed, recent decades have seen a massive increase in brain research, and the rapid development of functional imaging techniques has created unprecedented possibilities for observing the brain in action.