The human brain is an electrical web of 100 trillion connections that has made everything possible, from campfires to lunar landers. We go on assignment with neuroscientist and National Geographic Explorer Steve Ramirez in his lab to witness brains in action, starting with a common research partner: mice. Come explore the foundations of human thoughts, emotions, and memories to see what really makes us, us.

Steve Ramirez creates and deletes memories in the brains of rodents. His eventual goal: to use his current work to wipe out bad memories and enhance good ones in humans to help alleviate symptoms associated with PTSD and depression. He is an assistant professor of neuroscience at Boston University and a former Junior Fellow at Harvard University. Ramirez received his B.A. in neuroscience from Boston University and earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience at MIT. He has received the Smithsonian’s American Ingenuity Award and been recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35 list.