101 Theory Drive: A Neuroscientists Quest for Memory by Terry McDermott

An obsessive scientist and his eclectic team of researchers race to discover one of the hidden treasures of neurosciencethe physical makeup of memoryand in the process pursue a pharmaceutical wonder drug. Its not fiction: Gary Lynch is the real thing, the epitome of the rebel scientistmalnourished, contentious, inspiring, explosive, remarkably ambitious, consistently brilliant. He is one oftheforemost figures of contemporary neuroscience, and his decades-long quest to understand the inner workings of the brains memory machine has begun to pay off. Award-winning journalist Terry McDermott spent nearly two years observing Lynch at work and now gives us a fascinating and dramatic account of daily life in his labthe highs and lows, the drudgery and eureka moments, the agonizing failures. He provides detailed, lucid explanations of the cutting-edge science that enabled Lynch to reveal the inner workings of the molecular machine that manufactures memory. And he explains where Lynchs sights are now set: on drugs that could fix that machine when it breaks, drugs that would enhance brain function during the memory process and that hold out the possibility of cures for a wide range of neurological conditions, including Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Here is an essential story of science, scientists, and scientific achievementgalvanizing in the telling and thrilling in its far-reaching implications.

Author: Terry McDermott

Language: English

Edition: 1

Binding: Hardcover

Pages: 288

Publisher: Pantheon

Publication Date: 2010-04-06