Nat Geo’s ‘Brain Games’ returns with 2-Night summer event

All new episodes of National Geographic Channel’s (NGC’s) Emmy-nominated series Brain Games return Sunday, June 28 (9:00 – 11:00 p.m. ET/PT) and Monday, June 29 (9:00 – 10:00 p.m. ET/PT) during a two-night premiere event. Kicking off the summer and just before the July 4 weekend, host, futurist and “Shots of Awe” creator Jason Silva hits the streets of New York and Las Vegas with new, captivating social experiments that reveal mysteries of the human mind.

Experts across the fields of cognitive science, neuroscience and psychology join Silva in uncovering the processes behind daily activities, such as positive thinking, sleep, perspective, imagination, the unscrupulous world of scams and more.

What really happens to our brain when we’re extremely sleep deprived? What makes rational human beings susceptible to con artists? And delve into the differences and similarities between humans and animals in relation to jealousy, eating, memory, mating and more.

Positive thinking is more than just a warm, fuzzy idea. That little voice in your head can change your thoughts, your reality and even your life. We’re going to mess with your mood to show you what really makes that glass seem half empty or half full, why people who stand tall stand happy, and how a little smiling might even improve your life span.

No one likes to think they might be gullible, but nearly everyone is. Scammers and con artists make it their business to know how your brain works, and how to use its flaws to their advantage. Brain Games is in Vegas with illusionist Eric Leclerc as he demonstrates how easy it is to misdirect your brain and shows why gambling is the ultimate con. And hidden cameras roll as we convince innocent people to give up their money and valuable possessions.

The average adult will spend more than 220,000 hours — or roughly 25 years — in bed sleeping. That’s one-third of your life spent in slumber! Brain Games challenges three participants to stay awake for 36 hours and then tests their memory, motor skills and reaction time. Who will fare best — the young math tutor, the burly plumber or the mother of four? Explore what exactly sleep is, why it’s important and why we spend so much time doing it.

Your brain is constantly taking in different bits of information to make meaningful patterns that eventually form a complete picture of the world around you. Whether it’s light, shadow, distance or sound, the way your brain perceives this information creates your unique perspective. Brain Games questions if reality really exists the way we experience it and how we can radically shift the way we see the world. Our brains aren’t always as honest as you’d think!

Have you ever questioned why humans are the most dominant species on the planet, if we’re not the strongest, fastest or largest, and don’t have the best sight, smell or hearing? It’s actually our brains that set us apart from the rest. But how do our brains compare with those of other species? Brain Games pits animal against human in a series of unique experiments!

We often associate imagination with creativity and the arts, but we don’t always think about how important it is to our daily lives. Imagination helps us solve daily problems, and through a series of games, you’ll learn how to tap into the imaginative process to keep the creative, innovative ideas flowing.