In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. David Berson, PhD, a professor of neuroscience at Brown University and an expert on the visual system and circadian biology. We explore how the brain processes visual information, from photons entering the eye to conscious perception in the cortex. We discuss color vision, the discovery of melanopsin and intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, and how light regulates our circadian clock and melatonin release. We also examine the vestibular system's role in balance and motion detection, the cerebellum's function in motor coordination, and the midbrain's integration of multiple sensory inputs. Finally, we discuss the basal ganglia's role in decision-making and an extraordinary case of neuroplasticity in visual cortex. Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/kJOETdg Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past full-length Huberman Lab episodes. Watch the full-length episode: https://youtu.be/oC3fhUjg30E Watch more Huberman Lab Essentials episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPNW_gerXa4OGNy1yE-W9IX-tPu-tJa7S *Follow Huberman Lab* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://x.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter *Dr. David Berson* Dr. Berson’s academic profile: https://vivo.brown.edu/display/dberson Eyewire (contribute to neuroscience research from home/computer): https://eyewire.org/explore Best neuroscience textbook: https://amzn.to/4n87UoC We Know It When We See It: What the Neurobiology of Vision Tells Us About How We Think (book): https://amzn.to/47qC9lU *Timestamps* Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer