Andrew Smart Books
Andrew Smart is a cognitive and neuroscientist who has worked at New York University and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences. His research focuses on consciousness, brain networks, and the role of rest in cognitive function.
Known for: The Brain at Rest
Books by Andrew Smart
The Brain at Rest
In this book, cognitive scientist Andrew Smart explores the neuroscience and psychology of rest, arguing that idleness is essential for creativity, self-reflection, and mental health. Drawing on research in brain networks and consciousness, he demonstrates how periods of rest activate the brain’s default mode network, fostering insight and emotional balance.
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The Neuroscience of Rest
Early brain research imagined that rest was simply absence — a quiet interval between active thought. But modern neuroscience has overturned this assumption. Using functional MRI scans, researchers discovered that when the brain is not engaged in explicit, goal-directed activity, it displays a vibra...
From The Brain at Rest
Consciousness and Spontaneous Thought
Many of us fear boredom, but boredom is simply a portal into spontaneous thought. When the external world quiets, the mind begins to wander across landscapes that structured work never allows. In rest, consciousness becomes fluid, less bound by logic, more capable of associative leaps — the very mec...
From The Brain at Rest
About Andrew Smart
Andrew Smart is a cognitive and neuroscientist who has worked at New York University and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences. His research focuses on consciousness, brain networks, and the role of rest in cognitive function.
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Andrew Smart is a cognitive and neuroscientist who has worked at New York University and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences. His research focuses on consciousness, brain networks, and the role of rest in cognitive function.
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