Summer College-Nature and the Brain

This course presents the new science describing the influence of time spent in nature on child cognitive and emotional development and adult mental health and creativity. Readings will include landmark interdisciplinary empirical studies covering experimental psychology, observational epidemiology, and neuroimaging as well as the accessible 2019 book, The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative, by journalist Florence Williams. Students will learn what the new science says about the relationship between nature and the brain, how critically to appraise findings from experimental and observational studies, and how to place psychological findings into context to inform public policies around public health and urban design. Connections will be made to important trends now underway, including climate change and the aging and urbanization of the global population.