Home - Douglas Fields

What is as unique as your fingerprints and more revealing than your diary?

Brainwaves.

About Dr. Fields

R. Douglas Fields, PhD, is a neuroscientist and author. Throughout his career his scientific research has explored the cellular mechanisms of nervous system development, plasticity, and memory, working at UC San Diego, Stanford University, Yale University, and the National Institutes of Health.

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Praise for R. Douglas Fields

"Electric Brain tells the story behind one of the most basic and important features of the nervous system--its electrical properties. Forget the hype you've heard about "brain waves." Read Doug Fields' facile account of the role of brain electrical activity in mind and behavior."

—Joseph LeDoux, Neuroscientist and author of The Deep History of Ourselves: The Four-Billion-Year-Story of How We Got Conscious Brains .

"Brainwaves, not heartbeat, determine the threshold between life and death. They can control drones and in turn be controlled by machines. Doug Fields has done a remarkable job of lifting the veil on these mysterious, fascinating emanations and their potential to change our behavior, influence our personality and teach us about the core of consciousness itself."

—Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix.

"Douglas Fields explains how electricity is exploited in neuronal circuits for both simple and complex functions. He does it in an accessible language, embedded in a beautiful prose where beyond discussing fascinating scientific topics of brain works, the scientists come to the fore. A great book for everyone interested in the most complex matter that exists."

—Gyorgy Buzsaki, M.D., Ph.D. Neuroscientist and author of Rhythms of the Brain and The Brain from Inside Out."

“With a storyteller’s heart and a scientist’s keen eye, Douglas Fields serves as our neural Jacques Cousteau, roving the depths of this thrilling realm to bring home vital truths about today and tomorrow.”

—Daniel Coyle, author of The Talent Code

"A lively personal account of the wild west of brain wave research, opening multiple windows to deep mysteries underlying our conscious and unconscious selves. Lucid discussions of dreams, mental disorders, mind control, and more provide the reader with a vibrant look into brain science and its impacts on our lives. Strongly recommended."

—Paul L. Nunez, Ph.D. , Neuroscientist and author of The New Science of Consciousness: Exploring the Complexity of Brain, Mind, and Self."

“The interplay between conscious and unconscious cognition is not unfamiliar territory, as readers of Daniel Kahneman or Malcolm Gladwell will recognize, but Fields’ personal experience adds a fresh viewpoint to an intriguing subject.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Neuroscientist Fields provides insight into the seemingly inexplicable....”

—Publishers Weekly

How Our Longest Nerve Orchestrates the Mind-Body Connection

It is late at night. You are alone and wandering empty streets in search of your parked car when you hear footsteps creeping up from behind. Your heart pounds, your blood pressure skyrockets. Goose bumps appear on your arms, sweat on your palms. Your stomach knots and your muscles coil, ready to sprint or fight.…

Psychological Trauma in the Olympics

Every measure is taken to protect athletes from physical injury in competitive sports, while protection from mental injury is neglected. Yet athletes face extraordinary risks of mental trauma in competition. We insist upon helmets and other safety gear and impose stringent rules enforced by referees to protect athletes from physical injury, but as the recent…