The new book from Zach Schonbrun, The Performance Cortex, examines the intersection of neuroscience and sports, focusing on the complex interplay between an athlete’s brain and motor system.
The innovative work from deCervo, a baseball-centric startup launched by two Columbia University neuroscientists, and its efforts to gain traction in sports occupy a central storyline in the book. Players wear an EEG (electroencephalography) headset that identifies the moment they made the decision to swing or not swing at a pitch.
The Performance Cortex was released on Tuesday, and Schonbrun — a contributing writer for the New York Times — spoke with SportTechie about how developments in neuroscience are and will be applied in the athletic realm.