Contents18 chapters0:00The discovery that put brain cells under light controlPlay→2:34Hello InternetPlay→3:282026 Medicine Nobel and optogeneticsPlay→5:38Understanding the brainPlay→8:42From correlation to causationPlay→18:13Controlling neurons with lightPlay→21:25Early optogenetics and the chARGe systemPlay→24:17Light-sensitive microbial proteinsPlay●26:26Algae and phototaxisPlay→31:42Discovering channelrhodopsinsPlay→34:42Nagel and light-gated ion channelsPlay→40:55Controlling mammalian neuronsPlay→50:19Expanding the optogenetic toolkitPlay→56:10Neural circuits and behaviorPlay→59:02Memory, reward and reinforcementPlay→1:02:53Heart rhythm and emotionPlay→1:04:02Beyond the brain and toward medical treatmentsPlay→1:06:56Implications and limitsPlay→Show all 18 chapters →From the episodeEP 61Oct 5, 2026Nobel Prize in Medicine 2026 Explained: OptogeneticsHow did proteins from algae give scientists control over brain cells? We explain the 2026 Medicine Nobel, optogenetics, memory experiments and early medical applications.GeneticsNobel PrizeNeuroscience