Neuroscientist Dean Burnett gives a tongue-in-cheek overview of how, despite its immense sophistication, the brain often lets us down.

Our brains are stunningly complex and sophisticated, but they're not perfect.

The brain was not designed top-down; it's the product of millions of years of random mutations and slow evolution. As a result, while it generally does its job well, there's plenty of room for quirks and foibles.

Dean Burnett is a neuroscientist best known for writing the satirical science column 'Brain Flapping' in The Guardian. In The Idiot Brain, Burnett outlines the science behind all the strange things our brains make us do.

The book delves into how the brain's quirks show up in many of its different functions, including sleep, non-verbal communication, and our personalities.