Braeckman: ‘We come from very different worlds and yet we share the same fascination for the brain and people. I am particularly interested in the question of why individuals, despite all the knowledge they accumulate, are still so prone to irrational thinking. Why do we keep saying and doing all these stupid things? The brain is programmed in such a way as to become kind of fogbound at times. Nevertheless, that same human brain is capable of such wonderful achievements.’

Van Broeckhoven: ‘As far as diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia are concerned, we still have a long way to go. We now know that brain cell degeneration occurs ten to twenty years before the first symptoms of the disease appear. In other words, we have to work preventively in order to fight the disease.’