{{short description|American-French-Israeli neuroscientist and business professor}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Moran Cerf | honorific_suffix = | image = Moran Cerf (cropped).jpg | image_size = | caption = | native_name = מורן סרף | native_name_lang = he | birth_name = | birth_place = [[Paris]], France | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1977}} | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | other_names = | citizenship = [[French people|French]], [[Israelis|Israeli]], [[Americans|American]] | education = | alma_mater = [[Tel Aviv University]] (BS, MA)<br />[[Caltech]] (PhD) | occupation = [[Neuroscientist]], [[white hat hacker]] | years_active = | employer = | agent = | known_for = Research on applications of neuroscience in business; Studying humans with electrodes inside their brain during surgery; Science consulting in films; brains; Dream research; Free will; Consciousness; Neural correlates of engagement in the brain; | notable_works = | style = | height = | television = | title = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | boards = | spouse = | children = | parents = | relatives = | awards = | website = {{URL|morancerf.com}} | footnotes = | resting_place_coordinates = }} '''Moran Cerf''' ({{Langx|he|מורן סרף}}; born 1977) is an American-French-Israeli [[neuroscientist]], professor of business (at Columbia University), investor and former [[white hat hacker]].<ref name="haaretz"/><ref name="mbacrystalball"/>
He is the [[Organizational founder|founder]] of Think-Alike and B-Cube and the host and curator of PopTech,<ref name="Moran Cerf-PopTech">{{cite news|title=Moran Cerf-PopTech|url=https://poptech.org/instigator/moran-cerf/}}</ref><ref name="israel21c">{{cite news|last1=Klein Leichman|first1=Abigail |title=How hacking the human brain can improve how we think and learn|url=https://www.israel21c.org/how-hacking-the-human-brain-can-improve-how-we-think-and-learn/|work=ISRAEL21c|date=January 15, 2019}}</ref> one of the top 5 leading conferences in the world.<ref>{{cite news|title=5 Of The Most Inspiring Conferences Of 2018|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelschein/2018/12/13/5-of-the-most-inspiring-conferences-of-2018/#6b909c51540c|work=[[Forbes]]|date=December 13, 2018}}</ref> Cerf is also the president and [[co-founder]] of the Human Single Neuron society.<ref>{{cite news|title=Human Single Neuron Society|url=https://www.humansingleunit.org/}}</ref> As of 2013, he is a member of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems.<ref name="ciudaddelasideas">{{cite news|title=Moran Cerf – CDI|url=https://ciudaddelasideas.com/en/ponentes/moran-cerf/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125183414/https://ciudaddelasideas.com/en/ponentes/moran-cerf/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 25, 2019|work=[[Ciudad de las Ideas (conference)|Ciudad de las Ideas]]|date=April 13, 2016}}</ref>
Cerf has received numerous awards including the [[Templeton Foundation]] "Extraordinary Minds" award, and the Chicagoan award. In 2016 he was named one of the "40 Leading Professors Below 40".<ref name="poetsandquants">{{cite news|last1=Carter|first1=Andrew|title=2016 Best 40 Under 40 Professors: Moran Cerf, Kellogg School of Management|url=https://poetsandquants.com/2016/04/13/2016-best-40-40-professors-moran-cerf-kellogg-school-management/?pq-category=business-school-news|work=Poets and Quants}}</ref> He has won several national storytelling competitions, most notably [[The Moth]] [[The Moth#StorySLAMS and GrandSLAMS|GrandSLAM]], multiple times.
Cerf is the [[Alfred P. Sloan]] [[screenwriting]] professor at the [[American Film Institute]] (AFI) where he teaches an annual workshop on science in films.<ref name="afi">{{cite news|title=American Film Institute – Alfred P. Sloan Foundation|url=https://www.afi.com/conservatory/scholarships/sloanprogram.aspx|work=[[American Film Institute]]}}</ref> He is also a science consultant to [[Hollywood films]] and TV series (''[[Limitless (TV series)|Limitless]]'', ''[[Bull (2016 TV series)|Bull]]'', ''[[Falling Water (TV series)|Falling Water]]'', etc.).<ref name="northwestern">{{cite news|title=Moran Cerf Faculty – Kellogg School of Management|url=https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/directory/cerf_moran.aspx|work=[[Northwestern University]]}}</ref>
He has spoken publicly on topics of [[neuroscience]], business, decision making and [[Cybercrime|hacking]] ([[TED (conference)|TED]], PopTech, [[Google]], [[TEDx]], [[TED-Ed]])<ref>{{cite news|title=TED16 – Moran Cerf|url=https://tedlive.ted.com/webcasts/2016/session/228|work=[[TED (conference)]]}}</ref> and his views on the risks of hacking into humans' brains often appear in the media.<ref name="israel21c" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Hacking the Brain to Find Ourselves|url=https://www.c2st.org/event/hacking-the-brain-to-find-ourselves/|work=Chicago Council S&T|date=October 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Commentary: There's Still Time to Stop the Tech Monopoly Takeover|url=http://fortune.com/2018/03/08/privacy-data-collection-facebook-google-amazon-apple-microsoft/|work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]|date=March 8, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Embrace the wisdom of the machine|url=https://www.thetimes.com/static/the-times-tech-summit-google-cloud-machine-learning-ai/|work=[[The Times]]|date=September 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Moran Cerf and the Nature of Dream Recording|url=https://blogs.plos.org/neuroanthropology/2012/08/28/moran-cerf-and-the-nature-of-dream-recording/|work=[[PLOS]]|date=August 28, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Segall|first=Laurie|date=January 17, 2019|title=6 Tech Leaders on What They Fear the Most|url=https://time.com/5505456/6-things-tech-world-leaders-fear/|magazine=Time}}</ref>
==Early life and background== Cerf was born in Paris, France, to a Jewish family, and raised in Israel. As a young child he was an art prodigy, attending the Israeli School of Arts. He appeared in many [[Israeli TV]] shows for children when young, which garnered him attention in Israel. In 2002, he had one of the first podcasts in the world, where he hosted a weekly [[radio show]].
As a young child, Cerf became an avid [[programmer]] and was part of a small community of hackers that paved the road to online [[White hat (computer security)|white hat hacking]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=C. Wolcott|first1=Robert |title=Hackers, Empathy And Neuroscience: A Conversation With Moran Cerf|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwolcott/2017/05/09/hackers-empathy-and-neuroscience-a-conversation-with-moran-cerf/#3360f49b1741|work=[[Forbes]]|date=May 9, 2017}}</ref><ref name="zdnet">{{cite news|last1=Sherwood|first1=Christina|title=Q&A: Moran Cerf, hacker-turned-neuroscientist, on controlling the human brain|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/qa-moran-cerf-hacker-turned-neuroscientist-on-controlling-the-human-brain/|work=[[ZDNet]]|date=July 15, 2013}}</ref><ref name="haaretz">{{cite news|last1=Limone|first1=Noa |title=Israeli Hacker Turned Brain Researcher Making Waves|url=https://www.haaretz.com/1.5160337|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229122009/https://www.haaretz.com/1.5160337|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 29, 2018|work=[[Haaretz]]|date=January 6, 2012}}</ref>
==Education== Cerf holds a [[Bachelor of Science]] in [[Physics]] (1998–2000), and a [[Master of Philosophy|Master's Degree in Philosophy]] (2000) from [[Tel Aviv University]].
In 2002, he received the prestigious Presidential Scholarship award in Israel while originally pursuing a [[PhD]] in [[philosophy]].<ref name="cyberweek"/> In 2005 he shifted to neuroscience, and ultimately completed a PhD in neuroscience at [[Caltech]] (2009).
While pursuing his studies, Cerf worked as a [[white hat hacker]] in the emerging Israeli [[cybersecurity]] industry,<ref>{{cite news|title=How to Improve Cybersecurity? Just Eliminate the Human Factor|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-improve-cybersecurity-just-eliminate-the-human-factor-1453125602|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=January 18, 2016}}</ref> performing [[penetration test]]s for banks and government institutes. He attributes much of his understanding of the brain and the way he researches to his time spent breaking codes and performing penetration tests. A single meeting with the late [[Francis Crick]] where the two discussed the importance of "using hacking skills to study the most interesting vault in the world – our brain" made Prof. Cerf leave his senior business post and pursue full-time PhD at [[Caltech]], under Prof. [[Christof Koch]].<ref name="zdnet"/><ref name="successpodcast">{{cite news|title=Real Life Inception – From Bank Robbery to Neuroscience with Dr. Moran Cerf|url=https://www.successpodcast.com/show-notes/2018/6/27/real-life-inception-from-bank-robbery-to-neuroscience-with-dr-moran-cerf|work=The Science of Success Podcast|date=June 28, 2018}}</ref>
Cerf completed his PhD at [[Caltech]] during 2005–2009 and worked on one of the flagship projects in [[neuroscience]]: "Single Neuron Recording in Humans". This project involves studying humans using direct recordings from their brain while they are awake with electrodes implanted inside their heads. This unique research setup gained him worldwide recognition and resulted in some of the widely cited publications that positioned Cerf at the forefront of neuroscience research.<ref name="impacttheory">{{cite news|title=How to Bend Reality to Your Will and Become Unstoppable|url=https://impacttheory.com/episode/moran-cerf/|work=Impact Theory|date=January 10, 2017}}</ref>
Following his time at [[Caltech]] Professor Cerf moved to [[NYU]], where he spent three years studying what makes content engaging and looking for ways to translate his neuroscience research to a broader audience. It is the time there that he attributes to his interest in finding ways to understand how to translate brain research to applications and the need to work together with the business world to communicate science.<ref>{{cite news|title=Post-Doctoral Scholar Moran Cerf on his neuroscience research|url=http://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/news-events/con_031736|work=[[NYU Stern School of Business]]|date=September 13, 2011}}</ref><ref name="storycollider">{{cite news|title=Moran Cerf – Finding Fear|url=https://www.storycollider.org/stories/2016/1/4/moran-cerf-finding-fear|work=[[The Story Collider]]|date=June 12, 2014}}</ref><ref name="stern.nyu.edu">{{cite news|title=Marketing Professors Given $1.1 Million Grant from NIH to Study the Efficacy of Anti-Drug Ads|url=http://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/news-events/uat_025044|work=[[NYU Stern School of Business]]|date=October 5, 2010}}</ref><ref name="mbacrystalball">{{cite news|title=Kellogg Professor blends business and neuroscience to gain fascinating insights|url=https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2016/07/29/kellogg-professor-blends-business-neuroscience/|work=MBA Crystal Ball|date=July 29, 2016}}</ref>
Following his time at [[NYU]] studying engagement, and with the growth of public attention to his work (in part due to his repeated wins of the Moth Grandslam story-telling competition,<ref>{{cite news|title=The Moth Presents Moran Cerf: When In Rome|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jccemYs8zjI|work=YouTube|date=May 16, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Moth Presents Moran Cerf: On Human (and) Nature|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QdD96OZFzA|work=YouTube|date=August 24, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Moth: When in Rome – Moran Cerf|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfRkEUT7rgc|work=YouTube|date=October 20, 2014}}</ref> where he discussed the behind the scenes of [[neuroscience]]), Prof. Cerf became a public figure in the [[science communication]] sphere where his talks garnered a large following.<ref name="themoth">{{cite news|title=Moran Cerf – The Moth|url=https://themoth.org/storytellers/moran-cerf|work=[[The Moth]]}}</ref>
In 2014 Cerf was appointed as a professor at the [[Kellogg School of Management]], where he holds positions as both a business and neuroscience professor.<ref>{{cite news|title=Moran Cerf Ph.D – NUIN|url=http://www.nuin.northwestern.edu/members-2/cerf/|work=[[Northwestern University]]}}</ref>
In 2016 he joined the [[MIT Media Lab]] as a visiting professor, where he started his work on dream recording and manipulation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Moran Cerf – MIT Media Lab|url=https://www.media.mit.edu/people/moranc/overview/|work=[[MIT Media Lab]]}}</ref>
==Notable research== Cerf is well known for his research on consciousness and projecting people's thoughts and dreams directly from their brain,<ref name="kcrw">{{cite news|title=The Man Who Could Record Your Dreams|url=https://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/unfictional/the-man-who-could-record-your-dreams|work=[[KCRW]]|date=March 13, 2012}}</ref><ref name="wired">{{cite magazine|title=Neuron Recordings Capture Brain Focus on Josh Brolin|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/10/brain-focus-recording/|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]}}</ref><ref name="israel21c.org">{{cite news|title=The next Hollywood movie may be coming to you in your sleep|url=https://www.israel21c.org/the-scientist-who-can-inject-ideas-into-your-dreams/|work=ISRAEL21c|date=January 14, 2018}}</ref> his research on free will,<ref name="wired.co.uk"/> his ideas on the future of humans<ref>{{cite news|title=How Your Brain Could Teach You To Fly|url=https://www.chicagoideas.com/videos/how-your-brain-could-teach-you-to-fly|work=Chicago Ideas}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Levy|first=Jon|date=February 27, 2019|title=Hacking Into The Human Brain Could Create Superhumans. Here's How|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonlevy/2019/02/26/hacking-into-the-human-brain-could-create-superhumans-heres-how/#6c3a6e4f4649|journal=Forbes}}</ref> and the ability to hack our brains, and for his work in the [[neuroscience]] in marketing. Applications include predicting people's interest and engagement with content by observing their neural responses.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Harrell|first=Eben|date=January 23, 2019|title=Neuromarketing: What You Need to Know|url=https://hbr.org/2019/01/neuromarketing-what-you-need-to-know|journal=Harvard Business Review}}</ref> For this work, he was named by Prof. [[Philip Kotler|Phil Kotler]] (father of modern marketing) "the next leader in marketing".<ref>{{cite book |date= November 16, 2017|title=Consumer Neuroscience |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OJg-DwAAQBAJ|publisher= [[MIT Press]]|isbn=9780262036597 }}</ref> He is a frequent contributor to "[[Business Insider]]",<ref>{{cite news|title=Neuroscience Goes To The Super Bowl: Historic Game Firsts Beat The Ads On Engagement|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/onmarketing/2017/02/06/neuroscience-goes-to-the-super-bowl-historic-game-firsts-beat-the-ads-on-engagement/#37d362b841d6|work=[[Forbes]]|date=February 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=A neuroscientist explains why he always picks the 2nd menu item on a list of specials|url=https://www.businessinsider.in/A-neuroscientist-explains-why-he-always-picks-the-2nd-menu-item-on-a-list-of-specials/articleshow/59811296.cms|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=July 28, 2017}}</ref> "[[Forbes]]"<ref>{{cite news|title=New Neuroscience Study Reveals What Worry About Money Does To Your Brain|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/elizabethharris/2017/11/28/new-neuroscience-study-reveals-what-worry-about-money-does-to-your-brain/#4f1f29fe385e|work=[[Forbes]]|date=November 28, 2017}}</ref> and various other popular media journals where he writes on topics in [[neuroscience]] and business and ways to implement science in decision-making.<ref name="healthland">{{cite news|title=Controlling Your World With a Single Neuron|url=https://healthland.time.com/2010/10/29/controlling-your-world-with-a-single-neuron/|work=Time Magazine|date=October 29, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Forget Inception, Try Extraction: Dream Recorder is 'Possible'|url=https://newsfeed.time.com/2010/10/29/what-dreams-may-come-dream-recording-device-possible/|work=News Feed|date=October 29, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Being John Malkovich: Personal Control of Individual Brain Cells|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/being-john-malkovich/|work=[[Scientific American]]|date=March 1, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=People Are Having Disturbingly Similar Dreams About Donald Trump|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisrodley/trumpmares|work=[[BuzzFeed]]|date=November 8, 2016}}</ref>
In his 2016 [[TED talk]], Cerf discussed a method for extraction of dreams which he was rumored to turn into a company, Dream-Alike. Similar mention of his work on projecting thoughts was later discussed in a blog post at ‘[[Wait But Why]]’.<ref>{{cite news|title=Neuralink and the Brain's Magical Future (G-Rated Version)|url=https://waitbutwhy.com/2017/04/neuralink-cleanversion.html|work=[[Wait But Why]]|date=April 20, 2017}}</ref>
==Career== Prior to his academic career, Cerf held positions in [[pharmaceutical]], telecommunications, fashion, [[software development]], and innovative research fields.
===Hacking=== Cerf spent nearly a decade working as a computer system hacker, breaking into financial and government institutes to test and improve their security.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hacking into the brain to change human behaviour|url=https://perspectives.pictet.com/2017/08/21/hacking-into-the-brain-to-change-human-behaviour/|work=Perspectives Pictet|date=August 21, 2017}}</ref>
As a hacker, Cerf was first working for [[Check Point]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Israeli Hacker Turned Brain Researcher Making Waves|url=https://www.haaretz.com/1.5160337|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229122009/https://www.haaretz.com/1.5160337|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 29, 2018|work=[[Haaretz]]|date=January 6, 2012}}</ref> and later started his own for-hire ‘white hat’ hackers team that helped business secure their systems from [[Black hat (computer security)|malevolent hackers]]. His team later integrated into the ADC (Advanced Defense Center) at a then-startup company called [[Imperva]] (now a [[NASDAQ]] traded company) where Cerf ran the ADC and spent a number of years before leaving for academia, holding various managerial positions.<ref>{{cite news|title=Moran Cerf – Digital Life Design|url=https://dld-conference.com/users/moran-cerf|work=[[Digital Life Design]]}}</ref>
Some of Cerf's stories about hacking and his experiences as a hacker were included in various films and became the basis for his worldwide acclaim.<ref>{{cite news|title=This Neuroscientist Thinks He Knows the Future of Human Evolution, and It Will Surprise and Inspire You|url=https://www.inc.com/jon-levy/this-neuroscientist-thinks-he-knows-the-future-of-.html|work=[[Inc. (magazine)|Inc.]]|date=September 19, 2017}}</ref><ref name="cyberweek">{{cite news|title=Prof. Moran Cerf – Professor of Neuroscience|url=https://cyberweek.tau.ac.il/2016/speakers/66-prof-moran-cerf|work=[[Cyber Monday]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Monitoring Moviegoers' Brains Can Predict Box Office Success|url=https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/neuroscience-can-predict-movie-sales|work=[[Northwestern University]]|date=August 3, 2017}}</ref>
===Neuroscience=== In an interview with [[Forbes]], Professor Cerf attributed his success as a [[neuroscientist]] to his hacking background, saying the non-traditional tools he uses to investigate the brain and his creative way of thinking about black boxes borrows from his time breaking codes. Cerf is known for his pioneering work studying patients undergoing [[Brain surgery|brain-surgery]], which allows him to investigate [[behavior]], [[emotion]], [[decision making]], and [[dreams]] by directly recording the activity of individual neurons using electrodes implanted in the patient's brain.<ref name="successpodcast"/><ref name="wired.co.uk">{{cite magazine|last1=Solon|first1=Olivia|title=Moran Cerf: our brain is the puppeteer, we are simply agents – Wired 2013 video|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/moran-cerf|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=October 17, 2013}}</ref><ref name="impacttheory"/><ref name="mbacrystalball"/>
As a business professor, Cerf's work focuses on drivers of decision-making in [[consumer neuroscience]], and using [[neuromarketing|neuro-marketing]] techniques to gain insights about [[consumer behavior]].<ref name="nti">{{cite news|title=NTI Seminar: Neuroscientist Moran Cerf on How the Brain Processes Risk|url=https://www.nti.org/analysis/atomic-pulse/nti-seminar-neuroscientist-moran-cerf-how-brain-processes-risk/|work=[[Nuclear Threat Initiative]]|date=December 21, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=A neuroscientist who studies decision-making reveals the 6 most important choices you can make|url=https://www.businessinsider.in/A-neuroscientist-who-studies-decision-making-reveals-the-6-most-important-choices-you-can-make/articleshow/60903248.cms|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=October 1, 2017}}</ref> He is an associate editor for several scholarly journals in both business and [[neuroscience]] and a consultant for companies in many industries, including automotive ([[Ferrari]]), performance ([[Red Bull]]), finance ([[TransUnion]]), and relationships ([[Tinder (app)|Tinder]]).<ref name="thinkworks">{{cite news|title=The Hacker-Turned-Neuroscientist Who Can Read Your Mind|url=http://thinkworks.in/speakers/moran-cerf/|work=Think Works}}</ref><ref name="israel21c.org"/>
===Hollywood=== Since 2007, Cerf has held a permanent appointment at the [[American Film Institute]] (AFI)<ref>{{cite news|title=MASTERS OF SEX creator Michelle Ashford on replicating "The Ulysses"|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1rdXbRa_YE|work=[[American Film Institute]]}}</ref> as the [[Alfred P. Sloan]] Professor, where he teaches an annual workshop on [[science communication]] in film and TV. Through this workshop he has worked on various films and TV shows.<ref>{{cite news|title=Brain Dead: Interview with Dr. Moran Cerf|url=http://scienceandfilm.org/articles/2939/brain-dead-interview-with-dr-moran-cerf|work=Sloan Science & Film|date=July 20, 2017}}</ref><ref name="northwestern"/> He also organizes the annual Sloan seminar, where he has held public discussions on [[science communication]] with Hollywood figures like [[Ann Druyan]] (''[[Cosmos: A Personal Voyage|Cosmos]]''),<ref>{{cite news|title=Writer and Director Ann Druyan describes Seth MacFarlane's contributions to the 2014 COSMOS Series|url=http://video.afi.com/videos/play/isgiPAbVpsc/writer-and-director-ann-druyan-describes-seth-macfarlanes-contributions-to-the-2014-cosmos-series/|work=[[American Film Institute]]}}</ref> [[Michelle Ashford]] (''[[Masters of Sex]]''), [[Whitney Cummings]] (''[[Whitney (TV series)|Whitney]]'', ''[[2 Broke Girls]]''),<ref>{{cite news|title=Whitney Cummings + Moran Cerf: The Future of The Female Brain|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA626skVRpk|work=[[Rubin Museum of Art]]}}</ref> [[Giancarlo Esposito]] (''[[Breaking Bad]]''),<ref>{{cite news|title=The Actor: Giancarlo Esposito + Moran Cerf|url=http://rubinmuseum.org/events/event/the-actor-giancarlo-esposito-moran-cerf|work=[[Rubin Museum of Art]]}}</ref> [[Jake Gyllenhaal]] (''[[Donnie Darko]]''),<ref>{{cite news|title=An Actor's Dream Jake Gyllenhaal + Moran Cerf|url=http://rubinmuseum.org/events/event/an-actors-dream-jake-gyllenhaal-moran-cerf-03-16-2015|work=[[Rubin Museum of Art]]}}</ref> [[Leonard Mlodinow|Len Mlodinow]] (ghost writer of [[Stephen Hawking]]'s books and writer on ''[[MacGyver (1985 TV series)|MacGyver]]''), [[Andy Serkis]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Andy Serkis on Finding Gollum's Voice|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re8eISermgY|work=[[American Film Institute]]}}</ref> (''[[King Kong (2005 film)|King Kong]]'', Gollum in ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|Lord of the Rings]]''), [[Michael Begler]] and [[Jack Amiel]] (''[[The Knick]]''), [[Clifford V. Johnson|Clifford Johnson]] ([[theoretical physicist]]) and more.<ref name="afi"/>
==Books== * Competition and Attention in the Human Brain: Single neuron recordings and eye-tracking in healthy controls and subjects with neurological and psychiatric disorders, Lap Lambert Academic Publishing, 2012, {{ISBN|9783844309591}} * Single Neuron Studies of the Human Brain: Probing Cognition, co-authored with Itzhak Fried and Ueli Rutishauser and Gabriel Kreiman, The MIT Press, 2014, {{ISBN|9780262323994}} * Consumer Neuroscience, MIT Press, 2017, {{ISBN|9780262036597}} * Foresight, Northwestern University, 2017, {{ISBN|978-1983736643}}
==Awards and recognition== * 2016: 40 Leading Professors Below 40<ref name="ciudaddelasideas"/> * 2010, 2016: 2 times US champion of the Moth Grand-Slam<ref>{{cite news|title=Moran Cerf – World Science Festival|url=https://www.worldsciencefestival.com/participants/moran_cerf/page/7/|work=[[World Science Festival]]}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable sortable" style=text-align:center; |- ! Year ! Film |- | 2016 ! ''[[Limitless (film)|Limitless]]'' |- | 2016 ! ''[[Bull (2016 TV series)|Bull]]'' |- | 2016 ! ''[[Mr. Robot]]'' |- | 2016 ! ''[[Falling Water (TV series)|Falling Water]]'' |- | 2016 ! ''Clarity'' |- | 2017 ! ''Impact Theory'' |- | 2019 ! ''The Chef''<ref>{{Cite web |title=IMDB page for "The Chef" |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8862058/reference/ |access-date=July 31, 2024 |website=IMDB}}</ref> |- | 2021 ! ''Israelis who change the world (Episode 3: Moran's Brain)''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yes!Docu page for "Israelis who change the world" |url=https://www.yes.co.il/content/series/30786/Israelis_Who_are_Changing_the_World#:~:text=%D7%91%D7%95%D7%90%D7%95%20%D7%9C%D7%94%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%A8%20%D7%90%D7%AA%20%D7%93%22%D7%A8,%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C%2C%202021. |access-date=July 31, 2024 |website=Yes}}</ref> |- | 2021 ! ''[[Gutfeld!]]'' |- | 2021 ! ''[[The Mind, Explained]]'' |- | 2022 ! ''Inside the Mind of a Con Artist''<ref>{{Cite web |title=IMDB page for "Inside the Mind of a Con Artist" |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15439406/reference/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |website=IMDB}}</ref> |- | 2022 ! ''The Future Of''<ref>{{Cite web |title=IMDB page for "The Future Of..." |website=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19895946/reference/ |access-date=August 5, 2022}}</ref> |}
==Philanthropy== In 2018, Cerf founded B-Cube, a non-profit that helps organizations use advances in [[neuroscience]] to change behavior. While B-Cube's endeavors are not public, it is estimated that they invested shy of $12M in 2018 in their projects.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://founderspledge.com/about-us|title=About Us|website=Founders Pledge|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> B-Cube has worked with [[Ferrari]] (on improving [[risk assessment]] in driving), with [[SS&C Technologies|SS&C]] (on ways to improve learning in classrooms), with [[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]] (on applications of [[neuroscience]] to entertainment) and with Founders Pledge (on using [[neuroscience]] for [[social good]]).<ref name="israel21c"/>
As Cerf is the host and curator of PopTech<ref name="Moran Cerf-PopTech"/> and responsible for their fellows program, B-Cube may also be involved in the PopTech mission for social good promotion through technology.
Cerf has spoken at the [[UN]] and various organizations on ways to use [[neuroscience]] and research to promote young individuals’ rise out of poverty, on the ethics of using [[neuroscience]] to prevent threats to democracy and on the dangers of the attention economy.<ref name="nti"/><ref>{{cite news|title=UNESCO hosts debate on ethics of new technologies and artificial intelligence "Tech Futures: Hope or Fear?"|url=https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-hosts-debate-ethics-new-technologies-and-artificial-intelligence-tech-futures-hope-fear|work=[[UNESCO]]|date=January 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=6 Tech Leaders on What They Fear the Most|url=https://time.com/5505456/6-things-tech-world-leaders-fear/|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=January 17, 2019}}</ref>
==Government== Cerf worked with the [[United States Digital Service]] (USDS) under [[President Obama]], and continued working with [[18F]] during the [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]]. His work focused on [[cybersecurity]], in particular the ‘[[login.gov]]’ project.<ref>{{cite news|title=Meet the Fellows – Presidential Innovation Fellows|url=https://presidentialinnovationfellows.gov/fellows/|work=[[Presidential Innovation Fellows]]}}</ref>
==Personal life== In 2017, Cerf dated actress [[Ashley Judd]]. They were last seen together at the [[Sundance Film Festival]]. In 2011–2012 Cerf dated actress [[Kristina Anapau]] (''[[True Blood]]'').<ref>{{cite news|title=Big Island Girl Kristina Anapau in TONIGHT'S TRUE BLOOD Episode… "Maurella"|url=https://damontucker.com/2011/09/04/breaking-news-big-island-girl-kristina-anapau-in-tonights-true-blood-episode/|work=Damon Tucker}}</ref> In 2016, Cerf was selected as one of [[Elle (magazine)|Elle Magazine]]’s most eligible bachelors.<ref>{{cite news|title=Meet ELLE.com's 41 Most Eligible Bachelors|url=https://www.elle.com/life-love/sex-relationships/reviews/g25713/elles-most-eligible-bachelors/?slide=30|work=[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]]|date=February 14, 2015}}</ref>
In his free time, Cerf is a pilot of private [[Jet aircraft|jets]] and [[helicopters]].<ref name="haaretz"/>
==Board and other posts== * [[Board member]], Chicago Ideas * [[Hospitality|Host]] and curator, PopTech * [[Co-founder]], Human Intracranial Research Foundation * [[Board member]], VR Americas * [[Organizational founder|Co-Founder]], ThinkAlike * Founder (rumored), DreamAlike * [[Presidential Innovation Fellow]], White House USDS/18F * [[Organizational founder|Founder]], B-Cube
==See also== * [[List of neuroscientists]] * [[List of hackers]] * [[David Eagleman]] * [[Dan Ariely]] * [[Bryan Johnson (entrepreneur)]] * [[Elon Musk]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commonscat|Moran Cerf}} * [https://www.morancerf.com/ Moran Cerf's official website] * [https://www.forbes.fr/technologie/moran-cerf-le-hacker-du-cerveau/ Moran Cerf, Le "Hacker" Du Cerveau] * [https://tedlive.ted.com/webcasts/2016/session/228 Moran Cerf] at ''[[TED (conference)]]'' * [https://brain-behavior-business.com B-Cube]
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cerf, Moran}} [[Category:California Institute of Technology alumni]] [[Category:Tel Aviv University alumni]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:21st-century American short story writers]] [[Category:Scientists from New York City]] [[Category:Writers from New York City]] [[Category:French emigrants to Israel]] [[Category:Israeli Jews]] [[Category:Israeli neuroscientists]] [[Category:Israeli science writers]] [[Category:1977 births]]