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The human brain is as complex as it is powerful. Unique from person to person, and capable of storing as much data as 20,000 iPhones, the organ remains one of science's greatest frontiers—a space ripe for investigation, discovery and increased understanding.

Exploring its intricacies and depths has been the life's work of Deena Weisberg, PhD, director of the  at ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥ University. As the leader of a team of 12 undergraduate and graduate researchers, she spearheads a range of studies and initiatives that examine how we process information, engage with stories and narratives and contemplate the world around us.

"Essentially, there are two umbrella questions that guide our lab's work," says Dr. Weisberg. "First, 'How do we think scientifically?' In other words, how do we engage in those habits of mind that allow science to happen… Second, 'How does the imagination work in adults and in children?' How does it develop, and how does it play a role in our real lives?"

The Wonders of "What If"

While the STAR Lab has been active since 2018, Dr. Weisberg's fascination with the mind, and its ability to comprehend, conjecture and conjure, long predates her time at the University.

"When I was a young child, I would just spend hours and hours buried in books about Narnia, Middle Earth and the Land of Oz—any of these fantastical, amazing places where novels can take you," she shares. "Even then, I wondered, 'How does this work?' 'How do we get from black squiggles on a white page [to] a picture in my head of these characters and their struggles and these magical objects and these incredible faraway places that don't actually exist?'"

The question, which lingered with Dr. Weisberg through college, led to undergraduate studies in a variety of disciplines, from English and linguistics to philosophy and computer sciences. Ultimately, however, she began to find the answers she sought as a research assistant at a psychological and brain sciences lab. There, she first examined the cognitive processes behind imagination.

"When I say 'imagination,' people usually think that I'm talking about creativity, which isn't always the case," says Dr. Weisberg. "Creativity is really a very small slice of imagination. There's very little that any of us do on an ordinary day that could be considered truly creative, but there's a lot that all of us do on an ordinary day that's imaginative—that is to say, not tied to the current truth of reality."

As Dr. Weisberg explains, the use of one's imagination, at its most basic level, is the practice of "what if" thinking. Encompassing everything from cycling through dinner options to daydreaming about deep-space adventures, it reflects our distinct ability to reckon with possibilities, whether realistic or improbable, and to envision corresponding actions, circumstances and events.

The study of this expansive brain function, which drew Dr. Weisberg's interest at such an early age, now stands as a major facet of her work at ¸ÌéÙÖ±²¥. In particular, it offers a valuable framework for the examination and analysis of educational content and programming—one of the core undertakings of the STAR Lab.

Science, Imagination and Media

Foremost among the studies currently being conducted by Dr. Weisberg's research team, whose projects touch on everything from fantasy fans' conceptions of reality to people's (in)ability to identify AI-generated content, are assessments of the informativeness and resonance of science-focused media.

"Science is a really fun area for so many reasons," says Dr. Weisberg. "But one of the main reasons is that real-life science is fantastical in a lot of ways. What we know to be true about reality—the things our best science tells us about reality—are a little bit strange."

Consider the fact that matter is made mostly of empty space, suggests Dr. Weisberg, lightly rapping her knuckles on a seemingly solid tabletop. Finding the most effective ways to make sense of that sort of information, and to convey it compellingly to audiences, is a major aim of her lab.

By way of example, members of Dr. Weisberg's team have recently been running an experiment that centers on the use of anthropomorphism, or the attribution of human characteristics to animals and objects, in children's educational literature.

As part of the effort, STAR Lab researchers present preschoolers with different versions of a picture book titled "The Lost Little Quoll" and collect data on their responses. While the text itself is exactly the same across versions, depictions of the narrators and main subject differ: One has a pair of human characters speaking about the quoll (pictured with cartoonishly large eyes, a sweater and a flat cap); another has a set of clothed kangaroos discussing the marsupial (made to look realistic); and so on.

"We were really interested in seeing whether having a human character say, 'Quolls are nocturnal,' as opposed to having a kangaroo share the same information, would help with retention," shares Dr. Weisberg. "Early evidence seems to indicate it does."

At times, Dr. Weisberg lightheartedly refers to the work at the STAR Lab as "me-search," given how closely it reflects her team's personal interests. However, while the studies undertaken at the lab certainly align with members' passions, the work completed and insights yielded clearly have relevance beyond individual curiosity and the classroom.

"Through our research, we're shaping the way we reach and teach people, particularly children," says Nick Menendez '26 CLAS, who has worked on Dr. Weisberg's project on anthropomorphism. "I find working with kids especially meaningful, because they're the wave of the future. They're the ones who are going to drive innovation, and make advancements, as we move forward."

"The abilities we study are not just significant for scientists," adds Jillian Umstead '26 MS, a graduate assistant at the STAR Lab. "Whether it's a child learning from a storybook, an adult becoming more empathetic after reading a novel or someone struggling to make sense of scientific information in a classroom, these processes shape how all of us understand the world. Studying them also then helps us to improve education, foster creativity and strengthen critical thinking across all stages of life."

In turn, by bridging storytelling with science and by joining imagination with inquiry, the STAR Lab offers more than just answers to academic questions; it provides findings with real-world implications—for content creators, instructors, parents and so many others. With each new project, Dr. Weisberg and her team continue to illuminate the invisible forces shaping how we think, learn and dream. And, in so doing, they show that even the most fantastical questions—the wonders of "what if," like the ones Dr. Weisberg pondered as a child—can lead to discoveries that truly matter.