CategoryNeuroscience
A Thought Experiment on the Mind, the Brain — and AI
In a crowded AI marketplace, a nerd confronts a philosopher on subject of the human mind
Brain Imaging Study Shows That Intelligence Uses the Whole Brain
A focus on specific regions like the prefrontal cortex can mislead. When we are thinking, we use brain-wide connections between many parts of the brain at once
Is Physicalism Dead? And Is Psychology Today Here to Bury It?
Physicalism argues that the mind is simply the activities of neurons in the brain and consciousness is an illusion that they generate
Mirror Neurons and Consciousness: A Philosophical Perspective
Dr. Miretu Guta criticized the overblown claims about mirror neuronsIn the most recent episode of the Mind Matters News podcast, hosts Brian Krouse and Robert J. Marks chatted with philosopher Dr. Mihretu Guta about the role of mirror neurons in understanding consciousness. Dr. Guta’s chapter in the book Minding the Brain critiques the popular interpretation of these specialized brain cells, which activate both when performing an action and observing others perform it. Mirror neurons, discovered in macaque monkeys, have been linked to empathy, learning, and imitation. However, Dr. Guta emphasized the distinction between correlation and causation. While these neurons activate during certain behaviors, this does not prove they cause those behaviors. He also noted the limits of extending findings from monkey studies to human cognition. Dr. Guta introduced three Read More ›
At Nature: What Is So Special About the Human Brain?
None of the features identified by neuroscientists explain why humans think about things that other animal life forms don't
The Left Brain Delusion: Are We Steamrolling Human Agency?
The two hemispheres of our brain really do see the world differentlyTechno-futurists love to dream up visions of the future. Invariably, these are worlds where everything is under control—where every problem has a solution, and the future unfolds exactly as planned. We do seem to be moving toward some sort of centralized loss of agency. But what’s distinctive about the techno-futurist vision is the belief that this is not only inevitable but wonderful. Self-driving cars eliminate wasted time in traffic; smart cities like Songdo or Masdar City adjust every streetlight and service in real-time to optimize efficiency. AI-driven healthcare, like the tools developed by Google’s DeepMind, promises to pinpoint diagnoses. Automated finance uses algorithms to manage our money and secure our futures. Everything works, all the time. But doomsday visions flip Read More ›
FDA Lists Neuralink’s Blindsight as a Breakthrough Device
Researchers hope to restore human vision by bypassing damaged optic nerves to directly stimulate the visual cortex with microelectrodes
Alien Hand Syndrome? Relax. There Is No Alien Mind
The syndrome has been used to argue for the idea that split brain patients really have two separate minds and maybe wills afterward
Dolphins Quarterback Suffers Another Concussion
Head trauma remains a dark reality in American football
Do all of us really have two minds inside our brains?
The truth is even more remarkable. When the brain is split in half, the mind remains a unity
Our Brains Store Memories Three Times, Just To Be Sure
During our development as embryos, at least three different systems are laid down, researchers say
Covert Consciousness: When “Brain Dead” Doesn’t Mean Unconscious
Now that brain scan studies have established that at least 25% of people classed as brain dead can respond, doctors ask what to do for them?
The Hard Problem of Consciousness Remains Inescapable
Neuroscientist Francisco Aboitiz starts by offering to tell us how consciousness evolved but then makes a critical concession
Michael Egnor: The Neuroscience Evidence for Free Will
You ask a hundred neuroscientists about Libet's work and 95% will say he disproved free will, when he did exactly the oppositeWhat Did Splitting Human Brains in Half Tell Us About the Mind?
How did split brain study subjects compare things when no part of their brains saw both things?
What Brain Surgery for Epilepsy Taught Us About the Human Mind
Michael Egnor continues his discussion with Pat Flynn, noting that neither seizures nor Penfield’s brain stimulation provoked abstract thought
Is Materialism Slowly Losing Its Death Grip on Science?
If it is, neuroscience discoveries will play a key role, neurosurgeon Michael Egnor tells podcaster Pat Flynn, in a recent interview
Study: 25% of Coma Patients Showed Consciousness When Tested
Making contact with patients via brain scanning technology is a first step toward treatment of those who may now be deemed hopeless cases