Author: Michel Anctil
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773597336
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 385
Book Description
In science, sometimes it is best to keep things simple. Initially discrediting the discovery of neurons in jellyfish, mid-nineteenth-century scientists grouped jellyfish, comb-jellies, hydra, and sea anemones together under one term - "coelenterates" - and deemed these animals too similar to plants to warrant a nervous system. In Dawn of the Neuron, Michel Anctil shows how Darwin's theory of evolution completely eradicated this idea and cleared the way for the modern study of the neuron. Once zoologists accepted the notion that varying levels of animal complexity could evolve, they began to use simple-structured creatures such as coelenterates and sponges to understand the building blocks of more complicated nervous systems. Dawn of the Neuron provides fascinating insights into the labours and lives of scientists who studied coelenterate nervous systems over several generations, and who approached the puzzling origin of the first nerve cells through the process outlined in evolutionary theory. Anctil also reveals how these scientists, who were willing to embrace improved and paradigm-changing scientific methods, still revealed their cultural backgrounds, their societal biases, and their attachments to schools of thought and academic traditions while presenting their ground-breaking work. Their attitudes toward the neuron doctrine - where neurons are individual, self-contained cells - proved decisive in the exploration of how neurons first emerged. Featuring photographs and historical sketches to illustrate this quest for knowledge, Dawn of the Neuron is a remarkably in-depth exploration of the link between Darwin's theory of evolution and pioneering studies and understandings of the first evolved nervous systems
Dawn of the Neuron
Author: Michel Anctil
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773597336
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 385
Book Description
In science, sometimes it is best to keep things simple. Initially discrediting the discovery of neurons in jellyfish, mid-nineteenth-century scientists grouped jellyfish, comb-jellies, hydra, and sea anemones together under one term - "coelenterates" - and deemed these animals too similar to plants to warrant a nervous system. In Dawn of the Neuron, Michel Anctil shows how Darwin's theory of evolution completely eradicated this idea and cleared the way for the modern study of the neuron. Once zoologists accepted the notion that varying levels of animal complexity could evolve, they began to use simple-structured creatures such as coelenterates and sponges to understand the building blocks of more complicated nervous systems. Dawn of the Neuron provides fascinating insights into the labours and lives of scientists who studied coelenterate nervous systems over several generations, and who approached the puzzling origin of the first nerve cells through the process outlined in evolutionary theory. Anctil also reveals how these scientists, who were willing to embrace improved and paradigm-changing scientific methods, still revealed their cultural backgrounds, their societal biases, and their attachments to schools of thought and academic traditions while presenting their ground-breaking work. Their attitudes toward the neuron doctrine - where neurons are individual, self-contained cells - proved decisive in the exploration of how neurons first emerged. Featuring photographs and historical sketches to illustrate this quest for knowledge, Dawn of the Neuron is a remarkably in-depth exploration of the link between Darwin's theory of evolution and pioneering studies and understandings of the first evolved nervous systems
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773597336
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 385
Book Description
In science, sometimes it is best to keep things simple. Initially discrediting the discovery of neurons in jellyfish, mid-nineteenth-century scientists grouped jellyfish, comb-jellies, hydra, and sea anemones together under one term - "coelenterates" - and deemed these animals too similar to plants to warrant a nervous system. In Dawn of the Neuron, Michel Anctil shows how Darwin's theory of evolution completely eradicated this idea and cleared the way for the modern study of the neuron. Once zoologists accepted the notion that varying levels of animal complexity could evolve, they began to use simple-structured creatures such as coelenterates and sponges to understand the building blocks of more complicated nervous systems. Dawn of the Neuron provides fascinating insights into the labours and lives of scientists who studied coelenterate nervous systems over several generations, and who approached the puzzling origin of the first nerve cells through the process outlined in evolutionary theory. Anctil also reveals how these scientists, who were willing to embrace improved and paradigm-changing scientific methods, still revealed their cultural backgrounds, their societal biases, and their attachments to schools of thought and academic traditions while presenting their ground-breaking work. Their attitudes toward the neuron doctrine - where neurons are individual, self-contained cells - proved decisive in the exploration of how neurons first emerged. Featuring photographs and historical sketches to illustrate this quest for knowledge, Dawn of the Neuron is a remarkably in-depth exploration of the link between Darwin's theory of evolution and pioneering studies and understandings of the first evolved nervous systems
The Neuron
Author: Irwin B. Levitan
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199773890
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 601
Book Description
Intended for use by advanced undergraduate, graduate and medical students, this book presents a study of the unique biochemical and physiological properties of neurons, emphasising the molecular mechanisms that generate and regulate their activity.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199773890
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 601
Book Description
Intended for use by advanced undergraduate, graduate and medical students, this book presents a study of the unique biochemical and physiological properties of neurons, emphasising the molecular mechanisms that generate and regulate their activity.
The Beautiful Brain
Author: Larry W. Swanson
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1613129947
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 208
Book Description
At the crossroads of art and science, Beautiful Brain presents Nobel Laureate Santiago Ramón y Cajal’s contributions to neuroscience through his groundbreaking artistic brain imagery. Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934) was the father of modern neuroscience and an exceptional artist. He devoted his life to the anatomy of the brain, the body’s most complex and mysterious organ. His superhuman feats of visualization, based on fanatically precise techniques and countless hours at the microscope, resulted in some of the most remarkable illustrations in the history of science. Beautiful Brain presents a selection of his exquisite drawings of brain cells, brain regions, and neural circuits with accessible descriptive commentary. These drawings are explored from multiple perspectives: Larry W. Swanson describes Cajal’s contributions to neuroscience; Lyndel King and Eric Himmel explore his artistic roots and achievement; Eric A. Newman provides commentary on the drawings; and Janet M. Dubinsky describes contemporary neuroscience imaging techniques. This book is the companion to a traveling exhibition opening at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis in February 2017, marking the first time that many of these works, which are housed at the Instituto Cajal in Madrid, have been seen outside of Spain. Beautiful Brain showcases Cajal’s contributions to neuroscience, explores his artistic roots and achievement, and looks at his work in relation to contemporary neuroscience imaging, appealing to general readers and professionals alike.
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1613129947
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 208
Book Description
At the crossroads of art and science, Beautiful Brain presents Nobel Laureate Santiago Ramón y Cajal’s contributions to neuroscience through his groundbreaking artistic brain imagery. Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852–1934) was the father of modern neuroscience and an exceptional artist. He devoted his life to the anatomy of the brain, the body’s most complex and mysterious organ. His superhuman feats of visualization, based on fanatically precise techniques and countless hours at the microscope, resulted in some of the most remarkable illustrations in the history of science. Beautiful Brain presents a selection of his exquisite drawings of brain cells, brain regions, and neural circuits with accessible descriptive commentary. These drawings are explored from multiple perspectives: Larry W. Swanson describes Cajal’s contributions to neuroscience; Lyndel King and Eric Himmel explore his artistic roots and achievement; Eric A. Newman provides commentary on the drawings; and Janet M. Dubinsky describes contemporary neuroscience imaging techniques. This book is the companion to a traveling exhibition opening at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis in February 2017, marking the first time that many of these works, which are housed at the Instituto Cajal in Madrid, have been seen outside of Spain. Beautiful Brain showcases Cajal’s contributions to neuroscience, explores his artistic roots and achievement, and looks at his work in relation to contemporary neuroscience imaging, appealing to general readers and professionals alike.
Corrupted Radiatons
Author: Michael Rogers
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1365403602
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 586
Book Description
In the third epic installment, our heroes find the origin to the ""Yellow Eyed Disease."" Together, with the help of the Astraseeker, Arcadia, track down an unknown creature harnessing the power of Radiatons. Confronted by Niklauseh and Ginger Susanoo, the creature unexpectedly steals some of the planet's Aurorions! With the world slowly decaying and an unknown creature walking the lands, what will The Rostical Guild do? Twortz, under the direct orders of the Consultant, tracks and finds The Last Unknown Territory, discovers the mystery behind them and its secrets! Everything seemed to be going smoothly, until the moment Twortz was suddenly confronted by the very person she hates!! How will her tale end? And who could it be? From people made of paper, to twins creating a new element of mist-like fire, the revelation of the final villain and familiar faces from The Rostical User series, this will be a delicious tale to read! Many questions answered and many more to be explained, read to find out!
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1365403602
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 586
Book Description
In the third epic installment, our heroes find the origin to the ""Yellow Eyed Disease."" Together, with the help of the Astraseeker, Arcadia, track down an unknown creature harnessing the power of Radiatons. Confronted by Niklauseh and Ginger Susanoo, the creature unexpectedly steals some of the planet's Aurorions! With the world slowly decaying and an unknown creature walking the lands, what will The Rostical Guild do? Twortz, under the direct orders of the Consultant, tracks and finds The Last Unknown Territory, discovers the mystery behind them and its secrets! Everything seemed to be going smoothly, until the moment Twortz was suddenly confronted by the very person she hates!! How will her tale end? And who could it be? From people made of paper, to twins creating a new element of mist-like fire, the revelation of the final villain and familiar faces from The Rostical User series, this will be a delicious tale to read! Many questions answered and many more to be explained, read to find out!
Bakana Flare
Author: Michael Rogers
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1365452263
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 610
Book Description
In the fourth emotional installment, our heroes encounter the delightful cameo appearances of The Rostical Users! After discovering the creature's new transformation, the guild is thrown into a fight of their lives! Fortunately, with the power of light, our heroes survive at a significant cost.. With the world continuing its decay, Arcadia forces Ginger Susanoo, the master of four elements and her trusty shurikens to join the guild in their adventures. Clues start to fall into place as we find out what is happening with this yellow eyed disease, the corrupted Neurons and the planet's Aurorions. But with everything set in motion, it may be too late for the guild to act on it. Rachael, Nathan, Karol, Luna, Ginger, Champion, Lezard and Blake, slowly start to find out that their little adventure is much greater than they originally expected. Find out how their actions determine the planet's survival!
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1365452263
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 610
Book Description
In the fourth emotional installment, our heroes encounter the delightful cameo appearances of The Rostical Users! After discovering the creature's new transformation, the guild is thrown into a fight of their lives! Fortunately, with the power of light, our heroes survive at a significant cost.. With the world continuing its decay, Arcadia forces Ginger Susanoo, the master of four elements and her trusty shurikens to join the guild in their adventures. Clues start to fall into place as we find out what is happening with this yellow eyed disease, the corrupted Neurons and the planet's Aurorions. But with everything set in motion, it may be too late for the guild to act on it. Rachael, Nathan, Karol, Luna, Ginger, Champion, Lezard and Blake, slowly start to find out that their little adventure is much greater than they originally expected. Find out how their actions determine the planet's survival!
From Neurons to Neighborhoods
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309069882
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 610
Book Description
How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309069882
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 610
Book Description
How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.
Methods in Mind
Author: Carl Senior
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262513439
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 411
Book Description
Experts discuss the wide variety of investigative tools available to cognitive neuroscience, including transcranial magnetic stimulation, neuroscience computation, fMRI, imaging genetics, and neuropharmacology, with particular emphasis on convergence of techniques and innovative uses. The evolution of cognitive neuroscience has been spurred by the development of increasingly sophisticated investigative techniques to study human cognition. In Methods in Mind, experts examine the wide variety of tools available to cognitive neuroscientists, paying particular attention to the ways in which different methods can be integrated to strengthen empirical findings and how innovative uses for established techniques can be developed. The book will be a uniquely valuable resource for the researcher seeking to expand his or her repertoire of investigative techniques. Each chapter explores a different approach. These include transcranial magnetic stimulation, cognitive neuropsychiatry, lesion studies in nonhuman primates, computational modeling, psychophysiology, single neurons and primate behavior, grid computing, eye movements, fMRI, electroencephalography, imaging genetics, magnetoencephalography, neuropharmacology, and neuroendocrinology. As mandated, authors focus on convergence and innovation in their fields; chapters highlight such cross-method innovations as the use of the fMRI signal to constrain magnetoencephalography, the use of electroencephalography (EEG) to guide rapid transcranial magnetic stimulation at a specific frequency, and the successful integration of neuroimaging and genetic analysis. Computational approaches depend on increased computing power, and one chapter describes the use of distributed or grid computing to analyze massive datasets in cyberspace. Each chapter author is a leading authority in the technique discussed. Contributors: Peyman Adjamian, Peter A. Bandettini, Mark Baxter, Anthony S. David, James Dobson, Ian Foster, Michael Gazzaniga, Dietmar G. Heinke, Stephen Hall, John M. Henderson, Glyn W. Humphreys, Andreas Meyer-Lindenburg, Venkata Mattay, Elisabeth A. Murray, Gina Rippon, Tamara Russell, Carl Senior, Philip Shaw, Krish D. Singh, Marc A. Sommer, Lauren Stewart, John D. Van Horn, Jens Voeckler, Vincent Walsh, Daniel R. Weinberger, Michael Wilde, Jeffrey Woodward, Robert H. Wurtz, Eun Young Yoon, Yong Zhao Carl Senior, Tamara Russell and Michael S. Gazzaniga
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262513439
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 411
Book Description
Experts discuss the wide variety of investigative tools available to cognitive neuroscience, including transcranial magnetic stimulation, neuroscience computation, fMRI, imaging genetics, and neuropharmacology, with particular emphasis on convergence of techniques and innovative uses. The evolution of cognitive neuroscience has been spurred by the development of increasingly sophisticated investigative techniques to study human cognition. In Methods in Mind, experts examine the wide variety of tools available to cognitive neuroscientists, paying particular attention to the ways in which different methods can be integrated to strengthen empirical findings and how innovative uses for established techniques can be developed. The book will be a uniquely valuable resource for the researcher seeking to expand his or her repertoire of investigative techniques. Each chapter explores a different approach. These include transcranial magnetic stimulation, cognitive neuropsychiatry, lesion studies in nonhuman primates, computational modeling, psychophysiology, single neurons and primate behavior, grid computing, eye movements, fMRI, electroencephalography, imaging genetics, magnetoencephalography, neuropharmacology, and neuroendocrinology. As mandated, authors focus on convergence and innovation in their fields; chapters highlight such cross-method innovations as the use of the fMRI signal to constrain magnetoencephalography, the use of electroencephalography (EEG) to guide rapid transcranial magnetic stimulation at a specific frequency, and the successful integration of neuroimaging and genetic analysis. Computational approaches depend on increased computing power, and one chapter describes the use of distributed or grid computing to analyze massive datasets in cyberspace. Each chapter author is a leading authority in the technique discussed. Contributors: Peyman Adjamian, Peter A. Bandettini, Mark Baxter, Anthony S. David, James Dobson, Ian Foster, Michael Gazzaniga, Dietmar G. Heinke, Stephen Hall, John M. Henderson, Glyn W. Humphreys, Andreas Meyer-Lindenburg, Venkata Mattay, Elisabeth A. Murray, Gina Rippon, Tamara Russell, Carl Senior, Philip Shaw, Krish D. Singh, Marc A. Sommer, Lauren Stewart, John D. Van Horn, Jens Voeckler, Vincent Walsh, Daniel R. Weinberger, Michael Wilde, Jeffrey Woodward, Robert H. Wurtz, Eun Young Yoon, Yong Zhao Carl Senior, Tamara Russell and Michael S. Gazzaniga
Talking Nets
Author: James A. Anderson
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262511117
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 452
Book Description
Surprising tales from the scientists who first learned how to use computers to understand the workings of the human brain. Since World War II, a group of scientists has been attempting to understand the human nervous system and to build computer systems that emulate the brain's abilities. Many of the early workers in this field of neural networks came from cybernetics; others came from neuroscience, physics, electrical engineering, mathematics, psychology, even economics. In this collection of interviews, those who helped to shape the field share their childhood memories, their influences, how they became interested in neural networks, and what they see as its future. The subjects tell stories that have been told, referred to, whispered about, and imagined throughout the history of the field. Together, the interviews form a Rashomon-like web of reality. Some of the mythic people responsible for the foundations of modern brain theory and cybernetics, such as Norbert Wiener, Warren McCulloch, and Frank Rosenblatt, appear prominently in the recollections. The interviewees agree about some things and disagree about more. Together, they tell the story of how science is actually done, including the false starts, and the Darwinian struggle for jobs, resources, and reputation. Although some of the interviews contain technical material, there is no actual mathematics in the book. Contributors James A. Anderson, Michael Arbib, Gail Carpenter, Leon Cooper, Jack Cowan, Walter Freeman, Stephen Grossberg, Robert Hecht-Neilsen, Geoffrey Hinton, Teuvo Kohonen, Bart Kosko, Jerome Lettvin, Carver Mead, David Rumelhart, Terry Sejnowski, Paul Werbos, Bernard Widrow
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262511117
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 452
Book Description
Surprising tales from the scientists who first learned how to use computers to understand the workings of the human brain. Since World War II, a group of scientists has been attempting to understand the human nervous system and to build computer systems that emulate the brain's abilities. Many of the early workers in this field of neural networks came from cybernetics; others came from neuroscience, physics, electrical engineering, mathematics, psychology, even economics. In this collection of interviews, those who helped to shape the field share their childhood memories, their influences, how they became interested in neural networks, and what they see as its future. The subjects tell stories that have been told, referred to, whispered about, and imagined throughout the history of the field. Together, the interviews form a Rashomon-like web of reality. Some of the mythic people responsible for the foundations of modern brain theory and cybernetics, such as Norbert Wiener, Warren McCulloch, and Frank Rosenblatt, appear prominently in the recollections. The interviewees agree about some things and disagree about more. Together, they tell the story of how science is actually done, including the false starts, and the Darwinian struggle for jobs, resources, and reputation. Although some of the interviews contain technical material, there is no actual mathematics in the book. Contributors James A. Anderson, Michael Arbib, Gail Carpenter, Leon Cooper, Jack Cowan, Walter Freeman, Stephen Grossberg, Robert Hecht-Neilsen, Geoffrey Hinton, Teuvo Kohonen, Bart Kosko, Jerome Lettvin, Carver Mead, David Rumelhart, Terry Sejnowski, Paul Werbos, Bernard Widrow
Luminous Creatures
Author: Michel Anctil
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773554106
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 452
Book Description
Naturalists in antiquity worked hard to dispel fanciful ideas about the meaning of living lights, but remained bewildered by them. Even Charles Darwin was perplexed by the chaotic diversity of luminous organisms, which he found difficult to reconcile with his evolutionary theory. It fell to naturalists and scientists to make sense of the dazzling displays of fireflies and other organisms. In Luminous Creatures Michel Anctil shows how mythical perceptions of bioluminescence gradually gave way to a scientific understanding of its mechanisms, functions, and evolution, and to the recognition of its usefulness for biomedical and other applied fields. Following the rise of the modern scientific method and the circumnavigations and oceanographic expeditions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, biologists began to realize the diversity of bioluminescence's expressions in light organs and ecological imprints, and how widespread it is on the planet. By the end of the nineteenth century an understanding of the chemical nature and physiological control of the phenomenon was at hand. Technological developments led to an explosion of knowledge on the ecology, evolution, and molecular biology of bioluminescence. Luminous Creatures tracks these historical events and illuminates the lives and the trail-blazing accomplishments of the scientists involved. It offers a unique window into the awe-inspiring, phantasmagorical world of light-producing organisms, viewed from the perspectives of casual observers and scientists alike.
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
ISBN: 0773554106
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 452
Book Description
Naturalists in antiquity worked hard to dispel fanciful ideas about the meaning of living lights, but remained bewildered by them. Even Charles Darwin was perplexed by the chaotic diversity of luminous organisms, which he found difficult to reconcile with his evolutionary theory. It fell to naturalists and scientists to make sense of the dazzling displays of fireflies and other organisms. In Luminous Creatures Michel Anctil shows how mythical perceptions of bioluminescence gradually gave way to a scientific understanding of its mechanisms, functions, and evolution, and to the recognition of its usefulness for biomedical and other applied fields. Following the rise of the modern scientific method and the circumnavigations and oceanographic expeditions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, biologists began to realize the diversity of bioluminescence's expressions in light organs and ecological imprints, and how widespread it is on the planet. By the end of the nineteenth century an understanding of the chemical nature and physiological control of the phenomenon was at hand. Technological developments led to an explosion of knowledge on the ecology, evolution, and molecular biology of bioluminescence. Luminous Creatures tracks these historical events and illuminates the lives and the trail-blazing accomplishments of the scientists involved. It offers a unique window into the awe-inspiring, phantasmagorical world of light-producing organisms, viewed from the perspectives of casual observers and scientists alike.
The Evolution of the Sensitive Soul
Author: Simona Ginsburg
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262351102
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 665
Book Description
A new theory about the origins of consciousness that finds learning to be the driving force in the evolutionary transition to basic consciousness. What marked the evolutionary transition from organisms that lacked consciousness to those with consciousness—to minimal subjective experiencing, or, as Aristotle described it, “the sensitive soul”? In this book, Simona Ginsburg and Eva Jablonka propose a new theory about the origin of consciousness that finds learning to be the driving force in the transition to basic consciousness. Using a methodology similar to that used by scientists when they identified the transition from non-life to life, Ginsburg and Jablonka suggest a set of criteria, identify a marker for the transition to minimal consciousness, and explore the far-reaching biological, psychological, and philosophical implications. After presenting the historical, neurobiological, and philosophical foundations of their analysis, Ginsburg and Jablonka propose that the evolutionary marker of basic or minimal consciousness is a complex form of associative learning, which they term unlimited associative learning (UAL). UAL enables an organism to ascribe motivational value to a novel, compound, non-reflex-inducing stimulus or action, and use it as the basis for future learning. Associative learning, Ginsburg and Jablonka argue, drove the Cambrian explosion and its massive diversification of organisms. Finally, Ginsburg and Jablonka propose symbolic language as a similar type of marker for the evolutionary transition to human rationality—to Aristotle's “rational soul.”
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262351102
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 665
Book Description
A new theory about the origins of consciousness that finds learning to be the driving force in the evolutionary transition to basic consciousness. What marked the evolutionary transition from organisms that lacked consciousness to those with consciousness—to minimal subjective experiencing, or, as Aristotle described it, “the sensitive soul”? In this book, Simona Ginsburg and Eva Jablonka propose a new theory about the origin of consciousness that finds learning to be the driving force in the transition to basic consciousness. Using a methodology similar to that used by scientists when they identified the transition from non-life to life, Ginsburg and Jablonka suggest a set of criteria, identify a marker for the transition to minimal consciousness, and explore the far-reaching biological, psychological, and philosophical implications. After presenting the historical, neurobiological, and philosophical foundations of their analysis, Ginsburg and Jablonka propose that the evolutionary marker of basic or minimal consciousness is a complex form of associative learning, which they term unlimited associative learning (UAL). UAL enables an organism to ascribe motivational value to a novel, compound, non-reflex-inducing stimulus or action, and use it as the basis for future learning. Associative learning, Ginsburg and Jablonka argue, drove the Cambrian explosion and its massive diversification of organisms. Finally, Ginsburg and Jablonka propose symbolic language as a similar type of marker for the evolutionary transition to human rationality—to Aristotle's “rational soul.”