Evelina Fedorenko, Steven T. Piantadosi & Edward A. F. Gibson MIT June 2024 https://nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07522-w.
Language is a defining characteristic of our species, but the function, or functions, that it serves has…
Evidence from neuroscience and related fields suggests that language and thought processes operate in distinct networks in the human brain and that language is optimized for communication and not for complex thought.
A few years ago, one of my students came to me and spoke about her mother who was undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
She said her mother was losing her memory and her bearings, and was very worried because nobody knew what to do about her symptoms. The oncologist sent her to the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist sent her back, saying that her symptoms were a result of the cancer treatment.
This experience prompted my student and me to begin studying the problem of or ‘chemofog’ – the termsused by people who have experienced memory loss or cognitive impairment following cancer treatment. Scientifically, it’s referred to as ‘cancer-related cognitive impairment’ or ‘chemotherapy-related cognitive dysfunction’
In a recent study led by the University of Liège researchers delved into the intersection of the fields of entrepreneurship and neuroscience, looking specifically at the cognitive flexibility of habitual entrepreneurs—those who repeatedly launch new businesses—compared to less experienced entrepreneurs and managers.
These technologies are helping researchers to explore what sets the human brain apart from those of other species, and how its cognitive abilities have evolved. For example, the role of non-invasive imaging in learning about cognitive abilities is discussed in a Perspective article by Feline Lindhout at the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, and her colleagues1. In another article, Evelina Fedorenko at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge and her colleagues also draw on this literature to argue that, in humans, language probably serves mainly as a communication tool rather than as a means for thinking or reasoning2 — and that language is not a prerequisite for complex thought.
One desirable outcome for human neuroscience would be to develop personalized treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders, because translating the results of studies in animals has not proved successful or sufficient for generating effective therapies at scale. But in grasping these opportunities, researchers must keep in mind that the brain is different from other organs — it’s the seat of people’s memory, experiences and personality. When using the human brain — whether in small cubes removed during neurosurgery, or through 3D organoids made from stem cells and grown in cultures to resemble parts of the developing human brain — for research, scientists must consider the dignity and respect owed to the individuals concerned.
Philip Goff believes that everything, even tiny particles like electrons, has a little bit of consciousness. This idea is called panpsychism. He explains that this might help us understand why we have feelings and thoughts.
Philip discuss another idea called cosmopsychism, which is a theory that suggests the entire universe is a single conscious entity. Instead of individual minds (like human minds) being separate and independent, they are seen as parts of the universe’s larger, unified consciousness. In simpler terms, it means that the universe itself has a mind, and our individual consciousnesses are just small parts of this greater, universal mind.
Philip thinks science can’t fully explain what it’s like to feel things, like the color red or the taste of chocolate. He says we need to include consciousness in our science to understand everything better.
Musk’s comment comes at a time when Neuralink is making significant strides in brain chip technology. After working with a 29-year-old named Noland Arbaugh, Neuralink recently announced that it is now accepting applications for a second participant in its trials.
This study explored spatiotemporal progression patterns of striatal dopamine availability and regional brain volume based on cognitive status among patients with Parkinson disease:
Background and Objectives.
Is our brain responsible for how we react to people who are different from us? Why can’t people with autism tell lies? How does the brain produce empathy? Why is imitation a fundamental trait of any social interaction? What are the secret advantages of teamwork? How does the social environment influence the brain? Why is laughter different from any other emotion?
This course is aimed at deepening our understanding of how the brain shapes and is shaped by social behavior, exploring a variety of topics such as the neural mechanisms behind social interactions, social cognition, theory of mind, empathy, imitation, mirror neurons, interacting minds, and the science of laughter.
Serious Science experts from leading universities worldwide answer these and other questions. This course offers a range of scientific perspectives on classical philosophical problems in ethics. It is comprised of 10 lectures filmed from 2014 to 2020. If you have any questions or comments on the content of this course, please write to us at [email protected].
Brain imaging identifies six subtypes of depression.
Personalized brain circuit measures quantified using a new imaging technology in 801 patients with depression and anxiety identify six biotypes with unique symptoms, behaviors and responses to different types of treatment.
