The Brain and Consciousness: the Enigmatic Self (Final Project)

Throughout the history of mankind, the brain and the concept of consciousness have perplexed even the greatest minds. Yet even today and throughout the technological revolution, great minds are still seeking answers to this enigmatic organ’s functions and foundation. The brain has a long history of inquisitive intellectuals attempting to describe that which has long eluded mankind; a history that dates back to the earliest human civilizations.

Greek philosopher Herophilus was first in recorded history to propose that the brain was the center of intellect, although the view was not widely accepted, and the following century, Roman physicians concluded that mental activity occurred in the brain rather than in the heart as previously thought (Saladin, 2010, 515).  Brain and bodily dissections became increasingly ubiquitous during the Renaissance and incredibly, Leonardo de Vinci dissected and drew numerous, extremely detailed and anatomically correct examples as seen in figure one (Schwartz, 2002, 31). During these early centuries, dissections of the body and brain exposed a system of canals and compartments that seemed empty within the cadaver’s brain. These compartments were believed to contain the surreptitious human spirit, or the soul. Thus the brain was believed to be the seat of intelligence as well as contain the human spirit, but the roles of specific areas within the brain were far from discovery.

Figure 1. Da Vinci, Leonardo. “Central Nervous System.” History of the Brain. Web. Accessed November 30, 2010.

Nicolaus Steno and Thomas Willis rocked the foundations of brain anatomy in the 17^th century by demonstrating that the ‘house’ of the human spirit did not actually exist within the brain, but that the brain was a complete organ with its own specialized system of circulation. Previous beliefs suggested that what we now recognize as the lateral ventricles of the brain were actually houses for the spirit; Steno and Willis disproved this theory through experiments utilizing henna and demonstrating the flow of cerebro-spinal fluid through these areas (Saladin, 2010, 516). Yet even incorporating these incredible discoveries, the true brain revolution began with the invention of the modern microscope. But where exactly are neuro-scientists in their ever-present search to describe the mystery of human consciousness?

Modern scientists have long described the verified anatomy of the brain and descriptions of the numerous cells that compose the intricacies of this mysterious organ. They have also characterized various ways in which this enigmatic organ can become diseased and verified that our brain communicates via chemical and electrical signals. Furthermore, neuro-scientists have determined the process by which neurons ‘fire,’ the underlying mechanism of thought and action: A neuron creates electrical potentials that travel along the axon of that neuron until the signal reaches a synapse, or the meeting of two neurons. After releasing neuron-specific chemical signals, also known as neurotransmitter, across the synaptic cleft, the neurotransmitter binds to receptors on the next neuron and that neuron becomes excited. Thus continuing the cycle of electrical potentials until a thought or action occurs from the signaled instructions.

Neurons have been found to make decisions ten-seconds before we are conscious of that decision (Smith, 2008, 1), that a vital component of long-term memory includes long-term potentiation of neurons and the numerous areas involved in the process and storage of memories (Saladin, 2010, 538-39). We have discovered areas specific to understanding and interpreting written and spoken language (figure 3). We are learning about the inner-workings of the human brain to such a level that it seems preposterous to suppose that we have not discovered the precise mechanisms of human consciousness, yet it is the truth. Neuroscience has discovered that the reticular formation (found throughout the brainstem) is associated with the ability to become conscious of certain stimuli and thought and even the ability to be conscious of our body parts and ourselves, but there is no known pathway to which the model that most associate with consciousness arises. The personality, the ‘spirit,’ the ability to be conscious of the universe and humanity’s place within it as well as the mechanisms behind humanity’s ubiquitous desire to seek further knowledge are all concepts many consider vital components of consciousness. Neuroscience has designated the frontal lobe as the seat of various characteristics of personality through the accidental lobotomy of individuals and their subsequent deviations in personality, but we are no nearer to discovering the origin of our individual uniqueness in personality and preferences.

Figure 3. Hameroff, Stuart. “What is Consciousness?” The New Frontier in Brain/Mind Science, Quantum Consciousness. Web. Accessed December 5, 2010.

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Works Cited

Pinker, Steven. “The Brain: The Mystery of Consciousness.” Time Magazine Friday, January 19, 2007. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1580394-1,00.html

Saladin, Kenneth, S. “Anatomy and Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function, Fifth Edition.” New York, New York: Mc-Graw-Hill Companies Inc, 2010. Print.

Schwartz, Jeffrey. “The Mind and the Brain.” New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc. 2002. Print.

Smith, Kerri. “Brain makes decisions before you even know it.” Nature News. April 11, 2008. http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080411/full/news.2008.751.html 

Vuilleumier, Patrik, Armony, Jorge L., Driver, Jon, Dolan Raymond J. “Effects of Attention and Emotion on Face Processing in the Human Brain: An Event-Related fMRI Study.” Neuron 30:3, June, 2001, 829-841.

Figure 1. Da Vinci, Leonardo. “Central Nervous System.” History of the Brain. Web. Accessed November 30, 2010.

http://www.stanford.edu/class/history13/earlysciencelab/body/brainpages/brain.html

Figure 2. Saladin, Kenneth, S. “Anatomy and Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function, Fifth Edition.” New York, New York: Mc-Graw-Hill Companies Inc, 2010. Print.

(labeling by self)

                                                   

Figure 3. Hameroff, Stuart. “What is Consciousness?” The New Frontier in Brain/Mind Science, Quantum Consciousness. Web. Accessed December 5, 2010.

http://www.quantumconsciousness.org/presentations/whatisconsciousness.html

Blog Reviews!!

Jessica,
(For your Nov 2 post) I liked that you stated how extreme opinions promote close-mindedness and rigidity because I completely agree! Also, the way you incorporated that statement into your thesis was very well done and I do agree on some levels. I also agree that there should be a more-defined middle ground and that that is where government belongs and my boyfriend heartily agrees with your emphasis on state power. Throughout the piece you make strong statements and each one is supported by easily understandable evidence. In general this was a super! powerful post and I think it is a great basis for an essay. I can really feel the passion in your discussion regarding the power distribution and it makes the piece as a whole more interesting. I also really liked how you brought current issues into the piece and perhaps if you do decide to extend this into an essay you could delve a little deeper into how your proposed form of government would alleviate or fix our current issues. Great job!
Regarding your Nov 4 post, I think you did a great job summarizing and explaining the history and importance/ influence of finance and was actually a good deal more interesting than the actual article. I don't really have any critiques...it's still a sore subject XD.

By the way, I thought exactly the same thing when I was writing 'the greater good' as well! I just re-read it too XD! Sooo excited!!!!

Lauren,
I love! your title 'Rollin in the Benjamins!' The introduction was very absorbing and I think you did a terrific job of breaking down the monotony of finance and explaining it in a way that was actually somewhat exciting. Good job! One thing I noticed was a typo I think: Luckily, I have to choice of what I would like to do and that I can hire someone to deal with all of this because to me it is all boring ans makes no sense.  The sentence didn't quite make sense, but I understood what you meant. Overall it was very informative and much more enjoyable than the actual article! :) Regarding the Nov 4th post, I thought it was really interesting how you related 1984 to your idea and post. I also enjoyed how you explained the history of your opinions and how you described them in general, even if I don't quite agree. It would have been interesting to see some specific examples, but overall it was interesting :) Yay for November!

The Evolution of Finance

Finance, is an accepted, acknowledged degree option at most (if not all) accredited institutions and has existed as so since the 1960's. Yet the evolution of the 'science' of finance began hundreds of years earlier with great mathmeticians such as Pascal, and the work of many physicists, including Einstein. Surprisingly, numerous equations that describe the flow of money exchange, arbitrage and risk developed from Physics equations describing similar phenomenons concerning particles instead of money. In essence, finance has always been a science, yet it was not considered to be in the realm of Academia until shortly after WWII, when an economic boom prompted huge advances in the field of finance.
Presently, finance focuses upon how humans behave when faced with uncertainty, essentially the study of behavior regarding risk and risk management. In the past, the study of finance was most often characterized by the creation of equations, or the application of physics/math equations to the movement of money and the prediction of how an investment may change over time. Numerous famous names in other fields participated in the early work of finance: Einstein, Pascal, Pierre de Fermat, Bachelier and Gordon.
However, it was not until the 1980's that finance as a solid science and career was recognized. During this time, six Nobel Prizes were awarded to those who have advanced the progress of the current state of finance.  Differential equations, probability theories and derivatives all form vital components that describe the current state of finance, which includes most notably, the stock market, which first opened in Chicago in 1973. The flow of currency within the stock market is radically different than the flow of currency in the past, especially considering that the majority of cash flow is rather abstract. This may be one reason why the equations that describe this phenomenon are also utilized in physics and abstract mathamatics.

sorry it's not so good...it was REALLY hard to write because it was REALLY hard to read.

Centralized Government: the good, the bad or the ugly?

If you search the internet for quotes and popular ideas regarding government, you will find that the grand majority of such ideas concern the unnecessary placement of government and in general, negative aspects of government and democracy. “If human beings are fundamentally good, no government is necessary; if they are fundamentally bad, any government, being composed of human beings, would be bad also” (Fred Woodworth), is one example. While I do not believe that humans are ‘bad,’ I do believe that some form of greater power or control is necessary to procure and ensure harmonious living.

While I do believe that ‘Big government’ is a mistake, I do feel that some things should be under the jurisdiction of a central government agency, such as health care, many laws and regulations and the penal system. Health care and access to health care is a basic human right and needs to be exercised by all individuals in a population, with the aid of the federal government if necessary. In the case of the United States, I strongly believe that access to health care is in need of supervision and modification by the federal government because the current state of health care access and regulation is unacceptable. An estimated 50.7 million Americans are currently uninsured or have not had health insurance in the past 12 months (USA Today, 2010). The CDC reports similar numbers a one year earlier: an estimated 46.3 or 15.4% of all Americans reported being uninsured in 2009. This is a growing problem that I believe can only be solved by government intervention.

Laws are a vital element in human society and evolutionarily have played a key role in the development of modern societies. These laws only remain ‘laws’ if there is an authority by which to enforce them. In this case, while State Governments may play a part in the enforcement and creation of these laws, I still believe that the federal government should retain some control over the laws of this country. However, if federal control over this particular issue was diminished, but not completely eradicated, it could be argued as a beneficial alternative to the current state of things. For all intents and purposes, laws are one more rationale as to why our society requires some form of centralized government.

While there remain many explanations concerning the malaise of governments and ill-effects upon human society, I must abstain from jumping on the internet bandwagon. I understand that centralized government is far from perfect, but I do believe that it is necessary to intervene when the people deem it necessary and to uphold our laws and ensure that the basic human rights of its people are met. Also, as a personal note, arguments and ideas concerning this topic are extremely difficult for me to form a concise, simple argument for or against. There are entirely too many variables to consider, firstly, and when considering human nature in general, I feel that it is practically impossible to decide what is best for ‘the greater good.’

Citations:

Reynolds, Denise. “CDC: Number of Americans without Health Insurance Coverage Increases.” CDC, June 2010. Web. Accessed November 2, 2010.

http://www.emaxhealth.com/1506/cdc-number-americans-without-health-insurance-coverage-increases

Wolfe, Richard. “Number of Uninsured Americans Rises to 50.7 million.” USA Today, September 17, 2010. Web. Accessed November 2, 2010.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-09-17-uninsured17_ST_N.htm

Blog Reviews!

Lauren,

Your introduction to Thursday’s post was very interesting! The beginning of the second paragraph was funny, but I think the paper might have been stronger if you chose a couple of the examples and expanded on them and described exactly how they are incorrect instead of just naming the multitude of stereotypes. As far as grammar and punctuation go, you may want to look into adding commas in places where pauses are or where they are grammatically needed. Also, just as a simple way of making sure the piece is at its best is to perform a quick review or edit before submission – that will catch things like forgetting a letter in a word J I usually catch 2 or 3 when I edit.

Overall, your idea was very interesting and I enjoyed reading the post (it made me laugh!)

Your introduction to the Tuesday post was awesome!! I was really pulled into the piece immediately and I enjoyed your usage of quotes. I also liked how you included personal experience in the piece as well as your direct opinion. I enjoyed the general point of the entire paper and thought that overall it was a strong idea and a good post J.

Jessica,

Your piece regarding Native Americans in the U.S. and their economic influence was spectacular! I really enjoyed the fluidity and authority of the piece. I learned a lot. Everything you stated in your initial argument was supported by some citation or fact and your word choice was excellent! I also enjoyed how you put yourself into the post by explaining your connection with the subject. Great job!

Your post concerning materialism was also very interesting! You made a strong argument overall and I think you made very good points throughout. I liked the organization of the post as it was very easy to follow and straightforward. I agree with your statement that materialism breeds competition within the market and that it is a good thing and that materialism creates waste (and that is negative)! So much waste!  The first paragraph was interesting because it was so short and possible for an essay you may want to expand or create another introductory paragraph below (if the two sentences at the beginning are artistic intention). Either way, great post! J

China's Varying Influence

         Chinese immigrants have faced incredibly anti-immigrant sentiments from the late 1800's until quite recently. Past anti-Chinese immigrant policies resembled closely the anti-immigrant policies we see today regarding Hispanic and Mexican immigrants. The varying policies concerning Chinese immigrants is reflected in their economic influence (positive or negative) and the general status of the U.S. economy.
         Past prejudices concerning Chinese immigrants were due mainly to the fact that the majority of citizens, although descended from immigrants themselves, believed that the onslought of Chinese immigrants were mostly uneducated and had very little money and would therefore take the jobs of true American citizens and they would negatively influence U.S. economy by needing monetary aid. The majority of immigrants sought to escape China and find future job and educational opportunities in the U.S; a brighter future. This is also supported by our modern day example of anti-immigrant policies concerning Hispanics. This is easily portrayed by our blame laid upon Hispanic immigrants suggesting that is is they who negatively impacted our economy by requiring tax-paying citizens to pay for their health services and by taking the jobs of 'true' American citizens. The argument is repetitive, though given to defend anti-immigrant policies regarding diverse ethnic groups.
        Presently, there are no anti-Chinese immigrant policies, however it is still exceedingly difficult to obtain a visa and even more problematic to obtain a green card/citizenship. Also, the face of 'typical' Chinese immigrant has changed and evolved over the course of 150 years. Currently the majority of Chinese immigrants are younger and obtain student visas. There are numerous undergraduate and graduate opportunities for immigrants, many of which (especially on this campus) are Chinese. This could be due to the encouragement they receive in school to study abroad or the fact that they often retain a higher quality education and are easily accepted into programs here. Also, as I have heard from a friend, U.S. graduate and medical programs are more respected worldwide and in China than the programs available in China. Although the face of Chinese immigrants have evolved, along with other ethnic groups I am sure, their general welcome in this country frequently reflects its economic state.


-past xenophobia and anti-immig policies (fluctuated)
-past economic influence
-now welcome if educated
-current economic influence
-now majority are students,  both undergrad and grad

Week 10 Blog Posts

Lauren: Your ‘popular music’ piece contained a very interesting argument and I do agree with you. I had a little trouble putting together the last sentence in your introductory paragraph, but the following paragraph explained it well. Your introductory paragraph was very interesting and drew me in and your body paragraph supported your argument (or dual argument). It is difficult for me to take sides too! Just one thing: occasionally throughout your piece you need commas where there are none. Perhaps looking into adding them where pauses are?

            Your Manic Monday piece (awesome title by the way) was extremely well-written! I am sooooooo sorry your day was that horrible!!! I definitely understand though, when it rains, it POURS. I love that you wrote about your experience because your exasperation and frustration clearly shine through and the reader knows exactly how you feel/felt! And I understand about your work…I work with many autistic children and they can be quite the handful. When you said he pantsed the shy child I definitely pictured one of my students doing that! (because he so would). Basically I just really enjoyed your piece and I wish we had more prompts that would allow this type of writing because I feel that it had more passion and power behind it than many other pieces we have done. I really like your style and look forward to reading more! Have a better week! J

          Jessica – wow! I really like your blog J I think that's the first time I've noticed the blog BEFORE the posts. I REALLY enjoyed your take on feminist sexuality in popular music. It IS the men who create those opinions and I’ve found this occurring in various disciplines and ideas (for example, men are the policy makers regarding many laws that affect primarily women and even reproductive abilities and limitations concerning women!). Your writing style is very concise and your word choice is magnificent! That in itself made the piece more enjoyable. I mostly followed your arguments, but I think I would have liked to see an expansion regarding your second paragraph. You state many ideas and quickly move on to the next (although they are all highly related). One quick thing: I think in your quote in the top second paragraph it should say ‘irredeemably.” Great job!

            Your Corporate America piece was very well written, very easy to follow and your tone of excitement-turned-exasperation pervaded every word! It was very short and concise and usually I would say that I would have liked to see more, but I thoroughly enjoyed the piece as a whole (including its succinctness) and I do not think that any additions or changes are necessary. And if your story is true, that really really stinks! Oh, also, I really enjoyed your title! Great job and I look forward to future posts! J