BS 171 Matthew Cobb, author of "The Idea of the Brain"

This episode of Brain Science is an interview
with neuroscientist Matthew Cobb author of "The Idea of the
Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience."


Cobb approaches the history of neuroscience from a different
perspective than previous writers. He writes from the perspective
of a working scientist with a deep interest in the history of
ideas and the interaction between science and culture. This
approach makes for a fascinating discussion.


Through out history assumptions about the brain have been
influenced by both culture and contemporary science. For example,
before the discovery of electricity it was impossible to image
that the brain uses both chemical and electrical signals to
communicate. Similarly, our current understanding is heavily
influenced by the computer metaphor, which actually misses much
about how real brains function.


Another aspect of our discussion involves several ongoing debates
with neuroscience such as the importance of localization versus
network properties. We also touch on the tendency toward
neuromythology, which is the tendency to think that understanding
the brain is the only tool for understanding what it means to be
human. Dr. Cobb reminds of the importance of being aware of the
work in a wide varieties of fields include science and the
humanities.


Links and References:


The Idea of the Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience by
Matthew Cobb

Complete Bibliography at theideaofthebrain.com.



Please visit http://brainsciencepodcast.com for additional
references and episode transcripts.



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