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Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain

Page 14

by Lisa Feldman Barrett;


  I

  ideology, 141–42

  iguana brain, 21–22

  illness. See also mental illness

  chronic stress and, 91–92, 95

  close relationships and, 85–86

  cost of, 95

  freedom and, 94

  immigration and, 109

  loneliness and, 86

  neglect and, 60

  prediction and, 109

  verbal aggression and, 157

  Ilongot culture, 99

  imagination, 44–45, 73

  immigrants, children of, 109

  immune system

  autonomic nervous system and, 155

  degeneracy and, 39

  evolution of bigger bodies and, 9

  limbic circuitry and, 145

  sense data produced by, 106

  visceromotor changes, 138

  words and verbal aggression and, 89, 90, 157–58

  inflammation, 157

  inner conflict or battle, 13–14, 16, 24–26, 28, 124, 146

  inner sensations, 70–71

  insects and shared body-budgeting, 88

  instincts and inner conflict, 13–14, 24, 25, 146

  insula, 163–64

  interleukin 6 (marker of inflammation), 157

  interoceptive sense data, 138–39

  interoceptive system, 138–39, 145

  intestines, 46. See also gut

  invertebrates, 133–34

  isotropic fractionator, 147

  J

  Jablonski, Nina, 166

  jawed fish, 144

  K

  Kahneman, Daniel, 29–30

  Keller, Thomas, 143

  Kiecolt-Glaser, Janice K., 158

  L

  Laland, Kevin, 162, 165

  lamprey brain, 20, 21

  lancelets. See amphioxi

  language, 55–56, 58, 60, 112–13, 118, 119–20. See also words

  language network, 89–90, 155

  lantern of attention, 54, 55, 151–52

  lateral geniculate nucleus, 163

  learning, 75–76, 156

  Lewontin, Richard, 141–42

  light

  detection of, 1, 4

  development of sight and exposure to, 48

  skin tone and, 121

  light waves metaphor, 45–46, 151

  limbic circuitry, 145–46

  limbic lobe, 140

  limbic system

  alleged relationship to emotion, 14

  in popular science and textbooks, 17, 25

  triune brain idea and, 14, 15, 16, 24, 140–41

  line drawings, 68–69, 153–54

  lizard brain. See also reptiles

  appearance of, 20

  cerebral cortex in an actual, 21–22

  human brain evolution and, 25

  popular science and, 17

  triune brain idea and, 14, 15, 16, 24, 25

  loneliness, 86–87

  longevity and close relationships, 85–86

  luminiferous ether (imaginary substance), 146, 151

  lungs, 70, 138

  M

  macaque brain, 20

  MacLean, Paul, 16–19, 140–41

  mammals

  brain-manufacturing plan and, 21–22, 144

  emotional brain and, 14, 15, 16

  shared body-budgeting and, 88

  math, abstract, 116

  mathematicians, 99

  Mayr, Ernst, 160

  MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), 102, 160

  McEwen, Bruce, 156

  Mead, Margaret, 158

  Meatloaf Brain, 41–42, 101, 150, 159

  Medin, Douglas L., 137

  Medusa, 118

  meerkats, 119

  memories

  actions and, 77

  assembling of, 43, 69, 153

  sense data and, 65–67, 69, 153

  mental illness, 25–26, 27, 36, 100, 156–57

  Mesquita, Batja, 158

  metabolic conditions and social reality, 162

  metabolic dysfunction, 157

  metabolism, 88, 92–93, 155, 158

  metaphors about the brain, 29–30, 45–46, 124, 151–52

  miasmas, 146

  microbes, 46. See also bacteria

  Middle Ages, 29

  mind, human

  camera analogy, 65

  Darwin and, 17

  metaphors for, 30

  network structure of brain and creation of, 31, 39, 44, 46

  Plato and, 13, 140

  variation, 98–109

  at war with itself, 28

  minds, different kinds of, 98–109

  categorization of, 102–3

  common features of, 103–7

  within cultures, 99–100

  different cultures and, 98–99, 103–4, 107, 108–9

  modifying, 107–8

  survival of a species and, 101–2

  modern synthesis, 164–65

  monkeys and monkey brains, 20, 23, 47, 88, 120

  mood, 104–7

  mood disorders, 157

  motor movements and systems, 5, 15, 138–39, 140, 152. See also movement

  mouse brain, 20, 21–22

  movement. See also motor movements and systems

  amphioxus and, 1, 5, 134

  body budgeting and, 6–9

  evolution of, 5

  mirroring, 85

  sense data and, 138–39

  speed of, 5

  value of, 9, 138, 139

  multimodal abstractions versus amodal abstractions, 164

  muscles, 10, 70, 138

  myelin, 50, 144

  Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), 102, 160

  N

  National Geographic, 17

  nativism versus empiricism, 159

  natural selection, 25, 43, 101–2, 137, 159–60, 164–65

  nature versus nurture, 48, 62

  neglect, 58–60, 61, 91

  neocortex

  alleged relationship to rational behavior, 14, 24, 46

  misnamed, 24, 141

  neurons in other animals and, 19

  origin of name, 16

  supposed regulation of emotional brain, 14

  triune brain idea and, 14, 15, 16

  nerve cord, 133

  nervous system

  of amphioxi compared to vertebrates, 1–2, 133–36

  autonomic, and default mode network, 155

  autonomic, and limbic circuitry, 145

  freedom versus dependence and, 93

  regulation of, see body budgeting

  stress and, 90–93, 95–96, 156–58

  vision and regulation of, 88

  network structure of the brain, 29–46

  brain chemicals and, 36–37, 45, 148–49

  complexity of, 39–46

  definition of network, 30–31, 147–48

  dynamic nature of, 37–39

  hubs, 34–36

  neurons and their wiring, 31–34, 45, 148–49, 151

  rewiring, 83–84, 108, 125

  subnetworks, 146–47

  neural crest, 139

  neural patterns, 39–41, 42, 50–51, 150–51

  neuromodulators, 36–37, 39

  neurons

  appearance compared to molecular makeup of, 17–18

  attention and, 53

  brain-manufacturing plan and, 21–22, 144

  brain regions and, 18

  clusters of, 18, 34, 35

  communication by, 33–34

  compared among species, 19, 22, 24, 143–44

  compression and, 115–16, 117

  degeneracy and, 38–39, 43, 147

  granule, 147

  injury resilience and, 43

  language network and, 89–90

  multiple roles of, 37–38, 39

  number of, in the brain, 31, 131–32, 147

  plasticity and, 37, 50

  predictions and, 74

  pruning and, 51, 84

  Purkinje, 147

  py
ramidal, 148

  sense and memories and, 66, 69, 153

  shapes and sizes of, 148

  subnetworks and, 146–47

  tuning and, 50–51, 84, 151

  vision and, 163

  wiring of, 31–34, 45, 148–49

  neurotransmitters, 32, 36–37, 39, 46, 148

  niches and niche construction, 54–55, 62, 81–82, 120, 165

  notochord, 133, 134, 135–36

  O

  occipital cortex, 37, 149, 163

  octopus brain, 44

  oculomotor control, 152

  Ojalehto, Bethany, 137

  olfactory bulb, 134, 146, 147, 163

  olfactory system. See smell

  one-child policy, China’s, 121

  On the Origin of Species (Darwin), 159–60

  optical fractionator, 147

  optic nerve, 163

  orphans, Romanian, 58–59, 121

  P

  Papez, James, 140–41

  patterns of brain activity. See neural patterns

  Pavlov, Ivan, and Pavlovian conditioning, 73

  personality tests, 102, 160

  pheromones, 88

  phlogiston (imaginary substance), 146

  photoreceptors, 163

  phrenology, 29, 41–42

  physical abuse, 91, 156

  physical reality versus social reality, 111, 121–22, 125, 161, 165

  Picasso, 69, 116

  Pickens, Isaiah, 152

  Pinker, Steven, 150

  plasticity, 37, 39, 50, 84, 108

  Plato, 13–14, 16, 25, 28, 140. See also inner conflict

  Pocketknife Brain, 41–42, 43, 101, 150, 159

  politics, 28, 79–80, 92, 93–95

  population thinking, 160

  post-traumatic stress disorder, 27

  poverty and brain development, 60–61, 152, 161

  predators, 4–5, 8–9

  prediction in the brain, 64–82

  actions and, 76–78, 82, 125

  affect and, 106–7

  body budgeting and, 6–9, 84, 109

  changing, 78–82

  experiences, construction of, 69–72

  memories and, 65–67, 69

  sense data and, 65–67, 69, 71–77, 115

  social reality and, 111, 118

  visual system and, 64–65, 68–69

  prefrontal cortex, 14, 24, 38, 60, 145

  prey, 4–5, 6–8

  primary motor cortex, 138

  primary olfactory cortex, 163–64

  primary somatosensory cortex, 18–19, 143

  primary visceromotor cortex, 138

  primary visual cortex, 149, 163

  primates, 88, 145. See also apes; chimpanzees; humans; monkeys and monkey brains

  pronouns, changes in use of, 122

  pruning, 50, 51–57, 59, 63

  psyche, 140. See also mind, human

  Purkinje neurons, 147

  pyramidal neurons, 148

  R

  race, concept of, 121–22

  rational brain, 14, 15, 16, 24. See also neocortex

  rational thought and behavior

  body budgeting and, 26–28

  brain size and, 22–24

  Darwin’s idea of an inner beast and, 17

  emotion versus, 26

  inner conflict and, 13–14, 24, 25–26, 124, 146

  neocortex and, 14, 16, 24

  rats and rat brains, 18–19, 25, 119, 143

  relationships, ability to have, 104

  remembered present, 153

  remembering, 43

  reptiles, 19–22. See also lizard brain

  respiratory system, 9, 138, 155

  responsibility

  of caregivers for children’s brain development, 48–50, 51–57

  free will and, 77, 80

  freedom and, 96

  for other people, 57

  rationality and, 25

  social reality and, 123

  for your actions, 28, 81–82, 95–97, 123, 152, 154

  retinas, 48, 57, 133, 163

  rewiring the brain, 83–84, 108, 125

  Rhodesian soldier, 64–65, 71, 75–77, 153

  Riegl, Alois, 154

  A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty, 152

  rodents, 19, 21–22, 88. See also mouse brain; rats and rat brain

  Romanian orphans, 58–59, 121

  Russell, James A., 160–61

  S

  Sagan, Carl, 17

  schizophrenia, 100

  science, errors and myths in, 141–42, 146

  science writing, challenge of, 131–32

  sea squirts, 134, 135, 142

  The Secret of Our Success (Henrich), 162

  Seeds of Peace, 79

  selfish-gene hypothesis, 165

  sense data

  affect and, 106

  compression and, 115

  hallucination and, 71

  interoceptive, 138–39

  loss during processing, 153

  memories and, 65–67, 69, 153

  movements and, 138–39

  paths to the brain, 163–64

  predictions and, 72–77

  thalamus and, 140, 163

  senses, 55–57, 69–72, 133–34. See also hearing; smell; taste; touch; vision and visual system

  sensory integration, 56–57, 117, 118

  sensory systems. See also somatosensory system

  evolution of, 4–5, 15, 139

  limbic lobe and, 140

  prediction and, 76

  serotonin, 36

  Seth, Anil, 154

  sexual abuse, 156–57

  sexual orientation, 103

  sharing attention, 54–55, 58, 152

  sharks, 4

  sight. See vision and visual system

  skin tone, 121–22, 166

  sleep and fear behavior, 98, 158

  sleep deprivation and hunger, 70–71

  smell

  amphioxus, lacking in, 1

  brain development and, 57

  communication by, 88

  degeneracy and, 39

  sense data path to the brain, 163–64

  social environment and brain development, 48–50, 57–60. See also brain development

  social reality, 110–23

  abstraction and, 116–19, 164

  civilization and, 162

  communication and, 112–13, 118

  compression and, 114–19, 162, 164

  cooperation and, 113–14, 118

  copying and, 113, 118, 162

  creativity and, 112, 118

  evolution and, 120–21

  malleability of, 122–23

  physical reality versus, 111, 121–22, 125, 161, 165

  sensory integration and, 117, 118

  unique to humans, 119–20

  soldier, Rhodesian, 64–65, 71, 75–77, 153

  somatosensory system, 18–19, 138, 143

  songbirds, 119

  sound. See hearing

  speech, freedom of, 93–95

  speed of movement, 5

  spinal cord, 133, 136

  spine, 133

  spoken languages, 55–56, 58, 60

  spotlight of attention, 53–54, 57, 58, 152

  stomach, 138. See also gut

  stress and the nervous system, 90–93, 95–96, 156–58

  Striedter, Georg, 142

  subcortex, 138, 145, 163

  survival brain, 14, 15, 16

  symbols, 110, 113, 116, 122

  synapses, 31–32, 45, 148

  T

  taste, 1, 57, 161

  teleology, 136–37

  Tennyson, Alfred, 86

  thalamus, 140, 163

  thinking

  brain is not for, 2–4, 10, 136–37

  emotions and, 98–99

  rationality and, 26

  triune brain idea and, 14

  Thinking, Fast and Slow (Kahneman), 29–30

  three-layered brain. See triune brain idea

  Thu
nberg, Greta, 99–100, 159

  Tooby, John, 150

  touch

  brain development and, 57, 60

  communication by, 88

  vibration detection and, 4

  visual cortex neurons and, 37

  transcranial magnetic stimulation, 149

  translating time model, 144

  triune brain idea, 14–17, 24, 25, 28, 140–42, 146

  The Triune Brain in Evolution (MacLean), 141

  trust and body budgeting, 86

 

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