Brain Science Podcast #58: Interview with author Alva Noë
Posted on June 5th, 2009 by Ginger Campbell, MDEpisode 58 of the Brain Science Podcast is an interview with philosopher Alva Noë, whose book Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your Brain, and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness argues persuasively that our Minds are MORE than just our brains. He says that “the brain is necessary but not sufficient” to create the mind. Listen to Episode 58 [Play]
Show Notes and Links:
- Alva Noe (University of California, Berkeley)
- Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your Brain, and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness by Alva Noé
Important scientists mentioned in the interview:
- Paul Bach-y-Rita: pioneering studies in sensory substitution using tactile stimuli to substitute for vision
- Held and Hein: experiments with cats showing that development of normal vision requires motor-sensory feedback
References:
- Brain Mechanisms in Sensory Substitution by Paul Bach-y-Rita, 1972.
- Bach-y-Rita, P “Tactile-Vision Substitution: past and future”, International Journal of Neuroscience 19, nos. 1-4, 29-36, 1983.
- Held, R and Hein, “Movement-produced stimulation in the development of visually guided behavior.” Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology. 56(5), 872-876, 1963.
- Held, R. “Plasticity in sensory-motor systems.” Scientific American. 213(5) 84-91, 1965.
Episode Transcript (Download PDF)
Listen to Episode 58Tags:
But if the mind is more than the brain what is the rest?
ReplyDeleteOur genetic collective experience and the laws of nature provide "the rest." Many aspects of the mind arise out of our being human; they have been refined and inherited through evolution. And a conscious, perceptive mind accomplishes the wonderful feat of recognizing that the universe (including math and physics) operates according to certain consistent principles. This provides a context for the operations of the brain.
What neuroscientists tend to focus on is the operation itself and the possibilities for changing the operation for some positive end.
Bach y Rita had the profound idea that the brain could change according to its inputs. More recently scientists have proven that we can change our brain (and our mind) by what we do with our it.
Susanne Jaeggi and Martin Buschkuehl's study on Improving Fluid Intelligence by Training Working Memory (PNAS April 2008) recorded increases in mental agility (fluid intelligence) of more than 40% after 19 days of focused working memory training.
I was so impressed that I contacted the research team and developed a software program using the same method so that anyone can achieve these improvements at home.
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Martin,
ReplyDeleteHis basic argument, as near as I can tell, is that consciousness is what we do, not something we have. It's process not a property.
From my perspective, it's more than the brain, more than genetic collective experience and more than the laws of nature.
It includes all of our biology (individual-exterior), our sensations and cognition (individual-interior) our cultural experience and context (collective-interior), and our environment (collective-exterior).
Consciousness is an embedded activity.
Peace,
Bill