Neuroscience, free will and determinism: 'I'm just a machine' What does this mean in terms of free will? "We don't have free will, in the spiritual sense. What you're seeing is the last output stage of a machine. There are lots of things that happen before this stage – plans, goals, learning – and those are the reasons we do more interesting things than just waggle fingers. The conclusions are shocking: if we are part of the universe, and obey its laws, it's hard to see where free will comes into it. "If you see a light go green, it may mean press the accelerator; but there are lots of situations where it doesn't mean that: if the car in front hasn't moved, for example. Slowly, however, we are learning more about the details of that complexity. "What happens if someone commits a crime, and it turns out that there's a lesion in that brain area? This runs shockingly contrary to the sense of freedom that we feel in terms of controlling our actions, on which we base our whole sense of self and system of morality. Prof Haggard is dismissive.
Learn more quickly by transcranial magnetic brain stimulation Public release date: 28-Jan-2011 [ Print | E-mail Share ] [ Close Window ] Contact: Dr. Klaus Funkefunke@neurop.rub.de 49-023-432-23944Ruhr-University Bochum This release is available in German. What sounds like science fiction is actually possible: thanks to magnetic stimulation, the activity of certain brain nerve cells can be deliberately influenced. Magnetic pulses stimulate the brain Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a relatively new method of pain-free stimulation of cerebral nerve cells. Repeated stimuli change cerebral activity Since the mid-1990's, repetitive TMS has been used to make purposeful changes to the activability of nerve cells in the human cortex: "In general, the activity of the cells drops as a result of a low-frequency stimulation, i.e. with one magnetic pulse per second. Contact points between cells are strengthened or weakened It is unknown to a great extent how precisely the activity of nerve cells is changed by repeated stimulation. Literature Prof.
Berkeley on Biphasic Sleep If you see a student dozing in the library or a co-worker catching 40 winks in her cubicle, don’t roll your eyes. New research from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that an hour’s nap can dramatically boost and restore your brain power. Indeed, the findings suggest that a biphasic sleep schedule not only refreshes the mind, but can make you smarter. Students who napped (green column) did markedly better in memorizing tests than their no-nap counterparts. Conversely, the more hours we spend awake, the more sluggish our minds become, according to the findings. “Sleep not only rights the wrong of prolonged wakefulness but, at a neurocognitive level, it moves you beyond where you were before you took a nap,” said Matthew Walker, an assistant professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the lead investigator of these studies. In the recent UC Berkeley sleep study, 39 healthy young adults were divided into two groups — nap and no-nap.
Conscious vs. Unconscious Thought in Making Complicated Decisions News When faced with a difficult decision, we try to come up with the best choice by carefully considering all of the options, maybe even resorting to lists and lots of sleepless nights. So it may be surprising that recent studies have suggested that the best way to deal with complex decisions is to not think about them at all—that unconscious thought will help us make the best choices. Although this may seem like an appealing strategy, new research in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, cautions that there are limitations in the efficacy of unconscious thought making the best decisions. Duke University researchers John W. The researchers found that there are situations where unconscious thought will not result in the best choice being selected.
The lost art of total recall | Science | The Observer A few middle-aged couples are chatting at a dinner party when one husband, Harry, starts talking enthusiastically about a new restaurant he has just visited with his wife. What's its name, demands a friend. Harry looks blank. It's a vintage joke but it makes a telling point, one that forms the core of a newly published book on memory, Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, by American journalist Joshua Foer. As Foer points out, we no longer need to remember telephone numbers. As a result, we no longer remember long poems or folk stories by heart, feats of memory that were once the cornerstones of most people's lives. Hence Foer's book, which is published by Penguin this month. The trick, Foer says, is to adopt a process known as "elaborative encoding", which involves converting information, such as a shopping list, into a series of "engrossing visual images". In this way, all sorts of feats become possible.
Neuroscience of free will On several different levels, from neurotransmitters through neuron firing rates to overall activity, the brain seems to "ramp up" before movements. This image depicts the readiness potential (RP), a ramping-up activity measured using EEG. The onset of the RP begins before the onset of a conscious intention or urge to act. Some have argued that this indicates the brain unconsciously commits to a decision before consciousness awareness. Others have argued that this activity is due to random fluctuations in brain activity, which drive arbitrary, purposeless movements.[1] Philosophers like Daniel Dennett or Alfred Mele consider the language used by researchers. Overview[edit] ...the current work is in broad agreement with a general trend in neuroscience of volition: although we may experience that our conscious decisions and thoughts cause our actions, these experiences are in fact based on readouts of brain activity in a network of brain areas that control voluntary action... William R.
Mobile phone use increases brain activity, study suggests | Science Radio waves from mobile phones appear to boost activity in parts of the brain that are closest to the devices' antennas, according to US government scientists. Researchers found that a 50-minute call led to a localised increase in brain activity of 7%, but they said there was no evidence to suggest the rise was harmful. To rule out the variation in brain activity that would be expected when someone listens to a call normally, changes in activity were monitored while the phone was taking a call but was muted. The team, led by Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Maryland, found that brain activity rose in line with the strength of the electromagnetic field to which the particular brain region was exposed. Mobile phones use radio waves to send and receive calls and these produce small electromagnetic fields that can be absorbed by the head and brain. In the new study, 47 volunteers were given two brain scans, each on different days.
Welcome to the Possibilium Kinesthetic learning Kinesthetic learning (also known as Tactile learning) is a learning style in which learning takes place by the student carrying out a physical activity, rather than listening to a lecture or watching a demonstration. People with a preference for kinesthetic learning are also commonly known as "do-ers". Tactile-kinesthetic learners make up about five percent of the population.[1] The Fleming VAK/VARK model (one of the most common and widely used categorizations of the various types of learning styles)[2] categorized learning styles as follows: History[edit] Kinesthetic intelligence was originally coupled with tactile abilities, and was defined and discussed in Howard Gardner's Frames Of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Margaret H'Doubler wrote and spoke about kinesthetic learning during the 1940s, defining kinesthetic learning as the human body's ability to express itself through movement and dance. Characteristics[edit] Classification[edit] Lack of evidence[edit] References[edit]
VIP Ink Publishing « Eight Time World Boxing and Kick Boxing Champion, Troy Dorsey, will be at the GMAU 2012 Summer Regional Clinic in Dallas. Troy Dorsey will be at the event this Saturday, the 28th at the GMAU 2012 Southwest Regional Clinic which will be held at the YMCA located at 821 Custer Road, Richardson TX, 75080. Troy will be performing a fighting seminar of skills and drills. Troy Dorsey is a former professional boxer and martial arts fighter. He is the first man in history to hold world titles in both karate and boxing. After a brief and successful run as an amateur kick boxer, Dorsey turned professional. In 1985, Dorsey became a professional boxer. Earlier this year, VIP Ink Publishing signed Troy Dorsey for an autobiography. Event: GMAU 2012 Summer Regional Clinic Location: YMCA 821 Custer Road, Richardson TX, 75080 Event time: July 28th 10am-4pm
Neuroplasticity Contrary to conventional thought as expressed in this diagram, brain functions are not confined to certain fixed locations. Neuroplasticity, also known as brain plasticity, is an umbrella term that encompasses both synaptic plasticity and non-synaptic plasticity—it refers to changes in neural pathways and synapses which are due to changes in behavior, environment and neural processes, as well as changes resulting from bodily injury.[1] Neuroplasticity has replaced the formerly-held position that the brain is a physiologically static organ, and explores how - and in which ways - the brain changes throughout life.[2] Neuroplasticity occurs on a variety of levels, ranging from cellular changes due to learning, to large-scale changes involved in cortical remapping in response to injury. The role of neuroplasticity is widely recognized in healthy development, learning, memory, and recovery from brain damage. Neurobiology[edit] Cortical maps[edit] Applications and example[edit] Vision[edit]
Les différentes ondes cérébrales Ondes ou rythme cérébral Alpha Ce furent les premiers signaux identifiés par Hans Berger, l’inventeur de l’EEG (électro-encéphalographie) de part leur grande amplitude. Les ondes Alpha ont une fréquence allant de 8 à 12 hertz et de 30 à 50 microvolts d’amplitude. Ce sont les fréquences les plus présentes de l’activité totale du cerveau (le cerveau émet plusieurs fréquences à la fois, à des amplitudes différentes). L‘état Alpha est le moment où la méditation commence et où vous commencerez à accéder à la richesse et à la créativité qui se trouve dans votre inconscient. Les ondes Alpha disparaissent quand les yeux sont ouverts. Les ondes Alpha sont un pont entre conscient et subconscient. La formation d’ondes Alpha et Thêta peut créer une intensification sensorielle, la pensée abstraite et le sang-froid. Cette fréquence est liée à l’extraversion, la créativité, et le travail mental.
How To Boost Brain Power and Memory Until just a few years ago, doctors believed that the brain stopped making new neural connections - meaning that the memory began to get irreversibly worse - when the body stopped developing, usually in the early 20s. And doctors knew that, like any other part of the body, neurons weaken as people age. Loss of brain function due to neural breakdown was assumed to be a normal, unavoidable part of aging. In the past few years, it has become clear that you can, in fact, make new neurons starting in your 20s and continuing well into old age. There are lots of things you can do right now to preserve, protect and enhance your gray matter. 1Physical exercise A healthy body really does mean a healthy mind. Physical exercise may even help prevent Alzheimer's disease. 2Lifelong learning - your brain is a learning machine For most of us, after we graduate from high school or college, our pursuit of new knowledge bottoms out over time. How can you challenge yourself? 3Mental stimulation 5Sleep & Nap
Le cerveau pendant la méditation - Des ondes cérébrales apaisantes L’étude a porté sur des pratiquants expérimentés en méditation Acem, qui se sont reposés les yeux fermés pendant 20 minutes et ont médité pendant 20 minutes (dans cet ordre ou dans l’autre), avec des electrodes EEG placées sur le cerveau. Comme le montre le graphique ci-dessous, les ondes theta et alpha sont plus puissantes pendant la méditation. . Ondes theta : relaxation Jim Lagopoulos, le chercheur responsable de cette étude et Professeur à l'Université de Sydney, explique que “ces types d’ondes viennent probablement d’une attention détendue portée sur nos expériences internes. Il y a là une différence significative entre la méditation et la relaxation sans technique spécifique”. Ces ondes sont plus fréquentes chez les méditants expérimentés. Ondes alpha : expériences introspectives silencieuses Les ondes alpha sont caractéristiques d’un état de repos alert ou éveillé. Retrouvez l’ensemble de cette série d’articles sur le fonctionnement et les bienfaits de la méditation :