Brain and Materialism Flashcards
Continuity of experience? How do neurons code for intensity?
Individual neurons are binary in nature, but our experiences are continuous. Our vision isn’t we see or don’t see. It ranges from blurry vision to clear vision. We feel a feather based on how tight we press it and so on. This is called continuity of experience.
How Neurons code for intensity?
Numbers of neurons firing. So, touching a very hot surface can lead to huge number of neurons firings in comparison to a less hot surface
Frequency at which the neurons fire.
What is the purpose of the cerebral cortex? What are the different lobes of the cerebral cortex?
It is responsible of interesting things like language, reasoning and complex perception. It is divided into 2 halves.
The lobes are:
- Frontal lobe
- Temporal lobe
- Parietal lobe
- Occipital lobe
What are the right and left sides of the brain responsible for?
Both sides of the brain actually have duplication in terms of functions; meaning both sides of the brain can perform the actions the other does, but it is just that in some cases, one sides dominates the action more than the other.
Left: Written Language, Spoken language, number skills, reaosning skills, logic skills
Right: insight, imagination, art and music awareness, 3D forms.
What is contralateral organization?
Sensory information is sent to opposite hemisphere crossing over in pathways leading to cortex.
Visual crossover: left eye to right hemisphere of cortex and right eye to left hemisphere.
Same for motor control too: right hemisphere controls left side, while the left hemisphere controls right side
What are the types of neurons and what is their responsibility?
Sensory Neurons
- Take in information from external world
Motor Neurons
- Go from brain to motor control. So you touch something hot and quickly move your hands. It is possible through motor neurons.
Interneurons
- Connect different neurons
What is the Astonishing Hypothesis?
Given by Francis Crick, the hypothesis is that you, your feelings, memories, ambitions, identity are in fact no more than a behaviour of vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated brain cells.
What is the Corpus Callosum?
It is a network of neurons that connect one half of the brain to another. It is the reason how sensory information received on one side of the brain to be perceived in the right side of the brain. Aids for example motor coordination of left and right.
What are the parts of the subcortical structure of the brain? And what are their functions?
They are below the cortex; meaning below the brain.
Medulla:
responsible for autonomic functions: heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, swallowing, etc.
Cerebellum:
responsible for body balance, Complicated motor movements, sensory and mental tasks
Hypothalamus:
responsible for various appetites like hunger, thirst, sex, sleep, body temperature and homeostatic functions. Visceral desires.
What are the 2 arguments for Dualism by Descartes?
Argument 1:
Humans can do a lot more than Animals, which respond to stimuli. We are creative, spontaneous and do a lot more than animals
Argument 2:
“I think therefore I am”. We could be wrong about a lot of things, like whether we are in a simulation or not, but one thing you can’t question is the fact that you exist. Your consciousness.
What is materialsm?
It is the idea that all of us, our physical and mental being are made up of a set of molecules that make up rabbits, cars and so on. All of our feelings, ambition that make us feel like humans are special, arise from those material things.
