The Power of the Brain

[once]

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Is anybody else fascinated by just how powerful the brain can be?

I've read stuff about lucid dreaming and stuff like it that show the power of our subconscious mind. Savantism is another example that is truly fascinating, though unfortunate (to the best of my knowledge, savantism doesn't come from a physical brain defect).

Are there any particularly interesting articles out there that discuss stuff similar to lucid dreaming?

 

[MB333999]

i've spent a lot of time thinking about this exact thing. On top of lucid dreaming and savantism i've also been fascinated by schizophrenia. Most of my thinking entertains the thought of..okay so our brains have these incredible capabilities but how can we learn to control them, to turn them on or off on a whim. I haven't read any books on these particular subjects but i did read a book called On intelligence by jeff hawkins, which talks about a theory of how the brain might work. I found it very interesting and well written.

 

[toff4l]

How is this not trolling?

I mean you ban people for legitimate stuff and then I have to keep reading stuff like this?

Help me out here.

 

[apumic]

How is this not trolling?

I mean you ban people for legitimate stuff and then I have to keep reading stuff like this?

Help me out here.

😕



Methinks you be trollin'. Let's study YOUR brain:

 

[once]

How is this not trolling?

I mean you ban people for legitimate stuff and then I have to keep reading stuff like this?

Help me out here.

I got a warning about starting too many threads, so I guess I'll stop posting them.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

civility please

 

[once]

civility please

Woops. I am sorry bleargh! I didn't mean to be impolite.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

that was actually directed at a different poster

 

[redlight]

Is anybody else fascinated by just how powerful the brain can be?

*raises hand*
😀

I've read stuff about lucid dreaming and stuff like it that show the power of our subconscious mind. Savantism is another example that is truly fascinating, though unfortunate (to the best of my knowledge, savantism doesn't come from a physical brain defect).

Are there any particularly interesting articles out there that discuss stuff similar to lucid dreaming?

there's a really good class here on the unconscious brain/mind. haven't taken it but i know some people who are /who have taken it and liked it. i'll have to check to see if the classes uses primary literature, im sure it does though because the professor is a big figure in the field.

 

[once]

*raises hand*
😀


there's a really good class here on the unconscious brain/mind. haven't taken it but i know some people who are /who have taken it and liked it. i'll have to check to see if the classes uses primary literature, im sure it does though because the professor is a big figure in the field.

Wow, that'd be awesome to see what book he's using. Perhaps it's his own.

 

[deleted357625]

Is anybody else fascinated by just how powerful the brain can be?

I've read stuff about lucid dreaming and stuff like it that show the power of our subconscious mind. Savantism is another example that is truly fascinating, though unfortunate (to the best of my knowledge, savantism doesn't come from a physical brain defect).

Are there any particularly interesting articles out there that discuss stuff similar to lucid dreaming?

....

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

Just for once, Once, I'd like to see you put out a decent post. Pun possibly intended.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Just for once, Once, I'd like to see you put out a decent post. Pun possibly intended.

to be fair i think this is actually a topic, had it come from a different poster, that could generate an interesting discussion

 

[apumic]

Just for once, Once, I'd like to see you put out a decent post. Pun possibly intended.

I actually think this post was pretty decent, TBH. I was a little surprised at the first response accusing her of trolling (hence my response). However, let's let it roll and see where it goes instead of changing the post topic to a "meta-post" about her topic....

 

[once]

to be fair i think this is actually a topic, had it come from a different poster, that could generate an interesting discussion

I think so too haha.

 

[MB333999]

are you guys kidding me???

this is a great post, one that i would hope more ppl will respond maturely too.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

to srsly for a moment, oliver sacks writes good books, imo, about interesting neuro things

 

[Narmerguy]

You seem to be easily fascinated.

 

[kansaskid]

You seem to be easily fascinated.

Ah, come on, dude. The brain totally IS awesome. I mean, a certain level of fascination with the human body is at least SORT of required to be a good and involved physician, right? I definitely appreciate the more awesome details of human physiology. I guess starting a thread about it is a little nerdy, but I mean, this is a forum full of nerds, so hey, thumbs up imo.👍

 

[gettheleadout]

You seem to be easily fascinated.

 

[Freigeist]

The brain is amazing. This is why I majored in neuroscience, and hope to become a neurologist/or neurosurgeon. The more you learn about it, the more interesting it becomes

"In the course of a man`s higher education, everything becomes interesting" -Nietzsche

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

to be fair i think this is actually a topic, had it come from a different poster, that could generate an interesting discussion

I liked the old, unlobotomized bleargh more.

 

[gettheleadout]

I liked the old, unlobotomized bleargh more.

more lols 👍

 

[vivalavie]

I liked the old, unlobotomized bleargh more.

Gotta second this. I get that you have to tone it down a bit but you were one of the major sources of sarcasm on SDN, not to mention a personal source of inspiration. I'm going to stop typing now because I'm very emotional and I can no longer read through the tears. I love you, bleargh.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

As long as we're talking about the brain, has anyone else suffered sleep paralysis? Now THAT **** is scary.

EDIT: Passed the spam filter. Hurray!

 

[rhesuspieces]

I agree that this is actually a legit topic for discussion. I also think it might be time for once to get a new username.

Has anyone read anything by Ramachandran? I love that guy. What a baller.

As long as we're talking about the brain, has anyone else suffered sleep paralysis? Now THAT **** is scary.

Yes...lately I've been waking up paralyzed almost every night. It's awful. I think some cultures refer to it as being "ridden by the witch" or something along those lines because they actually believe that some malevolent spirit is sitting on you preventing you from moving.

 

[Ost3oclast]

As long as we're talking about the brain, has anyone else suffered sleep paralysis? Now THAT **** is scary.

Yes, that is some intense ****. I've had it off and on since I was little. Back when I was a kid I used to FREAK out. I didn't know what it was.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Apparently a lot of "ghostly encounters" and "alien abductions" can be explained by sleep paralysis since a lot of people hallucinate while paralyzed. The closest I came to that was the first time it happened. I woke up, looked over the side of my bed, and for maybe 3 seconds I saw this little girl in the middle of my room. I wear a diaper to bed now. I also stopped watching Janese movies.

 

[once]

I also think it might be time for once to get a new username.

Never! lol

 

[bookfreak89]

Gotta second this. I get that you have to tone it down a bit but you were one of the major sources of sarcasm on SDN, not to mention a personal source of inspiration. I'm going to stop typing now because I'm very emotional and I can no longer read through the tears. I love you, bleargh.

 

[ReptarBar]

i dont think humans are very smart. we should have evolved for 10,000 years more before halting our progress.

 

[Disinence2]

Musicophilia is a good one for you to check out, by oliver sacks

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

Musicophilia is a good one for you to check out, by oliver sacks

i used to really like that guy, until i found out he couldn't recognize peoples' faces. what a clown!





...naw he does some good work. it must be really tough living with that condition.

 

[Charles English]

Has anyone read anything by Ramachandran? I love that guy. What a baller.

'Phantoms in the Brain' -- great book. don't forget to give props to the other author though, Sandra Blakeslee. i heard some podcast interview of her and i thought "who the H**l is this? I thought Ramachandran wrote that book!" then i grabbed it off the shelf and stood corrected.

still though, awesome book.

yes, the brain is fascinating. it is wonderful how easily we can be completely fooled.

 

[apumic]

i dont think humans are very smart. we should have evolved for 10,000 years more before halting our progress.

What makes you think we've so effectively halted our progress? I'd guess we've slowed it down by keeping people alive but HALTING it should be impossible. The only thing is that it's not really selectively advantageous to be one of the smartest b/c research shows that increasing education correlates well with fewer children. In other words, it's the uneducated, unemployed rednecks that're having 8 kids here in the States. The educated often get married late and might have 1-2 (if that).

 

[muhali3]

What I find amazing is that our brains are so advanced that we are able to understand how it works so that we can make it even more advanced. Its amazing to know that all the complex/varied behaviors of human beings are a result of this organ.

 

[uniquerabbit]

Never! lol

.

 

[gettheleadout]

What I find amazing is that our brains are so advanced that we are able to understand how it works so that we can make it even more advanced. Its amazing to know that all the complex/varied behaviors of human beings are a result of this organ.

Introspection. One capability that definitively sets us apart from every other known species.

 

[rhesuspieces]

Introspection. One capability that definitively sets us apart from every other known species.

Metacognition ftw.

Look, you're thinking about how you're thinking! Now you're thinking about how you're thinking about how you're thinking! Now you're thinking about how you're thinking about how you're thinking about how you're thinking! Now you're thinking about how you're thinking about how you're thinking about how you're thinking...

Your night is now ruined by an endless thought loop.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

I might be in the minority here, but I actually hated "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat." Stopped reading it fairly quickly. 😳

 

[BeastfromthEast]

i wonder whether video games help the brain.

in my opinion, i believe that video games stimulate the brain. people say video games rot the mind, but i think thats only in the case of being totally addicted to the game and not going out at all.

takes sc2 for example lol. you have to manage your economy as you control your troops as you are constantly scouting the opponent and adapting to counter them. i think it stimulates the brain.

lol i love sc2.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

i wonder whether video games help the brain.

in my opinion, i believe that video games stimulate the brain. people say video games rot the mind, but i think thats only in the case of being totally addicted to the game and not going out at all.

takes sc2 for example lol. you have to manage your economy as you control your troops as you are constantly scouting the opponent and adapting to counter them. i think it stimulates the brain.

lol i love sc2.

PubMed is your friend. 😉

I think there's actually some literature suggesting that leading raids in World of Warcraft is actually a good quality to have if you're going into business. I remember reading some article about this a few years back, but I'm too lazy to log onto VPN and PubMed this right now! 😛

 

[muhali3]

i wonder whether video games help the brain.

in my opinion, i believe that video games stimulate the brain. people say video games rot the mind, but i think thats only in the case of being totally addicted to the game and not going out at all.

takes sc2 for example lol. you have to manage your economy as you control your troops as you are constantly scouting the opponent and adapting to counter them. i think it stimulates the brain.

lol i love sc2.

yeah, they definitely enhance the skills that the game is testing. ie. UT players have improved vision and faster decision-making ability. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100913121656.htm

 

[Ignatius M.D.]

I agree that this is actually a legit topic for discussion. I also think it might be time for once to get a new username.

Has anyone read anything by Ramachandran? I love that guy. What a baller.



Yes...lately I've been waking up paralyzed almost every night. It's awful. I think some cultures refer to it as being "ridden by the witch" or something along those lines because they actually believe that some malevolent spirit is sitting on you preventing you from moving.

You beat me to it! I love Ramachandran. I pretty much love anything neuro, and for those that also do, you should definitely read his stuff. Also, Sapolsky (spelling?) at Stanford does some interesting research. Honestly, I don't see how anyone interested in medicine or science in general does not find the brain amazing 😕. I mean, have any of you seen how the prosthetics made for amputees with phantom limb syndrome were designed? Brilliant.

 

[orthomyxo]

I liked the old, unlobotomized bleargh more.

As long as we're talking about the brain, has anyone else suffered sleep paralysis? Now THAT **** is scary.

EDIT: Passed the spam filter. Hurray!

Scariest thing ever. It happened to me once and I was completely aware of it. It was like I was awake with my eyes closed but couldn't move. Not fun.

 

[Buttermellow]

Gotta second this. I get that you have to tone it down a bit but you were one of the major sources of sarcasm on SDN, not to mention a personal source of inspiration. I'm going to stop typing now because I'm very emotional and I can no longer read through the tears. I love you, bleargh.

I love it when posts can make me laugh out loud. "I can no long read through the tears." That was fantastic.

 

[Bravetown]

Beyond Boundaries: connecting brain to machine by Miguel Nicolelis (If anyone caught the Daily show this week) is about the study of how we move, think, and control our bodies. They are starting to apply that knowledge to build suits that paralyzed people can wear and control with their thoughts, so they can walk again just by thinking about walking. Sounded pretty cool if anyone is interested in a book.

 

[muhali3]

Beyond Boundaries: connecting brain to machine by Miguel Nicolelis (If anyone caught the Daily show this week) is about the study of how we move, think, and control our bodies. They are starting to apply that knowledge to build suits that paralyzed people can wear and control with their thoughts, so they can walk again just by thinking about walking. Sounded pretty cool if anyone is interested in a book.

Yeah, I knew this technology was going to arise sooner or later, but I still don't completely understand how it works. Do they just connect the wires to the neurons that would normally innervate muscles in the limbs and then allow your brain to adapt to the device?

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Beyond Boundaries: connecting brain to machine by Miguel Nicolelis (If anyone caught the Daily show this week) is about the study of how we move, think, and control our bodies. They are starting to apply that knowledge to build suits that paralyzed people can wear and control with their thoughts, so they can walk again just by thinking about walking. Sounded pretty cool if anyone is interested in a book.

Ugh that Daily Show pissed me off. I can see how as a neuroscientist he can get overexcited about the concept, but the engineering is a long LONGGGGGGG way from what he described. Our BME department got excited and threw a party when, after years, they finally got the prosthetic hand to open when they said "open". Honestly, most of the people working on BCIs are starting to feel a little exhausted. Regenerative medicine just seems way more promising at this point. Look at the Walk Again Project's own website, it's obvious that the progress has been excruciatingly slow.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Yeah, I knew this technology was going to arise sooner or later, but I still don't completely understand how it works. Do they just connect the wires to the neurons that would normally innervate muscles in the limbs and then allow your brain to adapt to the device?

They use an ECOG or EEG (depending on how high of a resolution they want), record the electrical activity of the brain, extract the signal they want, turn it into a movement vector that the prosthetic's motor can then use to move the arm. Here's a little diagram for a sample prosthetic we used in one of our classes:

However, there's a TON of noise to deal with when you're extracting what you want (how are you supposed to know what you're recording is even related to leg/arm movement?), to the point where the degrees of freedom for the most advanced prosthetics out there right now are still extremely low compared to natural limbs. Add in that you need extremely precise feedback and feed-forward control plus a ridiculous amount of degrees of freedoms for walking (right now they're still focused on just grabbing objects), and you realize we're probably far more than a decade off from anything close to what they talked about on The Daily Show.