A Conversation With Einstein's Brain

Alva Noe builds an argument against the idea of cell-by-cell brain mapping in the passage “Making A Brain Map That We Can Use.” He uses rhetorical questions, imagery, and refutes the counter argument to build an argument against the idea of cell-by-cell brain mapping.

As scientific and medical advances weave their way into modern society, science fiction sketches ways to interconnect the present with the future and to prepare for revolutionary breakthroughs. In the science fiction novella, “Understand,” Ted Chiang creates a world with a scientifically devised medical innovation that can possibly be used to shape and prepare the future of humanity. In this short story, Chiang employs rhetoric to push readers to question their attitude on superhuman intelligence. He uses mimesis in a manner that provides the audience with insight into philosophical issues with extraordinary hyper-intelligence and concludes that the benefits are worth taking on despite the risks. The story follows Leon Greco, a freshly-minted mastermind, as he journeys from a vegetative state to a medical advancement after being treated with an experimental drug. In this context, Chiang uses mimesis to mimic Greco’s growth in knowledge in the dialogue, structure, and diction of the story. As Greco develops a fondness for greater intelligence, Chiang guides his readers to question their philosophy and to understand that intellectual advancement can beneficial to humanity.

Without the quantifiable entity that is the brain, the mind would have no medium for which to exist.

“The Human Brain”, by myPerspectives, is an informative article that claims that the brain is a complex organ that is truly impressive. The brain is a key part of the central nervous system, that controls the entire body’s activities, to simple things such as breathing. These actions are fired through neurons, that quickly travel through the spinal cord. Surprisingly, the brain transmits these messages at an unimaginable rate, at 150 miles per hour, through 85 billion cells, called neurons. These neurons can form up to 10,000 synapses, or connections to each other. By itself, the brain can create billions of synapses, which change the structure of the brain every time new information is learned. However, there is still much that scientists

According to Merriam-Webster’s a hero is defined as “exhibiting or marked by courage and daring” or a person who’s “supremely noble or self-sacrificing”, meaning you don’t have to be a superhero to be considered heroic. Doing something that has a significant effect on society or changing the way something appears to be, makes one heroic; therefore, Albert Einstein is heroic in numerous ways.

Many researchers have sought out an explanation for the mysteries hidden within our brain and how it operates. Recent studies have shown that the brain functions more as a muscle allowing it to continue to grow or contract. If these studies prove to be true, this could forever change how people interact or associate with their brains.

Carr introduces the argument for neurological flexibility with the tangible effects noted by Nietzsche, where the use of the mechanical typewriter

It was the 17th century British scientist Thomas Willis who recognized that the custard like tissue of the brain was where our mental world existed. The brain is an electric organ. Now we know that instead of animal spirits, voltage spikes travel through it and out into the body’s nervous system.

The nineteenth century saw an explosion in knowledge regarding the brain unlike any before. For centuries, the brain had been considered the seat of human intelligence. However, the brain of the classics was a singular organ of

The PBS special "The Secret Life of the Brain" took us through all different aspects of the brain and its formation through life. These five movies taught us that the brain is plastic and is always changing, cutting unused neurons and filling with different ideas and thoughts that you learn from your environment. The five videos go through the five stages of life; baby, child, teenager, adult and finally the aging brain.

However, the most memorable thing I was able to see that day was the human brain. Looking at it, it didn’t look much different than models we had used in class. The student in charge of that section went over the fundamental parts of the brain, things I had studied for class. Though it was interesting, the moment that made it really real for me was the moment I was able to hold it. Holding it is my hand, the basic anatomy of the brain went away. I stood in an awed silence as I tried to imagine the things it had seen, had heard, the life it had lived. This was the motor to human existence. Though brains may look similar on the outside, on the inside they were so unique, so different, each like a snowflake, only ever occurring once. It was in that moment that I knew I wanted to learn all I could about this fascinating object that is the mind, unlock doors that had previously been closed, and leave the world a better place than I found it.

In the novel, Einstein’s Gift by Vern Thiessen, science benefits mankind and contributes to humanity, but it also has potential for destruction. Haber made nitrogen fixation to help the production of agricultural fertilizer which helped prevent starvation of millions of people, he worked with chlorine gas by Germany’s military to be used as a weapon during World War 1, and he also worked with his wife to create a scientific process that would hopefully establish a productive society.

The Representational Theory of Mind proposes that we, as both physiological and mental beings, are systems which operate based on symbols and interpretations of the meanings of such symbols rather than beings which operate just on physiological processes (chemical reactions and biological processes). It offers that humans and their Minds are computing machines, mental software (the Mind) which runs on physical hardware (the body). It suggests, too, that we are computing machines functioning as something other than a computing machine, just as every other machine does.

General Relativity is a two part theory created by the German physicist, Albert Einstein. The two sections of relativity is special relativity and general relativity. Special relativity focuses more on lines, constant-velocity motion on the mass of objects, the passage throughout time, and that passing the speed of light is impossible. General relativity deals with accelerated motion, gravitational fields on mass, size, and time. General relativity also states that matter and space effect each other and that the universe ends and there may be more universes out there. Relativity also includes space-time. Many people think that space and time are completely different variables, but physicists often combine them into “space-time”. Space-time is a four-dimensional coordinate system used in relativity and other areas of physics. The dimensions are, length, width, height, and the 4th is the time dimension.

     One of the most complex and fascinating things in the human body is the brain. The body is “capable of almost everything, but it would not be possible, without the brain receiving information, and analyzing the information.”