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Neuroscientist Brain Experiment

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Neuroscientists believe that free will is an illusion; that our actions are determined by brain movement beyond our control. Neuroscientist such as Libet and Hayne believe that the activity in the brain comes before we consciously act. They did several experiments, which included people pressing buttons with either their left or right hand. The aim of the experiment was to find out what happens in the brain just before the person felt the decision was made. The experiment consisted of wires connected to a person’s brain, to find out how long a person took to press a button. There was a clock and a button, and the people were told to press the button when they felt like it. The experimenters detected some activity in the motor part of the brain; …show more content…

The results of these experiments showed that most people would have some kind of brain activity before they even had the desire of which hand to use. Based on these experiments, the experiment indicated that the brain is commanding us, and that we are only carrying out the command of the brain. However, in my opinion, I believe that the neuroscientists are not right. This is because you cannot compare life decisions to buttons, they are two different entities. I agree with these experimenters that brain activity can occur before you even have the desire to press a button. However a button does not require the same kind of conscious when making choices in reality. I disagree with these experimenters because unlike pressing a button which has no consequences and which requires a low conscious, life decisions can lead to many consequences and requires a higher conscious. For example, suppose the experimenters change the design of the experiment. They tell you to choose a button, but then during the experiments they also mention how the button you choose can electrocute

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