Book Review

The brain does not make computations in the way that computers do. Instead, the brain
creates predictive images that guide motor actions accordingly. In a sense, the brain is a
planner for the actions that each conscious being takes. An interesting feature of the human
brain is its plasticity. Compared to other species, the human brain has much greater
capability of adapting to each individual’s experiences. The brain is able to adapt and
develop in countless ways to a predetermined limit.
Due to the nature of the thalamocortical system, sensory input from the world gains
significance through internal context of the brain. This is described by ‘causality,’ the sense
that events in the brain are chronologically linked. As it was determined, cognition does not
need to be learned; instead, cognition was developed over hundreds of millions of years by
the brains, not limited to humans, that lived before us. As a result, we are born with
cognition, which derives its content from experiences of the individual.
In order to understand the interconnectivity of activity in the brain, it is essential to first
understand how neurons work at a microscopic level. Neurons are intrinsically equipped
with excitability, stimulated by electrical activity. The physical structure of neurons allow
interconnectivity around individual neurons, allowing webs of neurons to work as a unit.
It took about 2 billion years for the first multicellular organism to evolve from individual
eukaryotic cells. Compared to the 700 million years it took for the entire animal kingdom to
evolve, multicellular life took a very long to arise. The most likely explanation for this is that
the establishment of the first intercellular communication was much more complicated than
forming the first eukaryotic cell. A critical difference between cells in unicellular and
multicellular lives is that the latter have the ability to differentiate, so that separate groups
of cells perform different tasks necessary for survival. For unicellular life, each individual has
to possess and present the full set of traits needed for survival.
 Lecture Questions
ØWhy nothing moves even if we move our eyes/head?
§ Why do we constantly move our eyes unconsciously?
Covert attention: while looking at the banana, we start to perceive the apple. Space is
measured by time for the brain. This concept is called Hebbian plasticity.

ØWhy can we perceive the 3D space with depth?

§ Even with a monocular view.
Binocular disparity: depending on where the vision is focused, objects in the field of vision
may change to appear as multiple.

ØHow can we recognize the 3D shape?

§ At any 3D location with different apparent sizes and different 3D orientations?
The brain assigns time to X, Y, and Z coordinate axes.