The Ravenous Brain: How the New Science of Consciousness Explains Our Insatiable Search for Meaning (48 page)
Authors: Daniel Bor
BOOK: The Ravenous Brain: How the New Science of Consciousness Explains Our Insatiable Search for Meaning
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Further afield, Bernard Baars helpfully and graciously offered his knowledge, while Jonathan Huntley had many insightful suggestions for the psychiatry chapter. In addition, there were so many others in the research community over the years who have imparted their wisdom during chats over coffee or a beer, but this list would take too long to write here, so apologies for not naming you explicitly.
Finally I owe an immense amount of gratitude to the two people closest to me. My daughter, Lalana, while not
quite
at the stage of offering me advice, unflinchingly produced an excited smile and open arms on my return home, despite guilty periods when I worked so hard that I would hardly ever see her. And she’s been a wonderful inspiration for this book, as I was able to see her consciousness develop as the manuscript did. Greatest thanks of all, though, goes to my wonderful wife, Rachana, for taking up the household slack fantastically during my obsessive writing phases (no mean feat when you have an insomniac baby around!), for reading every draft of every chapter (and there were
a lot
of drafts!), making copious observant comments each time, and for generally being so supportive throughout.
quite
at the stage of offering me advice, unflinchingly produced an excited smile and open arms on my return home, despite guilty periods when I worked so hard that I would hardly ever see her. And she’s been a wonderful inspiration for this book, as I was able to see her consciousness develop as the manuscript did. Greatest thanks of all, though, goes to my wonderful wife, Rachana, for taking up the household slack fantastically during my obsessive writing phases (no mean feat when you have an insomniac baby around!), for reading every draft of every chapter (and there were
a lot
of drafts!), making copious observant comments each time, and for generally being so supportive throughout.
Notes and References
4
In his most famous work,
Meditations on First Philosophy
In his most famous work,
Meditations on First Philosophy
R. Descartes, J. Cottingham, and B.A.W. Williams,
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5
“
Cogito ergo sum
”:
R. Descartes and I. Maclean,
A discourse on the method
.
“
Cogito ergo sum
”:
R. Descartes and I. Maclean,
A discourse on the method
.
2006, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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A landmark paper . . . described . . . Gage
A landmark paper . . . described . . . Gage
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Controversy about the behavioral details
Controversy about the behavioral details
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Seminal 1949 work,
The Concept of Mind
Seminal 1949 work,
The Concept of Mind
G. Ryle and D. C. Dennett,
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But more as a
superorganism
But more as a
superorganism
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Impossible . . . explain mental states using only physical processes
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Not as watertight as it might at first appear
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Jackson . . . has since rejected his former argument
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Swap red with blue . . . leave all thought . . . unchanged
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No single, independent class of experience as “red”
Dennett (1991), see above.
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John Searle in 1980
John Searle in 1980
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Micro-cables . . . wrap around the earth four times
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Computer models closely approximating . . . population of neurons
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Tatiana and Krista
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Life is honed from natural experimentation
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Self-assembling non-life molecules . . . technologically exploited
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The default state for networks of neurons
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Creating . . . bacteria to make diesel fuel
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Human genes introduced into mice
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Plant species . . . formed . . . of two or more . . . lineages
Plant species . . . formed . . . of two or more . . . lineages
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Gene swaps between humans and viruses or bacteria
Gene swaps between humans and viruses or bacteria
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Mutation rates are increased in some bacteria
Mutation rates are increased in some bacteria
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49
Yeast . . . reshuffling . . . entire chromosomes
Yeast . . . reshuffling . . . entire chromosomes
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49
Primates . . . lowest social standing . . . exhibit innovative behaviors
Primates . . . lowest social standing . . . exhibit innovative behaviors
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51
Faced with some threat . . . worms . . . forgo . . . self-fertilization
Faced with some threat . . . worms . . . forgo . . . self-fertilization
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All organisms . . . lives extended . . . simply by eating less
All organisms . . . lives extended . . . simply by eating less
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52
Near perfect memory . . . of Solomon Sherashevski
Near perfect memory . . . of Solomon Sherashevski
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Greatest source of evolutionary innovation is the virus
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50 percent of our genome . . . from ancient viruses
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56
Viral donation of DNA . . . placenta in early mammals
Viral donation of DNA . . . placenta in early mammals
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57
Dawkins’ language they are termed “survival machines”
Dawkins’ language they are termed “survival machines”
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57
Million copies of the Alu sequence
Million copies of the Alu sequence
Lander et al (2001), see above.
58
Selfish imposition of a single mutation-causing gene
Selfish imposition of a single mutation-causing gene
Dawkins (2006), see above.
59
20,000 genes . . . required to create your brain
20,000 genes . . . required to create your brain
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Bacteria . . . resemble a multicellular organism
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60
Douglas firs . . . share soil resources with saplings
Douglas firs . . . share soil resources with saplings
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Tomato . . . release . . . chemicals that neighboring plants can read
Tomato . . . release . . . chemicals that neighboring plants can read
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