How Much Brain Do We Really Need?

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Author :
Publisher : Hachette UK
ISBN 13 : 1472138953
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (721 download)

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Book Synopsis How Much Brain Do We Really Need? by : Jenny Barnett

Download or read book How Much Brain Do We Really Need? written by Jenny Barnett and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2017-12-07 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Your brain is shrinking. Does it matter? Rethinking the Brain challenges us to think differently. Rather than just concentrating on the many wonderful things the brain can do, this entertaining insight into its complexities and contradictions asks whether in fact we can live satisfactorily without some of it. The bad news is that our brains start to shrink from our mid-thirties. But the good news is that we still seem to generally muddle along and our brain is able to adapt in extraordinary ways when things going wrong. Alexis Willett and Jennifer Barnett shed light on what the human brain can do - in both optimal and suboptimal conditions - and consider what it can manage without. Through fascinating facts and figures, case studies and hypothetical scenarios, expert interviews and scientific principles, they take us on a journey from the ancient mists of time to the far reaches of the future, via different species and lands. Is brain training the key to healthy ageing? Do women really experience 'baby brain'? Is our brain at its evolutionary peak or do we have an even more brilliant future to look forward to? We discover the answers to these questions and more.

Great Myths of the Brain

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Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1118312716
Total Pages : 370 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (183 download)

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Book Synopsis Great Myths of the Brain by : Christian Jarrett

Download or read book Great Myths of the Brain written by Christian Jarrett and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-11-17 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Great Myths of the Brain introduces readers to the field of neuroscience by examining popular myths about the human brain. Explores commonly-held myths of the brain through the lens of scientific research, backing up claims with studies and other evidence from the literature Looks at enduring myths such as “Do we only use 10% of our brain?”, “Pregnant women lose their mind”, “Right-brained people are more creative” and many more. Delves into myths relating to specific brain disorders, including epilepsy, autism, dementia, and others Written engagingly and accessibly for students and lay readers alike, providing a unique introduction to the study of the brain Teaches readers how to spot neuro hype and neuro-nonsense claims in the media

Discovering the Brain

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Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309045290
Total Pages : 195 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis Discovering the Brain by : National Academy of Sciences

Download or read book Discovering the Brain written by National Academy of Sciences and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1992-01-01 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brainâ€"an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attentionâ€"and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."

How Much Brain Do We Really Need?

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Author :
Publisher : Robinson
ISBN 13 : 9781472138965
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (389 download)

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Book Synopsis How Much Brain Do We Really Need? by : Jennifer Barnett

Download or read book How Much Brain Do We Really Need? written by Jennifer Barnett and published by Robinson. This book was released on 2021-01-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People are endlessly fascinated with the brain and the mind - whether to seek greater understanding about themselves or those around them or to just marvel at the brain's intricacy and the many secrets it still seems to hold. This book takes a global view of the brain and its history and future, challenging us to think differently about the brain by focusing on one key question - How Much Brain Do We Really Need? The human brain is five times larger than would be expected for our body size. To allow for such a large brain, human babies must be born earlier than other species; defenceless and unable to feed themselves or even move out of harm's way. What evolutionary advantage does all this extra brain bring? Contrary to the popular myth, we do use more than ten percent of our brains, but even modern neuroscience cannot accurately tell us how much of our brain we use at any one time, or ever. Surprisingly large amounts of brain can be lost or damaged without losing functions like language, thinking, and emotions which seem to be the core of the human experience. Does this mean we don't really need all of our brain? The brain is the most complex system we know, a piece of hardware that trebles in size over the first year of birth and then constantly reshapes and reprograms at the microscopic level in response to every new life experience. Some experiences, like education, result in more neurons and a larger brain. With others, like drinking alcohol, heading a football, and in normal aging, cells die and cannot be replaced. People with larger brains function better on average, and they live longer. There is great variation within our species: men's brains are around 10% bigger than women's and people whose ancestors developed in colder climates tend to have a larger, rounder head and brain, in order to better conserve heat. The impact of these differences in 'hardware' is mitigated by differences in 'software': peak brain function depends not only on the size of the brain, but on how efficiently it is used. This book tackles many topical issues, such as whether brain training is the key to healthy ageing and whether new mums really experience the 'baby brain'. The authors examine evidence from evolution, development across the human lifespan, and medical reports of the effects of brain injuries, abnormal development, and degenerative diseases. They explore what normal variation in brain size and structure between the sexes, and within populations, means for the relationship between brain biology and intelligence and other cognitive functions. They also look to the future and ponder what the upper limit of human brain function might be, given optimal nutrition, education, medical care, and the ability to potentially replace or re-engineer faulty or aging brain cells.

How People Learn

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Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309131979
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis How People Learn by : National Research Council

Download or read book How People Learn written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-08-11 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First released in the Spring of 1999, How People Learn has been expanded to show how the theories and insights from the original book can translate into actions and practice, now making a real connection between classroom activities and learning behavior. This edition includes far-reaching suggestions for research that could increase the impact that classroom teaching has on actual learning. Like the original edition, this book offers exciting new research about the mind and the brain that provides answers to a number of compelling questions. When do infants begin to learn? How do experts learn and how is this different from non-experts? What can teachers and schools do-with curricula, classroom settings, and teaching methodsâ€"to help children learn most effectively? New evidence from many branches of science has significantly added to our understanding of what it means to know, from the neural processes that occur during learning to the influence of culture on what people see and absorb. How People Learn examines these findings and their implications for what we teach, how we teach it, and how we assess what our children learn. The book uses exemplary teaching to illustrate how approaches based on what we now know result in in-depth learning. This new knowledge calls into question concepts and practices firmly entrenched in our current education system. Topics include: How learning actually changes the physical structure of the brain. How existing knowledge affects what people notice and how they learn. What the thought processes of experts tell us about how to teach. The amazing learning potential of infants. The relationship of classroom learning and everyday settings of community and workplace. Learning needs and opportunities for teachers. A realistic look at the role of technology in education.

The Energies of Men

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 48 pages
Book Rating : 4.X/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis The Energies of Men by : William James

Download or read book The Energies of Men written by William James and published by . This book was released on 1907 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Social

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Author :
Publisher : Crown
ISBN 13 : 0307889114
Total Pages : 390 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (78 download)

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Book Synopsis Social by : Matthew D. Lieberman

Download or read book Social written by Matthew D. Lieberman and published by Crown. This book was released on 2013-10-08 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We are profoundly social creatures--more than we know. In Social, renowned psychologist Matthew Lieberman explores groundbreaking research in social neuroscience revealing that our need to connect with other people is even more fundamental, more basic, than our need for food or shelter. Because of this, our brain uses its spare time to learn about the social world--other people and our relation to them. It is believed that we must commit 10,000 hours to master a skill. According to Lieberman, each of us has spent 10,000 hours learning to make sense of people and groups by the time we are ten. Social argues that our need to reach out to and connect with others is a primary driver behind our behavior. We believe that pain and pleasure alone guide our actions. Yet, new research using fMRI--including a great deal of original research conducted by Lieberman and his UCLA lab--shows that our brains react to social pain and pleasure in much the same way as they do to physical pain and pleasure. Fortunately, the brain has evolved sophisticated mechanisms for securing our place in the social world. We have a unique ability to read other people’s minds, to figure out their hopes, fears, and motivations, allowing us to effectively coordinate our lives with one another. And our most private sense of who we are is intimately linked to the important people and groups in our lives. This wiring often leads us to restrain our selfish impulses for the greater good. These mechanisms lead to behavior that might seem irrational, but is really just the result of our deep social wiring and necessary for our success as a species. Based on the latest cutting edge research, the findings in Social have important real-world implications. Our schools and businesses, for example, attempt to minimalize social distractions. But this is exactly the wrong thing to do to encourage engagement and learning, and literally shuts down the social brain, leaving powerful neuro-cognitive resources untapped. The insights revealed in this pioneering book suggest ways to improve learning in schools, make the workplace more productive, and improve our overall well-being.

50 Human Brain Ideas You Really Need to Know

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Author :
Publisher : Hachette UK
ISBN 13 : 1782062521
Total Pages : 273 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (82 download)

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Book Synopsis 50 Human Brain Ideas You Really Need to Know by : Moheb Costandi

Download or read book 50 Human Brain Ideas You Really Need to Know written by Moheb Costandi and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2013-07-04 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neuroscience is one of the most fascinating and complex areas of scientific research, with new advances being made every day. In 50 Human Brain Ideas You Really Need to Know, Mo Costandi condenses all we know about the brain and how it works into series of introductions to the most important concepts. Outlining both long-standing theories - such as the function of neurons and synaptic transmission - and cutting-edge ideas - including neuroethics and brain-computer interfacing - with straightforward narrative and clear two-colour illustrations, this book is a perfect beginner's guide to the most powerful and mysterious organ in the body. The ideas explored include: The nervous impulse; Differences between the male and female brain; The root of addiction; Neurobiological basis for personality; The relationship between sleep and memory.

From Molecules to Minds

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Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309120926
Total Pages : 90 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis From Molecules to Minds by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book From Molecules to Minds written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2008-12-07 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neuroscience has made phenomenal advances over the past 50 years and the pace of discovery continues to accelerate. On June 25, 2008, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders hosted more than 70 of the leading neuroscientists in the world, for a workshop titled "From Molecules to Minds: Challenges for the 21st Century." The objective of the workshop was to explore a set of common goals or "Grand Challenges" posed by participants that could inspire and rally both the scientific community and the public to consider the possibilities for neuroscience in the 21st century. The progress of the past in combination with new tools and techniques, such as neuroimaging and molecular biology, has positioned neuroscience on the cusp of even greater transformational progress in our understanding of the brain and how its inner workings result in mental activity. This workshop summary highlights the important issues and challenges facing the field of neuroscience as presented to those in attendance at the workshop, as well as the subsequent discussion that resulted. As a result, three overarching Grand Challenges emerged: How does the brain work and produce mental activity? How does physical activity in the brain give rise to thought, emotion, and behavior? How does the interplay of biology and experience shape our brains and make us who we are today? How do we keep our brains healthy? How do we protect, restore, or enhance the functioning of our brains as we age?

Your Brain Is a Time Machine: The Neuroscience and Physics of Time

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Author :
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 0393247953
Total Pages : 357 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (932 download)

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Book Synopsis Your Brain Is a Time Machine: The Neuroscience and Physics of Time by : Dean Buonomano

Download or read book Your Brain Is a Time Machine: The Neuroscience and Physics of Time written by Dean Buonomano and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2017-04-04 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Beautifully written, eloquently reasoned…Mr. Buonomano takes us off and running on an edifying scientific journey." —Carol Tavris, Wall Street Journal In Your Brain Is a Time Machine, leading neuroscientist Dean Buonomano embarks on an "immensely engaging" exploration of how time works inside the brain (Barbara Kiser, Nature). The human brain, he argues, is a complex system that not only tells time, but creates it; it constructs our sense of chronological movement and enables "mental time travel"—simulations of future and past events. These functions are essential not only to our daily lives but to the evolution of the human race: without the ability to anticipate the future, mankind would never have crafted tools or invented agriculture. This virtuosic work of popular science will lead you to a revelation as strange as it is true: your brain is, at its core, a time machine.

From Neurons to Neighborhoods

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Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309069882
Total Pages : 610 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis From Neurons to Neighborhoods by : National Research Council

Download or read book From Neurons to Neighborhoods written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2000-11-13 with total page 610 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.

Brain Power

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Author :
Publisher : New World Library
ISBN 13 : 1608680746
Total Pages : 250 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (86 download)

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Book Synopsis Brain Power by : Michael J. Gelb

Download or read book Brain Power written by Michael J. Gelb and published by New World Library. This book was released on 2011-12-26 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Virtually everyone fears mental deterioration as they age. But in the past thirty years neuroscientists have discovered that the brain is actually designed to improve throughout life. How can you encourage this improvement?Brain Power shares practical, state-of-the-evidence answers in this inspiring, fun-to-read plan for action. The authors have interviewed physicians, gerontologists, and neuroscientists; studied the habits of men and women who epitomize healthy aging; and applied what they describe in their own lives. The resulting guidance; along with the accompanying downloadable Brain Sync audio program; can help you activate unused brain areas, tone mental muscles, and enliven every faculty.

How Much Brain Do We Really Need?

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Author :
Publisher : Robinson
ISBN 13 : 1472138953
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (721 download)

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Book Synopsis How Much Brain Do We Really Need? by : Jenny Barnett

Download or read book How Much Brain Do We Really Need? written by Jenny Barnett and published by Robinson. This book was released on 2017-12-07 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Your brain is shrinking. Does it matter? Rethinking the Brain challenges us to think differently. Rather than just concentrating on the many wonderful things the brain can do, this entertaining insight into its complexities and contradictions asks whether in fact we can live satisfactorily without some of it. The bad news is that our brains start to shrink from our mid-thirties. But the good news is that we still seem to generally muddle along and our brain is able to adapt in extraordinary ways when things going wrong. Alexis Willett and Jennifer Barnett shed light on what the human brain can do - in both optimal and suboptimal conditions - and consider what it can manage without. Through fascinating facts and figures, case studies and hypothetical scenarios, expert interviews and scientific principles, they take us on a journey from the ancient mists of time to the far reaches of the future, via different species and lands. Is brain training the key to healthy ageing? Do women really experience 'baby brain'? Is our brain at its evolutionary peak or do we have an even more brilliant future to look forward to? We discover the answers to these questions and more.

Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded)

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Author :
Publisher : Pear Press
ISBN 13 : 0996032606
Total Pages : 306 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (96 download)

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Book Synopsis Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded) by : John Medina

Download or read book Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded) written by John Medina and published by Pear Press. This book was released on 2014-04-22 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most of us have no idea what’s really going on inside our heads. Yet brain scientists have uncovered details every business leader, parent, and teacher should know—like the need for physical activity to get your brain working its best. How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget—and so important to repeat new knowledge? Is it true that men and women have different brains? In Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule—what scientists know for sure about how our brains work—and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives. Medina’s fascinating stories and infectious sense of humor breathe life into brain science. You’ll learn why Michael Jordan was no good at baseball. You’ll peer over a surgeon’s shoulder as he proves that most of us have a Jennifer Aniston neuron. You’ll meet a boy who has an amazing memory for music but can’t tie his own shoes. You will discover how: Every brain is wired differently Exercise improves cognition We are designed to never stop learning and exploring Memories are volatile Sleep is powerfully linked with the ability to learn Vision trumps all of the other senses Stress changes the way we learn In the end, you’ll understand how your brain really works—and how to get the most out of it.

How We Think and Learn

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1107165113
Total Pages : 239 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (71 download)

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Book Synopsis How We Think and Learn by : Jeanne Ellis Ormrod

Download or read book How We Think and Learn written by Jeanne Ellis Ormrod and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-02-13 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book introduces readers to principles and research findings about human learning and cognition in an engaging, conversational manner.

The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains

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Author :
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 0393079368
Total Pages : 293 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (93 download)

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Book Synopsis The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by : Nicholas Carr

Download or read book The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains written by Nicholas Carr and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2011-06-06 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction: “Nicholas Carr has written a Silent Spring for the literary mind.”—Michael Agger, Slate “Is Google making us stupid?” When Nicholas Carr posed that question, in a celebrated Atlantic Monthly cover story, he tapped into a well of anxiety about how the Internet is changing us. He also crystallized one of the most important debates of our time: As we enjoy the Net’s bounties, are we sacrificing our ability to read and think deeply? Now, Carr expands his argument into the most compelling exploration of the Internet’s intellectual and cultural consequences yet published. As he describes how human thought has been shaped through the centuries by “tools of the mind”—from the alphabet to maps, to the printing press, the clock, and the computer—Carr interweaves a fascinating account of recent discoveries in neuroscience by such pioneers as Michael Merzenich and Eric Kandel. Our brains, the historical and scientific evidence reveals, change in response to our experiences. The technologies we use to find, store, and share information can literally reroute our neural pathways. Building on the insights of thinkers from Plato to McLuhan, Carr makes a convincing case that every information technology carries an intellectual ethic—a set of assumptions about the nature of knowledge and intelligence. He explains how the printed book served to focus our attention, promoting deep and creative thought. In stark contrast, the Internet encourages the rapid, distracted sampling of small bits of information from many sources. Its ethic is that of the industrialist, an ethic of speed and efficiency, of optimized production and consumption—and now the Net is remaking us in its own image. We are becoming ever more adept at scanning and skimming, but what we are losing is our capacity for concentration, contemplation, and reflection. Part intellectual history, part popular science, and part cultural criticism, The Shallows sparkles with memorable vignettes—Friedrich Nietzsche wrestling with a typewriter, Sigmund Freud dissecting the brains of sea creatures, Nathaniel Hawthorne contemplating the thunderous approach of a steam locomotive—even as it plumbs profound questions about the state of our modern psyche. This is a book that will forever alter the way we think about media and our minds.

The Idiot Brain

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Author :
Publisher : Guardian Faber Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1783350830
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (833 download)

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Book Synopsis The Idiot Brain by : Dean Burnett

Download or read book The Idiot Brain written by Dean Burnett and published by Guardian Faber Publishing. This book was released on 2016-02-16 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do you lose arguments with people who know MUCH LESS than you? Why can you recognise that woman, from that thing... but can't remember her name? And why, after your last break-up, did you find yourself in the foetal position on the sofa for days, moving only to wipe the snot and tears haphazardly from your face? Here's why: the idiot brain. For something supposedly so brilliant and evolutionarily advanced, the human brain is pretty messy, fallible and disorganised. For example, did you know that your memory is egotistical? That conspiracy theories and superstitions are the inevitable effects of a healthy brain? Or that alcohol can actually improve your memory?** In The Idiot Brain, neuroscientist Dean Burnett tours our mysterious and mischievous grey (and white) matter. Along the way he explains the human brain's imperfections in all their glory and how these influence everything we say, do and experience. Expertly researched and entertainingly written, this book is for anyone who has wondered why their brain appears to be sabotaging their life, and what on earth it is really up to. **Editor's note: please read the book before testing this conclusion.