QUANTA

Tuesday, March 8, 2011


Perception, learning and memory
Perception, learning and memory are interconnected processes controlled by the coordinated activity of molecules, synapses, cells and neural networks within the brain.  Although we know much about the activity of individual neurons and synapses, we know far less about how these components interact. Neuroscience techniques must evolve to realize a new era of multidisciplinary research studying networks of interacting elements.

The human brain is a highly complex organ shaped by hundreds of millions of years of evolution. It has evolved to detect meaningful patterns, to learn, memorize and recall them, and to adapt. Our neural networks can produce and decode communication signals, extract and process useful features from the environment, and produce vital innate behaviours such as eating, fleeing and mating. Amazingly, this specialized structure selfassembles, growing from one cell to tens of billions, and each developing brain incorporates both hidden biases shaped through natural selection, and the means with which to sculpt itself throughout its lifetime as the individual encounters new experiences and sensations.

Source and/or read more: http://goo.gl/94rgw


Publisher and/or Author and/or Editor:__Andres Agostini ─ @Futuretronium at Twitter! Futuretronium Book at http://3.ly/rECc