Neuroscience+Art

This week’s topic is neuroscience+art. This was a very interesting topic for me because we learned about our minds. How are we able to understand what Professor Vesna says every week? What is consciousness? Consciousness is the state of condition of being conscious.

When talking about consciousness, you cannot forget about Descartes. During my fall quarter, I also took Philosophy of Mind 7. I learned that Descartes was the Father of Philosophy. He is famous for his quote, “I think therefore I am.” In his book, “Meditations,” it talks about Descartes’ realization of his existence.

Franz Joseph Gall was critical in showing us how the brain looked and how it functioned. He was the first one to come up with the cerebral functions of the brains. He believed that the human brain was physically developed according to its use and began the practice of phrenology. Phrenology is the determination of an individual’s potential by feeling bumps on the head.

Santiago Roman y Cajal also stood out to me because he was the father of modern neuroscience. He gave a valuable contribution to the understanding of the microscopic nature of the nature system. The neuron theory is one of his famous achievements. More than 100 years ago, is biggest discovery was that you can read the connections patterns between neurons by simply looking at their shapes. Roman Cajal’s work correlates to science and art, because in his book, “Cajal’s Butterflies of the Soul,” he refers neurons as the mysterious butterflies of the soul. He claims that only artists are attracted to science. He is a perfect example of an artist and a scientist coming together, as the left and right brain come together to contribute.

The human brain and face are similar in terms of being a piece of art. Every individual have different facial features. The brain also similar in this regard. Physically, the human brain is similar for every individual, but the way they are expressed are different. Some excel in different areas. It differs in the way it functions. The brain is extremely complicated and beyond us to completely understand. We would never fully be able to understand the brain because it is constantly growing. In my opinion, I believe that we are not even close to finding the full function of the brain. There is still more to the brain and we just haven’t figured it out.

Sources:

"Human Brain: Facts, Functions & Anatomy." LiveScience. TechMedia Network. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://www.livescience.com/29365-human-brain.html>.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Franz Joseph Gall." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://www.britannica.com/biography/Franz-Joseph-Gall>.

"René Descartes." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://www.biography.com/people/ren-descartes-37613>.

"Santiago Ramon Y Cajal: "The Father of Neuroscience" - Brain Connection." Brain Connection. 2013. Web. 12 May 2016. <http://brainconnection.brainhq.com/2013/02/26/santiago-ramon-y-cajal-the-father-of-neuroscience/>.

 Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience-pt1.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 2012. Web. 12 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzXjNbKDkYI>.