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Incognito: The Secret Lives of The Brain

This book delves into the complex workings of the brain, particularly the subconscious aspects, and how they shape our actions and perceptions. more

Author

David Eagleman
David Eagleman

David Eagleman is a neuroscientist born on April 25, 1971. His research focuses on visual perception, time perception, and brain plasticity. Eagleman has made significant contributions to the field of neuroscience and has ventured into various scientific and artistic domains. more

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“Reductionism is not the right viewpoint for everything, and it certainly won't explain the relationship between the brain and the mind. This is because of a feature known as emergence. When you put together large numbers of pieces and parts, the whole can become something greater than the sum.”

MindWholeTogetherNumbersBrainKnownGreaterPiecesFeaturesViewpointsLarge NumbersEmergenceReductionism
Book:Incognito: The Secret Lives of The Brain
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“None of the individual metal hunks of an airplane have the property of flight, but when they are attached together in the right way, the result takes to the air. A thin metal bar won't do you much good if you're trying to control a jaguar, but several of them in parallel have the property of containment. The concept of emergent properties means that something new can be introduced that is not inherent in any of the parts.”

IfsWayTryingMeanTogetherIndividualResultsAirConceptsPropertyBarsSomething NewMetalsAirplaneInherentRight WayParallelsHunkJaguarsContainment
Author:David Eagleman
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“When a male vole repeatedly mates with a female, a hormone called vasopressin is released in his brain. The vasopressin binds to receptors in a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, and the binding mediates a pleasurable feeling that becomes associated with that female. This locks in the monogamy, which is known as pair-bonding. If you block this hormone, the pair-bonding goes away.”

IfsFeelingsBrainKnownFemaleMalesBlockPairsMatesLocksHormonesBindingBondingMonogamyNucleus
Author:David Eagleman
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“If you cannot always elicit a straight answer from the unconscious brain, how can you access its knowledge? Sometimes the trick is merely to probe what your gut is telling you. So the next time a friend laments that she cannot decide between two options, tell her the easiest way to solve her problem: flip a coin. She should specify which option belongs to heads and which to tails, and then let the coin fly. The important part is to assess her gut feeling after the coin lands. If she feels a subtle sense of relief at being "told" what to do by the coin, that's the right choice for her.”

IfsWayFeelsShouldTwoImportantSometimesFeelingsProblemChoicesNextAnswersBrainLandSolveAccessTricksUnconsciousReliefGutsSubtleTailsNext TimeCoinsFlipLamentRight ChoicesGut FeelingsTwo Options
Author:David Eagleman
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