Enchanted Looms: Conscious Networks in Brains and ComputersThe title of this book was inspired by a passage in Charles Sherrington's Man on his Nature. When that famous physiologist died in 1952, the prospects for a scientific explanation of consciousness seemed remote. Enchanted Looms shows how the situation has changed dramatically over the past forty years, and provides what is probably the most wide-ranging account of the phenomenon ever written. Rodney Cotterill bridges the gap between the bottom-up approach to understanding consciousness, anchored in the brain's biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, and the top-down strategy, which concerns itself with behavior and the nervous system's interaction with the environment. He argues that an explanation of consciousness is now at hand, and extends the discussion to include intelligence and creativity, unlike other books on the subject. This beautifully written and illustrated book will be valued for its provocative approach to one of science's last great challenges. Enchanted Looms will change forever our view of consciousness and our concept of the human being. |
Contents
III | 1 |
V | 5 |
VI | 12 |
VII | 17 |
VIII | 21 |
IX | 30 |
XI | 37 |
XII | 46 |
LIII | 239 |
LV | 251 |
LVI | 256 |
LVII | 263 |
LVIII | 282 |
LIX | 286 |
LX | 295 |
LXII | 298 |
XIII | 50 |
XIV | 55 |
XV | 58 |
XVI | 60 |
XVII | 63 |
XVIII | 66 |
XIX | 70 |
XX | 73 |
XXI | 75 |
XXII | 78 |
XXIII | 85 |
XXIV | 88 |
XXVI | 96 |
XXVII | 99 |
XXVIII | 102 |
XXIX | 104 |
XXX | 114 |
XXXI | 120 |
XXXII | 124 |
XXXIII | 130 |
XXXV | 134 |
XXXVI | 137 |
XXXVII | 140 |
XXXVIII | 141 |
XXXIX | 151 |
XL | 157 |
XLI | 162 |
XLII | 165 |
XLIII | 171 |
XLIV | 183 |
XLVI | 186 |
XLVII | 198 |
XLVIII | 211 |
XLIX | 218 |
L | 221 |
LI | 227 |
LII | 234 |
LXIII | 300 |
LXIV | 303 |
LXV | 311 |
LXVI | 313 |
LXVII | 315 |
LXVIII | 319 |
LXIX | 322 |
LXX | 324 |
LXXI | 328 |
LXXII | 334 |
LXXIII | 344 |
LXXIV | 347 |
LXXV | 351 |
LXXVI | 354 |
LXXVII | 364 |
LXXVIII | 368 |
LXXIX | 372 |
LXXX | 374 |
LXXXI | 377 |
LXXXII | 378 |
LXXXIII | 384 |
LXXXV | 388 |
LXXXVI | 390 |
LXXXVII | 396 |
LXXXVIII | 398 |
LXXXIX | 400 |
XC | 405 |
XCI | 409 |
XCII | 421 |
XCIV | 425 |
XCV | 427 |
XCVI | 434 |
XCVII | 437 |
XCVIII | 468 |
XCIX | 486 |
500 | |
Other editions - View all
Enchanted Looms: Conscious Networks in Brains and Computers Rodney Cotterill No preview available - 1998 |
Common terms and phrases
able action potentials activity actually amygdala appears association autistic axon basal ganglia behaviour brain cells cerebellum cerebral cortex chapter cingulate circuit cognitive colleagues colour components connections conscious awareness consciousness consider cortical areas dendrites detection diagram earlier emotions example excitatory experience fact fibres figure frontal lobe function ganglion given hidden layer hippocampus human indicated inhibition inhibitory interactions involved known latter learning Libet located machine mechanism mediated membrane memory mental milliseconds molecules monkey motor movement muscles muscular nerve nervous system neural network neurons neurotransmitter nucleus observed oscillations output parietal pattern perception perceptron phonemes pixels prefrontal primary visual cortex processes Purkinje cell qualia recent receptive fields receptors referred region relevant response retina reverse projections route saccade schemata seen sense sensory input signals simultaneously stimulus structure suggested superior colliculus synapses temporal thalamus theory things tion trained unconscious underlying various visual areas visual system word