Saturday, December 01, 2012
Building the Human Brain
"The human brain is exceedingly complex and studying it encompasses gathering information across a range of levels, from molecular processes to behavior. The sheer breadth of this undertaking has perhaps led to an increased specialization of brain research and a concomitant fragmentation of our knowledge. A potential solution is to integrate all of this knowledge into a coherent simulation of the brain". Full article @ Science
Labels: brain, cognitive science, complex systems, simulation
Friday, October 05, 2012
Mysteries of the Brain
"For this special section, our news team identify and explore some of the brain's enduring mysteries. The scientific puzzles we chose for a closer examination here encompass medical science, evolutionary biology, cognitive science, and more—and leave many provocative questions to another time. " Special issue @ Science
Labels: brain, cognitive science
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Brain Evolution at a Distance
It is that RNA computational layer once again...
"Scientists and philosophers alike have long grasped for the essence that makes humans human, and one answer lies in the brain. Specifically, human brains express genes in different patterns than those of related species, but what causes those changes is unknown. Comparing gene expression in three primate species—human, chimpanzee, and the rhesus macaque—across post-natal development, researchers, publishing today (December 6) in PLoS Biology, found that the most drastic expression changes are found in genes that are controlled at a distance by trans regulators, instead of locally by cis regulators." News artcle @ The Scientist
M. Somel et al., “MicroRNA-driven developmental remodeling in the brain distinguishes humans from other primates,” PLoS Biology, 9: e1001214, 2011.
"Scientists and philosophers alike have long grasped for the essence that makes humans human, and one answer lies in the brain. Specifically, human brains express genes in different patterns than those of related species, but what causes those changes is unknown. Comparing gene expression in three primate species—human, chimpanzee, and the rhesus macaque—across post-natal development, researchers, publishing today (December 6) in PLoS Biology, found that the most drastic expression changes are found in genes that are controlled at a distance by trans regulators, instead of locally by cis regulators." News artcle @ The Scientist
M. Somel et al., “MicroRNA-driven developmental remodeling in the brain distinguishes humans from other primates,” PLoS Biology, 9: e1001214, 2011.
Labels: cognitive science, evolution, RNA
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Is There Progress on Talking Sensibly to Machines?
Several research projects are closing in on ways to allow humans to effectively communicate with machines in natural language. Full article @ Science
Labels: artificial intelligence, cognitive science, natural language
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Can evolution explain how minds work?
"Biologists have tended to assume that closely related species will have similar cognitive abilities. Johan J. Bolhuis and Clive D. L. Wynne put this evolutionarily inspired idea through its paces.". Full article @ Nature
Labels: cognitive science, evolution
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Sacred Science
"Can emergence break the spell of reductionism and put spirituality back into nature?". Full article @ Scientific American
Stuart Kauffman and his book "Reinventing the Sacred"
Labels: cognitive science, Emergence, religion
