Learning more about the brain fascinates me.
I have kind of being doing a lot of reading (and listening) around this. And interestingly, over time they all seem to interlink to each other. It is like joining the dots in disparate puzzles. I think I’d like to do a deep-dive into each of these to understand more around where we actually are and who are the companies who are working on them. But for now, here is an overview of them – from learning more about raising kids, the future of ‘thinking’ and our identities as we know of them.
- Neuralink, BMI and having a magical hat – The first one I’d like to gain more understanding about is on Elon Musk’s new venture (which is smashingly exciting) much like most of his other ventures. Neuralink in short is a neurotechnology company that is working on developing implantable BCIs (brain computer interfaces). I could do no justice in explaining the massive 2 post long article on WBW that explains how Musk is essentially trying to bring together man and machine. It redefines much of what human life would look like in the future. Though it seems like science fiction right now, I very strongly believe we aren’t too far away from having a seamless interaction with machine (which are for now an extension of us through the multiple gadgets). Imagine asking (thinking, not even voicing verbally, mind you) what the weather in New York is like and getting a response that is not just limited to the data but one could actually feel the cold temperature sitting right here. Every time I read more about this I feel like I am within the pages of Harry Potter and looking forward to ‘apparate‘ without using a Portkey or Floo Powder.  Right now, I have so much running around in my brain around all this disparate stuff which is seemingly connected. If only I could share my ‘brain’ with someone who could ‘read’ what I choose to share without me actually vocalizing it. Actually, if Neuralink succeeds in doing what it is trying to do, we may actually get there very soon.
2) Brain – The story of you : I recently finished this brilliant book by David Eagleman. Definitely is one of the best reads I have ever come across in a long time. I think I highlighted more sections than I ever have. It gives us a great background about not just the ‘physical structure’, the significance of brain development in the initial 4-5 years and questions your identity. I recollect the case study of a bunch of 3 siblings who grew up in an orphanage in Romania who though supplied with the basic necessities, were deprived of nurture, care and love by the caretakers. The family who adopted them when they were around 5+ found that the kids were irreparably broken and depressed. They in fact used gibberish to communicate and the depression followed. He also talks about how kids who are born pretty ‘unready’ compared to other mammals ‘learn’ from the environment. The neurons that fire together are retained. Learning is thus a process of constantly experiences and pruning out the unnecessary. It reiterates the significance of the initial years in shaping the future of the child.
If you think this all sounds like a lot of baloney and want more reasons to pick up the book – look at this article which provides evidence of the brain sizes of 3 yo kids cherished and and nurtured by their moms versus those who have been abused and neglected
3) What constitutes ‘you’? – The book, though technical, still delves into narratives of reality and illusion. What constitutes ‘you’ – is it your memories. Can these memories be transferred to an external substrate. Would that still be you? Is you your ‘conscious’? If you are not conscious during your sleep, what constitutes the ‘conscious’. Is the raw material – the bunch of neurons and synapses that make the brain – you? If each neuron is just there to fulfill a particular activity, does the ‘emergence‘ of them together constitute your ‘conscious’. Do we see a future where the BMI (brain machine interfaces) actually will be a part of ‘you’. Did you know there is company in the area of Cryonics – Alcor that preserves bodies (or just the heads in certain cases) with the hope that one day (in the visible future) we will learn how to transfer our ‘consciousness’ beyond our frail bodies and they can be ‘revived back into a second life’. The meaning of ‘being mortal’ may be very different from what we actually know of it now.
4) Of Brain plasticity, vision boards and rewiring the brain for success – The very premise of the books- ‘Think and grow rich‘ or ‘‘The Secret’ is just that – one tends to achieve their goals by having a clarity of vision and through actually ‘thinking’ about them often enough. One of the things I have come across in multiple articles (and reiterated in this book) is the ability of the brain to re-mold itself completely – termed brain plasticity or neuroplasticity.
Clearly this is a function that is very pliable in kids and thus their propensity to pick up things much easier than adults. It is a function of the brain though that is retained throughout our adult lives – we have but to work towards it. In the last couple of days since I read the book I constantly find myself thinking about how my brain thinks (metacognition – ability to observe, witness and understand how the mind works to create the reality of your experience [PS- Meditation and mindfulness is what aids one to get to a state of metacognition]) – about how the author had explained that each thought or experience is but a bunch/formation of neurons that fire together. The recollection of the taste of the mango yogurt for example is when we try to fire the same set of neurons. The more they fire together, the stronger the memory. Which brings me to the next point – the power of visualization in achieving our goals. As this article illustrates the ‘secret of success‘ through hacking your brain to be more productive, using visualization (think vision boards), journal-ling, meditation and strengthening memories you like to retain through repeated practice.
This is a lot of information in one go – but constantly I finds things to be more interconnected that they appear to be. It is a great time to be alive.
P.S – Additional reading recommendations from last week’s reading – ‘Call of the Wild’ (absolutely great literature written from the perspective of a dog in search of his self and finding ‘home’) and ‘Being Mortal’ (a doctor who talks about the difference between being alive and existing). Podcast recommendations on the above topic – Unknown Brain (TED Radio Hour by NPR)
