The Brain-Shaped Mind

by Naomi Goldblum , Illustrated by Shifra Glick

• ISBN13: 9780521000949
• ISBN10: 0521000947
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-09-17
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Will brain scientists ever be able to read our minds? Why are some things harder to remember than others? Based on recent brain research and neural network modelling, The Brain-Shaped Mind addresses these, and other, questions, and provides a clear account of how the structure of the brain influences the workings of the mind. Neuroscientists are now learning about our minds by examining how the neurones in the brain are connected with one another and the surrounding environment. This book explores how neural networks enable us to recognise objects and learn new things, and what happens when things go wrong. The reader is taken on a fascinating journey into what is arguably one of the most complicated and remarkable aspects of our lives.

Table of Contents

Preface	vi
Figure permissions and acknowledgments	viii
Introduction	1	(11)
What the brain cannot tell us about the mind	12	(9)
How neurons form networks	21	(9)
Theories and models of how the mind functions	30	(10)
What are connectionist networks?	40	(14)
How our networks learn	54	(12)
Connecting the networks: how different things are related	66	(9)
Evidence for connectionist models	75	(12)
Two different types of memory	87	(8)
Coping with disaster	95	(13)
Practical implications	108	(8)
Criticism of connectionist theory	116	(13)
Annotated references and suggested readings	129	(6)
Index	135