Brain complexity: multiple neuron types (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, November 07, 2017, 14:29 (2355 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: Advanced research has found that the brain contains many different types of neurons. No two may be the same increasing the possible complexity many, many times:

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/50700/title/Advancing-Techniques-...

QUOTE: "Brain cells in particular may be as unique as the people to which they belong. This genetic, molecular, and morphological diversity of the brain leads to functional variation that is likely necessary for the higher-order cognitive processes that are unique to humans."

DAVID’s comment: This helps explain why we can think the way we do and how the brain can adapt to individual usage creating each unique person.

dhw: Thank you for this intriguing article. Once again it raises the question of dualism versus materialism. In both cases, we would think differently if our cells were different, but the dualist would presumably argue that the “soul” directs the brain, moulding the billions of neurons to its own predilections, so our cells are different BECAUSE we think differently: thoughts first, cell changes second (the opposite of your contention when it comes to brain expansion). The materialist would argue that it is the cells that decide how we think: cells first, thoughts second.

Yes, interesting article, but you comment with the same mistake in theory: the thought process as described in this article alters existing neurons, not making more neurons to make the brain and skull expand. Learning to read shrinks brain!