Philosophy Now Forum

bahman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 11:23 pm We know that a brain is made of neurons. All the brain functions can be explained in terms of the function of neurons. A neuron is known to receive electrical pulses from other neurons and as a result fire a pulse or not. That is the easy part. However, the strength of pulses that a neuron receives from other neurons is subject to change. The question is how the strength of pulses changes over time so we can be involved in all activities, such as pattern recognition, classifying patterns, making links between related patterns, and producing new patterns.

Holonomic brain theory is a branch of neuroscience investigating the idea that human consciousness is formed by quantum effects in or between brain cells. Holonomic refers to representations in a Hilbert phase space defined by both spectral and space-time coordinates. Holonomic brain theory is opposed [citation needed] by traditional neuroscience, which investigates the brain's behavior by looking at patterns of neurons and the surrounding chemistry.

This specific theory of quantum consciousness was developed by neuroscientist Karl Pribram initially in collaboration with physicist David Bohm building on the initial theories of holograms originally formulated by Dennis Gabor. It describes human cognition by modeling the brain as a holographic storage network.

seeds wrote: ↑Mon Jul 29, 2024 2:14 am

bahman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 11:23 pm We know that a brain is made of neurons. All the brain functions can be explained in terms of the function of neurons. A neuron is known to receive electrical pulses from other neurons and as a result fire a pulse or not. That is the easy part. However, the strength of pulses that a neuron receives from other neurons is subject to change. The question is how the strength of pulses changes over time so we can be involved in all activities, such as pattern recognition, classifying patterns, making links between related patterns, and producing new patterns.

Check out the "Holonomic Brain Theory."

According to Wiki...

Holonomic brain theory is a branch of neuroscience investigating the idea that human consciousness is formed by quantum effects in or between brain cells. Holonomic refers to representations in a Hilbert phase space defined by both spectral and space-time coordinates. Holonomic brain theory is opposed [citation needed] by traditional neuroscience, which investigates the brain's behavior by looking at patterns of neurons and the surrounding chemistry.

This specific theory of quantum consciousness was developed by neuroscientist Karl Pribram initially in collaboration with physicist David Bohm building on the initial theories of holograms originally formulated by Dennis Gabor. It describes human cognition by modeling the brain as a holographic storage network.

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bahman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 11:23 pm We know that a brain is made of neurons. All the brain functions can be explained in terms of the function of neurons. A neuron is known to receive electrical pulses from other neurons and as a result fire a pulse or not. That is the easy part. However, the strength of pulses that a neuron receives from other neurons is subject to change. The question is how the strength of pulses changes over time so we can be involved in all activities, such as pattern recognition, classifying patterns, making links between related patterns, and producing new patterns.

bahman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 11:23 pm We know that a brain is made of neurons. All the brain functions can be explained in terms of the function of neurons. A neuron is known to receive electrical pulses from other neurons and as a result fire a pulse or not. That is the easy part. However, the strength of pulses that a neuron receives from other neurons is subject to change. The question is how the strength of pulses changes over time so we can be involved in all activities, such as pattern recognition, classifying patterns, making links between related patterns, and producing new patterns.

bahman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 11:23 pm We know that a brain is made of neurons. All the brain functions can be explained in terms of the function of neurons. A neuron is known to receive electrical pulses from other neurons and as a result fire a pulse or not. That is the easy part. However, the strength of pulses that a neuron receives from other neurons is subject to change. The question is how the strength of pulses changes over time so we can be involved in all activities, such as pattern recognition, classifying patterns, making links between related patterns, and producing new patterns.

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:26 pm

bahman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 11:23 pm We know that a brain is made of neurons. All the brain functions can be explained in terms of the function of neurons. A neuron is known to receive electrical pulses from other neurons and as a result fire a pulse or not. That is the easy part. However, the strength of pulses that a neuron receives from other neurons is subject to change. The question is how the strength of pulses changes over time so we can be involved in all activities, such as pattern recognition, classifying patterns, making links between related patterns, and producing new patterns.

Just to be fussy, glial cells, which were once seen as merely structural are also involved in cognition.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4161624/
That's just the first link that comes up in Google for me, but it's a couple of decades of realizing that it ain't just neurons.

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:26 pm And while we poking at reductionism, it ain't just brains. The endocrine system and the nerve nexuses around the heart and gut. But then posture and facial express affect all these things. And then the sense organs. It's the whole organism, at least.

Brains don't work, people do - at the very least. Then there's the whole extended mind trend in philosophy - Alva Noe was where I first came in contact with that trend. Then there is our intermental cognition, the collaboration of many minds on most things. We could also call it.....
Collective Cognition, Collaborative Cognition, Distributed Cognition, etc.

ThinkOfOne wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2024 2:44 am

bahman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 11:23 pm We know that a brain is made of neurons. All the brain functions can be explained in terms of the function of neurons. A neuron is known to receive electrical pulses from other neurons and as a result fire a pulse or not. That is the easy part. However, the strength of pulses that a neuron receives from other neurons is subject to change. The question is how the strength of pulses changes over time so we can be involved in all activities, such as pattern recognition, classifying patterns, making links between related patterns, and producing new patterns.

To a large extent, we condition our minds to respond in certain ways. We can recondition them as well. For example, an individual who has conditioned their mind to crave salty snacks, can recondition their mind to no longer do so.

"I've gotten used to ignoring them and I think, as a result, they've kind of given up on me. I think that's what it's like with all our dreams and our nightmares, Martin, we've got to keep feeding them for them to stay alive."

--- John Nash from "A Beautiful Mind" when asked how he overcame his delusions

bahman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2024 6:16 pm
I don't understand why what you said is related to the discussion.

Impenitent wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2024 10:38 pm how long does it take for a neuron to become an oldron?

-Imp

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:26 pm

bahman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 28, 2024 11:23 pm We know that a brain is made of neurons. All the brain functions can be explained in terms of the function of neurons. A neuron is known to receive electrical pulses from other neurons and as a result fire a pulse or not. That is the easy part. However, the strength of pulses that a neuron receives from other neurons is subject to change. The question is how the strength of pulses changes over time so we can be involved in all activities, such as pattern recognition, classifying patterns, making links between related patterns, and producing new patterns.

Just to be fussy, glial cells, which were once seen as merely structural are also involved in cognition.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4161624/
That's just the first link that comes up in Google for me, but it's a couple of decades of realizing that it ain't just neurons.

And while we poking at reductionism, it ain't just brains. The endocrine system and the nerve nexuses around the heart and gut. But then posture and facial express affect all these things. And then the sense organs. It's the whole organism, at least.

Brains don't work, people do - at the very least. Then there's the whole extended mind trend in philosophy - Alva Noe was where I first came in contact with that trend. Then there is our intermental cognition, the collaboration of many minds on most things. We could also call it.....
Collective Cognition, Collaborative Cognition, Distributed Cognition, etc.

bahman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2024 6:15 pm Well, I am aware of that but that is not the subject of discussion.

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2024 10:47 pm

bahman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2024 6:15 pm Well, I am aware of that but that is not the subject of discussion.

The title of the thread is How does a brain work? The OP focuses on neurons and brain functions.
OK,
1) even in the brain itself, glial cells, which are not neurons are involved the cognitive functions, including the ones you mention.
2) how does the brain work is not just about stuff found in the brain, in addition to it not being just neurons in the brain. Hence going into other areas of the body that are involved in cognition and those functions.
3) So, first I mention other parts/systems in the body that affect those functions mentioned in the OP. Then I go on to talk about how cognition and those functions are seen, not only throughout the body, but beyond it.

If the topic is How does a brain work, well much of the answer is that it is not working in isolation, the work, those functions, are distributed. If what get called brain functions are part of the OP, it is on topic to mention that that aint just brain working on that stuff.