The Tell Tale Brain Summary
The Tell-Tale Brain
The book, The Tell-Tale brain explains how humans are unique in the world. This uniqueness stems from the brain we humans possess. The human brain has evolved according to 2 different methods. The first, most commonly known, is biological evolution. This type of evolution is slow and can take centuries for a single, subtle change to appear. While the second, is the cultural evolution. This type is fast compared to biological evolution. These two evolutionary processes gave birth to the creation of mirror neurons, which are responsible for our creativity, ambition and communication.
How did humans evolve to become the unique creatures they are today?
Throughout the book, the author states that although we, as humans, …show more content…
When examining this question, Ramachadran analysed multiple aspects of the brain. He looked at patients who experienced phantom limbs, the difference between vision and perception, theory of the mind, language, aesthetics and lastly the idea of consciousness.
In his research regarding phantom limbs, he discovered that the brain had the ability to learn and unlearn all kinds of things. This was due to the brains plasticity. It is something which makes us human and allows us to recognise a smile or someone …show more content…
There are 3 areas in the brain which are responsible for language, being: syntax, lexicon and semantics. He also talks about the IPL and how it evolved to become unique for humans.
He then discussed the aesthetics part of the brain. The human brain responds to aesthetics. He says that there is a universal law of aestheticism. He explains this using the example of male paradise birds being beautiful to both humans and female paradise birds. According to the author there are 9 categories in which this universal law is divided: isolation, peak shit, perceptual problem solving, constrat, abhorrence of coincidences, symmetry, metaphor and orderliness, grouping.
- Grouping: grouping things according to their relationship gives us satisfaction. This came from the need to spot predators in camouflage.
- Peak shift: is the brain’s ability to recognise exaggerations
- Constrat: an object standing out, which came from the need to be able to immediately spot something for
The book, The Tell-Tale brain explains how humans are unique in the world. This uniqueness stems from the brain we humans possess. The human brain has evolved according to 2 different methods. The first, most commonly known, is biological evolution. This type of evolution is slow and can take centuries for a single, subtle change to appear. While the second, is the cultural evolution. This type is fast compared to biological evolution. These two evolutionary processes gave birth to the creation of mirror neurons, which are responsible for our creativity, ambition and communication.
How did humans evolve to become the unique creatures they are today?
Throughout the book, the author states that although we, as humans, …show more content…
When examining this question, Ramachadran analysed multiple aspects of the brain. He looked at patients who experienced phantom limbs, the difference between vision and perception, theory of the mind, language, aesthetics and lastly the idea of consciousness.
In his research regarding phantom limbs, he discovered that the brain had the ability to learn and unlearn all kinds of things. This was due to the brains plasticity. It is something which makes us human and allows us to recognise a smile or someone …show more content…
There are 3 areas in the brain which are responsible for language, being: syntax, lexicon and semantics. He also talks about the IPL and how it evolved to become unique for humans.
He then discussed the aesthetics part of the brain. The human brain responds to aesthetics. He says that there is a universal law of aestheticism. He explains this using the example of male paradise birds being beautiful to both humans and female paradise birds. According to the author there are 9 categories in which this universal law is divided: isolation, peak shit, perceptual problem solving, constrat, abhorrence of coincidences, symmetry, metaphor and orderliness, grouping.
- Grouping: grouping things according to their relationship gives us satisfaction. This came from the need to spot predators in camouflage.
- Peak shift: is the brain’s ability to recognise exaggerations
- Constrat: an object standing out, which came from the need to be able to immediately spot something for