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ebook download (Original PDF) The Mind's Machine 2nd Editionby Neil V. Watson all chapter
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About the Cover and Chapter Opener Images
Bruno Mallart is one of the most talented European artists, his work having appeared
in some of the world’s premier publications: The New York Times, The Wall Street
Journal, and the New Scientist, to name a few. A freelance illustrator since 1986, Mal-
lart first worked for several children’s book publishers and advertising agencies, using
a classical realistic watercolor and ink style. Some years later he began working in a
more imaginative way, inventing a mix of drawing, painting, and collage. His work
speaks of a surrealistic and absurd world and engages the viewer’s imagination and
sense of fun. Despite the recurring use of the brain in his art, Mallart’s background is
not scientific—though his parents were both neurobiologists. He uses the brain as a
symbol for abstract concepts such as intelligence, thinking, feeling, ideas, and knowl-
edge. Attracted to all that is mechanical, Mallart’s art frequently includes machine
parts such as gears and wheels that imply movement and rhythm. These features
together, in their abstract representation, beautifully illustrate the topics discussed in
The Mind’s Machine, Second Edition. To see more of Bruno Mallart’s art, please go to
his website: www.brunomallart.com.
Chapter 1
An Introduction to Brain and Behavior 2
Chapter 2
Cells and Structures: The Anatomy of the Nervous System 20
The Nervous System Is Composed of Cells 22 The Brain Is Described in Terms of Both
The neuron has four principal divisions 22 Structure and Function 38
Information is received through synapses 25 The cerebral cortex performs complex cognitive
processing 38
BOX 2.1 Visualizing the Cellular Structure of the
Brain 26 Important nuclei are hidden beneath the cerebral
cortex 39
The axon integrates and then transmits information 28
The midbrain has sensory and motor systems 40
Glial cells protect and assist neurons 28
The brainstem controls vital body functions 40
The Nervous System Extends throughout
the Body 30 Specialized Support Systems Protect and
Nourish the Brain 41
The peripheral nervous system has two divisions 30
The brain floats within layers of membranes 41
The central nervous system consists of the brain and
spinal cord 34 The brain relies on two fluids for survival 42
BOX 2.2 Three Customary Orientations for Viewing signs&symptoms: Stroke 43
the Brain and Body 35 Brain-Imaging Techniques Reveal the Structure
and Function of the Human Brain 44
VIII Table of Contents
CT uses X-rays to reveal brain structure 44 researchers at work Subtractive analysis isolates
MRI maps density to deduce brain structure with high specific brain activity 46
detail 44 Magnetism can be used to study the brain 47
Functional MRI uses local changes in metabolism to CHAPTER 2 VISUAL SUMMARY 48
identify active brain regions 44
PET tracks radioactive substances to produce images
of brain activity 45
Chapter 3
Neurophysiology: The Generation, Transmission,
and Integration of Neural Signals 50
Electrical Signals Are the Vocabulary of Action potentials cause the release of transmitter
the Nervous System 52 molecules into the synaptic cleft 66
A balance of electrochemical forces produces the Receptor molecules recognize transmitters 67
resting potential of neurons 52 The action of synaptic transmitters is stopped
A threshold amount of depolarization triggers rapidly 68
an action potential 55 Neural circuits underlie reflexes 69
Ionic mechanisms underlie the action potential 57 EEGs Measure Gross Electrical Activity of
Action potentials are actively propagated along the Human Brain 70
the axon 59
Electrical storms in the brain can cause seizures 71
BOX 3.1 How Is an Axon Like a Toilet? 61
researchers at work Surgical probing of the brain
Synapses cause local changes in the postsynaptic revealed a map of the body 73
membrane potential 62
signs&symptoms: Multiple Sclerosis 74
Spatial summation and temporal summation integrate
synaptic inputs 63 CHAPTER 3 VISUAL SUMMARY 76
Chapter 4
The Chemistry of Behavior:
Neurotransmitters and Neuropharmacology 78
Electrical Signals Are Turned into Chemical Four amine neurotransmitters modulate brain
Signals at Synapses 80 activity 86
Receptor proteins recognize transmitters and their Many peptides function as neurotransmitters 87
mimics 81 Some neurotransmitters are gases 87
Many neurotransmitters have been identified 82 Drugs Fit Like Keys into Molecular Locks 88
researchers at work The first transmitter to be The effects of a drug depend on its dose 90
discovered was acetylcholine 83
Drug doses are administered in many different
Neurotransmitter Systems Form a Complex ways 90
Array in the Brain 84 Repeated treatments can reduce the effectiveness
The most abundant excitatory and inhibitory of drugs 92
neurotransmitters are amino acids 85 Drugs Affect Each Stage of Neural Conduction
and Synaptic Transmission 92
Table of Contents IX
Chapter 5
The Sensorimotor System 110
PART I Sensory Processing and the Pain Control Can Be Difficult 124
Somatosensory System 112 Analgesic drugs are highly effective 124
Receptor Cells Convert Sensory Signals into Electrical stimulation can sometimes relieve pain 125
Electrical Activity 113 Placebos effectively control pain in some people,
but not all 125
Sensory Information Processing Is Selective
Activation of endogenous opioids relieves pain 125
and Analytical 115
Sensory events are encoded as streams of action PART III Movement and the Motor
potentials 115 System 126
Sensory neurons respond to stimuli falling in their
receptive fields 116 Behavior Requires Movements That Are
Precisely Programmed and Monitored 127
Receptors may show adaptation to unchanging
stimuli 117 A Complex Neural System Controls Muscles
Sometimes we need receptors to be quiet 117 to Create Behavior 129
Muscles and the skeleton work together to move the
Successive Levels of the CNS Process Sensory
body 129
Information 118
Sensory feedback from muscles, tendons, and joints
Sensory cortex is highly organized 119
governs movement 131
Sensory brain regions influence one another and
The spinal cord mediates “automatic” responses and
change over time 120
receives inputs from the brain 133
PART II Pain: The Body’s Emergency Motor cortex plans and executes movements—and
Signaling System 121 more 135
researchers at work Mirror neurons in premotor
Human Pain Varies in Several
cortex track movements in others 138
Dimensions 121
Extrapyramidal systems regulate and fine-tune motor
A Discrete Pain Pathway Projects from Body to commands 138
Brain 121 Damage to extrapyramidal systems impairs
Peripheral receptors get the initial message 122 movement 140
Special neural pathways carry pain information signs&symptoms: Hazards of Painlessness 141
to the brain 123
CHAPTER 5 VISUAL SUMMARY 143
X Table of Contents
Chapter 6
Hearing, Balance, Taste, and Smell 144
PART I Hearing and Balance 146 The Inner Ear Provides Our Sense of
BOX 6.1 The Basics of Sound 146 Balance 162
Each Part of the Ear Performs a Specific Some Forms of Vestibular Excitation Produce
Function in Hearing 147 Motion Sickness 163
The external ear captures, focuses, and filters Part II The Chemical Senses:
sound 147
Taste and Smell 164
The middle ear concentrates sound energies 148
The cochlea converts vibrational energy into neural The Human Tongue Detects Five Basic
activity 149 Chemical Tastes 164
researchers at work Georg von Békésy and the Tastes excite specialized receptor cells on the
tongue 164
cochlear wave 150
The hair cells transduce movements of the basilar The five basic tastes are signaled by specific sensors on
membrane into electrical signals 151 taste cells 165
Taste information is transmitted to several parts of the
Auditory System Pathways Run from the brain 167
Brainstem to the Cortex 153
Chemicals in the Air Elicit Odor
Our Sense of Pitch Relies on Two Signals Sensations 168
from the Cochlea 155 The sense of smell starts with receptor neurons in the
Brainstem Systems Compare the Ears to nose 168
Localize Sounds 156 Olfactory information projects from the olfactory bulbs
to several brain regions 170
The Auditory Cortex Specializes in Processing
Complex Sound 157 Many vertebrates possess a vomeronasal system 170
CHAPTER 6 VISUAL SUMMARY 172
Deafness Is a Widespread Problem 159
signs&symptoms: Restoring Auditory Stimulation
in Deafness 161
Chapter 7
Vision: From Eye to Brain 174
The Visual System Extends from the Eye to the The retina projects to the brain in a topographic
Brain 176 fashion 185
The vertebrate eye acts in some ways like Neurons at Different Levels of the Visual
a camera 176 System Have Very Different Receptive
Visual processing begins in the retina 177 Fields 186
Photoreceptors respond to light by releasing less Photoreceptors excite some retinal neurons and inhibit
neurotransmitter 179 others 186
Different mechanisms enable the eyes to work over Neurons in the retina and the LGN have concentric
a wide range of light intensities 180 receptive fields 187
Acuity is best in foveal vision 181 researchers at work Neurons in the visual cortex
Neural signals travel from the retina to several brain have varied receptive fields 190
regions 183
The hierarchical model is supplanted by a more efficient
analysis 192
Table of Contents XI
Neurons in the visual cortex beyond area V1 have Some visual cortical cells and regions appear
complex receptive fields and help identify forms 193 to be specialized for color perception 201
Perception of visual motion is analyzed by a special
system that includes cortical area V5 195 The Many Cortical Visual Areas Are Organized
into Two Major Streams 202
Color Vision Depends on Special Channels
from the Retinal Cones through Cortical Visual Neuroscience Can Be Applied to
Area V4 195 Alleviate Some Visual Deficiencies 204
Impairment of vision often can be prevented or
Color is created by the visual system 195
reduced 204
Color perception requires receptor cells that differ
Increased exercise can restore function to a previously
in their sensitivities to different wavelengths 197
deprived or neglected eye 204
BOX 7.1 Most Mammalian Species Have Some Color
signs&symptoms: Robot Eyes? 205
Vision 199
Some retinal ganglion cells and LGN cells show spectral CHAPTER 7 VISUAL SUMMARY 206
opponency 200
Chapter 8
Hormones and Sex 208
Part I The Endocrine System 210 Hypothalamic releasing hormones govern the anterior
pituitary 221
Hormones Act in a Great Variety of Ways
Two anterior pituitary tropic hormones act on the
throughout the Body 210 gonads 222
researchers at work Our current understanding The gonads produce steroid hormones, regulating
of hormones developed in stages 211 reproduction 223
Hormones are one of several types of chemical Hormonal and neural systems interact to produce
communication 212 integrated responses 224
Hormones can be classified by chemical structure 212
Part II Reproductive Behavior 226
Hormones Act on a Wide Variety of Cellular
Mechanisms 214 Reproductive Behavior Can Be Divided into
Hormones initiate actions by binding to receptor Four Stages 226
molecules 214 Copulation brings gametes together 228
BOX 8.1 Techniques of Modern Behavioral researchers at work Gonadal steroids activate
Endocrinology 215 sexual behavior 229
Hormones can have different effects on different The Neural Circuitry of the Brain Regulates
target organs 216
Reproductive Behavior 230
Each Endocrine Gland Secretes Specific Estrogen and progesterone act on a lordosis circuit that
Hormones 217 spans from brain to muscle 231
The posterior pituitary releases two hormones directly Androgens act on a neural system for male reproductive
into the bloodstream 218 behavior 231
Posterior pituitary hormones can affect social Parental behaviors are governed by several sex-related
behavior 219 hormones 233
Feedback control mechanisms regulate the secretion The Hallmark of Human Sexual Behavior Is
of hormones 220
Diversity 234
Hormones play only a permissive role in human sexual
behavior 236
XII Table of Contents
Part III Sexual Differentiation and researchers at work Gonadal hormones direct
Orientation 236 sexual differentiation of behavior and
the brain 241
Genetic and Hormonal Mechanisms Guide
Early testicular secretions result in masculine behavior
the Development of Masculine and Feminine
in adulthood 242
Structures 237
Several regions of the nervous system display prominent
Sex chromosomes direct sexual differentiation
sexual dimorphism 243
of the gonads 237
Social influences also affect sexual differentiation of the
Gonadal hormones direct sexual differentiation
nervous system 246
of the body 237
Changes in sexual differentiation processes result Do Fetal Hormones Masculinize Human
in predictable changes in development 238 Behaviors in Adulthood? 247
Dysfunctional androgen receptors can block the What determines a person’s sexual orientation? 248
masculinization of males 239 signs&symptoms: Psychosocial Dwarfism 251
Some people seem to change sex at puberty 240 CHAPTER 8 VISUAL SUMMARY 252
How should we define gender—by genes, gonads,
genitals? 241
Chapter 9
Homeostasis 254
Part I Principles of Homeostasis 256 Part III Food and Energy Regulation 264
Homeostatic Systems Share Several Key Nutrient Regulation Helps Prepare for Future
Features 256 Needs 264
Internal states are governed through negative Insulin Is Essential for Obtaining, Storing,
feedback 256
and Using Food Energy 266
Redundancy is a feature of many homeostatic
systems 257 The Hypothalamus Coordinates Multiple
Behavioral mechanisms are crucial for Systems
homeostasis 258 That Control Hunger 267
researchers at work Lesion studies showed that
Part II Fluid Regulation 259 the hypothalamus is crucial for appetite 268
Water Moves between Two Major Body Hormones from the body drive a hypothalamic appetite
Compartments 260 controller 269
Other systems also play a role in hunger and
Two Internal Cues Trigger Thirst 261 satiety 271
Hypovolemic thirst is triggered by a loss of water
volume 262 Obesity Is Difficult to Treat 272
Osmotic thirst occurs when the extracellular fluid Eating Disorders Can Be Life-Threatening 274
becomes too salty 263 signs&symptoms: Fat-Busting Surgery 275
We don’t stop drinking just because the throat CHAPTER 9 VISUAL SUMMARY 277
and mouth are wet 263
Water Balance Depends on the Regulation
of Salt in the Body 263
Table of Contents XIII
Chapter 10
Biological Rhythms and Sleep 278
Part I Biological Rhythms 280 BOX 10.1 Sleep Deprivation Can Be Fatal 295
Sleep recovery may take time 296
Many Animals Show Daily Rhythms
in Activity 280 What Are the Biological Functions of
Circadian rhythms are generated by an endogenous Sleep? 297
clock 280 Sleep conserves energy 297
The Hypothalamus Houses a Circadian Sleep enforces niche adaptation 297
Clock 282 Sleep restores the body and brain 297
researchers at work Transplants prove that the Sleep may aid memory consolidation 298
SCN produces a circadian rhythm 283 Some humans sleep remarkably little, yet function
In mammals, light information from the eyes reaches normally 298
the SCN directly 284 At Least Four Interacting Neural Systems
Circadian rhythms have been genetically dissected in Underlie Sleep 299
flies and mice 285
researchers at work The forebrain generates
Part II Sleeping and Waking 288 slow wave sleep 299
The reticular formation wakes up the forebrain 300
Human Sleep Exhibits Different Stages 288
The pons triggers REM sleep 301
We do our most vivid dreaming during REM sleep 291
A hypothalamic sleep center was revealed by the
Different species provide clues about the evolution study of narcolepsy 302
of sleep 292
Sleep Disorders Can Be Serious, Even
Our Sleep Patterns Change across the Life Life-Threatening 304
Span 292
Some minor dysfunctions are associated with
Mammals sleep more during infancy than in sleep 305
adulthood 293
Insomniacs have trouble falling asleep or staying
Most people sleep appreciably less as they age 294 asleep 305
Manipulating Sleep Reveals an Underlying Although many drugs affect sleep, there is no perfect
Structure 294 sleeping pill 306
Sleep deprivation impairs cognitive functioning signs&symptoms: REM Behavior Disorder 307
but does not cause insanity 294 CHAPTER 10 VISUAL SUMMARY 308
Chapter 11
Emotions, Aggression, and Stress 310
Facial expressions are mediated by muscles, Neural Circuitry, Hormones, and Synaptic
cranial nerves, and CNS pathways 318 Transmitters Mediate Violence and
How did emotion and emotional displays evolve? 319 Aggression 327
Do Distinct Brain Circuits Mediate Androgens seem to increase aggression 327
Emotions? 320 Brain circuits mediate aggression 328
Electrical stimulation of the brain can produce The biopsychology of human violence is a topic
emotional effects 320 of controversy 329
Brain lesions also affect emotions 321 Stress Activates Many Bodily Responses 330
The amygdala governs a fear circuit 322 The stress response progresses in stages 330
The two cerebral hemispheres process emotion There are individual differences in the stress
differently 325 response 332
Different emotions activate different regions Stress and emotions influence the immune system 333
of the human brain 325 Why does stress suppress the immune system? 333
Part II Aggression and Stress 327 signs&symptoms: Long-term consequences of
childhood bullying 335
CHAPTER 11 VISUAL SUMMARY 336
Chapter 12
Psychopathology: The Biology of Behavioral Disorders 338
The Toll of Psychiatric Disorders Is Huge 340 signs&symptoms: Mixed Feelings about
SSRIs 355
Schizophrenia Is a Major Neurobiological
Why do more females than males suffer from
Challenge in Psychiatry 341
depression? 356
Schizophrenia is characterized by an unusual array
Sleep characteristics change in affective disorders 357
of symptoms 341
Scientists are still searching for animal models of
Schizophrenia has a heritable component 341
depression 358
researchers at work An integrative model
of schizophrenia emphasizes the interaction of In Bipolar Disorder, Mood Cycles between
multiple factors 344 Extremes 358
The brains of some patients with schizophrenia There Are Several Types of Anxiety
show structural and functional changes 346 Disorders 360
Antipsychotic medications revolutionized the Drug treatments provide clues to the mechanisms
treatment of schizophrenia 348 of anxiety 360
BOX 12.1 Long-Term Effects of Antipsychotic In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Horrible
Drugs 349 Memories Won’t Go Away 361
Depression Is the Most Prevalent Disorder In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Thoughts
of Mood 352 and Acts Keep Repeating 362
Inheritance is an important determinant of
BOX 12.2 Tics, Twitches, and Snorts:
depression 353
The Unusual Character of Tourette’s Syndrome 364
The brain changes with depression 353
CHAPTER 12 VISUAL SUMMARY 366
A wide variety of treatments are available for
depression 354
Table of Contents XV
Chapter 13
Memory, Learning, and Development 368
There Are Several Kinds of Learning and Synaptic Plasticity Can Be Measured in Simple
Memory 370 Hippocampal Circuits 389
For patient H.M., the present vanished into NMDA receptors and AMPA receptors collaborate
oblivion 370 in LTP 390
researchers at work Which brain structures Is LTP a mechanism of memory formation? 392
are important for declarative memory? 373
Part III Development of the Brain 393
Damage to the mammillary bodies can also cause
amnesia 374 Growth and Development of the Brain Are
Brain damage can destroy autobiographical memories Orderly Processes 395
while sparing general memories 375 Development of the Nervous System Can Be
Different Forms of Nondeclarative Memory Divided into Six Distinct Stages 395
Involve Different Brain Regions 376 Cell proliferation produces cells that become neurons
Different types of nondeclarative memory serve varying or glial cells 396
functions 376 In the adult brain, newly born neurons aid
Animal research confirms the various brain regions learning 397
involved in different attributes of memory 377 The death of many neurons is a normal part of
Brain regions involved in learning and memory: development 398
A summary 378 An explosion of synapse formation is followed by
synapse rearrangement 399
Successive Processes Capture, Store, and
Retrieve Information in the Brain 379 Genes Interact with Experience to Guide Brain
BOX 13.1 Emotions and Memory 380 Development 401
Genotype is fixed at birth, but phenotype changes
STM and LTM appear to be different processes 381
throughout life 401
Long-term memory has vast capacity but is subject
Experience regulates gene expression in the developing
to distortion 382
and mature brain 402
Part II Neural Mechanisms of The Brain Continues to Change as We Grow
Memory 383 Older 404
Memory Storage Requires Neuronal Memory impairment correlates with hippocampal
Remodeling 383 shrinkage during aging 404
Plastic changes at synapses can be physiological Alzheimer’s disease is associated with a decline in
or structural 383 cerebral metabolism 404
Varied experiences and learning cause the brain signs&symptoms: Imaging Alzheimer’s
to change and grow 384 Plaques 405
Invertebrate nervous systems show synaptic CHAPTER 13 VISUAL SUMMARY 407
plasticity 386
XVI Table of Contents
Chapter 14
Attention and Consciousness 408
PART I Attention 410 Several cortical areas are crucial for generating and
directing attention 422
Attention Focuses Cognitive Processing
Brain disorders can cause specific impairments
on Specific Objects 410 of attention 424
There are limits on attention 410
signs&symptoms: Difficulty with Sustained
Attention May Be Endogenous or Attention Can Sometimes Be Relieved with
Exogenous 412 Stimulants 425
researchers at work We can choose which stimuli
Part II Consciousness 426
we will attend to 412
BOX 14.1 Reaction-Time Responses, from Input to Consciousness Is a Mysterious Product
Output 414 of the Brain 426
Some stimuli are hard to ignore 414 Which brain regions are active when we are
conscious? 427
We use visual search to make sense of a cluttered
world 416 Some aspects of consciousness are easier to study
than others 428
The Electrical Activity of the Brain Provides
BOX 14.2 Building a Better Mind Reader 431
Clues about Mechanisms of Attention 417
Distinctive patterns of brain electrical activity mark The Frontal Lobes Govern Our Most Complex
voluntary shifts of attention 417 Behaviors 432
Reflexive visual attention has its own Frontal lobe injury in humans leads to emotional, motor,
electrophysiological signature 419 and cognitive changes 433
Attention affects the activity of individual neurons 420 BOX 14.3 Neuroeconomics Identifies Brain Regions
Active during Decision Making 435
Many Brain Regions Are Involved in Processes
CHAPTER 14 VISUAL SUMMARY 436
of Attention 422
Two subcortical systems guide shifts of attention 422
Chapter 15
Brain Asymmetry, Spatial Cognition, and Language 438
The Left and Right Brains Are Different 440 Language Disorders Result from Region-Specific
Disconnection of the cerebral hemispheres reveals their Brain Damage 448
individual processing specializations 440 Damage to a left anterior speech zone causes nonfluent
The two hemispheres process information differently in (or Broca’s) aphasia 449
the human brain 442 Damage to a left posterior speech zone causes fluent
Does the left hemisphere hear words and the right (or Wernicke’s) aphasia 450
hemisphere hear music? 443 Widespread left-hemisphere damage can obliterate
How does handedness relate to brain asymmetry? 444 language capabilities 450
Disconnection of language regions may result in specific
Right-Hemisphere Damage Impairs Spatial verbal problems 452
Cognition 445
BOX 15.2 Studying Connectivity in the Living
BOX 15.1 The Wada Test 446 Brain 453
Table of Contents XVII
Brain Mapping Helps Us Understand the Reading Skills Are Difficult to Acquire and
Organization of Language in the Brain 454 Frequently Impaired 464
Cortical stimulation mapping shows localized Brain damage may cause specific impairments in
functions within language areas 454 reading 464
researchers at work Noninvasive stimulation Some people struggle throughout their lives to read
mapping reveals details of the brain’s language 464
areas 455
Part III Recovery of Function 466
Functional neuroimaging technologies let us visualize
BOX 15.3 Contact Sports Can Be Costly 466
activity in the brain’s language zones during
speech 456 Stabilization and Reorganization Are Crucial
for Recovery of Function 467
Part II Speech and Language 458
Rehabilitation and Retraining Can Help
Some Aspects of Language Are Innate, Recovery from Brain and Spinal Cord Injury
but Others Must Be Learned 458 468
Can nonhuman primates acquire language with signs&symptoms: The Amazing Resilience
training? 460 of a Child’s Brain 469
Vocal behavior is a feature of many different
CHAPTER 15 VISUAL SUMMARY 470
species 462
It’s getting difficult to browse the internet, open a newspaper, memory and learning, consciousness, and much of what we call
or flip through a magazine without encountering reports of the mind. A few examples of formerly mysterious questions that
astonishing discoveries about the brain’s structure, function, are being answered with cutting-edge research include:
and—alas—malfunction. The main reason for all this cover-
age is that the subject matter is intrinsically fascinating; who • Do prenatal events influence the probability that a child will
has not pondered their own consciousness, marveled at their develop a heterosexual or homosexual orientation?
many sensory experiences, or wondered how a small and • Does the brain make new neurons throughout life, in num-
lumpy organ can process so much information? But another bers large enough to make a functional difference?
reason neuroscience is in the news so frequently is simply that • Can we improve memory performance with some drugs, and
it has become one of the most active branches of science. The use other drugs to erase unwanted, traumatic memories?
pace of discoveries about brain and behavior has increased at
• What happens in the brain as we develop trust in another
an exponential rate over the last few decades.
person?
Every new edition of one of our books requires substantial
updating because so much is happening all the time. (It’s excit- • Does strong liking for sweet foods involve the same brain
ing, but boy, do we read a lot of reports and articles!) In fact, by mechanisms as addiction to drugs?
far the hardest part of our job as authors lies in deciding which • How can we share so many genes with chimpanzees and
discoveries to include and which to (reluctantly) leave out: As other primates, and yet be so different from them?
the Red Queen remarked to Alice in Wonderland, “it takes all • How can recent discoveries about the neural control of appe-
the running you can do, to keep in the same place.” Our website tite help us to curb the obesity epidemic?
(2e.mindsmachine.com/news) boasts a collection of more than
• Does a gene that predisposes for Alzheimer’s disease in old
20,000 news stories, all drawn from the mainstream media, that
age actually improve cognitive functioning earlier in life?
relate to the topics covered in the book. You can follow updates
on the website, via email, or Facebook (www.facebook.com/ Understanding the research probing these sorts of questions
biopsychology. requires some familiarity with the physiology of behavior and
While we are sampling from this almost boundless scientif- experience. Our aim in The Mind’s Machine, Second Edition is
ic smorgasbord, we have to watch our weight. Our goal for The to provide a foundation that places these and other important
Mind’s Machine, Second Edition is to introduce you to the basics problems in a unified scientific context.
of behavioral neuroscience in a way that focuses on the foun- We’ve found that students enrolled in our courses have
dational topics in the field—with a generous sprinkling of the diverse academic backgrounds and personal interests. In this
newest and most fascinating discoveries—and leaves you with book, we’ve tried to avoid making too many assumptions about
an appetite for more. Whether you are beginning a program our readers, and have focused on providing both behavioral
of study centered on the brain and behavior, or are just adding and biological perspectives on major topics. If you’ve had some
some breadth to your education, you will find that behavioral high-school level biology you should have no trouble with most
neuroscience now permeates all aspects of modern psychology, of the material in the book.
along with related life sciences like physiology, biology, and the For those readers who have more experience in science—or
health sciences. But that’s not all. The tools and techniques of who want more detail—we have peppered the chapters with
behavioral neuroscience are also creating new ways of looking embedded links to more advanced material located on our
at questions in many nontraditional areas, such as economics, website. These links, called A Step Further, are just one of several
the performing arts, anthropology, sociology, computer science, novel features we have included to aid your learning. Through-
and engineering. Researchers are beginning to probe men- out the book you will find QR codes (small square bar codes) that
tal processes that seemed impenetrable only a decade or two will link your smartphone to animated versions of many figures,
ago: the neural bases of decision making, love and attachment, video clips, and more. (You’ll need to download an app to read
Preface XIX
the codes; a variety of free or inexpensive Code Readers are In the latter part of the book we turn to some of the high-
available for the major smartphones like iPhone, Android, and level emotional and cognitive processes that color our lives
Blackberry.) Or you may use your computer to go to the web ad- and define us as individuals. We’ll survey the systems that
dress provided below every QR code. allow us to learn and remember information and skills, and
Each chapter also features a segment called Researchers at the brain systems dedicated to language and spatial cognition.
Work, which illustrates the nuts and bolts of experimentation Research on processes of attention has made great progress
through real-world examples, and a new segment called Signs in recent years, and we’ll also consider consciousness and
& Symptoms that relates a real-world clinical issue relevant decision-making from a neuroscientific perspective. Finally,
to the chapter topic. Every few pages, you will find a feature we’ll review some of the consequences of brain dysfunction,
called How’s it Going?, with self-test questions that will help ranging from psychopathology to behavioral manifestations
you to gauge your progress. And every chapter ends with a Vi- of brain damage, and some of the innovative strategies being
sual Summary, an innovative combination of the main points developed to counter these problems.
and figures from the chapter, which you can also view in an As you make your way through the book, you’ll learn that
interactive format on the companion website. We encourage one of the outstanding features of the brain is its ability to re-
you to explore the website for the book (2e.mindsmachine. model. Every new experience, every piece of information that
com), which contains a free comprehensive set of study ques- you learn, every skill that you master, causes changes in the
tions. This website is a powerful companion to the textbook brain that can alter your future behavior. The changes may
that enhances the learning experience with a variety of multi- involve physical alterations in the connections between cells,
media resources. or in the chemicals they use to communicate, or even the ad-
The chapter lineup in this edition of The Mind’s Machine en- dition of whole new cells and circuits. It’s a property that we
compasses several major themes. In the opening chapters, we neuroscientists refer to as “plasticity.” And it’s something that
trace the origins of behavioral neuroscience and introduce you we aim to exploit—if we’ve done our job properly, The Mind’s
to the structure of the brain, both as seen by the naked eye and Machine, Second Edition should cause lots of changes in your
as revealed by the microscope. We discuss how the cells of the brain. We hope you enjoy the process.
brain use electrical signals to process information, and how they
transmit that information to other cells within larger circuits.
Along the way we’ll look at the ways in which drugs affect nerve
cells in order to change behavior, as well as some of the remark-
Neil V. Watson S. Marc Breedlove
able technology that lets us study the activity of the conscious
brain as it perceives and thinks.
In the middle part of the book we look at the neural systems
that underlie fundamental capabilities like feeling, moving, see-
ing, smelling, and hearing. We’ll also consider biological and be-
havioral aspects of “mission-critical” functions such as feeding, 2e.mindsmachine.com/watson 2e.mindsmachine.com/breedlove
sleeping, and sexual behavior. And we’ll look at how the endo-
crine system acts as an interface between the brain and the rest We welcome feedback on any aspect of
of the body, as well as the reverse—ways in which the environ- The Mind’s Machine, Second Edition.
ment and behavior alter hormones and thus alter brain activity. Simply drop us a line at mindsmachine@sinauer.com.
XX Preface
— Niin oli kirjoitettu, sanoi täti minulle; hän tiesi sen itsekin. Hän oli
valmistunut siihen. Toissailtana, kun hän oli yksin kokoamassa
heinää, tuli hän äkkiarvaamatta, raastoi hänet metsään ja otti hänet
väkivalloin. Pieni Sultana-parkani ei jaksanut kantaa tätä loukkausta.
En tiedä, kuinka hänen yöllä onnistui sulattaa fosfori kahdeksasta
tulitikkulaatikosta ja juoda myrkky. Hän kuoli eilen illalla iltamessun
jälkeen, ilman että häntä olisi saatu juomaan maitoa, jotta hän olisi
antanut ylen myrkyn. Niin on kirjoitettu… Nyt hän ainakin saa levätä
vanhempainsa vieressä. Ehkäpä he kutsuivat häntä. Kuolleet eivät
halua olla yksin.
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— Puhu…
— Minäkö?
*****
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»Monesta kodista puuttui mies, tai hän oli rampa. Meidän täytyi
rientää heidän avukseen ja auttaa naisväkeä tavarain
kuormittamisessa. Onnellisimmat tässä onnettomuudessa olivat ne,
joilla ei ollut rattaita, elukoita eikä mitään kuormattavaa. He ottivat
reppunsa ja keppinsä.
*****