The Brain-Shaped Mind What the Brain Can Tell Us About the Mind [Hardcover]

Neural networks are used to explore how the brain's structure influences the mind.The fundamentals of neural network modelling are described in a simple, straight-forward manner enabling the reader to gain an understanding of the implications of recent brain research without any prior knowledge. The Brain-Shaped Mind is illustrated throughout with informative and humorous diagrams which are used to help explain how the structure of the brain can influence the workings of the mind.The fundamentals of neural network modelling are described in a simple, straight-forward manner enabling the reader to gain an understanding of the implications of recent brain research without any prior knowledge. The Brain-Shaped Mind is illustrated throughout with informative and humorous diagrams which are used to help explain how the structure of the brain can influence the workings of the mind.In the same way atomic structures explain the physical properties of an object, neuroscientists are now learning about the human mind by examining how the neurons in the brain are connected to one another and their surrounding environments. Will brain scientists ever be capable of reading minds? Why are certain things harder to remember than others? The Brain-Shaped Mind addresses these and other questions to provide a clear account of how the structure of the brain influences the workings of the mind. Naomi Goldblum is a lecturer in psychology at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel. She has studied neuropsychology with a particular emphasis on cognitive psychology.Preface; Figure permissions and acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. What the brain cannot tell us about the mind; 3. How neurons form networks; 4. Theories and models of how the mind functions; 5. What are connectionist networks?; 6. How our networks learn; 7. Connecting the networks: how different things are related; 8. Evidence for connectionist models; 9. Two different types of memory; 10. Coping with disaster; 11. PralC&