history – Yohan J. John, PhD

In defense of placeholders: the case of ‘representation’ <h4> <i>Featuring a whistle-stop history of the concept of neural representation</i></h4>

In defense of placeholders: the case of ‘representation’
Featuring a whistle-stop history of the concept of neural representation

By Yohan August 13, 2021neurologism

The idea that the brain represents objects, processes and events in the body and the outside world is ubiquitous. It may well be the pre-theoretical default for anyone who believes…

A storm is blowing in from Paradise

By Yohan January 6, 2020Odds & Ends

"A Klee painting named ‘Angelus Novus’ shows an angel looking as though he is about to move away from something he is fixedly contemplating. His eyes are staring, his mouth…

“Psychic cells” were silly in 1909. And they are still silly, regardless of what you call them.

By Yohan December 13, 2019neurologism

Here is Korbinian Brodmann (of cortical Brodmann area fame) writing about a trend towards assigning functional roles to single neurons based on anatomical type, back in 1909: "There has been…

Less is more? A strange case of improvement in intelligence & personality after removal of prefrontal cortical tissue!

By Yohan November 7, 2019neurologism

While reading a paper on the neuroscience of dreaming I came across a reference to a 1940 paper by Donald Hebb and Wilder Penfield. It’s a neurosurgery case study that is quite stunning. It shows that in some cases, removal of prefrontal brain tissue can actually cause improvements in intelligence and personality. So basically it’s the opposite of the Phineas Gage story.

Here are some excerpts from the paper:

The Communism of the Senses

By Yohan November 30, 2018Odds & Ends

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