Abstract
The last chapter was about the evolution of ideas of the brain. We have seen the war of two important views of brain, the “local vs. global” rivalry. We have noted Wernicke’s beautiful synthesis of our understanding of various aphasias: that simple functions (e.g., speech production) are localized in the brain, whereas more complex functions (e.g., speech in general) are performed by a coordinated action of several brain areas.
We are the product of 4.5 billion years of fortuitous, slow biological evolution. There is no reason to think that the evolutionary process has stopped. Man is a transitional animal. He is not the climax of creation.
—Carl Sagan.
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These are fluid-filled rings located in our inner ears with a role in maintaining our balance. When our heads spin suddenly, as they might when we are about to lose our balance, the fluid in these canals flows past an array of sensors inducing electrical signals. These signals are used by the brain to initiate corrective measures and restore balance.
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Chakravarthy, V.S. (2019). Brain—Through the Aeons. In: Demystifying the Brain. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3320-0_2
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