Lecture Notes: Human Brain - Introduction

Introduction

• Start time: 11.05.
• Course: 9.13 - The Human Brain.
• Professor: Nancy Kamwisher.
• Agenda:
  • Brief story (10 minutes).
  • Discuss: Why, How, and What of studying the human brain.
  • Course mechanics and syllabus overview.

Story Overview

• True story about a medical situation with a friend.
• Themes: Human mind, brain organization, brain damage recovery, resilience, privilege.

Story Details

• Friend 'Bob' had a medical emergency while staying over.
• Bob had issues with navigation suggesting potential brain problems.
• ER visit showed a lime-sized tumor in Bob's brain.
• Tumor linked to navigation problems due to its location near parahippocampal place area.
• Surgery successful, but Bob did not regain navigational skills.
• Highlights the specificity of brain damage effects.

Key Themes in Course

• Brain's structural and organizational specificity.
• Some brain parts have extremely specific functions.
• Brain organization reflects mind's architecture.
• Studying the brain helps understand both brain and mind.
• Brain's adaptability varies with age; better recovery in childhood.
• Various methodologies to study the brain.

Why Study the Human Brain?

• Know Thyself: Understand identity and the self.
• Human Knowledge: Limits and empirical epistemology.
• AI Advancement: Understanding human brain aids AI development.
• Great Intellectual Quest: Uncovering the mysteries of the mind.

How to Study the Human Brain

• Various levels: molecules, neurons, brain regions, networks.
• Focus on how brain gives rise to the mind by studying mental functions.
• Methods: cognitive science, psychophysics, neuropsychology, fMRI, EEG, etc.

Course Content Overview

• Topics: Visual perception, face recognition, language, navigation, number sense.
• Methods: Behavioral studies, brain imaging, patient studies.
• Not covering: Motor control, subcortical functions, full circuit-level mechanisms.

Course Logistics

• Designed for students with prior courses (9.00 or 9.01).
• No textbook due to fast-paced field.
• Goals: Understanding big questions, methods, domains of cognition, reading research papers.

Assessment

• Midterm: 25%
• Final: 25%
• Reading and writing assignments: Short responses to papers.
• In-class quizzes: To keep up with readings and lectures.
• Design an experiment: Longer written assignment.

Course Schedule Highlights

• Introductory neuroanatomy lecture and human brain dissection.
• Focus on high-level vision, scene perception, development, and unique human capacities.
• Case studies and empirical research on specific cognitive functions.
• Guest lectures and advanced topics toward course end.

Reading Papers Effectively

• Determine the research question.
• Identify findings and interpretations.
• Understand experimental design and analysis.
• Focus on significance rather than technical details.

Conclusion

• Engaging course designed to explore the intricate relationship between brain and mind.
• Emphasis on understanding and application of current research methods and findings.