Lecture Notes: The Human Brain by Nancy Camwisher

Introduction

• Lecture starts at 11:05 AM
• Professor: Nancy Camwisher
• Overview of the class and topics to be covered

Agenda

1. Brief story (10 minutes)
2. Discuss the 'why', 'how', and 'what' of studying the human brain
3. Course mechanics and grading details

Story Overview

• Personal anecdote about a friend (Bob) who experienced a medical emergency
• The story highlights themes such as:
  • Nature of the human mind
  • Organization of the human brain
  • Recovery after brain damage
  • Resilience and privilege

Incident with Bob

• Bob had symptoms of confusion and navigational deficits
• Bob experienced a medical emergency while staying at the professor's house
• After being assessed by EMTs and ER doctors, they found a brain tumor (meningioma)
• Bob had navigational issues despite being cognitively intact in other areas

Key Observations

• Different brain regions have specialized functions.
• Even intelligent individuals can have specific brain issues that do not affect overall IQ.
• Bob’s case illustrates the importance of understanding brain organization and function.

Why Study the Brain?

1. Know Thyself
   • The brain defines identity.
2. Understanding Limits of Human Knowledge
   • Explores epistemology and what can be comprehended by the mind.
3. Advancement of AI
   • Learning from human cognition to improve artificial intelligence.
4. Intellectual Quest
   • The pursuit of understanding the brain is one of the greatest intellectual challenges.

How to Study the Brain

• Various levels of organization and methods to study the brain:
  • Molecular interactions
  • Individual neurons
  • Brain regions and networks
• Focus on how the brain gives rise to the mind.

Course Structure

• Focus on mental functions (e.g., perception, cognition, language, etc.) and their brain bases.
• Techniques include neuropsychology, fMRI, EEG, and more.

Topics Covered in the Course

• Vision (color, shape, motion)
• Face and scene recognition
• Navigation
• Understanding numbers
• Pleasure, pain, and reward systems
• Language comprehension
• Theory of mind
• Brain networks

Course Mechanics

Grading Breakdown

• Midterm: 25%
• Final: 25%
• Weekly readings and assignments (2 papers per week)
• Written assignments based on readings.

Reading Scientific Papers

• Importance of comprehending scientific literature is emphasized.
• Tips for reading:
  1. Identify the main question.
  2. Understand findings and interpretations.
  3. Analyze the experimental design.
  4. Focus on the main points rather than the technical details.

Conclusion

• The professor's aim is to help students appreciate key questions in cognitive neuroscience and understand the methods used to study the brain.
• Emphasis on interactive learning and understanding ongoing research in the field.