Wow. Brace yourselves, ladies and gentlemen, because boy do I have a lot to say about this topic. Let me start off by saying neuroscience is not only my major but its something I am passionate about. This week's lessons like always taught me things I was not expecting. For example, the use of dyeing and plating cells is nothing new but the idea of the brainbow absolutely amazed me. To me, seeing those images made taking this class seem necessary to my life. It's stunning to be able to see a person’s thoughts, memories, and ideas that are stored in neurons being expressed in this fashion.
Next, I was amazed that as Dr. Vesna stated, the study of the brain has only been around for a few centuries. For years medical professionals have hypothesized about what exactly the brain can do but it was only with the advances in technology that doctors were able to get it just right. Some of the most interesting medical mysteries to me included Mark Cohen’s lecture on how the brain must rewire itself when observing the world through a different lens but then its incredible ability to recognize the change when the lens is once again changed. This reminded me of learning about split brain patients who because the connection between their right hemisphere and left hemisphere is severed they are able to perform different actions on separate hands at the same time. Amazing right?
The reason I think this topic is so interesting to me and to a big part of society is because it has become a neuroculture as Frazzetto and Anker argue. It is almost necessary to know basic brain structures and to be at least a little interested in what the mind can do. I believe it helps us understand ourselves more because we can have a basis as to why we may behave the way we do. For example, while people who are ignorant might say you are just sad all the time and you can just “snap out of it”, you can know that nothing is wrong with YOU, you may just have a hormone imbalance in your brain. Little things like this I think helps others understand one another and helps us in being more accepting.
Cohen, Mark. “Neuroscience-Mark Cohen.mov” YouTube. 20 May 2017
Frazetto, Giovanni, and Suzanne Anker. "Neuroculture." Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10 (2009): 815-21. Web. 20 May 2017.
Frazetto, Giovanni, and Suzanne Anker. "Neuroculture." Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10 (2009): 815-21. Web. 20 May 2017.
Vesna, Victoria. “Neuroscience + Art” Lecture 1, 2, 3. 2017
Images
http://www.interactive-biology.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Neuron21-1280x640.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3K83ud_3luc/maxresdefault.jpg
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/images/health-and-outreach/brain-basics-images/light-brain_132796_4.jpg
Your passion about neuroscience is really inspiring! It is always interesting and exciting to read people's blog who study the subject that we are covering. Seeing someone who looks at brain staining and slices all the time, yet is still inspired by the brainbow shows that what these artists are doing are genuinely impressive. I definitely agree with your take on the importance of understanding the physiology and functions of the brain. So many people think something is wrong with them when they are anxious or sad or wonder why they just can't "snap out of it". Having a better grasp on the inner workings of the brain may provide a little more comfort to those people.
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