Working in Movement

Don't miss the New York Times: Science section on the most provocative questions facing science today, the 25th anniversary of the first Times Science section. Among the questions is my favorite, (4) How Does the Brain Work? And it's written by Sandra Blakeslee, whose work I've referred to previously.

So, how does the brain work? Well, although there's lots of research and learning about functioning of areas of the brain, the big picture, bottom-line, sound-bite worthy explanation isn't here yet. Or as Blakeslee puts it in the piece about scientists studying the brain:

They can see trees but no forest.

Related to an earlier post here:

Researchers are finding that emotions arise from body states as well as brain states, confirming that the supposed distinction between mind and body is illusory.

But while the details seem to overwhelm overall understanding of the brain, there is a big benefit for at least one group: In the words of many neuroscientists, all these mysteries are terrific job security.

Another piece worth a look is (14) Can Robots Become Conscious?. Bottom line: maybe. Job security in another area, I suppose.