Why the Mind is in the Brain (3)
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found evidence that a hormone produced in the stomach directly stimulates the higher brain functions of spatial learning and memory development, and further suggests that we may learn best on an empty stomach.
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My first thought was to ignore this report as having no popular interest. That was yesterday. The work of my fast brain modules. They tend to be quite superficial, so I generally don’t expect serious work out of them. I left the matter undecided and slept on it.
This morning I had input from my quiet modules. They are much slower, but they are more thorough. And they run in the background, so I don’t have to give them any attention until they have some results. So the following is the memo I got from the quiet modules this morning.
I did a couple of blogs about the mind in the brain before (1, 2). The main theme was that what happens in the brain also happens in the “mind.” They are not really two things. Convention language uses two words, but the legitimate distinction is between viewpoints. The brain is the objective entity. The mind is your subjective experience.
This business is sometimes called “the mind-body problem.” That is a testimony to the ability of language to create a problem where none exists. People have long known that what goes into the body affects “the mind.” That goes back at least to the invention of beer and wine. See Genesis 9 for the story about how Noah got drink and passed out naked.
For a more modern account, I did a Google search on tryptophan turkey. Got over 200K citations. Most of them probably tell (with varying qualifications) about how tryptophan in turkey makes people sleepy on Thanksgiving. I will leave it to the popular media to explain why this effect is notable only on Thanksgiving.
The research is of considerable technical interest. But I did not see any reason for popular interest. Parents already know, from observation, the effects of eating on their children. Teens and adults notice the effects of eating (and drinking) on their behavior and “mental” function. The effects depend on various individual characteristics, so that generalized research will not be as useful as observation and persistent self-awareness.
But then (later, next morning) I realized that the generalized research points out the possible benefits of using self-awareness as a guide in scheduling what you do (Time Control). So I thought this research was of value as a reminder about scheduling to get the best work out of your brain. Sort of like the reminder to sleep on it.
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My first thought was to ignore this report as having no popular interest. That was yesterday. The work of my fast brain modules. They tend to be quite superficial, so I generally don’t expect serious work out of them. I left the matter undecided and slept on it.
This morning I had input from my quiet modules. They are much slower, but they are more thorough. And they run in the background, so I don’t have to give them any attention until they have some results. So the following is the memo I got from the quiet modules this morning.
I did a couple of blogs about the mind in the brain before (1, 2). The main theme was that what happens in the brain also happens in the “mind.” They are not really two things. Convention language uses two words, but the legitimate distinction is between viewpoints. The brain is the objective entity. The mind is your subjective experience.
This business is sometimes called “the mind-body problem.” That is a testimony to the ability of language to create a problem where none exists. People have long known that what goes into the body affects “the mind.” That goes back at least to the invention of beer and wine. See Genesis 9 for the story about how Noah got drink and passed out naked.
For a more modern account, I did a Google search on tryptophan turkey. Got over 200K citations. Most of them probably tell (with varying qualifications) about how tryptophan in turkey makes people sleepy on Thanksgiving. I will leave it to the popular media to explain why this effect is notable only on Thanksgiving.
The research is of considerable technical interest. But I did not see any reason for popular interest. Parents already know, from observation, the effects of eating on their children. Teens and adults notice the effects of eating (and drinking) on their behavior and “mental” function. The effects depend on various individual characteristics, so that generalized research will not be as useful as observation and persistent self-awareness.
But then (later, next morning) I realized that the generalized research points out the possible benefits of using self-awareness as a guide in scheduling what you do (Time Control). So I thought this research was of value as a reminder about scheduling to get the best work out of your brain. Sort of like the reminder to sleep on it.
posted by Selby Evans at 11:12 AM
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