Home : Book details : Book description

Description of  Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are

We know that each of us is unique, but science has struggled to pinpoint where, precisely, our uniqueness resides. Is it in our genes? The structure of our brains? Our genome may determine our eye color and even aspects of our personality. But our friendships, failures, and passions also shape who we are. The question is: how?Sebastian Seung, a dynamic professor at MIT, is on a quest to discover the biological basis of identity. He believes it lies in the pattern of connections between the brains neurons, which change slowly over time as we learn and grow. The connectome, as its called, is where our genetic inheritance intersects with our life experience. Its where nature meets nurture.Seung introduces us to the dedicated researchers who are mapping the brains connections, neuron by neuron, synapse by synapse. It is a monumental undertakingthe scientific equivalent of climbing Mount Everestbut if they succeed, it could reveal the basis of personality, intelligence, memory, and perhaps even mental disorders. Many scientists speculate that people with anorexia, autism, and schizophrenia are "wired differently," but nobody knows for sure. The brains wiring has never been clearly seen.In sparklingly clear prose, Seung reveals the amazing technological advances that will soon help us map connectomes. He also examines the evidence that these maps will someday allow humans to "upload" their minds into computers, achieving a kind of immortality. Read more