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  3. In Second Nature, Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Gerald Edelman argues that the brain and mind are unified, but he has littl

In Second Nature, Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Gerald Edelman argues that the brain and mind are unified, but he has littl

admin2019-06-10  37
问题    In Second Nature, Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Gerald Edelman argues that the brain and mind are unified, but he has little patience with the claim that the brain is a computer. Fortunately for the general reader, his explanations of brain function are accessible, reinforced by concrete examples and metaphors.
   Edelman suggests that thanks to the recent development of instruments capable of measuring brain structure within millimeters and brain activity within milliseconds, perceptions, thoughts, memories, willed acts, and other mind matters traditionally considered private and impenetrable to scientific scrutiny now can be correlated with brain activity. Our consciousness (a first-person affair" displaying intentionality, reflecting beliefs and desires, etc.) , our creativity, even our value systems, have a basis in brain function.
   The author describes three unifying insights that correlate mind matters with brain activity. First, even distant neurons will establish meaningful connections (circuits) if their firing patterns are synchronized. Second, experience can either strengthen or weaken synapses (neuronal connections). Finally, there is reentry, the continued signaling from one brain region to another and back again along massively parallel nerve fibers.
   Edelman concedes that neurological explanations for consciousness and other aspects of mind are not currently available, but he is confident that they will be soon. Meanwhile, he is comfortable hazarding a guess: " All of our mental life ... is based on the structure and dynamics of our brain. " Despite this optimism about the explanatory powers of neuroscience, Edelman acknowledges the pitfalls in attempting to explain all aspects of mind in neurological terms. Indeed, culture — not biology — is the primary determinant of the brain’s evolution, and has been since the emergence of language, he notes.
   However, I was surprised to learn that he considers Sigmund Freud " the key expositor of the effects of unconscious processes on behavior. " Such a comment ignores how slightly Freud’s conception of the unconscious, with its emphasis on sexuality and aggression, resembles the cognitive unconscious studied by neuroscientists.
   Still, Second Nature is well worth reading. It serves as a bridge between the traditionally separate camps of "hard" science and the humanities. Readers without at least some familiarity with brain science will likely find the going difficult at certain points. Nonetheless, Edelman has achieved his goal of producing a provocative exploration of " how we come to know the world and ourselves. "
According to the author, Second Nature is a good book because______.
选项 A、it interests the reader in spiritual activities
B、it appeals to the reader to study bioscience
C、it sets the reader probing into human cognition
D、it presents the advancement of natural science
答案C
解析 本题是推理题，考点在文章的最后一段，考查读者的总结归纳能力。
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