The spike : an epic journey through the brain in 2.1 seconds / Mark Humphri.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Humphries, Mark, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Neural transmission.

Neurosciences.

Physical Description:

x, 220 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford, England : Princeton University Press, [2021]

Summary:

The story of a neural impulse and what it reveals about how our brains work. We see the last cookie in the box and think, can I take that? We reach a hand out. In the 2.1 seconds that this impulse travels through our brain, billions of neurons communicate with one another, sending blips of voltage through our sensory and motor regions. Neuroscientists call these blips “spikes.” Spikes enable us to do everything: talk, eat, run, see, plan, and decide. In The Spike, Mark Humphries takes readers on the epic journey of a spike through a single, brief reaction. In vivid language, Humphries tells the story of what happens in our brain, what we know about spikes, and what we still have left to understand about them.Drawing on decades of research in neuroscience, Humphries explores how spikes are born, how they are transmitted, and how they lead us to action. He dives into previously unanswered mysteries: Why are most neurons silent? What causes neurons to fire spikes spontaneously, without input from other neurons or the outside world? Why do most spikes fail to reach any destination? Humphries presents a new vision of the brain, one where fundamental computations are carried out by spontaneous spikes that predict what will happen in the world, helping us to perceive, decide, and react quickly enough for our survival.Traversing neuroscience’s expansive terrain, The Spike follows a single electrical response to illuminate how our extraordinary brains work.

Contents:

CHAPTER ONE. Introduction

CHAPTER TWO. All or Nothing

CHAPTER THREE. Legion

CHAPTER FOUR. Split Personality

CHAPTER FIVE. Failure

CHAPTER SIX. The Dark Neuron Problem

CHAPTER SEVEN. The Meaning of Spike

CHAPTER EIGHT. A Moving Experience

CHAPTER NINE. Spontaneity

CHAPTER TEN. But a Moment in Time

CODA. The Future of Spikes.

Notes:

Includes index.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780691213514

0691213518

OCLC:

1225555009