ALPHABETICAL BRAIN® VOCABULARY
 HUMANIST GALAXY
OF SECULAR SCIENCE STARS
MICHAEL GAZZANIGA
May 18, 2022

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HUMAN:
 The Science Behind
What Makes Your Brain Unique.
 by Michael S. Gazzaniga.
Ecco, 2009
(464 pages).

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    Quote = "The book explores a number of related issues concerning the physical brain systems underlying language, memory, emotion, and perception. They were largely ignored in the past and still are. However, since we humans think about social processes by comparing ourselves to others and estimating the intentions of others, this book explores the issues of what makes human brains unique; the importance of language and art in defining the human condition; the nature of human consciousness; and artificial intelligence." (Paraphrased slightly by webmaster from publisher's blurb)
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BOOK OUTLINE
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Note = Numbers in parentheses refer to pages

 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (xi-xii)

PROLOGUE (1-3)

PART 1 — THE BASICS OF HUMAN LIFE (5-75)
    Quote = use Pasko T. Rakic's quote about the difference between the brains of humans and other animals (5)
1) ARE HUMAN BRAINS UNIQUE? (7-37)
    [1] Big brains and big ideas (10-16)

    [2] Brain structure (27-36)

      (1) Brain regions (17-22)

      (2) The functional story --- cortical areas (22-25)

      (3) The brain under a microscope (25-27)

      (4) The areas of specialization (27-29)

      (5) Lateralization and connectivity (29-30)

        1. The wacky arrangement (30-32)

      (6) Molecular and genetic dimensions (32-36)

        1. Genetics review (33)

        2. The language gene (33-36)

    [3] Conclusion (36-37)

      note = Our human brains are uniquely "different in detail, so why should our minds not also be different?" (37)
2) WOULD A CHIMP MAKE A GOOD DATE? (38-75)

PART 2 — NAVIGATING THE SOCIAL WORLD (77-199)

3) BIG BRAINS AND EXPANDING SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS (79-112)
    Quote = Use Montaigne quote (79)
4) THE MORAL COMPASS WITHIN (113-157)

5) I FEEL YOUR PAIN (158-199)

PART 3 — THE GLORY OF BEING HUMAN (201-321)

6) WHAT'S UP WITH THE ARTS? (203-245)

7) WE ALL ACT LIKE DUALISTS --- The converter function (246-275)
    [1] Intuitive biology (249-258)

    [2] Intuitive physics (258-260)

    [3] Intuitive psychology (261-268)

    [4] Are we the only dualists? (269-270)

    [5] Reflective beliefs (270-274)

    [6] Conclusion (274-275)
8) IS ANYBODY THERE? (276-321)

PART 4 — BEYOND CURRENT CONSTRAINTS (323-)

9) WHO NEEDS FLESH? (325-385)
    Quotes = use two quotes = Young's and Hippocrates' quotes (325)
AFTERWORD (386-390)
    Quote = "Am I ever glad I'm not a chimp!" ending by Michael Gazzaniga (390)
NOTES (391-431)

INDEX (432-447)

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AUTHOR NOTE, SUMMARY,
AND BOOK DESCRIPTION
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 SUMMARY = One of the world's leading neuroscientists explores how best to understand the human condition by examining the biological, psychological, and highly social nature of our species within the social context of our lives.

BOOK DESCRIPTION = What happened along the evolutionary trail that made humans so unique? In his widely accessible style, Michael Gazzaniga looks to a broad range of studies to pinpoint the change that made us thinking, sentient humans, different from our predecessors.

Neuroscience has been fixated on the life of the psychological self for the past fifty years, focusing on the brain systems underlying language, memory, emotion, and perception. What it has not done is consider the stark reality that most of the time we humans are thinking about social processes, comparing ourselves to and estimating the intentions of others.

In the book Gazzaniga explores a number of related issues, including what makes human brains unique, the importance of language and art in defining the human condition, the nature of human consciousness, and even artificial intelligence.

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REMEMBER ALWAYS:
 You are your adaptable memory!
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