How The Mind Works

[Tero]

The return of engrams

The idea that memory is stored as enduring changes in the brain dates back at least to the time of Plato and Aristotle (circa 350 BCE), but its scientific articulation emerged in the 20th century when Richard Semon introduced the term “engram” to describe the neural substrate for storing and recalling memories. Essentially, Semon proposed that an experience activates a population of neurons that undergo persistent chemical and/or physical changes to become an engram. Subsequent reactivation of the engram by cues available at the time of the experience induces memory retrieval. After Karl Lashley failed to find the engram in a rat brain, studies attempting to localize an engram were largely abandoned.

The ability to identify and manipulate engram cells and brainwide engram complexes has introduced an exciting new era of memory research. The findings from many labs are beginning to define an engram as the basic unit of memory. However, many questions remain. In the short term, it is critical to characterize how information is stored in an engram, including how engram architecture affects memory quality, strength, and precision; how multiple engrams interact; how engrams change over time; and the role of engram silencing in these processes.

Therefore, neurons infected with this CREB vector were hypothesized to be biased for inclusion into an engram. A virus expressing both CREB (to allocate neurons) and an inducible construct that produces cell-autonomous ablation was used to specifically kill allocated neurons after training (58). Ablating CREB-overexpressing neurons disrupted freezing to subsequent tone presentation, as if the memory was erased (Fig. 1).
(in link)
Although one specific brain region is often examined in engram studies, it is generally appreciated that an engram supporting a specific experience may be widely distributed throughout the brain. Engram cell ensembles in different brain regions may support distinct aspects of an experience.
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Location-specific firing of CA1 place cells is well established (103). Stable place cells may be important in engrams supporting spatial or contextual memories (104–106).

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7577560/

[Tero]

I have this aithor's 2002 book on humans.His newer book tackles origins:

In The Deep History of Ourselves, LeDoux argues that the key to understanding human behavior lies in viewing evolution through the prism of the first living organisms. By tracking the chain of the evolutionary timeline he shows how even the earliest single-cell organisms had to solve the same problems we and our cells have to solve each day. Along the way, LeDoux explores our place in nature, how the evolution of nervous systems enhanced the ability of organisms to survive and thrive, and how the emergence of what we humans understand as consciousness made our greatest and most horrendous achievements as a species possible.

[Brian Peacock]

I have this aithor's 2002 book on humans.His newer book tackles origins:

In The Deep History of Ourselves, LeDoux argues that the key to understanding human behavior lies in viewing evolution through the prism of the first living organisms. By tracking the chain of the evolutionary timeline he shows how even the earliest single-cell organisms had to solve the same problems we and our cells have to solve each day. Along the way, LeDoux explores our place in nature, how the evolution of nervous systems enhanced the ability of organisms to survive and thrive, and how the emergence of what we humans understand as consciousness made our greatest and most horrendous achievements as a species possible.

That actually looks interesting. Was it written by AI?

[Tero]

The review? Yes. AI reads the Kindle version and summarizes.

Joseph LeDoux is the Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science at NYU in the Center for Neural Science, and he directs the Emotional Brain Institute of NYU and the Nathan Kline Institute. He also a Professor of Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical School. His work is focused on the brain mechanisms of memory and emotion.

[Tero]

Joseph LeDoux is the Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science at NYU in the Center for Neural Science, and he directs the Emotional Brain Institute of NYU and the Nathan Kline Institute. He also a Professor of Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical School. His work is focused on the brain mechanisms of memory and emotion.

An actual reader:

LeDoux tries to bury animal consciousness under an avalanche of meaningless jargon and minor distinctions that wholly fails to make a coherent argument. The book is littered with terms that serve only to obscure the subject at hand. Distinguishing episodic from semantic memory and blathering on about schema, representations and long discredited behaviorist explanations of how animals live and make decisions, LeDoux is still unable to explain how unconscious zombie animals could get around in the world.

LeDoux starts from the bizarre assumption that animals have the burden of proving they are conscious. The opposite is true. Science has no model or theory of how animals could survive and navigate the world without consciousness. We know that humans are conscious and if there is another way for animals to negiate their environment LeDoux cannot show it. Instead he hides behind the term "cognitive processing" (another non-explantory piece of jargon) to deny what everyone else sees with their own eyes.

When your cat or dog asks for food or curls up on your lap to be petted or stands by the door yowling to be let outside we all know very well what it wants without any help from LeDoux.

The best that can be said for this book is that it establishes how obtuse, ideologically driven and ultimately silly scientists can be they when set out to prove that what they see with their own eyes isn't true.

[Tero]

I've been thinking about thoughts. Just what's on your mind.

Most thoughts just float in an hang in there a second. But are soon abandoned. The kinds of thoughts that lead to some physical activity, they hang on longer. You have to decide, do you do it now or postpone it?

[L'Emmerdeur]

... how the emergence of what we humans understand as consciousness made our greatest and most horrendous achievements as a species possible.

This smelled when I read it. It's not really saying anything but 'with thoughts, humans can do a lot of stuff.'

Typical AI hogwash and if the human reviewer's take is on the money, it would seem that the AI hogwash is more or less reflecting hogwash in the book itself.

[JimC]

Without belittering the mental abilities of non-human animals, I would assert that there is a major difference between human and non-human consciousness, essentially involving language and abstract thought.

[Brian Peacock]

Can we not separate consciousness from intellect?

I've repeatedly asked the question: if something is conscious then what is it conscious of? As yet, nobody seems keen to take that bait.

[pErvinalia]

Itself

[Tero]

The consciousness is sent some messages about the state of you, how things are going, by the brain doing all its routine stuff. The conscious is just there to make some major decisions if necessary. The planning. "I'm going to go and adjust that thermostat."

Most of the brain's activity we are not aware of. A good part of it is handling the visual part to send you a nice view.

More in: Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain Paperback – Illustrated, May 15, 2012
by David Eagleman (Author)