In I of the Vortex, Rodolfo Llinas, a pioneer in brain science, offers a unique perspective on the evolution and essence of the mind. He posits that the "mindness state" developed to facilitate predictive interactions between mobile organisms and their surroundings. Llinas traces the origins of mind to the sea squirt, a primitive creature with a brainlike ganglion that processes sensory information. Remarkably, as adults, sea squirts attach to a surface and consume most of their own brain, indicating that the nervous system evolved primarily to support movement. To navigate their environment safely, animals must predict the outcomes of their actions based on sensory input, making prediction a fundamental brain function. The concept of Self emerges as the centralization of this predictive capability. Central to Llinas's theory is oscillation, where many neurons exhibit electrical activity through oscillating voltage changes across their membranes. Larger electrical events occur at the peaks of these oscillations, enabling communication between neurons. When groups of neurons oscillate in sync, they resonate with other neuron groups, forming the neurobiological basis of cognition. While the mind is influenced by sensory experiences, it is also shaped by these internal oscillations, suggesting that reality is not solely external but resembles a form of virtual reality.
Rodolfo R. Llinas Ordre des livres (chronologique)
Rodolfo Llinás aborde le cerveau sous un angle évolutif, postulant que le développement du cerveau a été fondamentalement motivé par la nécessité pour les organismes de naviguer et d'interagir activement avec leur environnement. Ses recherches approfondies explorent des domaines cruciaux tels que le cervelet et le thalamus, révélant les mécanismes complexes de la communication neuronale. Llinás examine en outre les implications fonctionnelles de ces systèmes complexes, abordant des conséquences plus larges pour notre compréhension de la cognition et du comportement humains. Son travail offre une perspective fascinante sur l'interaction entre les pressions évolutives et l'organisation structurelle et fonctionnelle du cerveau.
