I of the Vortex

From Neurons to Self

Rodolfo R. Llinás (New York University Med Ctr)

$79.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Massachusetts Inst of Tec
22 February 2002

Mathematics & Sciences; Neurosciences; Cellular biology (cytology)

Series: I of the Vortex

A highly original theory of how the mind-brain works, based on the author's study of single neuronal cells.

In I of the Vortex, Rodolfo Llinas, a founding father of modern brain science, presents an original view of the evolution and nature of mind. According to Llinas, the ""mindness state"" evolved to allow predictive interactions between mobile creatures and their environment. He illustrates the early evolution of mind through a primitive animal called the ""sea squirt."" The mobile larval form has a brainlike ganglion that receives sensory information about the surrounding environment. As an adult, the sea squirt attaches itself to a stationary object and then digests most of its own brain. This suggests that the nervous system evolved to allow active movement in animals. To move through the environment safely, a creature must anticipate the outcome of each movement on the basis of incoming sensory data. Thus the capacity to predict is most likely the ultimate brain function. One could even say that Self is the centralization of prediction.

At the heart of Llinas's theory is the concept of oscillation. Many neurons possess electrical activity, manifested as oscillating variations in the minute voltages across the cell membrane. On the crests of these oscillations occur larger electrical events that are the basis for neuron-to-neuron communication. Like cicadas chirping in unison, a group of neurons oscillating in phase can resonate with a distant group of neurons. This simultaneity of neuronal activity is the neurobiological root of cognition. Although the internal state that we call the mind is guided by the senses, it is also generated by the oscillations within the brain. Thus, in a certain sense, one could say that reality is not all ""out there,"" but is a kind of virtual reality.

By: Rodolfo R. Llinás (New York University Med Ctr)
Imprint: Massachusetts Inst of Tec
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 19mm
Weight: 522g
ISBN: 9780262621632
ISBN 10: 0262621630
Series: I of the Vortex
Pages: 314
Publication Date: 22 February 2002
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly , ELT Advanced , A / AS level
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Rodolfo R. Llinas is the Thomas and Susanne Murphy Professor of Neuroscience and Chairman of the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience at the New York University School of Medicine.

Reviews for I of the Vortex: From Neurons to Self

Anyone interested in new ways of thinking about organization of the brain would do well to give it a look. -- Ilya Farber Nature I of the Vortex is an exciting book, full of imagination, fit for the well-educated lay reader. -- Edgar Garcia-Rill Forum Rodolfo Llinas...offers this compelling synthesis of neurology, from the function of the neuron to the workings of the mind. Science Books & Films