Winner of the Pulitzer PrizeA metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of Lewis Carroll Douglas Hofstadter's book is concerned directly with the nature of "maps" or links between formal systems. However, according to Hofstadter, the formal system that underlies all mental activity transcends the system that supports it. If life can grow out of the formal chemical substrate of the cell, if consciousness can emerge out of a formal system of firing neurons, then so too will computers attain human intelligence. Gödel, Escher, Bach is a wonderful exploration of fascinating ideas at the heart of cognitive science: meaning, reduction, recursion, and much more. Read more

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction When three-month-old Lia Lee arrived at the county hospital emergency room in Merced, California, a chain of events was set in motion from which neither she nor her parents nor her doctors would ever recover. Lia's parents, Foua and Nao Kao, were part of a large Hmong community in Merced, refugees from the CIA-run "Quiet War" in Laos. The Hmong, traditionally a close-knit people, have been less amenable to assimilation than most immigrants, adhering steadfastly to the rituals and beliefs of their ancestors. Lia's pediatricians, Neil Ernst and his wife, Peggy Philip, cleaved just as strongly to another tradition: that of Western medicine. When Lia Lee entered the American medical system, diagnosed as an epileptic, her story became a tragic case history of cultural miscommunication. Parents and doctors both wanted the best for Lia, but their ideas about the causes of her illness and its treatment could hardly have been more different. The Hmong see illness and healing as spiritual matters linked to virtually everything in the universe while medical community marks a division between body and soul and concerns itself almost exclusively with the former. Lia's doctors ascribed her seizures to the misfiring of her cerebral neurons; her parents called her illness qaug dab peg - the spirit catches you and you fall down - and ascribed it to the wandering of her soul. The doctors prescribed anticonvulsants; her parents preferred animal sacrifices. Read more

NPR SciFri Book Club PickNext Big Idea Club's "Top 21 Psychology Books of 2022"Behavioral Scientist Notable Books of 2022A renowned grief expert and neuroscientist shares groundbreaking discoveries about what happens in our brain when we grieve, providing a new paradigm for understanding love, loss, and learning.In The Grieving Brain, neuroscientist and psychologist Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD, gives us a fascinating new window into one of the hallmark experiences of being human. O’Connor has devoted decades to researching the effects of grief on the brain, and in this book, she makes cutting-edge neuroscience accessible through her contagious enthusiasm, and guides us through how we encode love and grief. With love, our neurons help us form attachments to others; but, with loss, our brain must come to terms with where our loved ones went, or how to imagine a future without them. The Grieving Brain addresses:Why it’s so hard to understand that a loved one has died and is gone foreverWhy grief causes so many emotions—sadness, anger, blame, guilt, and yearningWhy grieving takes so longThe distinction between grief and prolonged griefWhy we ruminate so much after we lose a loved oneHow we go about restoring a meaningful life while grievingBased on O’Connor’s own trailblazing neuroimaging work, research in the field, and her real-life stories, The Grieving Brain combines storytelling, accessible science, and practical knowledge that will help us better understand what happens when we grieve and how to navigate loss with more ease and grace.  Read more

ketoCONTINUUM shares David's ketogenic journey from failing health to vibrancy. Author and internal medicine physician, Annette Bosworth, M.D., (Dr. Boz), uses the steps outlined in the ketoCONTINUUM to improve her patients' health at her clinic, Meaningful Medicine, located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA.ketoCONTINUUM uses David's story to escort the reader through a story of resurrecting health. Dr. Bosworth captures your curiosity while teaching a step-by-step process to stay consistently keto. From mindset and behaviors, to support systems and conflict, ketoCONTINUUM walks the reader through Dr. Bosworth's revolutionary protocol she practices at her medical clinic. ketoCONTINUUM combines the latest developments in brain research, sleep, and keto-chemistry's impact on health. Why? To teach the reader how to reverse insulin-based illnesses once thought impossible to heal, such as obesity, depression, unhealthy livers, inflammation, leaky gut syndrome, and autoimmune diseases. This relatable story teaches how to succeed using ketogenic nutrition, overcome common ketosis pitfalls, and sustain your vitality. The story of David engages the reader as Dr. Boz weaves clever analogies and science-lessons into the book. ketoCONTINUUM dispels myths, fears, and ill-conceived paradigms about the ketogenic process that impede success. Learn why fat-fuel outperforms carbohydrate-fuel. This comprehensive book also persuasively argues why the term "ketogenic-diet" misleads many and offers a more nuanced and precise definition that makes sense to the reader.ketoCONTINUUM not just educates the reader on how to heal and maintain optimal health; it systematically takes them through a proven and responsible step-by-step sequence that implements the ketoCONTINUUM methodology. A workbook and online course compliment the education in ketoCONTINUUM. As part of the online course, you can partner with other "Neurons" by joining Dr. Boz's support group for every step of the ketoCONTINUUM. After having read ketoCONTINUUM, you will take control and improve your health one ketone at a time. Read more

Philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith dons a wet suit and journeys into the depths of consciousness in Other Minds Although mammals and birds are widely regarded as the smartest creatures on earth, it has lately become clear that a very distant branch of the tree of life has also sprouted higher intelligence: the cephalopods, consisting of the squid, the cuttlefish, and above all the octopus. In captivity, octopuses have been known to identify individual human keepers, raid neighboring tanks for food, turn off lightbulbs by spouting jets of water, plug drains, and make daring escapes. How is it that a creature with such gifts evolved through an evolutionary lineage so radically distant from our own? What does it mean that evolution built minds not once but at least twice? The octopus is the closest we will come to meeting an intelligent alien. What can we learn from the encounter? In Other Minds, Peter Godfrey-Smith, a distinguished philosopher of science and a skilled scuba diver, tells a bold new story of how subjective experience crept into being—how nature became aware of itself. As Godfrey-Smith stresses, it is a story that largely occurs in the ocean, where animals first appeared. Tracking the mind’s fitful development, Godfrey-Smith shows how unruly clumps of seaborne cells began living together and became capable of sensing, acting, and signaling. As these primitive organisms became more entangled with others, they grew more complicated. The first nervous systems evolved, probably in ancient relatives of jellyfish; later on, the cephalopods, which began as inconspicuous mollusks, abandoned their shells and rose above the ocean floor, searching for prey and acquiring the greater intelligence needed to do so. Taking an independent route, mammals and birds later began their own evolutionary journeys. But what kind of intelligence do cephalopods possess? Drawing on the latest scientific research and his own scuba-diving adventures, Godfrey-Smith probes the many mysteries that surround the lineage. How did the octopus, a solitary creature with little social life, become so smart? What is it like to have eight tentacles that are so packed with neurons that they virtually “think for themselves”? What happens when some octopuses abandon their hermit-like ways and congregate, as they do in a unique location off the coast of Australia? By tracing the question of inner life back to its roots and comparing human beings with our most remarkable animal relatives, Godfrey-Smith casts crucial new light on the octopus mind—and on our own. Read more

The #1 New York Times–bestselling author “gives readers of all ages 100 doable strategies for keeping brains sharp and bodies healthy” (William Sears, MD, coauthor of The Healthy Brain Book).Most people think there is little or nothing you can do to avoid Alzheimer’s. But scientists know this is no longer true. In fact, prominent researchers now say that our best and perhaps only hope of defeating Alzheimer’s is to prevent it.After bestselling author Jean Carper discovered that she had the major susceptibility gene for Alzheimer’s, she was determined to find all the latest scientific evidence on how to escape it. She discovered 100 surprisingly simple scientifically tested ways to radically cut the odds of Alzheimer’s, memory decline, and other forms of dementia.Did you know that vitamin B 12 helps keep your brain from shrinking? Apple juice mimics a common Alzheimer’s drug? Surfing the internet strengthens aging brain cells? Ordinary infections and a popular anesthesia may trigger dementia? Meditating spurs the growth of new neurons? Exercise is like Miracle-Gro for your brain?Even a few preventive actions could dramatically change your future by postponing Alzheimer’s so long that you eventually outlive it. If you can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s for five years, you cut your odds of having it by half. Postpone Alzheimer’s for ten years, and you’ll most likely never live to see it.100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s will change the way you look at Alzheimer’s and provide exciting new answers from the frontiers of brain research to help keep you and your family free of this heartbreaking disease. Read more

I am a collection of oddities, a circus of neurons and electrons: My heart is the ringmaster, my soul is the trapeze artist, and the world is my audience. It sounds strange because it is, and it is because I am strange.After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in Northern Ohio to the wastelands of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust has a chance to settle, she learns her mother is sick back in Cleveland. So she ditches her new life and hops aboard a northbound Greyhound bus to her real home and her real mother, meeting a quirky cast of fellow travelers along the way. But when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane. Told in an unforgettable, kaleidoscopic voice, Mosquitoland is a modern American odyssey, as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. Read more

Use your knowledge of the nervous system to understand and treat neurologic disorders! Neuroscience: Fundamentals for Rehabilitation, 6th Edition provides an illustrated guide to neurology and how it affects the practice of physical and occupational therapy. Case studies and first-person stories from people with neurologic disorders make it easier to develop clinical reasoning skills and apply your knowledge to the clinical setting. This edition includes an enhanced eBook free with each purchase of a new print book. Written by noted PT educator Laurie Lundy-Ekman, Neuroscience uses evidence-based research to help you evaluate and treat clients who have physical limitations due to nervous system damage or disease.Logical, systems approach to neuroscience makes it easier to master complex information and provides a framework for conducting a neurologic examination and evaluation.Clinical perspective of neuroscience is provided through case studies, personal stories written by people with neurologic disorders, and summaries of key features of neurologic disorders and the body systems they affect.Six sections ― Overview of Neurology, Neuroscience at the Cellular Level, Development of the Nervous System, Vertical Systems, Regions, and Neurologic Tests ― first show how neural cells operate, and then allow you to apply your knowledge of neuroscience.Coverage of key physical rehabilitation topics includes abnormal muscle tone, chronic pain, control of movement, and differential diagnosis of dizziness.Hundreds of color-coded illustrations show body structures and functions across systems.Full-color atlas includes photographs of the human brain along with labeled line drawings.Clinical Notes case studies demonstrate how neuroscience concepts may be applied to clinical situations.Pathology boxes provide a quick summary of the features of neurologic disorders commonly encountered in rehabilitation practice.NEW! Quick Reference Lists on the inside book covers make it easy to find frequently consulted figures, reflexes, tables, and summaries within the text.NEW! Updated chapters include Pain as a Disease and as a Symptom, Motor System: Upper Motor Neurons, Motor and Psychologic Functions, Brainstem Region, and Neurologic Tests.NEW! 85 new or updated figures are added to this edition.NEW! Nearly 600 new references are added to this edition.NEW! Enhanced eBook version – included with print purchase – allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.NEW! Answers to the book’s case studies and a student workbook with approximately 1,000 practice questions and answers are included in the eBook. Read more

"Cephalopods are often misunderstood creatures. Three biologists set the record straight."—Science News Largely shell-less relatives of clams and snails, the marine mollusks in the class Cephalopoda—Greek for “head-foot”—are colorful creatures of many-armed dexterity, often inky self-defense, and highly evolved cognition. They are capable of learning, of retaining information—and of rapid decision-making to avoid predators and find prey. They have eyes and senses rivaling those of vertebrates like birds and fishes, they morph texture and body shape, and they change color faster than a chameleon. In short, they captivate us. From the long-armed mimic octopus—able to imitate the appearance of swimming flounders and soles—to the aptly named flamboyant cuttlefish, whose undulating waves of color rival the graphic displays of any LCD screen, there are more than seven hundred species of cephalopod. Featuring a selection of species profiles, Octopus, Squid, and Cuttlefish reveals the evolution, anatomy, life history, behaviors, and relationships of these spellbinding animals. Their existence proves that intelligence can develop in very different ways: not only are cephalopods unusually large-brained invertebrates, they also carry two-thirds of their neurons in their arms.  A treasure trove of scientific fact and visual explanation, this worldwide illustrated guide to cephalopods offers a comprehensive review of these fascinating and mysterious underwater invertebrates—from the lone hunting of the octopus, to the social squid, and the prismatic skin signaling of the cuttlefish. Read more

An instant New York Times bestseller In Embrace Your Weird, New York Times bestselling author, producer, actress, TV writer, and award-winning web series creator, Felicia Day takes you on a journey to find, rekindle, or expand your creative passions. Including Felicia’s personal stories and hard-won wisdom, Embrace Your Weird offers: —Entertaining and revelatory exercises that empower you to be fearless, so you can rediscover the things that bring you joy, and crack your imagination wide open —Unique techniques to vanquish enemies of creativity like: anxiety, fear, procrastination, perfectionism, criticism, and jealousy —Tips to cultivate a creative community —Space to explore and get your neurons firing Whether you enjoy writing, baking, painting, podcasting, playing music, or have yet to uncover your favorite creative outlet, Embrace Your Weird will help you unlock the power of self-expression. Get motivated. Get creative. Get weird.

How sound leaves a fundamental imprint on who we are.Making sense of sound is one of the hardest jobs we ask our brains to do. In Of Sound Mind, Nina Kraus examines the partnership of sound and brain, showing for the first time that the processing of sound drives many of the brain's core functions. Our hearing is always on--we can't close our ears the way we close our eyes--and yet we can ignore sounds that are unimportant. We don't just hear; we engage with sounds. Kraus explores what goes on in our brains when we hear a word--or a chord, or a meow, or a screech.Our hearing brain, Kraus tells us, is vast. It interacts with what we know, with our emotions, with how we think, with our movements, and with our other senses. Auditory neurons make calculations at one-thousandth of a second; hearing is the speediest of our senses. Sound plays an unrecognized role in both healthy and hurting brains. Kraus explores the power of music for healing as well as the destructive power of noise on the nervous system. She traces what happens in the brain when we speak another language, have a language disorder, experience rhythm, listen to birdsong, or suffer a concussion. Kraus shows how our engagement with sound leaves a fundamental imprint on who we are. The sounds of our lives shape our brains, for better and for worse, and help us build the sonic world we live in. Read more

What if the next spark of consciousness doesn’t come from a brain...but from a machine?In Consciousness in the Machine, Sebastián Barros explores the question that will define our future: Can artificial intelligence become truly aware? Blending science, philosophy, and real-life cases, this book dives into the mystery of the mind, both human and artificial. From dreams and neurons to chatbots that claim to feel, it’s a journey through the edge of intelligence, where ethics blur and machines begin to whisper I am. Read more

Smarten up with a year of puzzles so tough they're sanctioned by Mensa®, the internationally famous high-IQ society.START YOUR DAY WITH A CHALLENGE: Give your mind a workout with a lively mix of word puzzles, number problems, logic quandaries, and other cranial conundrums. Test your anagramming skills with Daisy Chain, brush up on your binary numbers in Bits and Bytes, solve for ciphers in Catching a Code, and more! GENIUS GIFT: This calendar is perfect for anyone looking to build their brain and stretch their neurons – a gift from Mensa says “you’re smart.” Great for family, friends, educators, or any intellectual in your life! PLASTIC FREE: Printed on responsibly sourced paper and 100% recyclable. Read more

“Intertwines history, philosophy, and science . . . A powerful challenge to conventional notions of individual responsibility” (Publishers Weekly).   Few concepts are more unshakable in our culture than free will, the idea that individuals are fundamentally in control of the decisions they make, good or bad. And yet the latest research about how the brain functions seems to point in the opposite direction . . .   In a work of breathtaking intellectual sweep and erudition, Heidi M. Ravven offers a riveting and accessible review of cutting-edge neuroscientific research into the brain’s capacity for decision-making—from “mirror” neurons and “self-mapping” to surprising new understandings of group psychology. The Self Beyond Itself also introduces readers to a rich, alternative philosophical tradition of ethics, rooted in the writing of Baruch Spinoza, that finds uncanny confirmation in modern science.   Illustrating the results of today’s research with real-life examples, taking readers from elementary school classrooms to Nazi concentration camps, Ravven demonstrates that it is possible to build a theory of ethics that doesn’t rely on free will yet still holds both individuals and groups responsible for the decisions that help create a good society. The Self Beyond Itself is that rare book that injects new ideas into an old debate—and “an important contribution to the development of our thinking about morality” (Washington Independent Review of Books).   “An intellectual hand-grenade . . . A magisterial survey of how contemporary neuroscience supports a vision of human morality which puts it squarely on the same plane as other natural phenomena.” —William D. Casebeer, author of Natural Ethical Facts Read more

A New York Times bestseller when it appeared in 1989, Roger Penrose's The Emperor's New Mind was universally hailed as a marvelous survey of modern physics as well as a brilliant reflection on the human mind, offering a new perspective on the scientific landscape and a visionary glimpse of the possible future of science. Now, in Shadows of the Mind, Penrose offers another exhilarating look at modern science as he mounts an even more powerful attack on artificial intelligence. But perhaps more important, in this volume he points the way to a new science, one that may eventually explain the physical basis of the human mind. Penrose contends that some aspects of the human mind lie beyond computation. This is not a religious argument (that the mind is something other than physical) nor is it based on the brain's vast complexity (the weather is immensely complex, says Penrose, but it is still a computable thing, at least in theory). Instead, he provides powerful arguments to support his conclusion that there is something in the conscious activity of the brain that transcends computation--and will find no explanation in terms of present-day science. To illuminate what he believes this "something" might be, and to suggest where a new physics must proceed so that we may understand it, Penrose cuts a wide swathe through modern science, providing penetrating looks at everything from Turing machines (computers programmed from artificial intelligence) to the implications of Godel's theorem maintaining that conscious thinking must indeed involve ingredients that cannot adequately be stimulated by mere computation. Of particular interest is Penrose's extensive examination of quantum mechanics, which introduces some new ideas that differ markedly from those advanced in The Emperor's New Mind, especially concerning the mysterious interface where classical and quantum physics meet. But perhaps the most interesting wrinkle in Shadows of the Mind is Penrose's excursion into microbiology, where he examines cytoskeletons and microtubules, minute substructures lying deep within the brain's neurons. (He argues that microtubules--not neurons--may indeed be the basic units of the brain, which, if nothing else, would dramatically increase the brain's computational power.) Furthermore, he contends that in consciousness some kind of global quantum state must take place across large areas of the brain, and that it within microtubules that these collective quantum effects are most likely to reside. For physics to accommodate something that is as foreign to our current physical picture as is the phenomenon of consciousness, we must expect a profound change--one that alters the very underpinnings of our philosophical viewpoint as to the nature of reality. Shadows of the Mind provides an illuminating look at where these profound changes may take place and what our future understanding of the world may be. Read more

Whenever a person engages with music―when a piano student practices a scale, a jazz saxophonist riffs on a melody, a teenager sobs to a sad song, or a wedding guest gets down on the dance floor―countless neurons are firing. Playing an instrument requires all of the resources of the nervous system, including cognitive, sensory, and motor functions. Composition and improvisation are remarkable demonstrations of the brain’s capacity for creativity. Something as seemingly simple as listening to a tune involves mental faculties most of us don’t even realize we have.Larry S. Sherman, a neuroscientist and lifelong musician, and Dennis Plies, a professional musician and teacher, collaborate to show how our brains and music work in harmony. They consider music in all the ways we encounter it―teaching, learning, practicing, listening, composing, improvising, and performing―in terms of neuroscience as well as music pedagogy, showing how the brain functions and even changes in the process. Every Brain Needs Music draws on leading behavioral, cellular, and molecular neuroscience research as well as surveys of more than a hundred musical people. It provides new perspectives on learning to play, teaching, how to practice and perform, the ways we react to music, and why the brain benefits from musical experiences.Written for both musical and nonmusical people, including newcomers to brain science, this book is a lively and easy-to-read exploration of the neuroscience of music and its significance in our lives. Read more

The brain is the most complex computational machine known to science, even though its components (neurons) are slow and unreliable compared to a laptop computer. In this richly illustrated book, Shannon's mathematical theory of information is used to explore the computational efficiency of neurons, with special reference to visual perception and the efficient coding hypothesis. Evidence from a diverse range of research papers is used to show how information theory defines absolute limits on neural processing; limits which ultimately determine the neuroanatomical microstructure of the eye and brain. Written in an informal style, with a comprehensive glossary, tutorial appendices, and a list of annotated Further Readings, this book is an ideal introduction to the principles of neural information theory. Read more

Consciousness is one of science’s last great unsolved mysteries. How can the salty taste and crunchy texture of potato chips, the unmistakable smell of dogs after they have been in the rain, or the exhilarating feeling of hanging on tiny fingerholds many feet above the last secure foothold on a cliff, emerge from networks of neurons and their associated synaptic and molecular processes? In The Quest for Consciousness, Caltech neuroscientist Christof Koch explores the biological basis of the subjective mind in animals and people. He outlines a framework that he and Francis Crick (of the "double helix") have constructed to come to grips with the ancient mind-body problem. At the heart of their framework is a sustained, empirical approach to discovering and characterizing the neuronal correlates of consciousness – the NCC – the subtle, flickering patterns of brain activity that underlie each and every conscious experience. Read more

Are you living with stabbing, shooting or burning pain? Do you have numbness, tingling, cramping or loss of balance? Are you unable to get a restful night’s sleep or enjoy activities that are important to you? You have shared these complaints with multiple doctors only to be told to take medication and there are no solutions. This leaves you feeling depressed, hopeless and that there is nothing you can do.There is hope! This book shares effective strategies to help you reverse your nerve pain. Drs. Tom and Stephanie Chaney have dedicated their lives to helping others improve their health and vitality. They specialize in a holistic and progressive approach to healthcare. Their resilient desire to continue learning and improving their skills have led them to sharing their simple but powerful steps to living a vibrant and pain free life!In this powerful resource, you'll learn:• Why you should care how well your nervous system is functioning, and how that relates to reversing neuropathy.• Why so many people are sick and suffering in a failing healthcare model, and how do we snap out of it?• How to get out of the downward spiral of disease and move into a vibrant and healthy lifestyle!• The devastating effect that sugar has on inflammation and neuropathy.• How to reverse the effects of neuropathy without medication.• How the body really heals and why this is critical to your understanding of what needs to be done, and the timeframe required to heal.• Learn how to design your health using the fundamentals of food, exercise, and cutting-edge therapies provided in our office.• Essential nutrients to naturally help decrease inflammation and reverse neuropathy, without the need for side-effect riddled medications.• A way of eating that makes sense, gives you energy, and helps you say goodbye to neuropathy related pain, tingling and numbness.• A breakthrough technology that can rebuild your nerves and reverse and restore healthy nerve impulses in your body.• The incredible benefits of the HOCATT system and how it can transform your wellbeing!• A better approach to reversing spinal pain with the power of red light therapy and how it can help regrow neurons. Read more

Loaded with meaty trivia and tasty, bite-sized facts!mental_floss is proud to offer a delicious, hearty helping of brain-food that's sure to fire up your neurons and tantalize your synapses. Condensed Knowledge is a mouthwatering mix of intriguing facts, lucid explanations, and mind-blowing theories that will satisfy even the hungriest mind!Ingredients include:5 tiny nations that get no respect • 4 civilizations nobody remembers • 5 classics written under the influence • 4 things your boss has in common with slime mold • 3 schools of thought that will impress the opposite sex • 4 things Einstein got wrong • 5 classical tunes you know from the movies • 3 famous studies that would be illegal today • 2 religious mysteries solved by chemistry • 5 scandals that rocked art, and much more ... Read more

The surprising science of hearing and the remarkable technologies that can help us hear betterOur sense of hearing makes it easy to connect with the world and the people around us. The human system for processing sound is a biological marvel, an intricate assembly of delicate membranes, bones, receptor cells, and neurons. Yet many people take their ears for granted, abusing them with loud restaurants, rock concerts, and Q-tips. And then, eventually, most of us start to go deaf.Millions of Americans suffer from hearing loss. Faced with the cost and stigma of hearing aids, the natural human tendency is to do nothing and hope for the best, usually while pretending that nothing is wrong. In Volume Control, David Owen argues this inaction comes with a huge social cost. He demystifies the science of hearing while encouraging readers to get the treatment they need for hearing loss and protect the hearing they still have.Hearing aids are rapidly improving and becoming more versatile. Inexpensive high-tech substitutes are increasingly available, making it possible for more of us to boost our weakening ears without bankrupting ourselves. Relatively soon, physicians may be able to reverse losses that have always been considered irreversible. Even the insistent buzz of tinnitus may soon yield to relatively simple treatments and techniques. With wit and clarity, Owen explores the incredible possibilities of technologically assisted hearing. And he proves that ears, whether they're working or not, are endlessly interesting. Read more

Use your knowledge of the nervous system to understand and treat neurologic disorders! Neuroscience: Fundamentals for Rehabilitation, 6th Edition provides an illustrated guide to neurology and how it affects the practice of physical and occupational therapy. Case studies and first-person stories from people with neurologic disorders make it easier to develop clinical reasoning skills and apply your knowledge to the clinical setting. This edition includes an enhanced eBook free with each purchase of a new print book. Written by noted PT educator Laurie Lundy-Ekman, Neuroscience uses evidence-based research to help you evaluate and treat clients who have physical limitations due to nervous system damage or disease.Logical, systems approach to neuroscience makes it easier to master complex information and provides a framework for conducting a neurologic examination and evaluation.Clinical perspective of neuroscience is provided through case studies, personal stories written by people with neurologic disorders, and summaries of key features of neurologic disorders and the body systems they affect.Six sections — Overview of Neurology, Neuroscience at the Cellular Level, Development of the Nervous System, Vertical Systems, Regions, and Neurologic Tests — first show how neural cells operate, and then allow you to apply your knowledge of neuroscience.Coverage of key physical rehabilitation topics includes abnormal muscle tone, chronic pain, control of movement, and differential diagnosis of dizziness.Hundreds of color-coded illustrations show body structures and functions across systems.Full-color atlas includes photographs of the human brain along with labeled line drawings.Clinical Notes case studies demonstrate how neuroscience concepts may be applied to clinical situations.Pathology boxes provide a quick summary of the features of neurologic disorders commonly encountered in rehabilitation practice.NEW! Quick Reference Lists on the inside book covers make it easy to find frequently consulted figures, reflexes, tables, and summaries within the text.NEW! Updated chapters include Pain as a Disease and as a Symptom, Motor System: Upper Motor Neurons, Motor and Psychologic Functions, Brainstem Region, and Neurologic Tests.NEW! 85 new or updated figures are added to this edition.NEW! Nearly 600 new references are added to this edition.NEW! Enhanced eBook version – included with print purchase – allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.NEW! Answers to the book’s case studies and a student workbook with approximately 1,000 practice questions and answers are included in the eBook. Read more

As classic digital computers are about to reach their physical and architectural boundaries, interest in unconventional approaches to computing, such as quantum and analog computers, is rapidly increasing. For a wide variety of practical applications, analog computers can outperform classic digital computers in terms of both raw computational speed and energy efficiency. This makes them ideally suited a co-processors to digital computers, thus forming hybrid computers. This second edition of "Analog and Hybrid Computer Programming" provides a thorough introduction to the programming of analog and hybrid computers. It contains a wealth of practical examples, ranging from simple problems such as radioactive decay, harmonic oscillators, and chemical reaction kinetics to advanced topics which include the simulation of neurons, chaotic systems such as a double-pendulum simulation and many more. In addition to these examples, it contains a chapter on special functions which can be used as "subroutines" in an analog computer setup. Read more

The human brain is made up of 85 billion neurons, which are connected by over 100 trillion synapses. For more than a century, a diverse array of researchers searched for a language that could be used to capture the essence of what these neurons do and how they communicate – and how those communications create thoughts, perceptions and actions. The language they were looking for was mathematics, and we would not be able to understand the brain as we do today without it.In Models of the Mind, author and computational neuroscientist Grace Lindsay explains how mathematical models have allowed scientists to understand and describe many of the brain's processes, including decision-making, sensory processing, quantifying memory, and more. She introduces readers to the most important concepts in modern neuroscience, and highlights the tensions that arise when the abstract world of mathematical modelling collides with the messy details of biology. Each chapter of Models of the Mind focuses on mathematical tools that have been applied in a particular area of neuroscience, progressing from the simplest building block of the brain – the individual neuron – through to circuits of interacting neurons, whole brain areas and even the behaviours that brains command. Lindsay examines the history of the field, starting with experiments done on frog legs in the late eighteenth century and building to the large models of artificial neural networks that form the basis of modern artificial intelligence. Throughout, she reveals the value of using the elegant language of mathematics to describe the machinery of neuroscience. Read more

This expansive guide will equip you with complete, clinically oriented and up-to-date information on the neuroanatomy of the brain.The Cells of the Brain: A Review Book is an authoritative and extensive text and review that completely covers the structure of the entire neuroanatomy of the brain. In this up-to-date text, a comprehensive look into the molecular biology of the brain cells and how they function together.In this text, Dr. Leon Danaila explains in lucid language, the framework of the brain from the cellular level and gradually builds up to more complex concepts in a way the student or reader can follow along. In the first chapter, Dr. Danaila provides the nuts-and-bolts essential to understanding how the brain works, as well as selected mental illnesses and their probable causes.Here's a snippet of what's covered in this comprehensive guide:History and general characteristics of mammalian cellsCellular components and their functionsCells and neurons of the brainThe molecular motors in the nervous systemThe oscillating brain and the neural fieldsThe Ependymal and neuroglial cells...and much more. Incredibly detailed and expansive, The Cells of the Brain: A Review Book has something in its pages for everyone, students and practitioners alike, no matter where you are on the knowledge spectrum in the field of neuroanatomy.Scroll up and click the button to buy now! Read more

“Cephalopods are often misunderstood creatures. Three biologists set the record straight on the behaviors and evolution of these invertebrates of the sea.” —Science NewsLargely shell-less relatives of clams and snails, the marine mollusks in the class Cephalopoda—Greek for “head-foot” —are colorful creatures of many-armed dexterity, often inky self-defense, and highly evolved cognition. They are capable of learning, of retaining information—and of rapid decision-making to avoid predators and find prey. They have eyes and senses rivaling those of vertebrates like birds and fishes, they morph texture and body shape, and they change color faster than a chameleon. In short, they captivate us.From the long-armed mimic octopus—able to imitate the appearance of swimming flounders and soles—to the aptly named flamboyant cuttlefish, whose undulating waves of color rival the graphic displays of any LCD screen, there are more than seven hundred species of cephalopod. Featuring a selection of species profiles, Octopus, Squid, and Cuttlefish reveals the evolution, anatomy, life history, behaviors, and relationships of these spellbinding animals. Their existence proves that intelligence can develop in very different ways: not only are cephalopods unusually large-brained invertebrates, they also carry two-thirds of their neurons in their arms. A treasure trove of scientific fact and visual explanation, this worldwide illustrated guide to cephalopods offers a comprehensive review of these fascinating and mysterious underwater invertebrates—from the lone hunting of the octopus, to the social squid, and the prismatic skin signaling of the cuttlefish.“After reading about the cephalopods’ abilities and behaviors, as well as their potential for advancing our lives, readers might think twice before ordering their next calamari appetizer.” —American Scientist Read more

What enables individually simple insects like ants to act with such precision and purpose as a group? How do trillions of neurons produce something as extraordinarily complex as consciousness? In this remarkably clear and companionable book, leading complex systems scientist Melanie Mitchell provides an intimate tour of the sciences of complexity, a broad set of efforts that seek to explain how large-scale complex, organized, and adaptive behavior can emerge from simple interactions among myriad individuals. Based on her work at the Santa Fe Institute and drawing on its interdisciplinary strategies, Mitchell brings clarity to the workings of complexity across a broad range of biological, technological, and social phenomena, seeking out the general principles or laws that apply to all of them. Richly illustrated, Complexity: A Guided Tour--winner of the 2010 Phi Beta Kappa Book Award in Science--offers a wide-ranging overview of the ideas underlying complex systems science, the current research at the forefront of this field, and the prospects for its contribution to solving some of the most important scientific questions of our time. Read more

"Adventures in Human Being, with its deft mix of the clinical and the lyrical, is a triumph of the eloquent brain and the compassionate heart."--Wall Street JournalWe assume we know our bodies intimately, but for many of us they remain uncharted territory, an enigma of bone and muscle, neurons and synapses. How many of us understand the way seizures affect the brain, how the heart is connected to well-being, or the why the foot holds the key to our humanity? In Adventures in Human Being, award-winning author Gavin Francis leads readers on a journey into the human body, offering a guide to its inner workings and a celebration of its marvels. Drawing on his experiences as a surgeon, ER specialist, and family physician, Francis blends stories from the clinic with episodes from medical history, philosophy, and literature to describe the body in sickness and in health, in living and in dying. At its heart, Adventures in Human Being is a meditation on what it means to be human. Poetic, eloquent, and profoundly perceptive, this book will transform the way you view your body.

Unlock the Secrets of Your Brain: Discover How Neurochemistry Shapes Your Thoughts, Memories, and Emotions!Have you always wondered how your brain sends and interprets signals? Curious about how neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin shape mood, decision-making, and even your capacity to learn?Packed with engaging explanations, clear illustrations, and intuitive examples, this beginner-friendly text provides an immersive learning journey into the fascinating chemistry that powers your brain’s inner workings. You'll finally understand:Action Potential: Witness how neurons communicate through electric signals that dance across ion channels like sodium and potassium gates—illustrating the precise balance keeping your brain active at every moment.Synaptic Signaling: Gain clarity on the elegant choreography of neurotransmitter release, from vesicle docking and fusion proteins (SNARE proteins) to receptor binding and reuptake.Second Messengers: Decode intracellular mysteries with detailed, easy-to-follow examples of key messengers like cAMP, IP3, and calcium that amplify and diversify neuronal signals.Neurotransmitter Systems: Explore vivid conceptual guides to powerful biochemical cascades—ranging from the excitatory drive of glutamate and the calming embrace of GABA, to the motivational currents of dopamine and the serenity granted by serotonin.Neuropeptides and Gasotransmitters: Discover unconventional circuit modulators such as endocannabinoids and nitric oxide, whose unique signaling methods help keep your neural circuits adaptable and versatile.Astrocytes and the Tripartite Synapse: Unfold the exciting new insights of how astrocytes influence neurotransmission, shaping your brain's resilience and efficiency beyond traditional neuronal communication.Synaptic Plasticity: Witness how synapses grow stronger or weaken their connections—fundamental processes such as Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) and Long-Term Depression (LTD)—which underpin all learning and memory formation.Written specifically for beginners, yet meticulously organized to provide mastery, each chapter builds upon the last—guiding you from basic concepts toward a confident understanding of neuroscience’s most essential principles of neurochemistry and signaling.Ideal for students, aspiring neuroscientists, psychology enthusiasts, or anyone fascinated by how the mind works—this textbook empowers you to grasp your brain’s chemical "language," inspiring you to visualize neural circuits and their dynamic interactions.Activate your potential today: dive deep into neuroscience and watch your knowledge—and fascination—grow! Read more

Light of specific wavelengths and intensities has been shown to repair and protect neurons from damage, opening the possibility of using near-infrared light as a non-invasive treatment of various brain and psychiatric disorders.This book serves as a practical overview of the scientific fundamentals, technical implementation, and therapeutic applications of transcranial photobiomodulation:Part I provides an accessible explanation of why the irradiation must be done in the near-infrared region of the light spectrum. It presents evidence-based background on the parameters of light important to photobiomodulation, and describes the effects of near-infrared light on cells and tissues.Part II discusses the types of multi-Watt light sources required to non-invasively deliver therapeutic doses of infrared light to the brain. Importantly, this part describes in detail various High-Power Near-Infrared Transcranial Therapy (HIPNITT) medical devices that have been used in clinical trials. Part III presents the potential and challenges of using near-infrared light in the treatment of various brain disorders such as depression, dementia, traumatic brain injury, and Parkinson’s disease.This book uses straightforward language and offers practical guidance to help readers quickly develop an understanding of the practical aspects of HIPNITT implementation and its therapeutic applications. Read more