The Idea of the Brain: The Past and Future of Neuroscience

by Matthew Cobb

This is the story of our quest to understand the most mysterious object in the universe. Today we tend to picture the brain as a computer. Earlier scientists thought about it in their own technological terms: as a telephone switchboard, or a clock, or all manner of fantastic mechanical or hydraulic devices. Could the right metaphor unlock the brain's deepest secrets once and for all?

Galloping through centuries of wild speculation and ingenious, sometimes macabre anatomical investigations, scientist and historian Matthew Cobb reveals how we came to our present state of knowledge. Our latest theories allow us to create artificial memories in the brain of a mouse, and to build AI programmes capable of extraordinary cognitive feats. A complete understanding seems within our grasp.

But to make that final breakthrough, we may need a radical new approach. At every step of our quest, Cobb
shows that it was new ideas that brought illumination. Where, he asks, might the next one come from? What will it be?

• ISBN10: 1541646851
• ISBN13: 9781541646858
• Publish Date: 21 April 2020 (first published 5 March 2020)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Basic Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 496
• Language: English

Reviews

[Jeff Sexton]

Comprehensive Review of The Field. Cobb seems to do a spectacular job here of giving a general overview of neurotypical neuroscience, from the earliest ways man thought about his brain and cognition to the most current of state of the field in some situations - one citation in particular was from 2019! He doesn't really address neurological divergences at all, instead focusing on the brain as it is understood for most. But within what he decides to address, this book seemingly gives a very solid, very comprehensive overview of the actual science of the brain. Decently easy to follow as long as you're ready for an academic review, this book really does what it sets out to do, no more, no less. Very much recommended.