Connectome: How the Brain's Wiring Makes Us Who We Are. by Sebastian Seung - Hardcover

Sebastian Seung

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1846144140 ISBN 13: 9781846144141

Publisher: Allen Lane, 2012

Synopsis

In this bold and groundbreaking book, renowned neuroscientist Sebastian Seung reveals the secrets of the human brain. Sebastian Seung is at the forefront of a revolution in neuroscience. He believes that our identity lies not in our genes, but in the connections between our brain cells - our own particular wiring, or 'connectomes'. "Connectome" tells the incredible story of how Seung and a dedicated group of researchers are mapping these connections, neuron by neuron, synapse by synapse. They hope to uncover the basis of personality, identity, intelligence and memory, and explain mental disorders such as autism, depression and schizophrenia. Seung also reveals how this new map of a human connectome might even enable us to 'upload' our brains into a computer, making us effectively immortal. "Connectome" is a mind-bending adventure story, told with great passion and authority. It presents a daring scientific and technological vision for at last understanding what makes us who we are, both as individuals and as a species.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

The bold and thrilling quest to finally understand the brain

We know that each of us is unique, but science has struggled to pinpoint where, precisely, our uniqueness resides. Is it in our genes? The structure of our brains? Our genome may determine our eye color and even aspects of our personality. But our friendships, failures, and passions also shape who we are. The question is: how?

Sebastian Seung, a dynamic professor at MIT, is on a quest to discover the biological basis of identity. He believes it lies in the pattern of connections between the brain’s neurons, which change slowly over time as we learn and grow. The connectome, as it’s called, is where our genetic inheritance intersects with our life experience. It’s where nature meets nurture.

Seung introduces us to the dedicated researchers who are mapping the brain’s connections, neuron by neuron, synapse by synapse. It is a monumental undertaking—the scientific equivalent of climbing Mount Everest—but if they succeed, it could reveal the basis of personality, intelligence, memory, and perhaps even mental disorders. Many scientists speculate that people with anorexia, autism, and schizophrenia are “wired differently,” but nobody knows for sure. The brain’s wiring has never been seen clearly.

In sparklingly clear prose, Seung reveals the amazing technological advances that will soon help us map connectomes. He also examines the evidence that these maps will someday allow humans to “upload” their minds into computers, achieving a kind of immortality.

Connectome is a mind-bending adventure story, told with great passion and authority. It presents a daring scientific and technological vision for at last understanding what makes us who we are. Welcome to the future of neuroscience.

From the Back Cover

YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR GENES. YOU ARE YOUR CONNECTOME.

“A landmark work, gorgeously written. No other researcher has traveled as deeply into the brain forest and emerged to share its secrets.”—David Eagleman, author of Incognito and Sum

“Connectomics is emerging as a crucial and exhilarating field of study. Sebastian Seung takes you by the hand and shows you why. Connectome is a page-turner—a book that should be read by anyone who lays claim to be thinking about the nature of life.”—Michael Gazzaniga, University of California at Santa Barbara, author of Human and Who’s in Charge?

“Sebastian Seung scales the heights of neuroscience and casts his brilliant eye around, describing the landscape of its past and boldly envisioning a future when we may understand our own brains and thus ourselves.”—Kenneth Blum, executive director, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University

“Sebastian Seung can do it all. He’s widely recognized as a superb physicist, a whiz with computers, and a path-breaking neuroscientist. Connectome shows that he’s also a terrific writer, as inspiring as he is clear and good-humored.”—Steven Strogatz, Cornell University, author of Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order

About this edition

• Publisher: Allen Lane
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1846144140
• ISBN 13: 9781846144141
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 334