is the mind contained in the brain?

Full Answer Section

1. What’s your take on Mishkin and Ungerleider’s bottom-up approach to cognitive science? How does it compare to Marr’s top-down approach, and do you see any advantages to one over the other?

   • Mishkin and Ungerleider's Bottom-Up Approach: Emphasizes understanding how complex cognitive functions arise from simpler neural circuits.
   • Marr's Top-Down Approach: Starts with analyzing the computational problems that the mind needs to solve.
   • Comparison and Advantages:
     • Ideally, a combination of both approaches is most effective. Bottom-up provides the neural data, and top-down provides the functional framework.

2. Do you think neural network modeling is a useful tool in cognitive science? Why might it help us understand how the mind works?

   • Yes, I believe neural network modeling is a very useful tool in cognitive science.
   • Why:
     • Simulating Brain-Like Processing: Neural networks can simulate the parallel, distributed processing that occurs in the brain.
     • Learning and Adaptation: Neural networks can learn from experience.
     • Emergent Properties: Complex cognitive functions can arise from the interaction of simpler units.
     • Testing Hypotheses: Models can be used to test how the brain performs functions.

3. What do Logothetis’s experiments teach us about the neural activity behind fMRI signals? Why is this important for studying the brain?

   • Logothetis's experiments demonstrated that fMRI signals primarily reflect local field potentials (LFPs).
   • Importance:
     • Interpretation of fMRI Data: Crucial for accurately interpreting fMRI data.
     • Understanding Neural Mechanisms: Helps us understand the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes.

Chapter 4 - Thought Experiments to Understand the Mind

1. Do you think that problem-solving lies at the heart of intelligence, as Newell and Simon suggest?

   • Problem-solving is a key component of intelligence, but I don't necessarily think it's the entire heart of it.
   • Intelligence encompasses a broader range of abilities.

2. Is intentional realism the correct approach to thinking about propositional attitudes? Can you think on some other options?

   • Intentional realism is one approach, but it's not without its challenges.
   • Other Options:
     • Instrumentalism
     • Eliminative Materialism
     • Functionalism
     • Connectionism.

Sample Answer

Chapter 3 - The Brain and the Mind

1. Do you think it’s possible to fully understand the mind without studying the brain? Why or why not?

   • No, I don't believe it's possible to fully understand the mind without studying the brain.
   • Why:
     • Physical Basis: The mind is a product of the brain's activity.
     • Interdependence: The mind and brain are inextricably linked.
     • Empirical Evidence: Neuroscience provides concrete evidence of brain-mind correlations.