The embodied mind: when biology meets culture and society

The embodied mind: when biology meets culture and society

Since the 1980s the study of the brain has developed from being a primarily biological field to a significant interdisciplinary area with a strong influence on the humanities and social sciences. In this article I describe fundamental elements in what I call the embodied mind paradigm, and new understanding of the relation between mind, body and emotions. The new paradigm challenges certain not...

When mind meets machine

into sufferers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and brain-stem stroke, which enables them to move a computer cursor, albeit slowly. The device uses electrodes attached to amplifiers and FM transmitters transplanted 5 mm deep—just under the scalp—into the brain. The electrodes encourage brain tissue to grow around them, thus stabilizing them against any movement and resulting distortion ...

When cell biology meets theory

Cell biologists now have tools and knowledge to generate useful quantitative data. But how can we make sense of these data, and are we measuring the correct parameters? Moreover, how can we test hypotheses quantitatively? To answer these questions, the theory of physics is required and is essential to the future of quantitative cell biology.

The Embodied Emotional Mind

When a common problem meets an ingenious mind.

When the marvels of modern biological research are presented in the media, one image almost always appears: a person in a laboratory using a micropipette. This small but ubiquitous device has evolved into one of the icons of modern biotechnology, molecular biology, gene therapy, stem-cell technology and cloning. The modern micropipette has achieved such high visibility for obvious reasons: it i...