"For now, our ability to understand how all those parts [of the brain] relate is quite limited, sort of like trying to understand the political dynamics of Ohio from an airplane window above Cleveland."
— Marcus, Gary (b. 1970)
Author
Work Title
Date
December 2, 2012
Metaphor
"For now, our ability to understand how all those parts [of the brain] relate is quite limited, sort of like trying to understand the political dynamics of Ohio from an airplane window above Cleveland."
Metaphor in Context
The real problem with neuroscience today isn't with the science--though plenty of methodological challenges still remain--it's with the expectations. The brain is an incredibly complex ensemble, with billions of neurons coming into--and out of--play at any given moment. There will eventually be neuroscientific explanations for much of what we do; but those explanations will turn out to be incredibly complicated. For now, our ability to understand how all those parts relate is quite limited, sort of like trying to understand the political dynamics of Ohio from an airplane window above Cleveland.
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
Gary Marcus, "Neuroscience Fiction," New Yorker (December 2, 2012). <Link to Marcus's blog at the www.newyorker.com>
Date of Entry
03/24/2013
