"The human brain didn't evolve like a piece of sedimentary rock, with layers of increasing cognitive sophistication slowly accruing over time."
— Barrett, Lisa Feldman (b. 1963)
Date
December 31, 2016
Metaphor
"The human brain didn't evolve like a piece of sedimentary rock, with layers of increasing cognitive sophistication slowly accruing over time."
Metaphor in Context
The triune brain became (and remains) popular in the media, the business world and certain scientific circles. But experts in brain evolution discredited it decades ago. The human brain didn't evolve like a piece of sedimentary rock, with layers of increasing cognitive sophistication slowly accruing over time. Rather (in the words of the neuroscientist Georg Striedter), brains evolve like companies do: they reorganize as they expand. Brain areas that Dr. MacLean considered emotional, such as the regions of the "limbic system," are now known to be major hubs for general communication throughout the brain. They're important for many functions besides emotion, such as language, stress, regulation of internal organs, and even the coordination of the five senses into a cohesive experience.
Provenance
Reading
Citation
Lisa Feldman Barrett, "How to Become a 'Superager'" The New York Times (December 31, 2016). <Link to NYTimes.com>
Date of Entry
01/04/2017
