The Enchanted Loom
Published on 31. March 1991
Book
Hardback
383 pages
978-0-19-506646-3 (ISBN)
Description
Written by an international team of scientists and historians, this book offers a sweeping view of the history of neuroscience, from the philosophy of Aristotle to the field of artificial intelligence. Contributors discuss Descartes' contributions to thought about the brain, alongside studies of the central nervous system that he and artists like da Vinci executed. They show how phrenology - the long discredited study of the relation between skull shape and mental faculties - actually represented a breakthrough in thinking about localized brain functions. The essays follow the history up to the present day, describing the emergence of the modern neurosciences in such fields as artificial intelligence.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
120 colour and 200 b&w illustrations
ISBN-13
978-0-19-506646-3 (9780195066463)
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Schweitzer Classification
Content
PART I: THE ART OF MEMORY: Lina Bolzoni: The play of images: the art of memory from its origins to the seventeenth century; PART II: THE DISCOVERY OF THE BRAIN FROM DESCARTES TO GALL: Renato Mazzalini: Schemes and models of the thinking machine (1662-1762); Claudio Pogliano: Between form and function: a new science of man; Part III: BIRTH AND FRONTIERS OF NEUROSCIENCE : Anne Harrington: Beyond phrenology: localization theory in the modern era; Alberto Oliverio & Gordon Shepherd: The cells of thought; Luciano Mecacci: Pathways of perception; John Dowling: Understanding vision; Solomon Snyder: The chemistry of the brain; Roberto Cordeschi: Brain, mind, and computers: a short history of artificial intelligence; Israel Rosenfield: Reflections on artificial intelligence; Larry Squire & Alberto Oliverio: Neurons and memory; Syrota: Images of the brain.