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The Scientific American Brave New Brain: How Neuroscience, Brain-Machine Interfaces, Neuroimaging, Psychopharmacology, Epigenetics, the Internet, and Our ... and Enhancing the Future of Mental Power PDF

211 Pages·2010·4.32 MB·English
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ffllaasstt0011..iinndddd xx 22//22//22001100 33::4499::4411 PPMM SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN The BRAVE NEW BRAIN ffffiirrss..iinndddd ii 22//22//22001100 33::4499::3366 PPMM ii Brave New Brain ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiii 22//22//22001100 66::0022::2288 PPMM iii CHAPTER TITLE SSCCIIEENNTTIIFFIICC AAMMEERRIICCAANN TThhee BBRRAAVVEE NNEEWW BBRRAAIINN JJuuddiitthh HHoorrssttmmaann ffffiirrss..iinndddd iiiiii 22//22//22001100 33::4499::3388 PPMM Copyright © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and Scientifi c American. All rights reserved. Published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741—www.josseybass.com No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at www.wiley. com/go/permissions. Th e contents of this work are intended to further general scientifi c research, understanding, and discussion only and are not intended and should not be relied upon as recommending or promoting a specifi c method, diagnosis, or treatment by physicians for any particular patient. Th e publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifi cally disclaim all warranties, including without limitation any implied warranties of fi tness for a particular purpose. In view of ongoing research, equipment modifi cations, changes in governmental regulations, and the constant fl ow of information relating to the use of medicines, equipment, and devices, the reader is urged to review and evaluate the information provided in the package insert or instructions for each medicine, equipment, or device for, among other things, any changes in the instructions or indication of usage and for added warnings and precautions. Readers should consult with a specialist where appropriate. Th e fact that an organization or Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. No warranty may be created or extended by any promotional statements for this work. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any damages arising herefrom. Jossey-Bass books and products are available through most bookstores. To contact Jossey-Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-956-7739, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3986, or fax 317-572-4002. Jossey-Bass also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Horstman, Judith. The Scientific American brave new brain / Judith Horstman. – 1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-470-37624-9 (cloth) 1. Brain. 2. Brain–Metabolism. 3. Brain–Physiology. 4. Neurophysiology. I. Scientific American. II. Title. QP376.H755 2010 612.8'2–dc22 2009048405 Printed in the United States of America FIRST EDITION HB Printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ffffiirrss..iinndddd iivv 22//22//22001100 33::4499::3399 PPMM CONTENTS Acknowledgments xi Preface xiii Introduction 1 1 Your Changeable Brain: Neurogenesis, Neuroplasticity, and Epigenetics 7 Th e Birth of Brain Cells: Neurogenesis 10 Changes in Your Brain: Neuroplasticity 11 Changes in Your Genes: Epigenetics 13 Keeping Your New Brain Cells 14 No Pain, No Gain 16 Brain Training Programs: Help or Hype? 17 What’s Next? And What About My Brain? 19 2 Boosting Your Brain Power 21 Th e Brave New Pharmacy 22 Juicing the Brain: Th e “Smart Drugs” 24 Th e Caveats: Are Th ese Really “Smart Pills”—and Are Th ey Safe? 26 Six Drug-Free Ways to Boost Your Brain 29 Boosting Your Brain with Meditation 31 Meditation Means Changing Your Brain 33 What’s Next? And What About My Brain? 35 v ffttoocc..iinndddd vv 22//22//22001100 33::4499::4455 PPMM vi Contents 3 Manipulating Your Memory 37 Memories Are Made of Th is—We Hope 38 How Memory Works—the Short Version 39 Alzheimer’s Disease: Th e Memory Epidemic 41 What We Know Now About Dementia 43 Marijuana to Ward Off Alzheimer’s? Wow. Like, Cool. 44 Making Memories Stick Around 45 Erasing Bad Memories: A Morning-Aft er Pill for the Brain 48 Th e Toll of Mental Illness—and Anxiety 50 What’s Next? And What About My Brain? 52 4 Digital You: What the Digital Explosion Is Doing to Your iBrain 55 Are You Born Digital—or a Digital Immigrant? 56 Th e Brains of Digital Natives 57 Th e Bad, the Good, and the Unknown Eff ects of Technology 59 Th e Future Is Closer Th an You Th ink 61 Uses of the Digital You 63 What About My Body? Balancing the iBrain and Your Sensory Self 64 Beyond Digital: Th e Serious Need for Play 66 What’s Next? And What About My Brain? 67 5 Looking Inside Your Brain: The Magic of Neuroimaging 71 Smile, Say Cheese? Not Exactly: How an MRI Works 74 Picture Th is: Psychopath, Pedophile, Autistic Toddler 76 Scanning the Other Half of Your Brain: Why White Matter Matters 77 Th e Limits of Brain Scans 79 Th e Five Flaws of Brain Scans 80 What’s Next? And What About My Brain? 83 ffttoocc..iinndddd vvii 22//22//22001100 33::4499::4466 PPMM CONTENTS vii 6 Rewiring the Brain Electric 87 Th e Electrical Revolution: A History of Hot-Wiring Your Head 88 Th e Current Brain Research: Magnets to Implants 90 Discovering Depression’s Sweet Spot 95 Could Implants Help Alzheimer’s Patients? 96 What’s Next? And What About My Brain? 97 7 Your Bionic Brain: The Merging of Brain with Machines 101 Spare Parts 102 Bionic Brain Research Today 104 Th e Britannica in Your Brain—and More 106 Artifi cial Retinas: Giving Sight to the Blind 107 An Artifi cial Hippocampus? 108 Putting Th oughts into Action 110 How and Why Your Brain Is Better Th an a Computer—for Now 112 What’s Next? And What About My Brain? 114 8 The Possible Dreams: Stem Cells, Gene Therapy, and Nanotechnology 117 Th e Future of Stem Cells 120 Retinal Stem Cells from Adults Show Promise 122 Th e Promise of Gene Th erapy 123 Nanomedicine 125 What’s Next? And What About My Brain? 127 9 Neuroethics: Facing the Dark Side 129 Stem Cells: Still Fighting Aft er All Th ese Years 132 Liar, Liar: Can Brain Scans Reveal the Truth? 133 Responsibility: My Sick Brain Made Me Do It (Th e Devil Made Me Do It?) 134 Privacy, Bias, and Self-Incrimination 136 ffttoocc..iinndddd vviiii 22//22//22001100 33::4499::4466 PPMM viii Contents Psychotreatment: Should We Force Psychopharmacological Th erapies? 137 Mental Doping on the Rise: Th ey Jail Athletes, Don’t Th ey? 137 Issues Yet to Come: A Future of Busy Lawyers 138 10 The Past Is Prologue: To the Future 141 Sources 143 Illustration Credits 153 Glossary 155 About the Author 161 Index 163 ffttoocc..iinndddd vviiiiii 22//22//22001100 33::4499::4466 PPMM

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