Translated by Rumia Bose During the first lockdown in the Netherlands I wrote a blog about Science in the time of Corona. The emphasis lay on explaining the business of science, and that the establishing of facts took time that we did not have. At such moments you have to trust scientists and policy makers who are in charge.We now … Read More
Memories of early childhood?
The memory develops after birth. A baby starts by registering how it should move. From around the age of three, a child can register events which form part of its life story, to be recalled in later life. But emotional events such as traumas are possibly registered much earlier as stray facts. These can elicit reactions, although you can’t retell them.
Science in the time of Corona
The Corona virus spreads via coughing and sneezing. The way it spreads should be easy to investigate. But that does not turn out to be true. Scientists only know a fraction of what they want to know and have to deliver facts to the authorities in order for them to act swiftly. Our Dutch scientists are top of the bill. Therefore, I have confidence in them.
Growth and pruning: the brain of a child
A newborn baby cannot speak, it sees almost nothing, and controlled movements of its arms and legs are minimal. From birth onwards, however, rapid learning occurs associated with significant changes in the brain, which are both cause and effect of this learning process.
The Ego is dead, long live the ego
The Ego does not exist, it is an illusion, a trick of the brain. This claim of neuroscientists may scare you. But is it true? Or does something like an ego exist? And if so, what is it?
I can’t recall your name, am I getting dementia?
I am not good at recalling names, and never have been. Is my brain not working as well as it did? Is it dementia? Or does everyone have weaknesses that get progressively worse as you age?
Autism is hereditary, but you don’t inherit autism
The probability of having autism is greater for an individual if it runs in their family. This suggests hereditary factors. But what do you actually inherit? What you inherit is a predisposition for a specific development of your brain. This, together with what you experience while growing up, can lead to the development of a mild to severe form of autism.
Letters and messages, neurons and thoughts
Is a thought simply the sum total of the activity of all the neurons in the brain? No, just as a message is not simply the placement of a sequence of letters which follow the rules of grammar. How do those letters stand in relation to that message? How does the activity of neurons stand in relation to a thought? Was Descartes right, or are we our brain?
Let the sunshine in
How would we manage, if we could not visualise three-dimensional objects from flat two-dimensional diagrams? An amazing feat our brain performs. What role does pre-determined programming play in this? That is related to how the sun shines on us.
Hallucinations: seeing what you expect
Someone who is hallucinating will see things, whole scenes and events which are not actually there, and experience them as real.How can this be? Because you see what you expect, unless it is corrected by your perceptions. Which is where things can go wrong.