The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach

Description

Consciousness is one of science's last great unsolved mysteries. How can the salty taste and crunchy texture of potato chips, the unmistakable smell of dogs after they have been in the rain, or the exhilarating feeling of hanging on tiny fingerholds many feet above the last secure foothold on a cliff, emerge from networks of neurons and their associated synaptic and molecular processes?In The Quest for Consciousness, Caltech neuroscientist Christof Koch explores the biological basis of the subjective mind in animals and people. ntroduction to the study of consciousness -- Neurons, the atoms of perception -- The first steps in seeing -- The primary visual cortex as a prototypical neocortical area -- What are the neuronal correlates of consciousness? -- The neuronal correlates of consciousness are not in the primary visual cortex -- The architecture of the cerebral cortex -- Going beyond the primary visual cortex -- Attention and consciousness -- The neuronal underpinnings of attention -- Memories and consciousness -- What you can do without being conscious : the zombie within -- Agnosia, blindsight, epilepsy, and sleep walking : clinical evidence for zombies -- Some speculations on the functions of consciousness -- On time and consciousness -- When the mind flips : following the footprints of consciousness -- Splitting the brain splits consciousness -- Further speculations on thoughts and the unconscious homunculus -- A framework for consciousness -- An interview.