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Blog #10

The main argument which Jonah Lehrer portrays throughout his essay “The Future of Science… Is Art?” is that art needs to be incorporated into science in order to make further advancements. Lehrer discusses and provides examples throughout the article how art should be incorporated into the sciences. He also discusses how art promotes brain activity, and how different forms of art stimulate different areas of the brain. The promotion of brain activity increases the creation of new connections in the brain, which results in an increase of understanding new and various concepts which can be translated into the sciences.

Glossing the text:

Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle: “… that the position and the velocity of an object cannot both be measured exactly, at the same time…” (Britannica).

The bridging principle” (You may have to look at the text itself, for this definition.): “… the neural event that would explain how the activity of our brain cells creates the subjective experience of consciousness” (1).

Reductionism: “The theory that every complex phenomenon, especially in biology or psychology, can be explained by analyzing the simplest, most basic physical mechanisms that are in operation during the phenomenon” (Dictionary.com)

Synapse: “A junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter” (Dictionary.com).

Epiphenomenon: “A secondary effect or byproduct that arises from but does not causally influence a process, in particular” (Dictionary.com).

Holistic perspective: Various areas of human culture as well as biology examined in the broadest possible context.

Metaphor: A figure of speech which is not in actuality true, but is used to make a comparison of an object or to further explain an idea.

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