changeux

Brain development is crucial to our understanding of consciousness. "Epigenetic" is a key word for Changeux. The brain does not develop from a blueprint. Rather, it evolves in stages and experience and thought are crucial at each phase. The brain cannot evolve without thought and experience. Take language. There are windows of opportunity, which, if missed, do not reappear. Changeux sees the brain as reaching out to the world. Successful brains have been able to attain truth. At first, this happened through myth and religion. The brain is rewarded. But science is proving much more effective. Changeux is optimistic that evolution will favor scientific brains. Residual religious brains will be less competitive. His description of scientific thought as brain activity is mind-boggling. Neural darwinism, yes. But most important is his notion that experience and thought change the course of the brain's development. Brain differences no longer mean you were born this way or that. You become who you are and it shows in your brain.