The Nerve, Fall 2009, Issue 1

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https://hdl.handle.net/2144/50546

Full Issue: The Nerve, Fall 2009, Issue One

Editors: Grigori Guitchounts, Kimberly LeVine
Associate Editors: Natasha Amjed, Neil Datta, Doug Hidlay, Steve Ramirez, Rizwana Seeham
Artwork Director: Megan Mataga
Marketing Team: Darrien Garay, Lauren Wizon
MBS Staff: Pooja Bachani, Monika Chitre, Jaimie Kwiecien
Advisors: Dr. Paul Lipton, Zachary Bos

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Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Voles in love
    (2009) Hidlay, Doug
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    Cortex rewiring
    (2009) Guitchunts, Grigori
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    What art thou for, brain?
    (2009) Ramirez, Steve
    The human brain is a remarkably complex lump of cells. It has achieved the whole of civilization—from the stone tools of Homo habilis to that ineffable phenomenon we call art. Whether or not the latter achievement is evolutionarily advantageous, however, is unclear, and has been a topic furiously debated1. Many spheres of human activity, such as the arts, not only are prevalent in society, but also are even honored as reflections of humanity’s greatest achievements. In the struggle to survive and reproduce, the arts seem biologically meaningless. In this paper, I will review Darwin’s theory and its ramifications regarding the arts, all within the framework of neuroscience—in particular, visual art and its effects on the human brain. I will present a wide range of arguments for and against art’s biological purpose, with an emphasis on possible evolutionary explanations. Finally, I will conclude by identifying art as a meme and suggest that consilience, or the bridging of both the arts and sciences, is the key to advancing as a species.
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    Which came first: language or thought?
    (2009) Wizon, Lauren
    The misconception that Eskimos have a multitude of words for “snow” is a popular myth that brings up an interesting aspect on the correlation between language and thought. Do variations in language, such as the number of words for snow, impact our perception to such an extent that language may be a precursor to thought? In fact, Eskimos only have one word for snow, and current research dispels the idea that language solely determines perception1. Although thought exists independently of language, one’s native tongue does impact his or her perception of the world, to a degree.
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    Schizophrenia and modern treatment
    (2009) LeVine, Kimberly
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    Cognitive enhancement
    (2009) Durham, Nigel; Woo, Jen
    If there were a pill that could help you study for hours on end, would you take it? What if you could stay up all night and work without feeling even slightly fatigued? Pharmacological agents that are available today help achieve these effects. Compounds familiar to many, such as Adderall and Ritalin, are found to have widespread and increasing usage on college campuses and within research institutions. However, these drugs aren’t being used to treat their prescribed disorders, but rather have been found to have nootropic effects; these drugs have the ability to enhance “normal” cognitive function of the human brain. This raises many questions, perhaps most importantly, whether or not these medicines, designed to treat mental disorders, should be allowed for the recreational augmentation of healthy individuals’ cognitive abilities.
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    The Nerve, Fall 2009, Issue One
    (2009) Durham, Nigel; Woo, Jen; LeVine, Kimberly; Wizon, Lauren; Ramirez, Steve; Guitchounts, Grigori; Hidlay, Doug; Cooper, Shelly