The neurons that shaped civilization – Because our brain is considered the most amazing and difficult thing to understand in the world. The set of ideas that are difficult to calculate and the many phenomena within the brain are expressed in various forms. The amazing evolution and culture that are continuously advancing come from this lump of tissue that we call “brain”.
Vilayanur Ramachandran is a neuroscientist who specializes in the brain. He looks deep into the fundamental mechanisms of the brain. His frequent work with people with specific mental disabilities has allowed him to map the workings of the mind to the physical structure of the brain. In his TEDIndia 2009 talk, The neurons that shaped civilization, he described a fascinating class of brain cells called mirror neurons.
“The brain is a lump of flesh that weighs about three pounds.”
Ramachandran says he was studying the human brain as part of a research project at the University of California. The brain is a lump of flesh that weighs about three pounds, or 1.36 kilograms, a weight and size that you could easily fit in your palm. But who would have thought that this lump of flesh could think beyond the palm of your hand to the universe? It can think of infinite numbers, ask itself the meaning of existence, and even the nature of belief in a god.
“This is the most amazing and mysterious thing that humans have ever encountered.”
As everyone has learned in science or biology, the human brain is made up of many nerve cells. If you ask how many, just think that a working-age person has a brain made up of 1,000 million nerve cells, and each cell communicates or connects 1,000-10,000 times with the surrounding nerve cells. Someone has calculated that the number of diversity resulting from the communication of these brain cells is more than the number of all the basic elements in the universe.
The discovery of mirror neurons
Giacomo Rizzolatti, a researcher in Parma, Italy, and his team have discovered that there are groups of neurons, which they call mirror neurons, in the frontal hemispheres of the brain. Another type of neuron, which they call general motor neurons, is also found in the frontal hemispheres of the brain. These neurons have been known for more than 50 years.
“General motor neuron”
These neurons are only fired when the owner’s body performs certain actions. For example, when we reach out to grab an apple on the table, the general motor neuron immediately fires. And if we reach out to pull something after grabbing the apple, another neuron immediately fires to successfully pull the object. All of these actions are carried out by the group of general motor neurons that we have known for a long time.
“This is the real magic of mirror neurons.”
What Rizzolatti found was that a subset of these neurons, about 20 percent, might be firing when you’re watching someone else do the same thing. Even though you’re not reaching out for something yourself, you’re just watching the person next to you or the person opposite you reach out for something. This part of the brain is firing in the same way that it would be if you were reaching out for something yourself. This is because these neurons are acting as if they’re making the other person’s story their own. In other words, these neurons are simulating the same action as if they were doing the same thing to the person they’re watching.
“Why are mirror neurons important?
Mirror neurons are involved in imitation and copying behaviors. Because imitating someone is a complex task, it requires immersion in the worldview of another person. Therefore, imitation and copying behaviors are important.
Phenomena related to human culture
If we look back about 75,000 years or 100,000 years ago, we will find that 75,000 years ago something very interesting happened, which was the evolution and expansion of a number of new skills that are considered unique to humans, such as the use of labor-saving tools, the use of fire, the knowledge of building shelters, important things like the use of language, and the ability to read minds and interpret other people’s body language.
“The evolutionary leap has been made by humans, whose brains have always been the same size.”
The interesting evolution 75,000 years ago was very rapid. Although from the past to the present, the human brain has always been the same size, but at that time it was amazing that human evolution could develop so quickly. What is interesting about the evolution that occurred at that time is the rapid development of mirror neurons, which allow you to imitate the behavior of others. For example, when incredible discoveries occurred at that time unexpectedly, such as the first use of fire or the use of labor-saving devices by accident, instead of these things being just accidents and being forgotten, they spread so quickly that there was imitation of behavior and the transmission of that knowledge to the entire population, including the efficient transmission of knowledge from generation to generation.
“Lamarck’s children spent a single day learning how to kill a polar bear to make clothes, while Darwin’s polar bear took over a hundred thousand years to turn white.”
The research on mirror neurons shows that human evolution is Lamarckian, meaning that living things can pass on newly acquired characteristics to their offspring, not Darwinian, where living things evolve through natural selection. As we know, Darwinian theory is a slow evolution that takes more than a hundred thousand years. It takes thousands of generations of offspring, or about a hundred thousand years, for polar bears to have white fur. In fact, a child can watch his parents kill polar bears, and when he grows up, he can follow suit and skin his hands to make clothes.
“Mirror neurons for touch”
In addition to mirror neurons for behavioral imitation, we also have neurons for touch. For example, when someone touches us, mirror neurons immediately sense that touch. Even when we see someone else being touched, these neurons also give us the sensation of being touched. Different groups of neurons are responsible for touching different places.
“Why, when we see someone else being touched, we don’t feel shocked and actually feel the sensation of being touched?”
The reason we don’t really feel touch is because we have touch and pain receptors hidden beneath our skin. The sensations are sent to our brain, so that our brain tells us, “Don’t worry, you’re not really touched.” So what you do is understand the feelings of the person in front of you, but you don’t have to feel the same way as them. If you don’t, you may become confused and agitated. This is the brain’s response that stops the work of mirror neurons.
“The only thing that stands between you and another person is your skin or body. Try to pretend that there is no body in the way. You will be able to sense the touch from the other person with your own mind.”
If someone cuts your arm in half, your arm will be numb because your nerves are cut off, so no sensory information is sent to your brain. But if you see someone touch your hand, even though your arm is cut off, you will regain the feeling of being touched. In other words, this breaks down the barrier between you and your fellow human beings. Ramachandran calls these nerve cells “empathy neurons.”
“You have finally broken down the barriers between human beings.”
This is not a meaningless or empty philosophy, but a philosophy based on basic neuroscience. So you have to believe that Ramachandran had patients who had no arms or legs, but they could still feel invisible touches on their arms or legs by watching others touch them. What’s even more amazing is that when you feel pain in your invisible limbs, you only need to reach out and massage the arm or leg of the person in front of you. It appears that it relieves the pain in your invisible limbs as well.
Conclusion
Even if you are isolated from the outside world or society to explore the world and other human beings on it, the truth is that you are not only connected by the internet or Facebook. You are also connected by the neurons of empathy. Whether you are in the classroom, at work, in the forest, on the mountain, all are full of neurons of empathy. Importantly, your consciousness is not separated from the consciousness of others in the least.
CP. Snow said, “Science is one thing and humanity is another. They cannot walk together.” But what Ramachandran found is that the neurons of empathy are the link that allow science and humanity to walk together. It makes you rethink human consciousness, existence, what separates you from other people, your compassion for others, and the evolution of human civilization and culture. Because this is the uniqueness of us as humans.
“This is the foundation of Eastern philosophy: nothing exists by itself.”
Reference:
The neurons that shaped civilization | VS Ramachandran
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