Why do we think,manipulate,create and learn ideas ?

[rishi.sharma]

Why do we think,manipulate,create and learn ideas ??

Hi,
First of all execuse me if you found me noobish for asking such a question,
However I really want to know about this,

Couple of days ago me and my colleagues were debating on a topic regarding how brain develops ideas, what is basically responsible for something new...

My question is : " How does brain generates new ideas, ?? and does it really generates new ideas, or is it that it tries to learn from billions of years of evolution, or what it is taught , and then learn by experience..??"
My question straight away means that why we are able to think and take actions ??
And what happens to human brain when it comes across something which it is not able to relate with...something totally new ?

// also I wanted to know that how can we say that someone's thought is wrong or right ??
For e.g. say I thought of something , and my brother thought of the same thing but we both generated different results for it...why is it that he was wrong and I was right...

Some may say that I am asking a logical question...but what actually I need is a Medical answer...whether its some sort of chemical reaction , or some sort of "NOISE" produced in brain due to electrical activity , or is it evolution or what..that makes the brain function...Plz give me scientific answer to this...

I also heard about a new electronic device being developed codenamed " SYNAPSE", running at 10hz frequency , and perfroms some of the functions that our brain can...i mean something that makes us human and unique...

Thanks,
Rishi.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

My question is : " How does brain generates new ideas, ?? and does it really generates new ideas, or is it that it tries to learn from billions of years of evolution, or what it is taught , and then learn by experience..??"

How exactly the brain generates awareness or consciousness is still an unknown (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_problem_of_consciousness" shows the anatomy and functions of the brain.

Regarding your question about ideas; the brain definitely generates new ideas. Whilst we are constrained by our biology we can change how we think and what we think about to generate new thoughts and models.

My question straight away means that why we are able to think and take actions ??
And what happens to human brain when it comes across something which it is not able to relate with...something totally new ?

Neural circuits in the brain process sensory input and determine the behaviour of an organism. This is a big question as to how actions are determined, it might be best if you broke it up into specific actions e.g. how does the brain move the arm, and then look it up. I'm not sure what you mean by "totally new" however I would argue that what the individual does is down to their psychology and life experiences rather than the brain itself.

also I wanted to know that how can we say that someone's thought is wrong or right ??
For e.g. say I thought of something , and my brother thought of the same thing but we both generated different results for it...why is it that he was wrong and I was right...

That's down to logic rather than neuroscience (unless one of you has a condition that's affecting cognitive function.

Some may say that I am asking a logical question...but what actually I need is a Medical answer...whether its some sort of chemical reaction , or some sort of "NOISE" produced in brain due to electrical activity , or is it evolution or what..that makes the brain function...Plz give me scientific answer to this...

I'm not sure what you are trying to ask to be honest, you've thrown a lot of vague and general questions and statements out. When you next post please be clearer and write in a proper manner; get rid of the extended "..." and incoherent statements.

I also heard about a new electronic device being developed codenamed " SYNAPSE", running at 10hz frequency , and perfroms some of the functions that our brain can...i mean something that makes us human and unique...

Perhaps you are referring to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SyNAPSE" ? This is an attempt to build a computer whose physical components behave in a manner similar to a brain.

 

[atyy]

Neuronal noise is thought to generate "new ideas" in "trial and error learning" in some cases. The best action is selected by a form of reinforcement learning. http://www.jneurosci.org/content/30/25/8400.long

The ability to learn is a form of phenotypic plasticity that may have been selected for during evolution. http://jeb.biologists.org/content/209/12/i.full

 

[Pythagorean]

It's generally accepted that a lot of our abstract thinking comes from our interactions with space:

some examples:
http://knowgramming.com/examples.htm

Even time is thought, by many, to be conceived by humans with the help of spatial metaphor.

Time in the mind: Using space to think about time
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001002770700087X

Metaphoric structuring: understanding time through spatial metaphors
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027799000736

Of course, we use other metaphors from our sensory experience, too. Personalities can be cold or warm, feelings can be painful or soothing, comments can be rough or smooth.

But pitch is another one that might have a lot of understanding that comes from our experiences with space:

Spatial representation of pitch height: the SMARC effect
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027705000260

Neuronal noise is thought to generate "new ideas" in "trial and error learning" in some cases. The best action is selected by a form of reinforcement learning. http://www.jneurosci.org/content/30/25/8400.long

The ability to learn is a form of phenotypic plasticity that may have been selected for during evolution. http://jeb.biologists.org/content/209/12/i.full

That's interesting. It reminds me of a newborn, limbs kind of randomly flailing about, until her fingers brush against something; then her eyes light up and she flails around randomly some more. A week later she can suddenly grab things.

 

[atyy]

That's interesting. It reminds me of a newborn, limbs kind of randomly flailing about, until her fingers brush against something; then her eyes light up and she flails around randomly some more. A week later she can suddenly grab things.

There's lots of interesting bird song research on variability and learning in young and adult birds: http://jn.physiology.org/content/104/5/2474.long

 

[rishi.sharma]

Thanks for lot for the answers.
Your replies(Specially the resources & links),were helpful for me, clearing few of my doubts.