Staff Picks: Books
Staff-recommended reading from the
KPL catalog.
Teaming with potential for medical breakthrough, Beyond Boundaries by neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis discusses research in neurophysiology and "brain-machine interfaces" (BMIs). The book starts out by explaining how single neurons do not intrinsically process brain activity such as a thought or action, but how brain processes consist of many neurons working as a functional unit. For example, there is no single neuron contains the memory of a Grandmother’s face; one's memories emerge from fields of neurons firing in unified patterns. In addition, the author explains how most brain functions (like memory) are not located in specific anatomical regions, but rather in dynamic patterns of functional activity spread across various regions the brain.
By developing methods for recording and computing detailed patterns of large scale neuronal activity, Nicolelis and other researchers have trained animals to articulately control machine limbs through brain activity alone, i.e. without moving their physical bodies. This BMI research has exciting implications, for example in cases where individuals have lost the function of their legs due to spinal cord damage. Soon they may be equipped with wearable, exoskeleton suits that drive their legs in locomotion by directly reading their brain's neuronal firings. Ideally, such an interface would not require brain implants to record the high-resolution neural activity necessary for tasks like balancing and walking. The author concludes with fascinating speculations on where brain interface technology may lead us and how it might transform our society in centuries to come.
I found Beyond Boundaries to be comprehensive and engaging, but I occasionally had to push myself through the many research details until I approached the more exciting results and conclusions. While reading, I conjured ideas about how such advances might be used in conjunction with virtual worlds and virtual instruments. I imagined people training themselves to control many-limbed digital avatars, or playing virtual instruments with new and unimagined levels of control and articulation. In truth, some of the ideas illustrated in this book are so immense that I have yet to finish digesting them, and I might have to re-read a few chapters to gain a complete picture. But the book is fairly accessible to the general reader, and I would recommend it anyone interested in neuroscience, engineering, or future interfaces.
Book
Beyond boundaries : the new neuroscience of connecting brains with machines--and how it will change our lives
9780805090529
How does creativity work? Moreover, how do we harness creativity, both individually and as a group? These are the questions explored in the book Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer, contributing editor at Wired magazine and author of Proust Was a Neuroscientist and How We Decide.
The book is divided into two parts, “Alone” and “Together,” where Alone uses current brain research to discuss individual creativity, and Together explores history to uncover the roots of societal and group creativity. In Alone, Lehrer distinguishes two types of individual creativity. The first is what I call the “Aha!” creativity. These Eureka moments occur most often when one is not overly-focused, letting one’s mind drift and broaden enough to make subtle connections between seemingly-unrelated points of knowledge. In contrast, the second type of individual creativity is reminiscent of the Thomas Edison’s quote, “Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.” That is, in order to materialize one’s new ideas and Eureka moments, one must maintain enough focus and persistence to carry the concept to completion. While these two creative processes, non-focused and hyper-focused, may inhibit one another, they are complementary ways for an individual's creative ideas to be realized.
In part two, Together, Lehrer discusses how creative outputs of societies and organizations often depend on how they are structured, both physically and socially. For example, the dynamics of cities with high population densities almost force their inhabitants to interact with a diverse range of people and ideas, enabling various forms of thought and action to synergize in new ways. On a smaller scale, companies have gone so far as to design their campus architecture in ways that maximize casual communication and idea sharing among disparate departments. There is even historical evidence to show that groups seeking competitive advantage by hiding their innovations from one another (with non-disclosure agreements, etc.) actually hamper the group's own creative potential in the long run. These are fascinating conclusions for both groups and individuals about how diverse experiences and cooperation are often invaluable for creativity.
In conclusion, I’ve learned a lot about "how creativity works." The main concepts I’ve gleaned from Imagine are: on a personal level, a state of non-focus (almost akin to boredom) allows one to see the big picture and let those “Aha!” moments arise. On the other hand, many incredible works of art, literature, and science have been created by persistent focus and sustained concentration. On a social level, exposure to new ways of doing and thinking—often through unintended or casual collaboration—is the best way to create novel concepts among groups. Imagine helped me understand the creative process and gave me some new ideas of my own.
I note that, in "reading" the audiobook version of Imagine, this is the first audiobook I’ve heard that was narrated by the author themself. Thereby, I have no basis for comparison, but if you’re interested in the audio version of this book, I think that the author does a pretty good job of narrating the stories, conversations, and research throughout.
Publication Issues: Self-Plagiarizing and Quote Fabrication
Imagine—or rather, its author’s reputation—has been marred in the media by the author’s oversight on two critical publishing issues. The first is that Lehrer “self-plagiarized” by virtually cut-and-pasting portions of his magazine articles into the book without citations. Second – and most infamous – is his fabrication of a quote by folk rock legend Bob Dylan. It seems that, in centering the first few chapters of the book on Bob Dylan’s creative process, Lehrer basically conjured up a short but non-existent quote by the artist, perhaps to bring the narrative together. Not a good move.
Jonah Lehrer, as a fairly young but brilliant journalist and author, received ample notoriety and job opportunities prior to finishing Imagine. Did Lehrer simply stretch himself too thin as an impressive new writer? Whatever the case, I strongly think that (omitting the Dylan quote) Imagine is an excellent book that I would strongly recommend to readers interested in the creative mind, the artistic process, and the ways that groups can innovate.
Book
Imagine : how creativity works
9780547386072