The astonishing hypothesis : the scientific search for the soul

Traditionally, the human soul is regarded as a nonphysical concept that can only be examined by psychiatrists and theologists. In his new book, The Astonishing Hypothesis, Nobel Laureate Francis Crick boldly straddles the line between science and spirituality by examining the soul from the standpoint of a modern scientist, basing the soul's existence and function on an in-depth examination of how the human brain "sees." Forty Years Ago, Francis Crick, Along With James Watson, Made History With The Discovery Of The Structure Of Dna, Forever Changing Our Understanding Of Life Itself. Now Crick Is Once Again At The Frontier Of Scientific Discovery, Turning His Attention To The Mysteries Of Human Consciousness. Bent On Deciphering The Complexities Of The Brain, Crick Maps Out The Neurobiology Of Vision. The Result Is A Cogent, Witty, And Richly Detailed Analysis Of How The Brain Sees, And A Daring Exploration Of Some Of The Most Fundamental Questions Of Human Existence: Do We Have Free Will? What Exactly Is It That Makes Us Sentient Beings And Different From Other Animals? Is There Such A Thing As A Soul, Or Are We Nothing More Than An Immensely Complex Collection Of Neurons? In This Groundbreaking, Provocative Work, Francis Crick Challenges The Very Foundations Of Current Scientific, Philosophical, And Religious Thought. Introduction -- General Nature Of Consciousness -- Seeing -- Psychology Of Vision -- Attention And Memory -- Perceptual Moment: Theories Of Vision -- Human Brain In Outline -- Neuron -- Types Of Experiment -- Primate Visual System -initial Stages -- Visual Cortex Of Primates -- Brain Damage -- Neural Networks -- Visual Awareness -- Some Experiments -- Mainly Speculation -- Oscillations And Processing Units -- Dr. Crick's Sunday Morning Service. Francis Crick. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 293-300) And Index. In 1953, Francis Crick researched the structure of DNA - forever transforming our understanding of life itself. Now, 31 years after he received the Nobel Prize, Crick turns his attention to the task of understanding human consciousness and asks what makes humans sentient beings?