The Birth of the Mind : How a Tiny Number of Genes Creates The Complexities of Human Thought

In __The Birth of the Mind__, award-winning cognitive scientist Gary Marcus irrevocably alters the nature vs. nurture debate by linking the findings of the Human Genome project to the development of the brain.Startling findings have recently revealed that the genome is much smaller than we once thought, containing no more than 30,000-40,000 genes. Since this discovery, scientists have struggled to understand how such a tiny number of genes could contain the instructions for building the human brain, arguably the most complex device in the known universe. Synthesizing up-to-the-minute biology with his own original findings on child development, Marcus is the first to resolve this apparent contradiction by chronicling exactly how genes create the infinite complexities of the human mind. Along the way, he dispels the common misconceptions people harbor about genes, and explores the stunning implications of this research for the future of genetic engineering.Vibrantly written and completely accessible to the lay reader, __The Birth of the Mind__ will forever change the way we think about our origins and ourselves. In The Birth Of The Mind, Award-winning Cognitive Scientist Gary Marcus Irrevocably Alters The Nature Vs. Nurture Debate By Linking The Findings Of The Human Genome Project To The Development Of The Brain. Scientists Have Long Struggled To Understand How A Tiny Number Of Genes Could Contain The Instructions For Building The Human Brain, Arguably The Most Complex Device In The Known Universe. Synthesizing Up-to-the-minute Research With His Own Original Findings On Child Development, Marcus Is The First To Resolve This Apparent Contradiction. Vibrantly Written And Completely Accessible To The Lay Reader, The Birth Of The Mind Will Forever Change The Way We Think About Our Origins And Ourselves. The First Book To Show Precisely How Genes Build The Wonders Of The Human Brain, And Why The Human Genome Project Could Radically Alter Our View Of The World. Neither Is Better -- Born To Learn -- Brain Storms -- Aristotle's Impetus -- Copernicus's Revenge -- Wiring The Mind -- The Evolution Of Mental Genes -- Paradox Lost -- Final Frontiers -- Appendix: Methods For Reading The Genome. Gary Marcus. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 209-257) And Indexes. In The Birth of the Mind, award-winning cognitive scientist Gary Marcus irrevocably alters the nature vs. nurture debate by linking the findings of the Human Genome project to the development of the brain. Startling findings have recently revealed that the genome is much smaller than we once thought, containing no more than 30,000-40,000 genes. Since this discovery, scientists have struggled to understand how such a tiny number of genes could contain the instructions for building the human brain, arguably the most complex device in the known universe. Synthesizing up-to-the-minute biology with his own original findings on child development, Marcus is the first to resolve this apparent contradiction by chronicling exactly how genes create the infinite complexities of the human mind. Along the way, he dispels the common misconceptions people harbor about genes, and explores the stunning implications of this research for the future of genetic engineering. Vibrantly written and completely accessible to the lay reader, The Birth of the Mind will forever change the way we think about our origins and ourselves. "The human genome project has blazed new trails in medical science and genetic research. We know that within hours of their birth, babies can recognize faces, connect what they hear with what they see and tell the difference between Dutch and Japanese. Our genes prepare us to observe the world; they shape the finest details of the human brain. But as far as psychology is concerned, writes award-winning cognitive scientist Gary Marcus, "it's almost as if Watson and Crick never met DNA."" "With The Birth of the Mind, Marcus enters the nature vs. nurture debate and changes it forever. Genetics isn't destiny, but the only way to know what nature brings to the table, he argues, is to take a look at what genes actually do."--Jacket CONTENTS 6 Acknowledgments 8 1 Neither Is Better 12 2 Born to Learn 26 3 Brain Storms 42 4 Aristotle鈥檚 Impetus 58 5 Copernicus鈥檚 Revenge 78 6 Wiring the Mind 100 7 The Evolution of Mental Genes 122 8 Paradox Lost 158 9 Final Frontiers 176 Appendix: Methods for Reading the Genome 190 Glossary 202 Notes 220 References 238 Index 270 Name Index 280 FRANCIS CRICK, codiscoverer of the structure of DNA, recently ar in his book The Astonishing Hypothesis that the activity in our minds has its basis in our brains: "To understand ourselves, we must understand how nerve cells behave and how they interact."