On great minds and great men Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people. I used to like that quote because it was often effective in stroking my ego. My natural inclination has always been to debate ideas, to devalue stories, and to detest gossip. Oh, what a great mind I must be! Yet what disposition of curiosity is actually revealed here? Apparently, I'm highly interested in abstract thinking, less interested in concrete events, and least interested … [Read more...]
The Bayesian Brain: Placebo Effects Explained
In a recent article on predictive processing, I presented the Bayesian brain theory, which promises to explain everything about the brain and cognition. If true, the theory should be able to unravel some of the mysteries of the human mind. How is it possible, for instance, that a sham surgery and an actual arthroscopy for knee arthritis produce indistinguishable healing effects (Moseley et al. 2002)? And how could a surgeon in World War II operate on wounded soldiers with saltwater after he … [Read more...]
The Bayesian Brain: An Introduction to Predictive Processing
The greatest theory of all time? The more I learn about the Bayesian brain, the more it seems to me that the theory of predictive processing is about as important for neuroscience as the theory of evolution is for biology, and that Bayes' law is about as important for cognitive science as the Schrödinger equation is for physics. That is quite an ambitious statement: if our brains really are Bayesian, which is to say that predictive processing is the fundamental principle of cognition, it … [Read more...]
6 Reasons Why People Use Moral Language
Why do we use moral language? Hello, I'm Dom and I am a human. Like other humans, I play the language-game of morality. I say things like, "Lying is bad," "You ought not to steal," "Rape is immoral," "Sadistic psychopaths are evil," "Abortion is ethical," "Euthanasia is morally right," and "A government should express the will of the people." But why do I talk like that? What am I trying to communicate with such statements? More generally, what's the use of moral words? Let's look at six … [Read more...]
Is Willpower a Cognitive Strength?
Willpower is the ability to pursue long-term goals in spite of inner obstacles created by needs, desires (cravings), thoughts (excuses), and automatisms (bad habits). We know from ample empirical data that willpower is key for financial, social, and personal success. But where does this ability to control ourselves come from? Executive Functions Adult humans have a highly developed prefrontal cortex, which makes us exceptionally good at executive functioning. Executive functions are cognitive … [Read more...]
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