March 27, 2007
Liars, Lovers and Heroes:
Of course what makes Paris such a wonderful city is how all the parts fit together, and the same is true of the brain. Indeed a more apt use of the Parisian brain metaphor might be to think of the prefontal cortex as the Pompidou Center, a piece of modern architecture in the heart of the old city. As we shall see. at the heart of who you are is a complex blend of old and new regions, Picasso-like prefrontal cortex grounded in the old masters of more ancient brain structurs, some of them so old that humans share them with insects
This is a quote from Quartz & Sejnowski's (2002) 'Liars, Lovers and Heros'. It's an excellent book, rallying an impressive range of biological and sociological material to give a nuanced opinion on 'what the new brain science reveals about how we become who we are are' (the book's subtitle). The quote isn't particularly representative, but I enjoyed 'the Parisian Brain metaphor' so much I thought I'd share it!
