Edge #578: Hands On - Patricia S. Churchland

News from Edge To arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves. April 27, 2021 [Hands On]( Patricia S. Churchland During my first neuroanatomy lecture, the patient presented to us was a former dean of the medical school who had suffered a small brainstem stroke. As he started to identify the stroke location, the former dean suddenly began to sob piteously. Deeply concerned, we waited in utter stillness a long minute until, abruptly, his sobbing stopped. Unbothered by the interlude, he calmly went on to explain that the episode was caused by the stroke—damage to a tiny region of the brainstem which released reflexive crying when triggered by high levels of adrenalin. Conscious control was futile. A not uncommon sequel of a brainstem stroke, the condition is known as pseudobulbar affect. Adding to our bewilderment, he commented, almost as an aside, that throughout the crying episode he had felt no sadness whatever, though he did admit to finding pseudobulbar affect a nuisance. This was the first result in my new neurophilosophical world: The disconnect between despondent behavior and despondent emotions was the sort of event that many philosophers, trusting entirely in their own imagination, said was inconceivable and could not happen. But it did happen, right before our wondering eyes. This was the first of a host of “philosophically impossible” revelations from brain-damaged patients. PATRICIA S. CHURCHLAND is professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of California, San Diego, and adjunct professor at the Salk Institute. Her research has centered on the interface between neuroscience and philosophy, with a current focus on the association of morality and the social brain. She is the author of Conscience: The Origins of Moral Intuition. [ [Continue...]( ] Edge Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit private operating foundation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. [EDGE.ORG]( John Brockman, Editor and Publisher; Russell Weinberger, Associate Publisher; Nina Stegeman, Associate Editor Copyright (c) 2021 by Edge Foundation, Inc., 260 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001. All Rights Reserved. --------------------------------------------------------------- Visit [edge.org]( "Fabulous" —The New York Times • "Thrilling" —Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung • "Wonderful" —The Wall Street Journal • "Fantastically Stimulating" —BBC Radio 4 • "Astounding" —The Boston Globe • "Splendidly enlightened" —The Independent • "Audacious" —La Vanguardia • "Brilliant" —The Sunday Times • "Enthralling" —The Daily Mail • "Exhilarating" —The Evening Standard • "Stunning" —New Scientist • "Enjoyable" —Salon • "Provocative" —La Stampa • "Marvelous" —Prospect • "Awesome" —Wired • "The brightest minds in the known universe" —Vanity Fair • "A lavish cerebral feast" —The Atlantic • "An intellectual treasure trove" —San Francisco Chronicle • "The world's smartest website" —The Guardian --------------------------------------------------------------- Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](