The human brain is
a most
complicated structure. Though it weights about three pounds, it is composed of
more than ten billion neurons, each of which makes more than five thousand
connections with other neurons. That allows for something on the order of a
hundred trillion synaptic connections. These connections seem to produce
sensation, motor activity, autonomic control, thought, memory, learning,
emotion, and the mysterious phenomenon called consciousness. We students of
the neurosciences seek to learn more about this magnificent structure by
examining the brain from every possible direction. In this issue of The
Harvard BRAIN, a number of essays, written by students at Harvard College,
demonstrate the breadth of neuroscientific investigation. The opening pages
introduce the new interdisciplinary insights of the Mind, Brain, and Behavior
Initiative. There are features that will provide you with a new perspective on
the biological basis of sign language, left-handedness, and suicide. We have
pieces that address challenging questions in neuroscience like the binding
problem, consciousness, and the evolution of primate intelligence. We hope
you enjoy our publication.
Amy Herman, Editor
Copyright © 1995, Harvard Undergraduate Society for Neuroscience
All Rights Reserved
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