It’s the end of Week Six. I’m waiting for the ethics forms for my dissertation, I’m officially inducting people into the role I begun in January and I’m now carrying out work as a Mental Health Support Worker once a week. This week, Sensory and Motor Functions covered Blindsight; which was pretty much too complicated for me to understand, let alone explain. In Neuroscience of Consciousness we discussed the “self” and “free will”. I passed my neuro-anatomy exam with a first: 72% (highest mark of the whole course) and I wish it had been worth a lot of the degree (it was worth 2.7% of the degree). I also posted a rather reflective blog about last week’s placement at the hospital which I feel is important to share. So, here goes for today’s top ten facts, with a little discussion question at the end: -          There are 50 billion neurons, which each talk to 2000 others, in our brain. -          There’s a theory that we all have phantom limbs… it’s just that ours correspond with our real limbs. -          If one person is asked to memorise 4 numbers and another person memorise 8; if both are offered either chocolate cake or fruit salad, the one with 8 will go for cake because the executive mind is too busy remembering numbers to go “wait, we’re on a diet, it’s bad for you” to override the body (which according to our lecturer says CAKE CAKE CAKE all the time). -          I’m going to remember that excuse for the next time I eat junk food. -          The one with 4 numbers has enough room to remember fruit salad is better for you and almost exclusively went for the healthy option. -          If a rubber hand is placed in front of you, and your actual hand hidden behind a screen, and both are touched; you sense the fake hand as your own. -          When you feel the fake hand is your own; your actual hand’s temperature drops! -          And if you make the real hand colder, you’re more likely to think the rubber hand is yours. Even if the rubber hand is a foot away from your actual one. -          Although animals are generally considered to have consciousness, they are not thought to have a “narrative self”, so to have a sense of storyline. “I did this, now I’m doing this, then I’ll do that” as it were. -          Our brains begin to fire for an action before we have consciously chosen to make it, so before we’ve used our “free will” to decide… Discussion In light of that final point, I have a question for you. A lot of scientists have issues with the brain choosing something before ‘we’, as a “conscious self” have chosen to act. In my view, if it’s MY brain making the choice, it’s MY will; just as my subconscious drives me home on an automated route, it’s still ME driving. However, I really want to understand what the other views are. Do you believe in free will as an experience? Ignoring all religious context right now, in being told that your brain fired to move your arm before you decided to reach for your drink; does that count as “not being free will” to you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments and have a good week. – Rose –