Ep 198: A rough sketch or two, of you, inside of you.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:59 — 12.2MB) | Embed
A rough sketch or two, of you, inside of you.
Inside your brain, there are individual neurons that correspond to specific places on your body. If you figure out which cell goes to what part, you’ll notice that the map in your brain looks like a nightmare sketch of you, drawn by a mad artist who’s only heard of humans by rough description. The body and legs are way too small, the hands are huge, your lips are oversized, and your face is upside-down. Today, Phil and I talk about these parts of the brain, with many side trips and much confusion.
Here’s a link about the same sort of rough map of the body in humans and a few other animals.
Mouseunculus: How The Brain Draws A Little You
Here’s a link about body representation in invertebrates, and the special case of the octopus, who doesn’t seem to have a map of it’s body in its brain.
A new perspective on the organization of an invertebrate brain