Throughout history, bravely exploring the depths of one's heart has been seen as an act of arrogance. Shakespeare expresses this sentiment profoundly in Hamlet when he confronts the man who "wants to pull out my mysterious heart". Now, however, through the in-depth study of the brain, we are dissecting ourselves, revealing new insights into the mysteries of the mind that science has revealed.
Hello Brain! is a new exhibition presented by the Francis Crick Institute that celebrates the desecration of the depths of the mind and reveals multiple ways to unravel the mysteries of the mind. The researchers found that the mice had brain changes during pregnancy, highlighting that maternal instinct is not only a mental calling, but also a neurochemical command. This discovery challenges the long-held notion that you can only see the depths of your heart from within.
The findings in the exhibition support the emerging scientific consensus that we produce more hallucinations than we think. Studies of birds learning new songs in their sleep have shown that unconscious thinking is essential for learning and memory consolidation. As fascinating as these findings are, we cannot ignore the potential to upend our beliefs about ourselves and our humanity.
As brain science advances, so do our traditional notions of human nature. Research into free will shows that the brain appears to be a machine and we just follow its commands. This raises concerns about existentialism, and as we learn more about our brains, our comforting perceptions of ourselves may be gradually lost.
However, even if science reveals our essence as biological machines, we should not ignore human uniqueness. Similarities with other animals make us responsible for their well-being, but our self-awareness and ability to think are unique. Rather than depriving us of everything we cherish, scientific discoveries allow us to better understand our own wonders.
While delving deeper into the brain, we found that consciousness itself has also become more complex. We are no longer a simple, unified center of experience, but rather multiple processes running in parallel. Such discoveries allow us to better understand the mysteries of the science of mind and challenge traditional notions of the existence of consciousness.
While science has made great strides in unlocking the mysteries of the mind, there are still many unsolved mysteries. However, this should not send us into a panic, but rather give us a better understanding of the uniqueness of human beings. Crick's exhibition takes us to a deeper level of cognition, leaving us both extraordinary and more understanding of what makes us so magical.