/sci/ - Science & Math

Do we really only use 10% of our brains? I think that seems a bit to little. Is it more like 50%?

Why do most people believe we 'are' our brains? What is the most convincing line of evidence for materialism, in your opinion?

ITT: In an effort to stop the cycle of dick-measuring-by-major, we describe our own field of prference and its relevance to our understanding of the natural world. I'll start.

Neuroscience is the science of the nervous system. It ranges from interactions on the molecular level to complete brain function resulting in behavior. It is vital to our understanding of what makes us what we are: sentient beings. It's a field where others meet. Physics, chemistry and social sciences are all integrated. It builds on the knowledge of others and supplies unique findings of its own that are integrated in turn by other fields. My education as a neuroscientist has taught me the value of experimental rigor, logic and even philosophy. But above all, it has taught me more about myself than a thousand years of empty introspection could have.

There's a little rhythm generator in your brain that gets reset by daylight and it's called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (pic related). It has an intrinsic cycle of around 25 hours in which it rhythmically increases and decreases in activity. It projects to the hypothalamus (which is a center in the brain that regulates homeostatic processes and hormones and such) and causes the release of stress hormones to increase during specific periods of the day. That's where the circadian rhythm comes from. When your tired, the suprachiasmatic nucleus is not very active and your hormone levels are such that you can fall asleep (except in periods of stress for instance).