Introducing the brain: it anticipates senses (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, May 14, 2019, 15:13 (2018 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: When you anticipate a certain taste, you may be surprised at what happens:

https://www.quantamagazine.org/brains-speed-up-perception-by-guessing-whats-next-20190502/

QUOTE: "Imagine picking up a glass of what you think is apple juice, only to take a sip and discover that it’s actually ginger ale. Even though you usually love the soda, this time it tastes terrible. That’s because context and internal states, including expectation, influence how all animals perceive and process sensory information, explained Alfredo Fontanini, a neurobiologist at Stony Brook University in New York. In this case, anticipating the wrong stimulus leads to a surprise, and a negative response.

DAVID: This does not show that the brain is in charge of us. It shows that the brain sets up networks to help us by anticipating the next step in the sensory process. This is built into the brain's designed activity.

dhw: But it does not show us that the brain is NOT in charge of us. It merely tells us that there are different forms of interaction either between the brain and the so-called soul (dualism), or between different parts of the brain if one believes that the brain is the source of thought (materialism).

But as I view my use of the brain, it seems to me I introduce my thoughts, just as I purposely answered you by creating this sentence. Since I use my brain as I wish, I have free will.