Author Description

Continuing the quest toward discovering our place in the universe, The Enchanted Loom sheds light on one of the most fascinating and mysterious problems ever faced by humankind, namely, the understanding of our own minds. Written by an international team of scientists, The Enchanted Loom offers a sweeping look at the history of neuroscience from the philosophy of Aristotle to the advent of artificial intelligence. This collection of accessible, intriguing essays is supplemented by over 350 spectacular illustrations, many in color, with thorough and informative captions written by the scientists themselves. The authors discuss Descartes's contributions to thought about the brain alongside brilliant artistic studies of the central nervous system that he and masters like da Vinci executed. They show how phrenology--the long discredited study of the relationship between skull shape and mental faculties--actually represented a breakthrough in thinking about localized brain functions, and how the advent of the microscope and other equipment led to new discoveries. The contributors--including Larry Squire on memory, Solomon Snyder on psychopharmacology, and John Dowling on vision--bring the story up to the present day, unfolding the emergence of the modern neurosciences, advances in molecular biology, and the debate over how infants learn language. In addition, the book offers a short history of computers and recent thought about whether the mind works like computer software. Colorful, intelligent, informative, The Enchanted Loom offers an authoritative and enjoyable look at the history of a complex and fascinating science.