Reductionism is the idea of understanding phenomena by breaking them down into small parts, but it may not fully explain the complexity of things like human biology.
Myths, even if not entirely true, can serve as memory technologies and offer meaning and context to cultures.
Reductionism can limit scientific imagination, lead to misconceptions about theory and experiment relations, and impact how individuals perceive their own agency and the solutions to societal problems.
Neuroscientists explore a wide variety of interesting questions about brains and behavior beyond just imitating human intelligence or achieving cognitive enhancement.
There is value in focusing on medium-sized scientific questions that are scientifically well-posed, of general interest, and can lead to more specific experimental questions and philosophical speculations.
Topics like sensory substitution, fading percepts, and hyperacuity offer concrete questions for researchers to investigate, such as understanding how signals in the brain enable new senses, how eye movements affect visual experience, and how human vision surpasses the limits of individual retinal cells.
The amygdala in the brain has distinct chambers and intercalated masses that play a significant role in emotional processing.
Modeling neuroscience phenomena with computational tools can reveal insights that traditional methods might miss.
Intercalation, like adding leap days to calendars, highlights the need to adjust rational models to account for unforeseen circumstances and maintain coherence.