Ep118 "Why has the brain always been our hardest puzzle?" with Matthew Cobb

In this episode of Inner Cosmos, David Eagleman interviews Matthew Cobb, an evolutionary neurobiologist and historian, about the history of neuroscience and how our understanding of the brain has been shaped by the technologies and metaphors of each era. They discuss how the brain has been compared to hydraulics, electricity, telegraphs, telephone exchanges, and computers, and how each metaphor has provided new insights while also creating blind spots. They delve into specific examples, such as the discovery of the action potential, the influence of phrenology, and the development of the computer, and also touch on current topics such as large language models and the concept of the internal model. The conversation emphasizes the complexity of the brain and the ongoing quest to understand how matter gives rise to mind, acknowledging that our current metaphors may also be limiting our understanding.