[Neuroscience] Re: foundations of intelligence

[konstantin kouzovnikov]

Dear Peter, John, and now Ray:

Thank you very much for this rare opportunity to experience an exchange 
which is borderlining intellectual hedonism. Your recent postings remind me 
the joy of reading Hermann Hesse too many moons ago and his Game of Beats (? 
I am translating from Russian). The straggle to wrap up the thought into 
something valid is enourmous.. However, I would fish out from this little 
exchange the following:

1. It looks like the old "reptilian brain" concept produced by an American 
with the lastname of Yakovlev is back on the table. (well, just like good 
jazz good things never go away totally, or do they?)
2. The old developmental ideas assuming that the motor developmental 
development somehow contributes to cognitive development is also back, 
especially with all this jazz now wrapped up in to the skins of "mirror 
neurons" which enevitably lead to M. Arbib's proposal of motor background of 
the language function development while Chirs Frith eloquently showed 
exactly the motor sensory impairment as the only impairment trully 
correlating with the  psychosis of limb alien control.
3. In the past two years there were several independent epidemiological 
studies (see Books etal) that somehow point out that at the earliest stages 
of what we call schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, in all three cases 
the motor symptoms showing up first...

So, it is not all just blogging away. I do see here one part that is, as my 
old prof from Leningrad State Boris Vekker would say, "invariant" 
content-wise: we are on the same path of "visualizing" the reality. Talking 
about it. ... it's a different matter. My grandma used to say: men? they 
understand everything, the problem is they can't say it..

I think we just need to continue the Hesse's games. I think it is beyond the 
simple fact that it is a fun thing to do. There is this slow-slow progress 
about which Peter wrote so timely...

Again, thanks for the oppotunity to witness the play of your minds (or your 
soul?)! I would need to study John's recent posting for at least 6 months 
(thanks, man!). Ray, it was great to get your input: down to earth, laconic, 
and matter of fact. I hope you do have a chance to teach... like in making a 
living.
Have a great weekend!
Konstantin

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