Cognitive science is partly defined as the study of thought, learning, and mentalorganization, which are all investigable functions of the human brain. Therefore, byunderstanding the principles of the brain, we can take a step forward in holistically knowing whatthe mind is.Neuroscience and ConsciousnessThe brain is comprised of billions of neurons. Neurons are the fundamental cells in thebrain that communicate to perform most bodily functions and higher-level cognitions. The thingthat makes these cells unique is that they are plastic and able to adapt based on the experiencesthey encounter. Scientists' ability to study the connections and specific importances of groups ofneurons across the brain contributes to the understanding of how humans learn, think, andchange.Various behavioral methods like electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magneticresonance imaging (fMRI) allow us to record neural action in the brain during various tasksrelating to cognitive function. By using these techniques, and others, it has been proven that thefrontal lobe of the brain plays a large part in higher-level cognitive functions like analyzinginformation, solving future problems, developing strategies, and controlling purposeful behaviors.This is significant because lower-level primates do not have developed frontal lobes andtherefore are unable to complete these complex actions. This ability to perform higher-levelfunctions, that aren't simply primitive or instinctive responses, is what makes us distinctlyhuman, and ultimately what composes our unique conscious mind.While neuroscience can solve many questions about what it truly means to be aconscious being (like the ability to control instinctive behaviors), it cannot answer them all. Somehuman functions still remain mysterious because neuroscience can't pin down concepts likefree will or behavioral control. In conclusion, the mind is certainly an emergence from the brain,but it isn't necessarily a distinct subject that can be entirely comprehended by science in today’stime.3
Via Alessandro Cerboni