The brain seems to carry out nearly all its sensory perception using generic, interchangeable modules, each of which learns (from scratch) to represent and process whatever signals it is exposed to. But what does each module actually do?

Jeff Hawkins urges us to take a new look at the brain — to see it as a memory system that stores and plays back experiences to help us predict, intelligently, what will happen next.

Fibromyalgia patients showed a strong correlation of dopamine metabolism levels and gray matter density in parts of the brain in which dopamine controls neurological activity.

It’s not mindreading but scientists can use high-resolution brain scans to identify activity patterns that develop into thought patterns, revealing what a person plans to do in the near future.

Open individuals have an affinity for liberal, progressive, left-wing political views, they like a society which is open and changing, whereas closed individuals prefer conservative, traditional, right-wing views.