|
How does the brain store memory? Many theories located memory
in a specific area of the brain -- until the development of the hologram, a three-dimensional
image produced by wavefront reconstruction. Holograms can be made to mimic many
brain activities, suggesting that the brain "encodes" memory in a similar
way. Memory thus may depend on wave-pulse relationships rather than on
specific parts of the brain. In this witty, imaginative,
and provocative book, Professor Paul Pietsch describes the hologramic theory of
memory and tells how his experiments with Punky, Julius, and Cyclops (his pet
salamander larvae) have demonstrated that parts of a brain may be reshuffled without
scrambling the meaning of the information it stores, thus convincing him of the
validity of the hologramic theory and of its widespread revolutionary implications.
Shufflebrain recounts one dedicated scientist's conversion
from confirmed anatomist to wondering believer in a daring theory. As the tale
unfolds, the reader witnesses first-hand the mysterious, quirky, altogether human
processes of experimental science: its trials, its frustrations, its unequaled
joys. Along the way, Professor Pietsch also explains, in terms that the common
reader can understand, recent developments in mathematics and physics that bear
on his shufflebrain research. His book will enthrall anyone who is interested
in adventure, exploration, or new ideas, for it opens up thrilling new vistas
on the most exciting frontier in science today: the human mind. Paul
Pietsch is Professor of Anatomy and Chairman of the Department of Basic Health
Sciences at the Indiana University School of Optometry. He earned his A.B. at
Syracuse University and his Ph.D. in anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania.
His research in developmental biology has focused mainly on regeneration and memory.
The author of many scientific articles, Professor Pietsch has also written for
popular magazines. His Harper's article on his shufflebrain research won
the American Medical Association's 1972 Medical Journalism Award. Professor Pietsch
and his shufflebrain work have also been the subject of a segment of the CBS television
program 60 Minutes. He and his family live in Bloomington, Indiana. |
