X-Message-Number: 19330 Date: Sat, 22 Jun 2002 09:08:25 -0400 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: CryoNet #19323 - #19328 A bit more on electrical activity in our brains: Ben Best in his discussion of this issue states that our memories occur because of changes in the strength of synapses. This is a popular view but there is some strong experimental evidence against it when you look up close at operating neurons this idea, though very popular, looks false. I have been discussing this issue in PERIASTRON. One reference to look at is the Journal of Neuroscience 23(3)(2002) in which several prominent researchers discuss the evidence against the notion that our brains and synapses remain the same. The recent PERIASTRON which I sent out has information on synapses. Apparently squirrels, when hibernating, lose almost all their synapses (for instance). I will give this reference in a later message tonight (I'll have to look at a disk, which is hard to do in the middle of writing a message). Just exactly how our memory works remains unknown. However it looks like the old theory of Hebb (which Ben Best summarized, and which remains popular among neuroscientists) has started to break down as we become able to look experimentally at this question. (to be continued) Best wishes and long long life for all, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=19330