tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9048879464910781933.post3742832390403069238..comments2023-10-12T00:25:24.119-07:00Comments on Talking Brains: Mirror neuron surveyGreg Hickokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16656473495682901613noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9048879464910781933.post-46810858444326901482013-08-09T15:12:18.810-07:002013-08-09T15:12:18.810-07:00If mirror neurons didn't exist we would be pra...If mirror neurons didn't exist we would be practically forced to invent them as something must be enabling many of the associations, models, or understandings we have from our senses.<br /><br />Broadly congruent MNs actually make this far more sensible -- not less so -- in that we don't need to perform most actions precisely as we see others do that action but rather as we need to perceive the GOAL of the action which is what resonates in the BCMNs.<br /><br />If translating a specific action into a general goal is NOT some (reasonable and practical) form of "understanding" then what WOULD constitute understanding?<br /><br />And of course the strictly congruent MNs are for those cases where we must learn a precise, or relatively precise, action.<br /><br />When most people watch someone else dive into a swimming pool they will see simply a dive, or maybe even something as 'broad' a 'jump' or 'entrance into the water'.<br /><br />A skilled diver may notice that it was a piked dive (e.g., jack knife).<br /><br />Progressively more refined SCMN allow for the latter and BCMN allow for the former.<br />HerbMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08369959595568152372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9048879464910781933.post-61277883056900115082008-06-07T05:26:00.000-07:002008-06-07T05:26:00.000-07:00I think the biggest problem for this theory is the...I think the biggest problem for this theory is the presence of broadly congruent mirror neurones. These cells broadly match executed actions to a range of similar observed actions. In fact from what we know about macaque mirror neurones (which is not a great deal considering how much we 'know' about human mirror neurones) broadly congruent cells out number strictly congruent cells. <BR/><BR/>Given this fact it is difficult to reconcile how the system subserve accurate recognition or understanding of executed actions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9048879464910781933.post-6210064681317221072008-06-02T23:03:00.000-07:002008-06-02T23:03:00.000-07:00The issue of what counts as "understanding" is ext...The issue of what counts as "understanding" is extremely important, and not addressed well at all in the MN papers I've looked at. In world of MN-related speech studies, "action understanding" seems to be operationalized as the ability to discriminate between meaningless CV syllables. Odd to study action understanding with meaningless stimuli.Greg Hickokhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16656473495682901613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9048879464910781933.post-87850415454558929592008-06-02T22:20:00.000-07:002008-06-02T22:20:00.000-07:00i gotta go with my 'gut' in matters of sciencei gotta go with my 'gut' in matters of scienceMichaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07313805223960008626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9048879464910781933.post-62021855219738405312008-06-02T19:38:00.000-07:002008-06-02T19:38:00.000-07:00I agree with yisroel. What does 'understanding' m...I agree with yisroel. What does 'understanding' mean, really. These are huge leaps we're making. I'm not sure we can make them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9048879464910781933.post-73900466829528475632008-06-02T12:40:00.000-07:002008-06-02T12:40:00.000-07:00The more I get into the field of cognitive neurosc...The more I get into the field of cognitive neuroscience the more vague it appears to be. Whether it be theoretical constructs for human action understanding extracted from monkey neurons or brain imaging being held up as conclusive evidence of wh- movement. There are some gigantic leaps being made that require some serious re-examination. In short, I voted "not sure" as in seriously doubtful.Yisraelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08885507309271511826noreply@blogger.com