MOTION MOUNTAIN

246 7 the story of the brain
F I G U R E 164 Photograph of stained pyramidal
neurons in the cerebral cortex of the human
cortex, showing their interconnections
(© Medlat/Wikimedia).
Challenge 248 s
Ref. 214
In other words, the universe, with its matter and energy, has to existbefore transmission
of information is possible. Saying that the universe is made of information, or that it
is information, is as meaningful and as correct as saying that the universe is made of
toothpaste.
The aim of physics is to give a complete classification of all types and examples of
motion, in other words, to know everything about motion. Is this possible? Or are you
able to find an argument against this endeavour?
What is memory?
“Thebrain ismysecondfavorite organ.
WoodyAllen”
Memory is the collection of records of perceptions. The production of such records is
the essential aspect of observation. Records can be stored in human memory, i.e., in the
brain, or in machine memory, as in computers, or in object memory, such as notes on
paper. Without memory, there is no science, no life – since life is based on the records
inside the DNA – and especially, no fun, as proven by the sad life of those who lose their
memory.
Many animals and people have a memory, because a memory helps to move in a way
that maximises reproduction and survival. Memory is found in all mammals, but also in
insects and snails. The well-known sea snail Aplysia californica has memory– is shows
conditioning,likePawlow’sdogs–even though it has only 20 000 neurons. Experiments
confirm that individual memory is stored in the strength of neuron connections, thesynapses.
This statement was made already in 1949 by the Canadian psychologist Donald
Hebb. In that year Hebb specified the physical embodiment of the observations of the
psychologists Sigmund Freud and William James from the 1890s, who had already deducedthatmemoryisaboutthestrengtheningandweakeningofconnectionsinsidethe
brain.Inshort,observations and learning, everything we call memories, are recorded in
the synapses.*
* The brain has various modes of learning that depends on its hardware. In a traumatic event, the brain
Motion Mountain – The Adventure of Physics copyright © Christoph Schiller June 1990–November 2015 free pdf file available at www.motionmountain.net