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Shayna or Sheness Israel's picture

You Are Responsible, Right?

Thursday we spoke about neurons creating actions potentionals internally (without external imput) due to particular canals allowing certain concentration gradients to happen. At first, I was a little disappointed because I expected some psychic freakiness to cause neurons to create outputs with no imputs. Also, neurons can continously generate these action potentials as long as specific valves are opened that allow sodium in.

I actually got happy, because of how much power that gives, this mind thing that must control it. (I would be pretty upset if this mind thing is also not something freaky and mystical.) Something must stop these action potentials. But I guess there can be other neurons that cause these special valves to close as well.

If all this is the case then maybe action is beyond our rational/moral/cultural control. This doesn't hold water. Information changes the pattern of matter in the neuron, so you can stop and close the valves if you receive information and inside our society, we are receiving information all the time. So the question becomes how do we sort through what information we will use to stop or start action potentials?

I am just waiting for the mystical freaky part of neurobiology to happen. So, Paul, bring on the spooky!

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