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Borin Kim, and I am a junior pyschology major/NBS concentrator at Haverford College. I was born in Korea and moved to the States when I was six months old. I lived in and around the Washington DC area until fifth grade when my family moved back to Korea. Having spent ten years in America where I was labled as a "Korean" and ten years in Korea where I was labeled as an "American", I have always been part of the minority and am therefore used to seeing things from a different, uncommon perspective. Frequently going between the two cultures has also made me flexible in my thinking and open to new ideas. My Christian faith also greatly influences how I see and understand things. I think humans are the most fascinating subject of study--especially in terms of how their physical brains give rise to conscious thought and emotions. I am especially intrigued by the differences in thought that exist in different communities (cultural, religious, etc.) and whether these differences can also be linked to biological/physical differences in brain structure. While the questions in the area of neurobiology and behavior are endless...here are a few that come to mind:

1. What are dreams? How are they linked to our consciousness?

2. Does stress cause headaches? If so, how does a mental state like stress, manifest in a physical condition?

3. How does consciousness arise from physical matter (the brain)? I know this is like one of those big questions the course will explore...but it just really fascinates me. If our thoughts and temperaments differ, does that also mean that our brain structures/chemistry also differ?