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               In our discussion s this past week, I found it very interesting how our opening discussion began with a poem by Emily Dickinson. Typically, literature and science are considered separate and somewhat unrelated disciplines. I found that relating the two fields in one discussion highlighted the fact that perhaps these two fields are not so unrelated and certainly are not in opposition to each other. I found Emily Dickinson’s view of the “construction of the brain” quite insightful.  The point she seems to be making is that the brain can encompass physically huge objects like the sky or sea. She doesn’t suggest that the brain can physically contain these immense objects, but that the brain can preserve them as perceptions in memory and manipulate them as ideas. These are extremely powerful capabilities which is possibly why she puts the brain in the context of an all powerful God.

Michelle brought up an interesting point that perhaps everything is just an illusion. I found the idea to be interesting however I think one must remember that some of these ideas physically exist and we have proof and information to show that creations do exist. Then again, in the book Blink by Maxwell Gladwell, Gladwell argues that too much information clouds the mind in making important decisions. Perhaps this “proof” we have of the brain and its creations are just clouding the main point of the brain which we still cannot see!