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I think we’re well on our way to linking neurons and behavior, but as many times as we have mentioned input, we haven’t defined that clearly what input actually is, and how it influences behavior or conversely, how behavior influences it. Of course some behavior is entirely related to internal influences and events, but behavior wouldn’t be nearly as interesting or as complicated in general if it wasn’t influenced by the outside world. On a somewhat unrelated note, I’ve been wondering how behavior is related to memory in the sense of neurons and boxes and connections, since I’m reading In Search of Memory for my book commentary.  Is memory, declarative memory that is a separate box or is it part of many other boxes?  How does a memory get activated in order to influence a behavior? For example, when you see someone you’ve met before, how does the memory of their name become activated? For that matter, how do neuronal signals end up as speak?

In class on Thursday, we talked about the fact that both the spinal cord and the motor cortex control movement and that a motor cortex was not necessary for movement, but a connection between the motor cortex and the muscles was necessary for conscious movement.  This left me wondering if one system always overpowers the other and if so, in what situations? You can’t stop yourself from kicking at the doctor when he hits your knee, even though you know that’s what is going to happen, but are there other situations where you can consciously override a reflex? Are the two systems connected, maybe by corollary discharge?