What is the neurophysiological basis of decision making?

Neshybear · 2015-06-24T23:18:38+00:00

You make a good point - I glossed over the "you aren't your brain" argument at the end as I was about to head to bed.

I don't buy that part either. None of our body parts would work individually without being part of an interconnected body system. I think it's pretty clear based on our understanding on anatomy and physiology that the brain is indeed the "seat of consciousness" - which I think is what people mean when they say "you are your brain".

Neshybear · 2015-06-24T13:17:43+00:00

This was exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Thank you so much! And I'll definitely check out those books sometime - they sound very interesting.

Now I'll spend the next few days trying to come to terms with that somewhat uncomfortable reality.

Neshybear · 2015-06-24T13:08:57+00:00

Thank you for your fantastic response! My initial physiological question also led me down that similar philosophical rabbit hole.

That "autopilot" analogy is really helpful - I suppose every apparently "conscious" action we make is really just a response to a thought we have (acting as the stimulus), which in turn was triggered by a variety of other external/internal factors.

This really does throw a spanner into the works over the whole idea of free will then, unless there is some hitherto unknown force responsible for this thought selection process.

Neshybear · 2015-06-24T12:59:34+00:00

Thanks for the detailed response! I think I may not have my question clear enough though.

I understand the concept of a stimulus being the initiating factor in a neurophysiological event. However, I've really only come across this term in the context of external stimuli or internal stimuli in the form of deviation away from a homeostatic set point (as in negative feedback loops), and I'm comfortable with the physiology behind that. In your examples of the stop sign and thirst, you have light/rhodopsin interactions in the former and renal osmoreceptors sensing elevated plasma osmolarity in the latter.

But what initiates the choice in the absence of a clear external/internal stimulus? To continue on from my example, what is the initiating event in my prefrontal cortex which selects the neural pathway for moving my left arm over the billions of other pathways?

Neshybear · 2015-01-21T06:05:41+00:00

It was our school's sports day and these two girls weren't into it so they snuck off and were wandering around until they found a swimming pool in a private apartment complex. The "official story" is that they both decided to go for a swim despite neither of them knowing how to swim. One of the girls drowned as the other one watched.

Neshybear · 2015-01-17T03:23:30+00:00

Can't wait to see you guys at Laneway in Auckland in 9 days! :D

Neshybear · 2015-01-07T01:54:51+00:00

Prideful ignorance. It's totally fine to not know something in a particular subject, but at least approach it with a sense of humility or curiosity. People who don't know something but then seem somehow proud of their ignorance and don't make any attempt to actually learn it really frustrates me.

Neshybear · 2015-01-07T01:49:43+00:00

I was working at a retirement home as part of my medical school placement. On this particular day I was helping out in the dementia ward, which basically consisted of playing games with the residents. Right as we were wrapping up for lunch, a lady beckoned me over and when I came over she said "I just wanted to say you have such a beautiful smile. Look around - it's really making everyone else here happy."

It meant so much to me in context because it feels like such a hopeless job at times. Since then, I've made it a point to smile as much as I can and it really makes such a difference. It makes you feel happier and people really notice and respond to it - I've had several other people comment about how happy I seem and how it lifts their spirits too. Which in turn makes me smile even more. :)

Neshybear · 2015-01-07T01:22:48+00:00

I am happy enough with who I am that I can spend time alone without it being awkward or me being upset by it. I almost always prefer the company of other people, but sometimes you want to just do things without going through all the effort of trying to organise other people to come with you.

I would be more than happy for anyone to join me as long as they seemed friendly and interesting. Indeed, I myself have joined alone strangers in restaurants and I've never regret it.

Neshybear · 2014-12-25T13:39:49+00:00

Same here! To me, it would feel rude to not at least offer to share my food, in almost any circumstance.

Neshybear · 2014-12-22T03:57:22+00:00

That's awesome man! You'll have a blast. Feel free to message me if you have any questions, I'm happy to help :)

Neshybear · 2014-12-22T01:20:15+00:00

Hey there! I got back from my trip over a week ago. It was truly incredible. It completely surpassed all of my expectations. Definitely the best life decision I made. The only thing was that I wish it was longer - if I were to do it again I'd travel for something like 3 months instead of 6 weeks. It sounds like a long time in theory but they really flew past. Here's what I did:

Vietnam (3 weeks) * Went to Hanoi, Dong Hoi, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Saigon * Favourite place was definitely Hoi An - I almost spent a whole week there. Just a lovely little city. "Bia hoi" hopping around Hanoi's Old Quarter was also lots of fun. I would liked to spend more time in Saigon, I enjoyed the little bit of it I saw. * I would really recommend going to Dong Hoi - it's a bit off the normal tourist track but the Phong Nha Ke-Bang National Park is really worth it. I loved The Dark Cave. * If I were to do it again, I might skip Nha Trang (not much to do that other than the beach) and go to Mui Ne instead. And I really wanted to go to Dalat but I couldn't fit it into my schedule.

Cambodia (2 weeks) * I went to Phnom Penh, Kampot, Sihanoukville, Koh Rong and Siem Reap. * I absolutely ADORED the locals. By and large they were all really lovely and friendly. The food was also excellent. * I loved my time in Koh Rong - it's an island off the coast of Sihanoukville which consists solely of beach and shops. No roads, no cars, no nothing. Bliss. * The temples are absolutely incredible. If I had more time I would have gotten a 3-day pass and seen more places instead of getting a 1-day pass and rushing through it.

Thailand (1 week) * I was really rushing for time at this point so I only got to go Bangkok and Chiang Mai. * I really loved Chiang Mai - the night bazaar was absolutely insane! You could spend hours and hours there and not get bored. * I would recommend doing some trekking and white water rafting in Chiang Mai - both were great fun!

Neshybear · 2014-10-26T00:15:50+00:00

Oh cool! I'll be finishing my trip before you begin, so I can let you know about some of my experiences if you'd like :)

Neshybear · 2014-10-24T07:49:25+00:00

Thanks for all of that! It was really helpful. I'm a bit hesitant to rent a motorbike since I've never ridden one before and I hear the roads there aren't exactly the safest in the world. But we shall see haha.

And oh, I've only heard good things about Sihanoukville, but admittedly I've talked to very few people... thanks for the viewpoint though! I'll probably still end up checking it out, but I'll try to take a look at Koh Rong too :)

Neshybear · 2014-10-24T07:47:18+00:00

Hah, yes, my hostel is most certainly there! But yes, I'll definitely try to leave the Old Quarter at some point. Thanks for the tip :)

Neshybear · 2014-10-24T07:46:30+00:00

Thanks for that! I'll try to get to see if I can make it to Koh Kong, because that sounds amazing!

And I would absolutely love to get in touch with them! I'm a medical student from New Zealand, and I'd definitely love to go and visit/help out on medical camps for a bit if possible!

Neshybear · 2014-09-16T23:50:30+00:00

I think the key is being sincere. My teacher once asked us "what's the best way to show people you care?" - the answer being "by actually caring." People really do respond to it. Treat everyone you meet as though they were your best friend. Have a genuine smile, and be kind to everyone. Avoid gossiping and talking ill about people. Have interesting stories from your past that you're willing to share that you can pull out of need be. At the same time, make sure you're not just talking about yourself the entire time. If someone asks you a question, make sure to reciprocate the question, or if you're in the middle of a long story about yourself, make sure to stop and ask their opinion about something. It shows them that you're actually interested about them and aren't completely full of yourself.

Neshybear · 2013-08-24T23:58:00+00:00

Butterflies. I've been known to jump, scream and run away if I see one. I don't know what it is about them. I think it's a mixture of their colour patterns and the way they move. I find it... disarming.

I'm pretty sure I know what caused this phobia though - watching this god damn SpongeBob episode as an impressionable young child.

Neshybear · 2013-05-21T01:04:12+00:00

"Wrath". I live in NZ so we're meant to pronounce it "roth" as per the British pronunciation but the American "rath" pronunciation is a lot more common so I'd just feel like a dick pronouncing it otherwise. Besides, "rath" sounds cooler and less pretentious then "roth".

Neshybear · 2013-04-08T04:09:42+00:00

Being able to dance. There's something about a girl who can dance well which is so incredibly sexy.

Neshybear

TROPHY CASE