‘The Brain: The Story of You’ is a popular science book written by American neuroscientist David Eagleman. Aimed at general readers, it avoids deep scientific analysis, focusing instead on introducing concepts. A particularly novel idea for me was that empathy actually helps us better understand others' feelings. When we see someone's facial expressions, our own facial muscles mimic them, triggering similar sensations in the corresponding neural systems. This also explains why people who live together long-term gradually start to look alike.
To avoid excessive empathy, humans employ categorization: we readily empathize with those within our social circles while reducing empathy toward outsiders. This explains why wars often involve dehumanizing or demonizing opponents, making it easier to inflict harm. It also sheds light on why racial discrimination and clique cultures are so difficult to avoid.
The book explains that various senses can be substituted for one another. For instance, touch can replace sight or hearing. Special vests transmit camera footage to the optic nerve, and after a period of training, the brain learns to interpret the visual information. Similarly, auditory information can be transmitted to the auditory nerve. Such devices could help blind or deaf individuals regain sight and hearing. This demonstrates that our sensory organs are fundamentally replaceable. In the future, enhanced cameras or audio devices could potentially grant humans “X-ray vision” and “super hearing.” Taking it further, brain-computer interfaces could transmit vast amounts of information directly to the brain, potentially enabling it to achieve so-called “artificial intelligence” faster than today's supercomputers.
Beyond sensory replacement, human memory itself can be modified. Due to the sheer volume of memories, the brain typically retains only the most recent ones. By repeatedly implanting new, false memories, most people can be made to remember only these fabricated recollections while forgetting their original, true memories. This is the foundation upon which brainwashing succeeds.
The book also envisions a more distant future: replicating all neurons and connections within the brain and uploading them to a network. However, the brain's extreme complexity means the data required for replication exceeds current human processing capabilities. Moreover, as the brain is dynamically changing and may exhibit quantum behavior, it remains unpredictable and irreplicable. Thus, uploading the human brain to achieve immortality faces significant theoretical and technical hurdles, remaining for now a concept confined to science fiction.
What makes each person most unique is their brain—a network of neural connections formed through lifelong perception. Every decision we make is based on our perception of the world and our accumulated memories, shaped by the collective activity of countless neurons. Each choice you make contributes to the one-of-a-kind individual that is you.