The Human brain is only 100,000 years old. Yet, this
newly evolved organ endows us with unique creative capabilities beyond all other living
creatures, including the gift to understand itself. As our very survival and success in
life depends on utilizing our brain’s power, intense efforts have begun worldwide to
understand the brain, reverse-engineer it and even augment its capacity. Towards this end
we harness every trick in the book of mathematics, physics, chemistry, pharmacology,
biology, psychology, as well as computer science, information sciences, and engineering
– giving rise to the birth to the new AugCog Era.
The new AugCog research field focuses on the
development of scientifically-based rigorous approaches, including brain-computer
interfaces and the use of various drugs, for restoring and augmenting cognition. The field
includes the study of the relationship between basic operational states of the brain, such
as sleep, or daily activities such as dance and their impact on augmenting cognitive
capabilities.
This book confronts our entry into the AugCog Era through a series of contributions from
the world’s best know experts. The book is divided into two sections, the first of which
discusses state-of-the-art methodologies; and the last provide some perspective on the
social and ethical issues. These two parts are separated by an interlude in cognition,
where a fascinating story of the savant syndrome is told.
Table of Contents
AUGMENTING
COGNITION: METHODOLOGICAL SURVEYS
Sensory Stimulation for Augmenting
Perception, Sensorimotor Behavior and Cognition, Hubert R. Dinse, Jan C.
Kattenstroth, Mario A. Gatica Tossi, Martin Tegenthoff, and Tobias Kalisch
Improvisation for Prefrontal Rehabilitation, Son Preminger
Direct Brain Computer Interfaces to Restore Cognition, Mijail Demian
Serruya
Sleep and Memory: in Search of Functionality, Robert Stickgold and
Matthew Tucker
Augmenting Cognition with Music, Michael W. Weiss and Glenn Schellenberg
INTERLUDE: AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY IN COGNITION
Accessing our “Inner Savant”: The Little
Rain Man within Us All, Darold A. Treffert, M.D.
AUGMENTING
COGNITION: ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ASPECTS
Longevity, Kayoko Ishii
Pharmaceutical Cognitive Enhancement: Interrogating the Ethics, Addressing the
Issues, Paul A. Martin, Martyn Pickersgill, Catherine Coveney, Simon Williams
The Future of Deep Brain Stimulation, Zvi Israel, John Winestone, Adam
Zaidel, Boris Rosin, Lilach Soreq, Renana Eitan, Hagai Bergman
Diagnosis, Prophylaxis, and Treatment after Psychological Trauma:
Conceptual and Ethical Issues, Dan J. Stein, FRCPC, PhD
250 pages, Hardcover