In terms of when he lived and what he thought about the brain with its multitude
of circuits, Sherrington was decidedly "modern." Yet some would argue that much
more has been learned about the brain in the last two decades than in all of the rest of
time. Still, what newer scientists have inherited from Sherrington and other figures
of the past deserves recognition. The ways in which the pieces of the brain puzzle
have come together over time is, in fact, like a play with many acts. In this case, how-
ever, the play Is still being written, and even those working on the latest act cannot
envision how their efforts will end.

The "loom" envisioned by Frederic Myers and Sir Charles Sherrington is now being
described with newer terminology from the world of computers. Although analogies
and models may change, it can be said that the more we learn about the machinery of
the brain, the more we are amazed at how it works and what it can do. It is the brain
that generates perception, cognition, and memory, and it is the brain that houses the
specialized circuitry that allows us to make a cup of coffee, catch a ball, or write a
note to a friend.

Roger W. Sperry, the 1981 Nobel Prize winner whose life and discoveries will be
described toward the end of this book, looked upon consciousness as the greatest
but least understandable achievement of the brain. He wrote: "Before brains there
was no color and no sound in the universe, nor was there any flavor or aroma and
probably little sense and no feeling or emotion." ⁵ Before brains the play still took
place, but the seats in the theater were empty; there were no appreciative audiences,
no discussions, and later no reminiscences.

To think that the brain just manages "higher" cognitive functions or conscious
awareness, however, would be to overlook its more basic roles. The brain also tells us
when we are hungry, determines our patterns of sleep and dreaming, and allows us to
express and control our emotions. Even gender differences in play and fighting are in
part a function of the brain.

When we are young and the brain is still developing, it does not yet possess mas-
terly control over each of its duties. Some functions, such as memory for names or
events, may be poor. Later, the ability of the brain to work at peak efficiency may be
diminished by diseases, injuries, and the inevitable loss of connections that accom-
panies the steady march into advanced age.

Initially by looking at the effects of brain damage, we have begun to appreciate
the functional organization of this miraculous, odd-shaped organ. More than just a
device that can sustain life and ensure the survival of the species, we see that the
brain grants us our humanity and make us different from each other. Our "great rav-
eled knot," to use more of Sherrington's colorful terminology, allows us to portray
ourselves as thinking animals--creatures that can make choices in the present, be ap-
preciative of the past, and become excited about the future. ⁶

Although it is still the least understood and most mysterious of all bodily organs, we
have come a long way in understanding how brain structure and events determine be-

-2-