Book Review: In the Light of Evolution

In the Light of Evolution, Volume VII: The Human Mental Machinery, by National Academy of Sciences. 

The book begins with a good discussion about our current idea of human mind and how it evolved. The ruling theories about consciousness and its applicability to nonhuman species are some of the areas covered here. This is followed by chapters about the evolution of memory. Memory is seen as a homologous trait shared by humans and nonhuman primates, although our species is unique in aspects like inner speech. Differences in social behavior between various species and its link to neuroanatomy is examined in the next couple of chapters. Which also discuss memory structures and its manifestations like episodic memory.

The next chapter is about evolution of the sense of justice. Although it is absent among nonhuman primates, comparative studies show its origin well behind the early humans. Evolution of the idea of co-operation, and its immediate successor/predecessor, reputation, is analyzed. As the author points out “For direct reciprocity you need a face, for indirect reciprocity you need a name" What follows that is the neurobiology of musical cognition, and how we mastered the art of looking for things.

Next chapter is about the evolution of our idea of beauty. A functional magnetic resonance imaging study examines how, systematic variation in contour impacts aesthetic judgments and approach-avoidance decisions, outcome measures of interest to both architects and users of spaces alike. How different appearances, like curvilinear, rectilinear, etc., impact our decisions. Neural processing and its part in our aesthetic choices is discussed in the last chapter. Different regions of the brain and its performance is experimentally determined in activities connected to (i) reward/pleasure and emotion, (ii) judgment/decision making, and (iii) perception.

I found this book a bit heavy. Though it dealt with some of my most beloved topics, most of the discussion went over my head. I have decided to come back to the book after updating my brain, a little more about brain.