2006-08-18 18:09:35 · 7 answers · asked by savvy s 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
The abillity of neural pathways to operate independant of each other.
The best example is someone who has had their corpus collosum snipped to relieve seizures. This small section of the brain delivers information from the right side to the left and the left to the right. Once cut the two sides act distinctly independantly of each other.
Some people can force the two sides to work independantly of each other to, for example, pat oneself on the head while rubbing ones stomach at the same time. Infact any dual action like that pretty much proves it.
Guess it comes down to -
"Can you walk and chew gum at the same time?"
2006-08-18 18:19:22 · answer #1 · answered by special-chemical-x 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The human brain contains billions of neurons that connect to other neurons locally creating highly complex networks of interactive neurons. Neurons also project connections to other parts of the brain and other networks of neurons creating a massively interconnected network of networks. The brain carries on an astounding number of functions (that we are often not even aware of) simultaneously like control of breathing, heart rate, secretion of hormones, and the regulation of sleep/wake cycles.
Because the brain is massively interconnected, functions (?consciousness?) emerge out of this amazingly complex activity.
2006-08-21 00:37:25 · answer #2 · answered by Gopher 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
' rsscanner ... your first answerer has it right ... each brain cell is not dependent on a central processor to tell it how to proceed but it will chemically agree with other brain cells ... some cells may be producing one thought ( another chemical ) the cell will finally come to agree with the others when it is ' outnumbered' and swamped with the chemicals/hormones/ whatever, that cause communication between the cells.
Pretty remarkable ... huh !
A miracle just like life itself. Wow, glad to be here.
With respect for your question,
Jonnie
2006-08-18 18:42:34 · answer #3 · answered by Jonnie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whoever said it's not parallel... it's parallel... do you stop breathing everytime you read? I still think it's a bunch of simple task specific neurons that are networked in clusters by similar tasks... and each cluster is networked to the parts it controls (like i/o).
2006-08-18 18:16:45 · answer #4 · answered by warriorn639mr 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'm not sure what u mean but i'll try. our brain is made up of neurons. the axons of the neurons are like the circuitry that connects hundreds of thousands of neurons together. these general pattern of neurons is determined by our genes. thank your parents and ancestors. these "axonal connections" however are perfected by experience. i believe that people with high IQ have good genes and that they have established strong connections by repeatedly learning things over and over. multitasking, i believe, is due to the mass parallel axonal connections people have built throughout development.
2006-08-18 18:21:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dont know what u mean by PARALLEL processing...
well,if u mean doing things at same time then the answer is..
the human brain cannot do different things at same time until its habituated to do.. it has different neurons which carry informations and this helps to do many things at one time
2006-08-19 02:58:37 · answer #6 · answered by Prakash 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lots of cells all working at the same time. Unlike a computer with one CPU that everything has to funnel through.
2006-08-18 18:13:36 · answer #7 · answered by rscanner 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋