This book gives an overview of the recent advances in neuroscience with emphasis on applications to restore brain functions to people who have suffered damages to the brain (caused by diseases, accidents or birth defect). Use it or Lose it The human brain is not rigid, but is constantly adapting to changes in the environment and the brain itself. Brain functions can be strengthened and partly restored through targeted mental […]
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“The Elegant Universe” by Brian Greene
I enjoyed this book on three levels, though initially I felt it made my brain expand. Firstly, understanding physics theories. Greene did a great job explaining the complex physics concepts using analogies and thought experiments. For example, I would have never imagined that quantum tunnel has anything to do with balancing bank accounts or people walking through walls. I’d prefer, however, that he emphasize the Fundamental Postulate and the logical […]
Read more“A Brief History of Time” by Stephen Hawking
Also Read: “A Briefer History of Time” by Stephen Hawking Hawking recounts the evolution of cosmology/physics from the time of the ancient Greek to the present, with emphasis on Newton’s law of gravitation, Einstein’s theory of general relativity, Planck’s quantum and Heisenberg’s uncertainty principles in quantum mechanics, Feynman’s “sum over histories” approach, and the string theory. He also examines the existence of the Big Bang, black holes, worm holes and […]
Read more“The Medusa and the Snail” by Lewis Thomas
Altruism “I don’t see why it should be unreasonable for all human beings to have strands of DNA … coding out instincts for usefulness and helpfulness. Usefulness may turn out to be the hardest test of fitness for survival, more important than aggressiveness, more effective, in the long run, than grabbiness.” To Err is Human The capacity to blunder slightly is the real marvel of DNA. The word “error” came […]
Read more“The Lives of a Cell” by Lewis Thomas
Reading Thomas’ books is like watching a brilliant, inquiring mind at work, or rather at play, filled with wonder, wit and humor, exploring diverse subjects such as a cell, the earth, the universe, human body, the mind, music and language, and yet remaining coherent and fully accessible as if he was talking with the reader face to face. Cells as Ecosystems The mitochondria and chloroplasts in animal and plant cells […]
Read more“QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter” by Richard Feynman
Having already read his autobiographies “Surely You’re Joking Mr Feynman” and “What Do You Care What Other People Think“, I was convinced that I could gain valuable insights into quantum electrodynamics (QED) from Feynman, who had a unique ability to explain the most complex concepts. “What one fool can understand, another can” (even though that one fool was a Nobel Laureate). Feynman did not disappoint. He was not only a […]
Read more“A Slot Machine, A Broken Test Tube” by Salvador E. Luria
Judging a Book by the Cover What stuck me the most before opening this book was Dr. Luria’s photo on the back cover. His alert eyes behind dark rimmed glasses, thin, pressed lips with an ironic upward curl in the left corner, his head tilting slightly backward in an air of aloofness. I thought perhaps he was not as communicative as some of the other scientist-authors whose autobiographies I had […]
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