Mirror neurons

From: Mark Mills (mmills@htcomp.net)
Date: Tue Jan 30 2001 - 05:37:24 GMT

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Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 23:37:24 -0600
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From: Mark Mills <mmills@htcomp.net>
Subject: Mirror neurons
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     From "Read My Mind" in New Scientist, 1/24/01

    "Vittorio Gallese, Giacomo Rizzolatti and their colleagues at the
    University of Parma have identified an entirely new class of
    neurons. These neurons are active when their owners perform a certain
    task, and in this respect are wholly unremarkable. But, more
    interestingly, the same neurons fire when their owner watches someone else
    perform that same task. The team has dubbed the novel nerve cells 'mirror'
    neurons, because they seem to be firing in sympathy, reflecting or perhaps
    simulating the actions of others.

    Many neuroscientists are starting to think that in higher primates,
    including humans, these neurons play pivotal role in understanding the
    intentions of others. 'Mirror neurons my be one important part of the
    mosaic that explains our social abilities,' says Gallese. Vilynur
    Ramchandran of the University of California at San Diego goes further. He
    believes that mirror neurons will answer important questions about human
    evolution, language and culture--and may take us to the heart of what it
    means to be human. 'I predict that mirror neurons will do for psychology
    what DNA did for biology,' he says."

    .....Further reading
    "mirror neurons and imitation learning as the driving force behind 'the
    great leap forward' in human evolution' by VS Ramachandran at
    www.edge.org/documents/archive/edge69.html

    "Mirror neurons and the simulation theory of mind-reading" by Vittorio
    Gallese and Alvin Goldman, in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol 2 p 493 (1998)

    "Language with our grasp" by Giacomo Rizzolatti and Michael Arbib, in
    Trends in Neurosciences, vol 21, p188 (1998)

    http://www.htcomp.net/markmills

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