What does “brain engineering” tell us about everyday thought?
If each sub-component of the brain has a particular engineering function, then what does that imply for the real use of the brain, which is thinking? In other words, as we come to understand more about the mechanisms of the brain, will that help us understand how we think? The answer is yes. When we “think” about something, like getting ready for work in the morning, we are actually using a large number of distinct brain engines, all in concert, and it is their combined activity that is thought. Each of the different brain areas modeled gives rise to a different constituent activity of thought, and areas working together can produce computational algorithms that are different from either of the parts independently. The overall goal of brain engineering is to understand the nature of thought in terms of its constituent brain processes. Significant strides have been taken, but this is a goal that may take many, many years to achieve.
