Developing the neural foundations of learning, training & knowledge

(Synopsis by Werner Flehinger,  New Bretten printer)

An article that appeared in Science (9 April 2010, vol 328, 160-163) was so interesting that all of us read and discussed it at length and we are still at it. The title of the article was in the form of a question “Did working memory spark Creative Culture” The authors argue that the development of working memory which allowed us to perfect what and how we remember (especially recent events) was the launch pad for the evolution of many other features of our cognitive functions. You may remember that working memory refers to a temporary store that has a limited capacity and requires active mental processing in order to maintain information in memory which then can lead to a permanent record of experience. The arguments is made that it is not consciousness, formation of symbols, language, planning ahead functions that have allowed for a great leap forward in the evolution of our brain’s cognitive capacities but rather the evolution of working memory.

What an interesting idea. Lots of questions arise from this view of brain development. For example, how should we consider other kinds of memories in that light.