- Overview
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A neuroscience story introduced by KAIST scientist Song Minryung. By looking at various examples and interesting research results, the reader will appreciate the potential of neuroscience.
- Book Intro
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Neuroscience, or brain science, is not just a study of the brain, but a very complex field of knowledge. It is a very complex and dynamic discipline that encompasses medicine, engineering, and cognitive science as well as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. Neuroscience is frequently updated with new research results.
The profile of Song Minryung shows these aspects. The author double majored in Mathematics and Life Sciences at KAIST, and also took classes in Electrical Engineering to understand the electrical characteristics of neural circuits. Afterward, she received a master’s degree in Neuroscience and a minor in Mathematics from the University of Arizona, the USA, and a doctorate in Bio and Brain Engineering at KAIST.
Based on the latest achievements in neuroscience, this book tells stories, such as what free will is, how the brain and the ego-self are connected, and how artificial intelligence works. By looking at various examples and interesting research results, the reader will come to appreciate the potential of brain science. However, this book not only focuses on what neuroscience is, but also deals in depth with how it works. In order for neuroscience to be used to create a desirable society, brain science itself must be studied in a transparent and rational way.
In fact, this is an aspect discussed in many scientific fields, not only in brain science. Civic engagement and research ethics are, though, particularly problematic in neuroscience. The results of brain science research are taxed when the state takes the lead, and in a macroscopic view, they have a huge impact on the lives of citizens. That is why, from the initial stage of research, citizens should be included as subjects to discuss the impact of research. Scientific research is also likely to raise ethical issues that did not exist before. Socially problematic issues, such as human embryo cloning, can also emerge in neuroscience. In order to respond to these issues, citizen participation and discussion are necessary. The author asserts the inevitability of animal experiments, based on her own experience in conducting them, and this passage is also worth paying attention to. That better brain science can make a better world is the most important message the author wants to convey through this book.
- About the Author
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Song Minryung
Song Minryung has been interested in the brain since the time when university departments of brain science were rare. She double majored, choosing Mathematics, the language of science, to theoretically examine complex brain activity, and Life Science to explore the biological principles of the brain. She also took electrical engineering classes to understand the electrical properties of neural circuits. After completing her undergraduate studies at KAIST, she received her master’s degree in Neuroscience and Mathematics from the University of Arizona, USA, and completed her Ph.D. in Bio and Brain Engineering at KAIST.
She has serialized Dr. Song’s Neuroscience Story in the Kyunghyang Shinmun and Dr. Song’s Neuroscience Essay in Maekyung Premium, and has given seminars and lectures at TEDxKAIST, Hundred Books, and the Counseling Society.
- Award
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Science Book of the Year 2017 by Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics
Finalist in The Hankook Daily’s Korea Publication Culture Award 2017