Like genetics, neuroscience is galloping forward with discovery and insight. Plenty of journalists write about neuroscience but not nearly as many practitioners. On the basis of his seventh book, Human: The Science Behind What Makes Us Unique, Michael Gazzaniga at the University of California is one of most accessible for the everyday reader. In this book, Gazzaniga sets out to describe the very latest research on what distinguishes us from apes. Not what we think distinguishes us, but the demonstrable, scientific differences.
Gazzaniga begins by comparing brain sizes, shapes, and composition of our grey matter compared to that of chimpanzees, etc., and not surprising concludes that although the human brain is bigger, contains more neurons and is vastly different in terms of cellular anatomy and even molecular structure. He then moves on comparing genetic make-up, physical characteristics and language. ‘The shift to becoming social,’ to thriving in larger social groups, is examined over a chapter. Comparing humans’ moral/ethical sense with that of apes makes up probably the most interesting chapter; Gazzaniga concludes (somewhat controversially, it seems to me) that many of our moral principles and taboos, including religions, may have arisen because of our large social groups and an evolutionary desire for purity. As well, Gazzaniga concludes that ‘most of our life is spent battling the conscious rational mind and the unconscious emotional system of our brain.’ The human capability of abstraction is examined, followed by a look at our appreciation of beauty, suggesting our imaginative ability is highly important to us, permitting us to use hypothetical information, spurring flexibility and adaption. The final chapters turn more speculative, looking at our analytical abilities (‘we are the only animals that reason about unobervable forces’), the ‘conscious mind’ of humans, and artificial intelligence.
Gazzaniga writes entertainingly and lucidly. Yet this is not simplistic fluff; forty pages of notes point the reader to the very latest research in many fields. Personally, I didn’t get as much from Human as I perhaps hoped – nothing popped up to excite the writer, reveal anything I didn’t suspect about our nature and ethical situation, or to send me off to read more neuroscience. But if you desire insight into our species, into our minds and brains, I can highly recommend this tour de force.