Giorgio Vallortigara's Books

The Origins of Consciousness

Thoughts of the Crooked-Headed Fly

By: Giorgio Vallortigara

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

The Origins of Consciousness

Thoughts of the Crooked-Headed Fly

By: Giorgio Vallortigara

The Origins of Consciousness challenges the dominant view that consciousness is an emergent property of the complex human brain. Based on his pioneering research on a variety of organisms, Vallortigara argues that the most basic forms of mental life do not require large brains, and that the neurological surplus observed in some animals such as humans is likely at the service of memory storage, not of the processes of thought or, even less, of consciousness. The book argues for a simple neural mechanism that can provide the crucial event that brings into effect the minimum condition for subjective experience. Implications of the hypothesis for the appearance of consciousness in different organisms are discussed, as well as links with a variety of fascinating human phenomena such as disorders of consciousness, tickling and visual illusions. Challenging widely accepted theories of consciousness, the book is a must-read for students and researchers of human and animal consciousness.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

140

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Published Date

ISBN 10

1040110487

ISBN 13

9781040110485

Born Knowing

Imprinting and the Origins of Knowledge

By: Giorgio Vallortigara

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Born Knowing

Imprinting and the Origins of Knowledge

By: Giorgio Vallortigara

An expert on the brain argues that the mind is not a blank slate and that much early behavior is biologically predisposed rather than learned. Why do newborns show a preference for a face (or something that resembles a face) over a nonface-like object? Why do baby chicks prefer a moving object to an inanimate one? Neither baby human nor baby chick has had time to learn to like faces or movement. In Born Knowing, neuroscientist Giorgio Vallortigara argues that the mind is not a blank slate. Early behavior is biologically predisposed rather than learned, and this instinctive or innate behavior, Vallortigara says, is key to understanding the origins of knowledge. Drawing on research carried out in his own laboratory over several decades, Vallortigara explores what the imprinting process in young chicks, paralleled by the cognitive feats of human newborns, reveals about minds at the onset of life. He explains that a preference for faces or representations of something face-like and animate objects--predispositions he calls "life detectors"--streamlines learning, allowing minds to avoid a confusing multiplicity of objects in the environment, and he considers the possibility that autism spectrum disorders might be linked to a deficit in the preference for the animate. He also demonstrates that animals do not need language to think, and that addition and subtraction can be performed without numbers. The origin of knowledge, Vallortigara argues, is the wisdom that humans and animals possess as basic brain equipment, the product of natural history rather than individual development.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

193

Publisher

MIT Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0262365863

ISBN 13

9780262365864

Divided Brains

The Biology and Behaviour of Brain Asymmetries

By: Lesley J. Rogers,Giorgio Vallortigara,Richard J. Andrew

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Divided Brains

The Biology and Behaviour of Brain Asymmetries

By: Lesley J. Rogers,Giorgio Vallortigara,Richard J. Andrew

Asymmetry of the brain and behaviour (lateralization) has traditionally been considered unique to humans. However, research has shown that this phenomenon is widespread throughout the vertebrate kingdom and found even in some invertebrate species. A similar basic plan of organisation exists across vertebrates. Summarising the evidence and highlighting research from the last twenty years, the authors discuss lateralization from four perspectives - function, evolution, development and causation - covering a wide range of animals, including humans. The evolution of lateralization is traced from our earliest ancestors, through fish and reptiles to birds and mammals. The benefits of having a divided brain are discussed, as well as the influence of experience on its development. A final chapter discusses outstanding problems and areas for further investigation. Experts in this field, the authors present the latest scientific knowledge clearly and engagingly, making this a valuable tool for anyone interested in the biology and behaviour of brain asymmetries.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

241

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1139619330

ISBN 13

9781139619332

Divided Brains

The Biology and Behaviour of Brain Asymmetries

By: Lesley J. Rogers,Giorgio Vallortigara,Richard J. Andrew

Write a review Read reviews Take a Quiz Solve Book Puzzle

Divided Brains

The Biology and Behaviour of Brain Asymmetries

By: Lesley J. Rogers,Giorgio Vallortigara,Richard J. Andrew

Discusses brain asymmetry from four perspectives - function, evolution, development and causation - covering a wide range of species, including humans.

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

241

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1107005353

ISBN 13

9781107005358

Book's by Giorgio Vallortigara

The Origins of Consciousness

The Origins of Consciousness

Born Knowing

Born Knowing

Divided Brains

Divided Brains

Divided Brains

Divided Brains

Username

Password

Username

Password

Password again

Birthday

Email