Finding Places tells the story of the ground-breaking discovery of the cells that constitute the brain's positioning system — its GPS. The book takes you into the lab of neuroscientists May-Britt and Edvard Moser and lets you experience the work of the many researchers who revealed how certain incredible cells help rats and humans find their way. It details the discovery of the mind-boggling 'grid cells', which generate a hexagonal coordinate system and enable precise positioning and pathfinding. While giving a unique insight into the research process, the author also conveys what these insights mean for you and me. Have you ever wondered how your brain knows where you are, why your memories are tied to places, or why Alzheimer's disease causes people to lose their sense of place? These questions and many more are answered in this book.
The author's goal is not only to document a fascinating scientific achievement that has revolutionized our understanding of the brain, but also to offer insight into the nature of science, and the imagination and creativity that lie behind topnotch research.
Contents: An Unerring InstinctHareid Planet ClubHippocampusThe Trace of MemorySwimming RatsA Warm BrainEdinburghAn Inner MapA Dogma OverturnedUnto the UnknownA Pattern EmergesRats in Jackets — The Hunt for Navigating CellsThe Memory Palace'Ring Me At Once'Into Whiteness — When Memories DieAcknowledgementsNotesBibliographyIndex
Readership: General readers.Popular Science;Cognitive Science;Pathfinding;Brain;Grid Cell0Key Features:This is the book that shows you how crafting skills like sewing jackets for rats or making tiny rat cars can lead to a Nobel prizeA book that gives a unique insight into the nature of science; the hard work, but also the fun and creative ideas behind topnotch researchThis is the first book to tell the full story about the discovery of the brain's GPS, a discovery that revolutionized our understanding of the brain
