Searching for the Mind with Jon Lieff, M.D.

Are you aware that the bulk of current scientific knowledge has been discovered in the past ten years? And that many of the most original results have appeared in the last year? Can you imagine where we will be ten years from now? This blog is intended to be an exploration of a paradigm shift I expect to see in the scientific understanding of the connection between mind and the material world. Posts will look at scientific discoveries, as they appear, in the fields of neuroscience, animal behavior, microbiology, molecular biology, evolution and biophysics, and explore their relevance to the emerging view of mind as an integral aspect of nature.

January 25, 2015 Blog, Cellular Intelligence, Evolution, Microbes

Evolution of Intelligent Viruses and Jumping Genes

50% of the human genome consists of jumping genes or mobile genetic elements. The 8% of human DNA from retroviruses has been vital to human evolution, such as determining the human placenta, epigenetic changes in the brain and digestive enzymes. An epigenetic immune system in the nucleus battles the jumping genes for…

January 18, 2015 Blog, Cellular Intelligence, Human Brain, Neuronal Plasticity

The Very Intelligent Protein mTOR

FEATURE Protein molecule for Complex Neuron Machinery

How can one protein molecule function as if it is a brain? It is able to monitor a large amount of different external and internal information and use this data to make critical decisions and take many simultaneous actions. The decisions involve multiple pathways controlling cellular growth and the amount of protein…

January 11, 2015 Blog, Cellular Intelligence, Human Brain, Neuronal Plasticity

Endocannabinoids Critical for Brain Function

Endocannabinoids are derived from fatty acids in a very complex process. They serve as critical signals for a wide variety of brain functions. “Endo” refers to cannabinoids made in the brain, as opposed to “phytocannabinoids” made in plants and ingested. For simplicity, this post will use the general term…

January 4, 2015 Blog, Cellular Intelligence, Plants

Plant Intelligence Primer and Update 2015

Since Aristotle many scientists have considered plants robotic, rather than vital intelligent beings. Darwin did not subscribe to this view and published a book about intelligent plant movement where he called the root the plant’s brain. Recently, an excellent book summarizing the current data on plant intelligence,…

December 28, 2014 Blog, Cellular Intelligence, Human Brain, Neuronal Plasticity

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Signaling in the Brain

N0019835 Cell membrane with different receptor types

Most people are familiar with proteins regulating genes and peptides and amino acids as signals and factors in the brain. Now, fat molecules are found to be vital signals for a wide range of brain functions, including protecting neurons from cell death, stimulating synapses and creating new neurons. In particular,…