A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Brain By Carl Zimmer

Carl Zimmer, the author of this article, is a well-known science journalist and author. Within this article, Zimmer discusses what he has learned about the human brain, and in this paper, I summarize the main ideas and points that are brought up, while adding my own comments on its contents. The brain is known for being the most mysterious organ. Our current technology and methods of observation and experimentation are not advanced enough to unveil all that there is to know about it. Most of our known current methods include using antennas to pick up radio waves emitted by our brains, and other devices that pick up on the electrical pulses transferred throughout the brain. Zimmer discusses that Jeff Lichtman and his colleagues have created 3-D images of neurons in a mouse brain, revealing every detail there is to be seen of the neuron. Though what Lichtman 's …show more content…
Scientists have already known for a long time what different tasks parts of the brain have, but only in the last many years have we had the technology to apply that knowledge to practical use. There are many people who are paraplegics, unable to move their limbs because their motor cortex, which controls their movements, is disconnected from the rest of the brain. With the use of technology and prior testing to monkeys, we are able to attach sensors to the motor cortex and connect it to robotic limbs. Zimmer discusses Hutchinson 's situation, being almost completely unable to move, and only able to communicate by a a monitor with a cursor that movies according to her eye movements. She was able to move a robotic arm using her brain with a sensor attached to her motor complex. This shows that studying the brain is not simply a pure science, uncovering trivia of an organ because it is interesting. Knowing more about the brain can improve the quality of many lives of those whose brains are