Bookshelf

| browse books |
books
 

| book details |

The Spike: An Epic Journey Through the Brain in 2.1 Seconds

By (author) Mark Humphries

| on special |

normal price: R 530.95

Price: R 503.95


| book description |

The story of a neural impulse and what it reveals about how our brains work We see the last cookie in the box and think, can I take that? We reach a hand out. In the 2.1 seconds that this impulse travels through our brain, billions of neurons communicate with one another, sending blips of voltage through our sensory and motor regions. Neuroscientists call these blips “spikes.” Spikes enable us to do everything: talk, eat, run, see, plan, and decide. In The Spike, Mark Humphries takes readers on the epic journey of a spike through a single, brief reaction. In vivid language, Humphries tells the story of what happens in our brain, what we know about spikes, and what we still have left to understand about them. Drawing on decades of research in neuroscience, Humphries explores how spikes are born, how they are transmitted, and how they lead us to action. He dives into previously unanswered mysteries: Why are most neurons silent? What causes neurons to fire spikes spontaneously, without input from other neurons or the outside world? Why do most spikes fail to reach any destination? Humphries presents a new vision of the brain, one where fundamental computations are carried out by spontaneous spikes that predict what will happen in the world, helping us to perceive, decide, and react quickly enough for our survival. Traversing neuroscience’s expansive terrain, The Spike follows a single electrical response to illuminate how our extraordinary brains work.

| product details |



Normally shipped | Usually dispatched in 3 to 4 weeks as supplier is out of stock
Publisher | Princeton University Press
Published date | 24 Jan 2023
Language |
Format | Paperback / softback
Pages | 232
Dimensions | 203 x 133 x 0mm (L x W x H)
Weight | 200g
ISBN | 978-0-6912-4148-7
Readership Age |
BISAC |


| other options |


| your trolley |

To view the items in your trolley please sign in.

| sign in |

| specials |

Leeward: A Times Historical Novel of the Year 2023

Katie Daysh
Paperback / softback
384 pages
was: R 295.95
now: R 259.95
Available from overseas. Dispatched in aprox 4-8 weeks as local supplier is out of stock


Frankenstein

Mary Shelley
Hardback
264 pages
was: R 355.95
now: R 312.95
Available from overseas. Usually dispatched in 3 to 6 weeks

Victor Frankenstein driven by the mad dream of creating his own creature, experiments with alchemy and science to build a monster stitched together from dead remains.

The Quality of Mercy

Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu
Paperback / softback
384 pages
was: R 340.95
now: R 299.95
Stock is usually dispatched in 6-12 days from date of order

This is indeed a story of mercy and the redemption it offers.