The ineffable quality of the human brain

Our brains allow us to do all sorts of things unique to humans: use sarcasm, solve crossword puzzles, envision our future. Their complexity also leaves us susceptible to conditions we don’t see in animals, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. An avalanche of data has started to reveal key differences between human and animal brains, but exactly what gives rise to our unique cognitive skills still isn’t totally clear.

Blogger Comments:

From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistic Theory, the meaning potential of language is the 'elephant in the room' that gives rise to our unique cognitive skills. Semiotic phenomena require semiotic explanations. Material models of the brain are severely limited to explaining its material phenomena, such as the locations of its processes.