full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Michael S. A. Graziano: What is consciousness?

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Scientists have already begun trying to figure out how the brain creates that self moedl. MRI studies are a promising avenue for pinpointing the networks involved. These studies compare patterns of neural activation when someone is and isn’t conscious of a sensory stimulus, like an igame. The results show that the areas nedeed for vsuail processing are activated whether or not the pinitaprcat is aware of the image, but a whole adntdaiiol network lights up only when they are conscious of seeing the image. Patients with heiamiatspl nlegcet, like P.S., typically have damage to one particular part of this network. More extensive damage to the network can sometimes lead to a vegetative state, with no sign of consciousness.

Open Cloze


Scientists have already begun trying to figure out how the brain creates that self _____. MRI studies are a promising avenue for pinpointing the networks involved. These studies compare patterns of neural activation when someone is and isn’t conscious of a sensory stimulus, like an _____. The results show that the areas ______ for ______ processing are activated whether or not the ___________ is aware of the image, but a whole __________ network lights up only when they are conscious of seeing the image. Patients with ___________ _______, like P.S., typically have damage to one particular part of this network. More extensive damage to the network can sometimes lead to a vegetative state, with no sign of consciousness.

Solution


  1. participant
  2. additional
  3. image
  4. hemispatial
  5. needed
  6. model
  7. neglect
  8. visual

Original Text


Scientists have already begun trying to figure out how the brain creates that self model. MRI studies are a promising avenue for pinpointing the networks involved. These studies compare patterns of neural activation when someone is and isn’t conscious of a sensory stimulus, like an image. The results show that the areas needed for visual processing are activated whether or not the participant is aware of the image, but a whole additional network lights up only when they are conscious of seeing the image. Patients with hemispatial neglect, like P.S., typically have damage to one particular part of this network. More extensive damage to the network can sometimes lead to a vegetative state, with no sign of consciousness.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
white light 3


Important Words


  1. activated
  2. activation
  3. additional
  4. areas
  5. avenue
  6. aware
  7. begun
  8. brain
  9. compare
  10. conscious
  11. consciousness
  12. creates
  13. damage
  14. extensive
  15. figure
  16. hemispatial
  17. image
  18. involved
  19. lead
  20. lights
  21. model
  22. mri
  23. needed
  24. neglect
  25. network
  26. networks
  27. neural
  28. part
  29. participant
  30. patients
  31. patterns
  32. pinpointing
  33. processing
  34. promising
  35. results
  36. scientists
  37. sensory
  38. show
  39. sign
  40. state
  41. stimulus
  42. studies
  43. typically
  44. vegetative
  45. visual