(cross posted from my other blog A Medical Education
I am interested in what we think of when we think of “the brain.” I am planning a post compiling the various technological metaphors that are used when people talk about the brain – from the steam engine / pneumatic metaphors of the 19th Century to the computer metaphors of today. Of course, these metaphors (especially the computer one) assume a kind of literal meaning so that we forget that the brain really isn’t a computer.
Anyhow, one interesting topic that may or may not have been systematically and academically studied is what children think of when they think of the brain. There is almost certainly some academic work out there on this – my own plan is to ask every few months the following questions:
What is a brain?
Where is your brain?
What does your brain do?
Until the children in question tell me to go away.
And because I am interest in sleep also, I will ask
What happens when you sleep?
February 24th 2015
Child aged four and four months
Where is your brain?
(touches neck, goes off and plays elsewhere)
Later on
Where is your brain?
(touches head)
What does your brain do?
It keeps your forehead in place
May 24th 2015
Same child
What is a brain?
Your forehead’s bone
Where is your brain?
Here (touches forehead)
What does your brain do?
Makes you think. Anything else? Mmm -mmm
Oct 2nd 2015
Same child.
What is a brain?
In your head.
Where is your brain?
In your forehead.
What does your brain do?
It makes you think.
Anything else?
That’s all.
Séamus Sweeney 