Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2025
06:33
Method for Simultaneous fMRI/EEG Data Collection during a Focused Attention Suggestion for Differential Thermal Sensation
Published on: January 5, 2014
11.8K
The Thermodynamics of Mind
Morten L Kringelbach1, Yonatan Sanz Perl2, Gustavo Deco3
1Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; International Centre for Flourishing, Universities of Oxford, Aarhus, and Pompeu Fabra, Oxford, UK.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|April 27, 2024
Summary
The brain
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Complex Systems
Background:
- The brain requires efficient hierarchical organization for optimal function.
- Quantifying brain hierarchy is challenging, often relying on information flow asymmetry.
- Thermodynamics effectively characterizes hierarchy in other complex systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the 'Thermodynamics of Mind' framework for quantifying brain hierarchy.
- To explore the underlying mechanisms of hierarchical brain orchestration.
- To gain novel insights into cognitive processes through this framework.
Main Methods:
- Proposing a novel framework based on thermodynamic principles.
- Estimating brain hierarchy through the asymmetry of information flow.
- Analyzing brain states, such as during movie watching versus rest.
Main Results:
- The 'Thermodynamics of Mind' framework offers a natural approach to quantify brain hierarchy.
- Brain hierarchy is observed to be flatter during movie watching compared to rest.
- The framework provides novel insights into hierarchical orchestration in different brain states.
Conclusions:
- The 'Thermodynamics of Mind' framework is a promising tool for understanding brain hierarchy.
- This approach can reveal mechanisms underlying cognitive orchestration.
- Further research can leverage this framework to explore various cognitive functions.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
02:38Third Law of Thermodynamics
18.9K
A pure, perfectly crystalline solid possessing no kinetic energy (that is, at a temperature of absolute zero, 0 K) may be described by a single microstate, as its purity, perfect crystallinity,and complete lack of motion means there is but one possible location for each identical atom or molecule comprising the crystal (W = 1). According to the Boltzmann equation, the entropy of this system is zero.
18.9K
01:21First Law Of Thermodynamics: Problem-Solving
2.6K
The first law of thermodynamics states that the change in internal energy of the system is equal to the net heat transfer into the system minus the net work done by the system. This equation is a generalized form of energy conservation and can be applied to any thermodynamic process.
The following strategies can be used to solve any problem involving the first law of thermodynamics.
The following strategies can be used to solve any problem involving the first law of thermodynamics.
2.6K
01:17First Law of Thermodynamics
4.2K
A change in the internal energy of a system depends on the the net heat transfer into the system and the net work done by the system. The first law of thermodynamics, which is a generalized form of energy conservation, relates these three quantities mathematically. It states that the change in the internal energy equals the difference between the heat transfer and work done by the system.
The applied heat increases the internal energy of a system. Hence, conventionally heat is considered...
The applied heat increases the internal energy of a system. Hence, conventionally heat is considered...
4.2K
00:53Second Law of Thermodynamics
57.1K
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that entropy, or the amount of disorder in a system, increases each time energy is transferred or transformed. Each energy transfer results in a certain amount of energy that is lost—usually in the form of heat—that increases the disorder of the surroundings. This can also be demonstrated in a classic food web. Herbivores harvest chemical energy from plants and release heat and carbon dioxide into the environment. Carnivores harvest the...
57.1K
01:13The First Law of Thermodynamics
5.8K
The first law of thermodynamics deals with the total amount of energy in the universe. It states that this total amount of energy is constant. In other words, there has always been, and always will be, exactly the same amount of energy in the universe. Energy exists in many different forms. According to the first law of thermodynamics, energy may transfer from place to place or transform into different forms, but it cannot be created or destroyed. The transfers and transformations of energy...
5.8K
01:20Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
2.8K
The second law of thermodynamics can be stated quantitatively using the concept of entropy. Entropy is the measure of disorder of the system.
The relation between entropy and disorder can be illustrated with the example of the phase change of ice to water. In ice, the molecules are located at specific sites giving a solid state, whereas, in a liquid form, these molecules are much freer to move. The molecular arrangement has therefore become more randomized. Although the change in average...
The relation between entropy and disorder can be illustrated with the example of the phase change of ice to water. In ice, the molecules are located at specific sites giving a solid state, whereas, in a liquid form, these molecules are much freer to move. The molecular arrangement has therefore become more randomized. Although the change in average...
2.8K