So here's how the brain works

Let's take the reality around us and represent it as a stream of data.

Your sensory cortices read from that stream. Well, read's sort of the wrong word because what's actually happening is that certain patterns in that stream will set off electrical cascades (let's call them pipelines because I like pipes) in your brain. These pipelines propagate through certain paths determined by neuron configuration and they can trigger other pipelines. More importantly, they can change neuron configuration and thus how pipelines will propagate in the future. In essence, the brain can reprogram itself. Well, duh. That's how memories work.

Let's talk a bit more about pipelines. Neurons are your analog bits. So err... not bits at all. They have a function (the action potential function I think) that determines how input impulse maps to output impulse and the properties of this function depend on the type of neuron. Typically, it's pretty spiky (hence the all-or-none principle of neuro-transmission.) Neurons connect with shitloads of other neurons via dendrites.

A pipeline is the macro view of neurotransmission A neuron will set off an entire cascade of electrical signals in some cases, but do very little in other cases. These cascades/pipelines can be very complex and are definitely not independent of one another.

The action potential functions can be changed temporarily by neurotransmitters like seratonin, and possibly permanently (though this is completely unverified.) Permanent change at the neuron level isn't really necessary for this theory though. What's more important is the dendrite configurations. Dendrite connections between neurons need to strengthen for commonly called pipelines and weaken for rarely called pipelines. This is how memory works. A common misconception is that we're actually retrieving stored data like a computer (so is computer memory a retroactive misnomer?) What's actually happening is that some pipeline set off a pipeline that we associate with the idea memory, because whatever things this memory pipeline calls up happened in the past.

What's also apparent is that there is variability in brain design due to the importance of certain variables, some of which we know: the plasticity of connections between neurons, how signals are changed by chemicals, and the action potential function of constituent neurons.

Through evolution, you can see the trends in brain design. The first brains were simple affairs, not very plastic, mostly there to coordinate motor functions and what not. These brains were for the most part static programs that could group certain high-level concepts into an actionable idea. For example: "predator" is associated with "run the fuck away." It's kind of like a hash table that maps stimuli to reactions. Our brainstem is very similar to this oldest brain design.

After handling our instincts, we needed something so that we can change our reactions and we needed a mechanism to control how we change our reactions. So we get emotions (not just talking about feelings... I'm referring to the physiological reaction,) and the limbic system which is basically a big analog switch statement on infinite loop. From my rather limited understanding of neurophysiology, I gleam (synonym for wiki'ed) that emotions are determined by then levels of seratonin, dopamine, and adrenaline. These are controls of your emotional reactions. Different levels will cause you to call different pipelines. The limbic system is somewhat malleable, and apparently developed because mammals needed to raise their kids.

The last stage in brain evolution is the neocortex, which is very, very malleable. This is the source of the majority of your thinking. It's basically designed as a playground of plasticity. You have shitloads of the most plastic nerves imaginable packed in as densely as possible. The neocortex is such a leap forward from the limbic system that I have no possible analog that I can draw from computers. It is so advanced that the evolutionary prerogative for the past 5 million years has been... MOAR.

Anyways, that's what I've been thinking about this weekend.