Turning thought into action - Cognitive feats in everyday life

Description: Turning thought into action - Cognitive feats in everyday lifeResearch Field: Cognition ResearchWhat happens in the brain when someone, for example, makes a cup of coffee? This seemingly simple action requires a complex process in the brain. One of the goals of brain research is to explain such phenomena.At the Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, neuroscientists hope to unveil the secrets of human actions and decisions. This young group of scientists - considered to be one of the world-wide leading teams in this field - is involved in the largest brain research project aimed at explaining the relationship between the brain and consciousness.According to the findings of the Leipzig-based scientists, in order for will to become action, various sections of the frontal lobe must be sequentially activated. The frontal lobe is also responsible for certain behaviors specific to human beings, such as higher-level functions like planning, foresight, assessing and acting - and, accordingly, also for making a cup of coffee: decision-making (what type of coffee?), acting (reaching for the pot at the right moment) and avoiding errors (not pouring the coffee into the machine without a filter).A visit to the laboratory of the Leipzig brain scientists - and new insights into the neural basis of …. making coffee.Copyright: © Deutsche Welle, 2005Published at ScienceStage.com in cooperation with the Max Planck Society.Involved Institutes: Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences