| Sumario: | The writer discusses the role that neurobiology may play in expanding the power of the human mind. In the next ten years, it is unlikely that scientists will be able to fully trace the way in which the neuron “circuits” in the brain cooperate to bring about conscious and unconscious mental action, or discover exactly how the mind comprehends language and music, or how it creates and retrieves memories. Nonetheless, they should discover enough to create better treatments for mental problems such as bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorders, and panic attacks. They may also learn more about neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's—enough to at least develop remedies to slow their progress.
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