Have you seen the movie "Inside Out" yet? I went over the weekend with my family, and despite reports that some parents weep throughout the last 20 minutes, I only shed a few tears. (A real miracle given what a sap I normally am when it comes to Pixar films - don't even get me started on the last scene of "Monsters, Inc.")
The movie takes place inside the brain of an 11-year-old girl, Riley, with different characters playing the role of various emotions (joy, anger, sadness, etc.). I found the movie's journey through the brain visually stunning and highly entertaining, but I admit to not thinking much about its accuracy - until yesterday, when I came across this post on the NeuroLogica Blog.
Neurologist Steven Novella, MD, writes that he loved the movie and would highly recommend it, but "as a metaphor for brain function, the movie was highly problematic." He outlines the various ways in which accuracy was sacrificed for plot, or for the sake of simple storytelling, starting with the control panel used in the "command center" of Riley's brain. "There does not appear to be any equivalent of a command center or control panel in our brains. There is no 'seat of consciousness' or 'global workspace,'" he writes. "Rather, consciousness appears to be highly distributed, with each part of the brain contributing its little bit."
The entire post is an entertaining and educational read, and I know I'll keep it in the back of my mind - no pun intended - upon my next viewing of the movie. (Anyone with kids knows there's no way I'm getting away with seeing a Pixar movie only once.)
Previously: From brains to computers: How do we reverse-engineer the most mysterious organ?, From phrenology to neuroimaging: New finding bolsters theory about how brain operates and Anger: The most evil emotion or a natural impulse?
Photo by geralt/Pixabay
