“The neural stem cells are a bit unpredictable,” Harris explained.
Another, Conrad Hal Waddington, likened the development of different neuron types to a ball rolling down an uneven hill. One, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, created the first drawings of intricate neuron trees, which are still widely studied. Harris presented the relevant evolutionary history, crediting the many pioneering neuroscientists who uncovered how the “Adams and Eves of our brains” were born. The neuroscientists discussed Harris’ new book, “Zero to Birth: How the Human Brain Is Built,” which elucidates how one cell develops into the complex operational centers that not only make us human, but also individuals, with entirely unique traits, behaviors, and, yes, malfunctions. Tarr Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard and director of the Center for Brain Science. The talk, presented by the University’s Division of Science, Cabot Science Library, and Harvard Book Store, brought Harris together with old friend Joshua Sanes, the Jeff C. Harris opened his virtual Harvard Science Book Talk on Monday.
This is a coming-of-age story - involving your brain.
