When considering that a rat's brain is capable of performing all the articulation and sensory computations, body management etc and seems to fuction quite well, and comparing it's size to that of a human brain I would like to ask:

Is the increased size explained simply by saying it is needed to articulate thought therefore higher degrees of sentience.

To me this size difference is rather incredible.

Size matters only if there is a minimum limit which forces size to be a factor.
So if there is a lower minimum molecular requirement for information to be processed and stored so that a mind can be created then the size of the brain and its proportion to overall body mass becomes relevant.

What you refer to as ‘higher degrees of sentience’ is the excess intellect leftover when the physical needs of the body are taken care of.
The more surplus of intellect there is the higher degrees of reason and intellect we say a being possesses. If the entire brain power of a being is required to keep it going physically and is needed for it to survive then no higher faculties come to be and abstract thought and self-awareness are non-existent.
Man having dominated its environment has freed more brain power up from everyday needs and so can indulge in higher brain functions.
That's why man has the capacity ot become bored and is so dependant on entertainment and distraction.


I would submit that penis size also matters.

Size only matters if the size is large proportionate to the body. Our brains are swolen monsters. I believe the increased size is largely explained by our ancestors eating larger and larger amounts of meat--results of working together, increasing intelligence over millions of years. I think we used to be mostly vegetarians but a large drought or something forced us out of the trees onto the ground, where we started killing animals.

Teamwork gives rise to families, to individual concerns, to scheming, to hatred, to love, to communication and ultimately to complex language.

since posting i have had some thought about this question.

For instance our ability to express ourselves with language, facial expressions, articulation or 8 fingers and two thumbs and many other abilities not shown in rats, let alone the ability to think in a sophisticated manner.

My thread was a little pre-mature as part of my brain must have been some where else for I should have given my question more thought before posting it.:D

QQ: Your brain is required to produce pretty large amounts of energy to run your nervous system. In the case of gigantic animals like whales their brain must perforce be huge to be able to produce the energy to drive their immense nerves.

I have wondered before if there is a minimum threshhold of brain size for a certain size of body, and whether having excess brain beyond this threshhold makes you smarter... but that's idle speculation.

maybe the potential to be smarter.

A bit like the size of Willie ( speaking of whales) being big only allows for greater potential to be better in bed not a guarantee.....

Is there any knowledge as to how the brain is able to generate the ability to think and act on those thoughts beyond synaptic function or hormonal function.

I have some ideas that may be interesting but based on observation not science.

For the most part, no, there are no accepted theories about the physical nature of thought. Some sociologists appear to believe that blood flow in different parts of the brain indicates changes in thought priority, but I think that this is a bankrupt concept.

It's very rudementary but here goes.

The main ability of the brain is to stretch and flex. It comprises of a multitude of very small muscles, every muscle activated by neuronic activity.

The ability to think is dependant on our ability to hold on to a thought or idea and allow other muscles to react to this thought or idea.

A bit like when you pick somethng up with your hand and hold it. You are thinking about what you hand has held on to.

The brain works in a reflective manner when some muscles are clenched or flexed and held other muscles by reflection react and thought occurs as the muscles relax and tense.

For example. If you wish to leave your home and go shopping.

The idea is held onto by your use of clenching a sequence of muscles and you are able to maintain a memory of what you wanted to do. When you arrive at the shopping mall your brain can relax it's clench because you have achieved your objective, as the muscles relaxes you feel a slight relief because you have achieved your objective.

Every neuron in the brain acts as a muscle activator of the surrrounding muscle.

There are probably as many muscles in the brain as there are neurons or should I say as much reactible tissue as neurons.

hold and act. hold and act, hold and think . hold and think etc etc

In a way it's a bit like a muscle computer, eg. 1000 muscles held and sequentially 1500 muscles react giving the sensation of thinking.

That's it........Hope you like
:)

idk i think though seince that we do not use all of are brain power that maby a rat dose and since he dose if his brain was any smaller he would not be able to function.. if u can understand (kinda hard ot translate a thought in you brain :) onto paper)

My ten cents:
An elephant never forgets!. When a baby elephant is captured for the circus, and tied to a peg on the ground the peg is deep, so that the will of he elephant to pull itself free, will tire him out, and he gives up, knowing that it can't pull the peg. When grown, the man only gives a few nudges to the peg. Thus the elephant has been trained that it can't pull the peg, though it has the strength to do so now that it's all grown up, but does not even try. The will of this elephant has been broken.

I will give this question of yours more interest though it's late! I must retire now.

Godless. :cool: