The experiences that we take for granted – talking to a friend,
listening to a piece of music, lifting a cup of coffee, tasting
a peach – depend for their existence on the intricate and silent
workings of several cooperative regions of the brain. Why do
some people see numbers as coloured? Do we have five or twenty-
five senses? How much of the brain do we need to understand
language? Can we cure chronic pain or depression at the flick of
an electrical switch? Do we decide how to act before we know
about it? For this four-part series, Professor Barry Smith from
the Institute of Philosophy, explores the way neuroscience is
addressing the ultimate scientific challenge: namely, how our
brain makes us the conscious creatures we are – capable of
language, thinking and feeling. Part three: Decision and Reward,
Emotions and Pleasure