A person's wealth is not in money, but in the number of neural connections - Oleg Kryshtal

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

The human brain is made up of 10 billion nerve cells connected by several trillions of contacts. And the structure of connections between nerve cells begins to form exactly from the moment when the child opened his eyes and saw the world for the first time. Interesting, isn't it? It becomes doubly curious when you learn that the giant cloud, which is in each of us in the head, is capable of accepting a number of combinations exceeding the number of atoms in the known universe.

The capabilities of the human brain have not been fully explored, and world science spends hundreds of billions of dollars on the development of neurophysiology.

On the topic of the secrets of gray matter, the prospects of artificial intelligence and the vector of development of Ukrainian science, we decided to talk to an academician whose name sounds proudly in domestic and world science. Oleg Kryshtal- Director of the Institute of Physiology named after A. A. Bogomolets NAS of Ukraine, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, co-author of several important scientific discoveries. In tandem with colleagues, he found new receptors in nerve cells, thereby opening the way to fundamentally new possibilities in studying the work of neurons. Oleg Aleksandrovich taught at Harvard, the Universities of Madrid and Pennsylvania and is one of the most cited scientists in our country. By the way: it turned out to be surprisingly easy to make an appointment with the academician, whose day is scheduled literally by the minute. The 73-year-old scientist hospitably opened the doors of his own office and told the readers of PROMAN Ukraine a lot of interesting things about the container of our “I” and the most complex device in the Universe - the human brain.

"THE BRAIN IS THE PLACE OF OUR" I "- EVERYTHING WE KNOW, WHAT WE REMEMBER AND WHAT WE PRESENT ABOUT HIMSELF"

Oleg Alexandrovich, you are the author of a number of world-class scientific discoveries, in particular, you have identified two new receptors in nerve cells. Remember the day you made your first discovery? What did you feel then, with what can you compare the received emotions?

- I made three important discoveries, in each of which I had co-authors. At the same time, I can say that in at least two cases I clearly felt the moment of insight. A moment of epiphany is when a ready-made thought that strikes your imagination appears in the brain in the most unexpected way. Insights happened to me during research, within the walls of the building where we are now and are talking. According to the experienced sensations, the moments of epiphany can be compared to the first orgasm.

Please tell us about the state of affairs in neurophysiology: what kind of research are scientists working on and how is the industry surprising today?

- The world science spends the most money on the development of neurophysiology - hundreds of billions of dollars. Studying the brain is the most important task, because it is the brain that made us human, it is the brain that allows us to live the way we live and how we want to live in a developing civilization. The brain is the most complex device known to the universe. He is the container of our "I" - everything that we know, what we remember and what we imagine about ourselves. It is the brain that forms our personal picture of the world around us.

There are two kinds of processes going on in the brain - electrical and molecular. Electrical processes consist in the generation of a couple of trillions of nerve impulses by the brain every second. Today neurophysiology has already deciphered the physicochemical nature of all electrical processes in the brain. And now specialists in this field can productively deal with an equally important branch - pharmacology, a very significant part of which is associated with the influence of physiologically active substances on electrical processes in the brain.

Special molecules in nerve cells enable the brain to generate electrical signals. In the process of such generation, nerve impulses "run" between nerve cells, transmitting messages. These messages, in turn, change the structure of the molecules that generate them. The altered molecules, in turn, transmit altered electrical codes to the nerve cells, as a result of which we get a vicious circle: information is memorized. Many of the molecular processes taking place in the brain have not yet been deciphered. In this regard, scientists will have to work for tens and tens of years.

Are there brain secrets that science cannot unravel and explain - what do you think?

- Science has many similarities with religion. If religion presupposes belief in miraculous forces and beings, then in science the symbol of faith is the cognizability of the world. In other words, we believe that we are capable of knowing the world. Behind us is the experience that lies ahead - we do not know, but that very faith allows us to move forward. It is not known whether the community of scientists will face a conditional "wall". In some areas of knowledge - say, in quantum mechanics, this wall has already arisen. Whether a similar situation will occur in neurophysiology is a big question. And the point here is not in the degree of inquisitiveness of scientists (we always strive to know the world at full capacity), it is in the ability to know everything to the end. Can the process of cognition last forever? We give a positive answer to this question, but it is only a symbol of our faith, nothing more. Therefore, the topic of unsolved mysteries of the brain is a philosophical one, which can be discussed for a long time.

What does a person need to know about the work of the brain in order to learn how to control his personality?

- When I was a child, I behaved intemperately and began to boil, my late father often said: "Yes, regulate yourself!" Consciously formulating this phrase incorrectly, the father joked, thereby emphasizing that a person should be able to control himself. For some peoples, for example, the Vietnamese, losing their temper is one of the most shameful moments they can experience in life. If a Vietnamese loses his temper, it is a disaster for him and a signal that he has not been able to cope with his own emotions.

The answer to the question of managing a person is entirely within the competence of human culture. Each individual has a container of culture - the brain. The brain provides an opportunity for a person to participate as a protagonist in a film called life. A person who correctly regulates his life is a person of high culture.

EVERYTHING PEOPLE DO WELL, THEY DO UNCONSCIOUSLY

What will happen to the brain at the neurophysiological level if a person changes his information field, content consumed through television and social networks, and daily household habits?

- The brain feeds on information, it needs information and is created in order to receive it. New information stimulates gray matter. But in terms of the daily routine of life, the picture is somewhat different. A person's personality forms a set of everyday habits, including. The trick is that we perform the entire range of daily routine subconsciously, human consciousness does not take part in this process. We act like biorobots, living most of our lives mechanically - subconsciously and unconsciously. I will say more: everything that people do well, they do unconsciously. Consciousness turns on if there is a need for something or a person makes a mistake. This is a signal to learn. Hence the proverb: "learn from mistakes."

In general, the human brain makes all decisions on its own, outside of our consciousness. The brain lives behind a conventional wall, informing us about the decisions made through the "windows". The degree of efficiency of our subconscious brain is determined by the amount of knowledge placed in it. So, this knowledge was obtained as a result of our quite conscious efforts on our own training.

Oleg Aleksandrovich, how do you assess the prospects of artificial intelligence - will it become dominant over human?

- Artificial intelligence has enormous potential, and the limits of its development are not clear to anyone. Perhaps these limits simply do not exist. At the same time, people have a great advantage in the form of their own development potential. The human brain is made up of more than 10 billion nerve cells connected by several trillions of contacts - "synapses". Everything that we know, we are able, all our “I” is “sewn up” in synapses, that is, in the structure of connections between nerve cells. This structure begins its formation exactly from the moment when the child opened his eyes and saw the world for the first time. All information received in childhood, as well as the results of a person's learning, are "recorded" in synapses. People with higher education have many times more synapses than uneducated people. Human wealth, in my opinion, should be measured not by the number of dollars in a bank account, but by the number of connections between nerve cells in the brain. It is this that gives a person the opportunity to paint a film called "life" with bright colors. Agree, why the hell does a man have dollars if his film is black and white ?!

Each synapse can be both active and passive - that is, either transmit information from one nerve cell to another, or not. If we count the number of combinations that can take a giant synaptic cloud, which is in each of us in the head, we get a value that exceeds the number of atoms in the known universe. One might think that it will be difficult for artificial intelligence to compete with human intelligence in solving multifactorial problems. In some things and competencies, people will always win, not robots, because the most important thing: a person is a person for whom not only all the colors of the world, but all its details are saturated with emotions. The way of thinking leading to decision-making is human, let's say human. Whether we can turn artificial intelligence into a person whose solutions are always optimal for us is a big question.

Continuing the topic of the secrets of the brain: can the brain be programmed to heal itself? In other words, is the power of a person's self-hypnosis capable of influencing the outcome of the disease?

- The well-known placebo effect really helps a person to influence the outcome of the disease and even achieve self-healing. But this is not applicable to all diseases. Rather, the success of the power of self-hypnosis depends not so much on the efforts of a particular person (his willpower, the nature of his attitude to what is happening), but on the nature of the disease itself. If this nature lies in the molecular plane, then no placebo will help. In the case where the nature of the disease lies in the dysregulation of the body, the power of self-hypnosis and the placebo effect may well work.

The placebo effect is still not fully understood by science. In the Bible, we can read these words: "Faith moves mountains." And it actually works. Faith - I mean faith in healing - somehow helps a person to be healed, in what way is unknown. The placebo effect is now the subject of scientific study, and millions of grants are awarded for related research.

My next question is of a biological nature, but with a philosophical connotation. What, in your opinion, is a person? What do you, as a scientist, think about human nature and how do you see modern Ukrainian Homo sapiens?

- In Darwin's "evolutionary tree", man is placed at the very top, and for this there is a weighty basis - man is conscious. Elements of consciousness, of course, are also observed in mammals, but Homo sapiens are the only biological creatures that have created culture. How did we come to this? Having acquired a language, with the help of which it became possible to transfer the accumulated knowledge from being to being, as well as to future generations. The presence of such experience automatically led to the ability of people to create culture, thanks to which a person is such a part of living nature that is able to constantly develop and educate himself.

The worldview of modern Ukrainians has undoubtedly been influenced and is influenced by the fact that for a very long time we could not create our own statehood. In fact, we are gaining the first experience only now, and our rationality should be expressed in the maximum efforts we make so that this first pancake does not become a lump.

BEING FAMOUS IN THE SCIENTIFIC WORLD, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO EXPERIENCE THE SENSE OF UNDERSTANDING AND UNVALUABLE

Oleg Aleksandrovich, you have a long-term scientific work, an impeccable reputation, many publications in the world's leading scientific journals … Tell me, do you feel recognized, in demand and appreciated in your native country - in Ukraine?

- Yes. And this is my categorical answer. You see, my activity was never limited to one country: even during the times of the USSR and the Iron Curtain, it was international in nature. Thus, the discoveries I made had significance and weight not only in Ukrainian, but also in world science. Being famous in the scientific world, it is impossible to experience the feeling of being unclaimed and unappreciated. In any case, these sensations are unfamiliar to me.

Due to your professional activity, you have traveled a lot around the world and have probably received job offers abroad more than once. However, you did not leave the country and preferred to develop science here, in Ukraine. Are there any feelings of regret, missed opportunities?

- Proposals, of course, were received, but this happened after the collapse of the Soviet Union. At that time I was already over 45 years old, and it was not possible to start life from scratch at that age. In addition, considering job offers coming from abroad, being already a member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, I said to myself: “I have lived in this country very hard times and will now leave for another? No, this will not happen . If we talk about the possibility of emigrating during the existence of the USSR, then an attempt to settle down in another place would mean the impossibility of returning, seeing your wife, children and parents. This scenario did not suit me.

There is no feeling of missed opportunities, because I successfully realized in my native country not only as a scientist, but also as a writer (Oleg Kryshtal wrote the novel "Homunculus" and the essay novel "To the Singing of Birds"). Working on the book "To the Singing of Birds", I experienced the greatest pleasure in my life - a real catharsis. And it lasted for three whole years.

I know that you taught at Harvard and the universities of Madrid and Pennsylvania. Tell me, is there a difference between Ukrainian students and their colleagues from abroad - in thinking, approach to knowledge and education?

- My teaching activity abroad was mostly not lecturing, but participation in research experiments. I can say that I did not see a fundamental difference between the students. All young people studying at universities, as a rule, already have a certain educational and cultural level. Students who really strive to learn - to be filled with knowledge, absorb useful information, will do so under any conditions and circumstances. Their thinking, approach to education is not tied to nationality and the country where they receive education.

Oleg Alexandrovich, how superstitious are you? In general, can a person who understands how everything works in our world be subject to prejudices?

- I am convinced that non-superstitious people do not exist. Why? Because human life depends on a huge number of circumstances that we cannot foresee. In fact, everything that happens to us is determined by a set of cases beyond the control of a person, and quite often situations arise in which nothing else remains but to knock on wood. In the book "To the birdsong" I just analyze the course of human thoughts and come to the conclusion that every person is constantly in a state of trembling. As all molecules tremble as a result of thermal movement, so Homo sapiens trembles between two states - “believe” and “do not believe”. As long as we live, we tremble.

Tell us how you, being a scientist who knows the subtleties and secrets of the body, take care of your own health? What healthy life hacks does Oleg Kryshtal use?

- I am 73 years old and, unfortunately, I can no longer boast of good health. Quite recently I underwent a complex heart operation, which was brilliantly performed, by the way, by Ukrainian, not foreign doctors. I also suffer from diabetes. For a long time, I did not lead the healthiest lifestyle - I smoked for a total of thirty years. Over time, I reconsidered my attitude to this bad habit and gave up tobacco. I will say more: I consider smoking a useless occupation and a sign of bad taste. There are no special life hacks, everything is quite simple: every day, immediately after waking up, I do half an hour of exercises using dumbbells. I drink alcohol in moderate doses, I would say that these doses are sanitary. I believe that the most important factor in maintaining health is activity: physical and mental.

I think you will agree that the Ukrainian state has not chosen the development of science as one of its top tasks. How, in your opinion, could the face of the country change if resources - human and financial - were channeled into the development of science? And what would Ukraine look like if it were ruled by smart people, not sly ones?

- Science, new knowledge and new inventions must be in demand by the social structure of the country and the Ukrainian society. To achieve this, competent management decisions are required at the state level. At present, our country is sorely lacking in wise leadership.

I remember once giving a lecture in America and the audience gave a standing ovation. People came up to me with the words: "Now, using the method you created, we can get a lot of new knowledge." That is, it is knowledge in Western countries that is the main force and value of a person, but there is one important point: for the economy, knowledge in itself is not a value, it is valuable only if it becomes a highly liquid commodity. This will happen only when the Ukrainians are able to convert the knowledge gained into a monetary equivalent - each dollar invested in science will turn into a thousand. Now the country is run by cunning people who are not interested in science and, moreover, they do not have enough cunning. Sadly, smart people in our country are often not in demand and "vote with their feet."

FOR THE ECONOMY, KNOWLEDGE IS NOT A VALUE IN ITSELF, THEY ARE VALUABLE ONLY IF IT BECOMES A HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT

Please, name a few names of young Ukrainian scientists who are able to confidently declare themselves to the scientific world

- I will not limit myself to a few names, since there are a lot of such scientists. In general, Ukraine is a country of smart and educated people, and the Ukrainian IT industry is already a significant player on the world stage.

From various sources of information, we hear that it is necessary to support domestic science, young inventors and specialists, creating worthy opportunities for them for professional implementation and ensuring proper remuneration. Nevertheless, more and more minds are emigrating abroad. How to turn the tide, or is it already an irreversible process?

- It is wrong to detain young scientists in the country without offering them anything from the state and society. I would even say that this is not fair. I think that the financial component in the form of proper wages is unlikely to become the main motive for the intellectual elite to stay in the country.

Scientists must see that their knowledge is important, useful and in demand. When Ukraine enters the top 10 countries in which knowledge is a highly valuable commodity, the situation with the "brain drain" will change. In any other scenario, this will not happen. In the meantime, we are compelled to watch with horror how intellectual blood flows from the body of the country. And this is not even a metaphor. In general, the problem of personnel outflow is global, and it can be solved only after the transformation of Ukrainian society, and this again refers us to the issue of competent government decisions.

On the one hand, science is deprived of citizenship, that is, a scientist can be a man of peace and realize his potential in any country without reference to his roots. On the other hand, there is such a thing as patriotism and a conditional obligation to develop the industry in the native country. How to solve this puzzle? Is a scientist primarily a citizen of the world or a loyal subject of the state?

- For me, for example, there were no and there are no obstacles to feel like a citizen of the world and a patriot of my country at the same time. I am a Ukrainian who wants and always wanted to live, develop professionally and popularize science in my native land. At the same time, if a scientist decides to emigrate, this should not cause any resistance on the part of society, and certainly not a reason for accusing him of lack of patriotism. As dollars are used as a payment instrument all over the world, so a person can use the whole world for his own purposes and self-realization. After all, a person is released into the world once, he needs to use his personal potential to the maximum.

PARENTS WHO WILL AIM THE CHILD ON SCIENCE MAYBE DO AND DO IT CORRECT, BUT IT IS VERY RISKY

Oleg Aleksandrovich, I want to return you mentally to childhood - a period of life when inquisitiveness, curiosity, a desire to explore and big childhood dreams arose in you. Based on the experience of your family and the professional knowledge gained, tell me: what is useful for parents to invest in the gray matter of the child's brain from the earliest years, so that it will work in full force in the future?

- Unfortunately, there is no unequivocal answer to this question in the arsenal of mankind. I can only say that the lion's share of the experiments conducted by parents on their children, wishing to make them geeks, do not justify themselves. You should not set yourself the goal of "shoving" as much information into the child as possible - this will be a gross mistake. So I graduated from the physics department of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev. About 130 people studied in my course, 10% of them were prodigies, winners of all kinds of Olympiads … It is noteworthy that none of these 10% achieved success, not one! When raising children, it is important to leave their freedom of choice. Each child is a person who is able to determine what to do, how and when. Curiosity does not require special education; it will manifest itself in a child by itself, without the participation and control of adults.

However, my parents often did not let me walk outside, leaving me alone at home with a huge library. This played a huge role in my upbringing: in order to occupy myself, at the age of five, I already “swallowed” encyclopedias volume after volume. But I cannot recommend such a parental scenario, since this is my personal history and my individual experience, and it is not universal.

How to interest a child in science and make the younger generation strive to become not oligarchs, but engineers, geologists, teachers? Is it even possible to form a cult of science in a country where science itself is not in demand? Does the demand for science generate a personnel supply, or is it the other way around?

- The answers to these questions lie in the social plane and are determined by the mood in society. I think that, nevertheless, demand generates supply, which means that there is no point in creating a cult of science if science is not in demand in the country. Parents who will start from the opposite and direct the child to science, perhaps, will do the right thing, but it is very risky. After all, if the demand for science does not appear, the risk will be unjustified.

At one time, the American comedy sitcom The Big Bang Theory made a splash and popularized science. Is it possible to bring science to a new level of perception and development through entertainment and educational content?

- Serials, whatever they are, are always propaganda. And propaganda affects the human brain. I think that it will be useful to brainwash Ukrainians with not only political, but also educational content. Moreover, there is public interest in science.

Most Ukrainians are educated people, and our country lacks only a small set of conditions to take its rightful place in the list of countries in terms of research activity.

At the end of the interview - a question for a top-class expert on gray matter. How to raise a person who can change the world for the better?

- Formation and education of personality is a secret sealed with seven seals. It is a process that is not formalized and cannot be expressed in equations; partly, perhaps, it can be described by chaos theory. Just as it is impossible to create an accurate scientific forecast of the weather for a period of more than five days, it is impossible to predict the results of a child's upbringing: whatever the upbringing, it will not give any guarantees. But one thing I can say for sure - you can raise children only by your own example. If a child sees parents as honest, hard-working, interested and knowledgeable people who are able to answer the whole spectrum of children's why, this will be the best role model for him. Ideally, if the above is added to the presence or at least the search for financial opportunities for a decent education for the child. Actually, this is all that each parent can give to their child in order to prepare the ground for his success and the ability to change the world. More is not needed.