People often get excited when I mention I'm a neuroscientist, even if we've just met. They lean in and start asking questions.
Why do many Koreans find neuroscience fascinating?
Neuroscience covers the whole nervous system, not just the brain. However, Koreans often use the term "brain science" instead of the globally used "neuroscience." It seems that interest in the mind has naturally extended to the brain. In Korea, psychology books have been popular during the 2000s, with neuroscience books gaining traction over the last decade. Neuroscience, as a hard science based on the physical brain, feels more reliable compared to the elusive nature of the mind (link). This may explain why many findings from psychology and cognitive science are repackaged as neuroscience discoveries.
Despite high interest, many people are unclear about what neuroscience actually involves. A common misconception is that neuroscience, which deals with the brain—the organ most closely linked to the mind—encompasses fields like psychology, cognitive science, and education. Conversely, some mistakenly believe neuroscience falls under psychology. In Korea, following the famous match between AlphaGo and Sedol Lee, the government promoted numerous projects under the term 'Fourth Industrial Revolution,' leading to a widespread misunderstanding that equated artificial intelligence (AI) with neuroscience*.
Further Explanation of the Governmental Drive on the "Fourth Industrial Revolution"
From 2016 to 2019, the Korean government heavily promoted the term "Fourth Industrial Revolution." This campaign, building upon existing AI-related anxieties following the Go match between AlphaGo and Lee Sedol, created a sense of urgency among the public to prepare for the imminent 'revolution.' However, many Koreans struggled to grasp the exact meaning of the term.
Despite the government's promotion of numerous R&D projects in popular fields like IT and neuroscience under the banner of the "Fourth Industrial Revolution," many Korean researchers were skeptical. Their reservations stemmed from a familiarity with the government's pattern of focusing on apparently trendy fields while neglecting others.
The true scope of neuroscience can be visualized as the picture below. There are overlaps, but neuroscience neither completely encompasses another discipline nor is it completely encompassed by any other.
Neuroscience is a branch of biology studying the structure, function, and pathology of the nervous system, including the brain. Any research measuring, manipulating, or modeling the nervous system is considered neuroscience. The brain is crucial for functions like memory, thinking, emotion, language, and sensation, which is why neuroscience is closely linked to psychology, cognitive science, and psychiatry. It also interacts with robotics in developing technologies like artificial retinas, cochlear implants, and prosthetic limbs.
Humanity's understanding of itself is often reflected in its inventions. During the modern era, when emphasis was placed on the rational aspects of the mind, computers capable of logical calculations were created. However, upon comparing computer functioning and human mind, we realized that human memory, cognition, and thought are significantly different from computer processes. Later, as our understanding of neuronal interconnections and communication in the brain deepened, AI modeled on neural networks was developed. This evolution demonstrates the interplay between neuroscience and AI.
As neuroscience studies the brain—the organ most intimately connected to the mind—there have been efforts to apply its insights to improve fields like architecture, education, and legal systems, leading to neuroarchitecture, neuroeducation, and neurolaw.
As neuroscience changes our understanding of humans, it has a societal impact. However, it's challenging for non-experts to grasp neuroscience accurately, leading to the spread of distorted information fueled by existing anxieties, hopes, and biases. To address this, scholars centered around neuroscientists initiated the International Society for Neuroethics in 2006. Neuroethics explores ethical issues related to the real-world application of neuroscience, encourages discussions among diverse fields, and promotes awareness to ensure neuroscience is correctly understood. Major neuroscience projects in the U.S. and Europe incorporate neuroethics divisions, which facilitate discussions on the social impact and strategic direction of these projects from their inception.
Why understanding the scope of neuroscience is crucial?
As the distinctions between neuroscience and its related disciplines are poorly understood, journalists and HR departments often request neuroscientists to address topics outside their expertise. For instance, they might be asked to lecture on workplace strategies based on neuroscience. In places like Korea, where there are few experts in each field and even fewer involved in science communication, this pressure is widespread. Experts who are not adept at public engagement may feel compelled to respond to public demands, even if it means stepping outside their area of expertise, potentially undermining trust in experts and causing social confusion. Increasing public knowledge about the scope of expertise could mitigate such occurrences.
An Example of Social Confusion in Korea Caused by Misunderstanding the Scope of Expertise
During the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors were widely regarded as experts on various aspects of the COVID-19 response. However, some failed to meet this expectation responsibly, leading to significant public confusion. A notable example occurred in March 2020, amid a shortage of KF-94 masks, when a representative from a doctors' association insisted that only KF-94 level masks could effectively prevent COVID-19 infection. This claim heightened societal anxiety and confusion, and was later proven incorrect. The incident stemmed from a mutual misunderstanding: neither the doctors nor the public realized that expertise in hospital infection control protocols doesn't necessarily translate to comprehensive knowledge about respiratory droplet transmission.
Misunderstanding the boundaries of expertise can lead to misguided policies in human resource and R&D. For example, a human resource development program for AI might focus solely on computer science, excluding mathematics, or a hiring program might exclude mathematicians from AI roles—both are actual examples from Korea.
For these reasons, when I give public lectures on neuroscience, I often start by explaining its scope and its relationship to other disciplines. I also show the full range of topics of neuroscience (link), emphasizing that a single researcher can know only a small portion of all neuroscience. When answering questions, I often admit when I don't know something. I believe that society's trust in experts increases as people become accustomed to experts acknowledging their limitations.
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