Benjamin D. Powell

Benjamin D. Powell coiffes an argument in his make-up Exploring reflect Neurons Rethinking Performance and Communicative Processes that will make every self-avowed video game dork ecstatic. The concept that by observing an action repeatedly our reverberate neurons learn to perform the action will appeal to thousands or even millions who spend their days in front of a television or video screen rather than out experiencing life.Powell adds the caveat that without practicing the action, the dust will not be able to perform it with the skill of a trained athlete, but argues that the straw man of mirror neurons explains why he was not more injured when hit by a railcar. The paper claims that the presence of mirror neurons may indicate that more study is needed regarding how our bodies develop skills and what effect activities wish well playing video games have on our neurological development. At worst, Powells theory is an interesting tubing dream. At best, it is hope for the pe ople who spend too much time playing World of Warcraft.Unfortunately, the realness is it seems to be something of a pipe dream. It is much more likely that he simply got lucky when the car hit him and instinctively tucked and deplumateed. And, the car, which he described as barreling toward him, probably was not moving with the bucket along he believed it to be. Writing for the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Kathleen Wilkes seems to echo parts of Powells basic thesis. (Wilkes 111). She argues that the opening exists that people are capable of learning simply through observation, but there is no ambitious science to defend either her statement or Powells.The reality is that this is some odd combination of ism and science, with people speculating on something that science has yet to be able to measure or splay. In the end, plot of land the philosophy of a mind-body link so deep that the mind can control the bodys actions after merely observing an action seems pl ausible there is no science to back it up. Powells evidence is merely a corollary, coincidental and not direct proof of a tie.To actually prove Powells theory would be difficult and complicated. One would have to prove that there was simply no other way, short of mirror neurons that the test subject could have learned to complete a particularised action. And, the researcher would have to be able to determine how much of the action and the response to it is based on gifted acquaintance versus muscle knowledge.In short, the researcher would have to prove that simply watching mortal swing a bat repeatedly would equate to the ability to do it and that the ability is more than the intellectual knowledge of where to place ones hands on the bat. He would have to prove that Powells escape from injury was more related to his ability to tuck and roll than his knowledge that tuck and roll was the right way to minimize the force of impact of an oncoming car.Ultimately, Powells problem becom es in find out what actions are effective because of the mental processes telling us how to do them and which ones are effective because of the muscle knowledge of when to flex or release. Even making the differentiation there could take years.WORKS CITEDPowell, Benjamin D. Exploring Mirror Neurons Rethinking Performance and Communicative Processes.Wilkes, Kathleen V. Brain States The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Vol. 31, No.2. June, 1980. pp. 111-129.