at lead to the same conclusions. Knowing the wiring is a crucial operation in understanding the nature of thought, but it seems not to be enough; we also need to know the precise chemical soup du jour in the brain. And one more additional, crucial step is understanding which types of experiences and environmental events can change the brain's wiring and in what ways.
The last two chapters of Connectome will be catnip for futurists, as Mr. Seung lays out two possible benefits of understanding connectomes: the repair of cryogenically frozen brains and subsequent restoration of consciousness and the uploading of consciousness into computer simulations. In the best (but unlikely) case, either could lead to cognitive immortality. Although the claims are far-fetched, they are beautifully explained and analyzed—as I might have expected from a writer who has produced the best lay book on brain science I've ever read.
—Mr. Levitin is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at McGill University in Montreal. His books include This Is Your Brain on Music.