Initial Remarks
Lakoff is against Chomsky’s idea of separation between thoughts and brain. He maintained that
All meaningful thought is embodied.
which means the meaningful thought is connected to the body. Like when you think of general idea, the front part of brain will be activated.
The lecture centered at ‘Embodiment’ and focused on how it is developed and how it works in terms of languages (main) and body motion.
Basics
Neural Darwinism determines selection and evolution of neural connections. The connection will evolve in the direction of most activation.
STDP(Spike Time Dependent Plasticity) is revealing the asymmetry in neural system which causes sequence. In a metaphor, we have multiple ways to interpret an expression, while some comes faster than the others.
The principle of Energy Minimization is also followed.
There is also gates modulating neurons in different area. For example, when you go into a restaurant, the bind of ‘you’ and the recognition as ‘a guest’ are bounded through so-called ‘gate’.
Lakoff maintained that in Chomsky’s theory there are only symbols underneath meaning, where logics don’t fit together.
Paul’s study focused on color and he noticed that related genes are on X chromosome so female has more color cone than male. And that’s why women have large vocabulary to describe colors.
More on Embodiment
Three elements for definition: mental imagery, Gestalt preceptor, motor program
All languages have same primitives (for event structure: agent, patient, instrument…. for force dynamics, force, compulsion, inertia…) in embodied structure.
Chuck’s study was in Spatial Metaphor which is basic primitive Image Scheme Structure.
By the way, Lakeoff mentioned the inspiration of metaphor is from a female student complaining about her relation was ‘hit a dead-end street’ then the linguists use a metaphorical approach to ‘solve’ the problem.
Why scythe is so scary? It is because it usually cut down fringe at prime of life. It is an integrated figure
Other study: X-nets and Aspect, ‘Where Mathematics Comes From‘, circuits
Lakoff also wrote seven books in morality and relate well-being with cognitive science.
Conclusion
By the way I was reading about love related metaphors for Valentine’s Day two days ago, which was also a good source of inspiration.