ABSTRACT
In General Before attempting a summary of North American neuroscience in the 20th century, it is instructive to review the discipline from a more global, less parochial perspective. The hurdles to be cleared in a synoptic view of neuroscience history are formidable. The first is the nature of neuroscience – a convergence of subdisciplines that encompass the myriad experiences of humankind. Second is the increase in rate of discoveries, fueled by the speed of technological advances. And perhaps most significant (and difficult to describe) is the intangible “feel” for science, the Zeitgeist that prevails at any given time. Yet in spite of the hurdles, the recency of neuroscience’s entry into the biomedical sciences requires a certain defensive stance in the historical posture.
