Brainets: How Ideas Act as Mental Viruses That Synchronize Millions

In a thought-provoking excerpt, neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis introduces the concept of Brainets — collective abstractions, ideologies, or beliefs that function as "mental viruses" capable of synchronizing the minds of millions of people. Nicolelis explains how human civilization, from the Vienna Circle and positivism to the digital age, can be understood through the clash of these collective neural networks. He offers a profound reflection on human behavior, power, and the forces that drive society.