Akio Mori
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese physiologist
, sports scientist
and writer
. He is also the founder and the former head of the Japanese learned society
, .
Mori was originally known for his physiology researches, but began to write books about human neuroscience
, coining the term "game brain" on his 2002 book . He claimed that the brains of people who played video games were physically damaged
. Game Nō no Kyōfu got much attention from multiple critics, such as Tamaki Saitō
.
Mori's activities expanded into other genres such as journalism
and politics
due to the popularity of his books, though his theory about human brains was pointed out to be pseudoscientific
. Japanese critic Hiroo Yamagata compared the book Game Nō no Kyōfu with the following movement of Messages from Water
because those theories became popular via Japanese mass media
without scientific backgrounds.
in 1969 and graduated from the Graduate School of Literatures of the Nihon University in 1971. Getting the academic degree
Doctor of Medicine
, he became a professor of the Nihon University, though he toured the Rockefeller University
as a researcher and the Queen's University
as a visiting scholar
before that.
Originally, Mori was known for his many scientific researches about cat
s' physiology such as the collaborative work "Input-output relationships in cat's motor cortex after pyramidal section" released in 1981, the collaborative work "Low threshold motor effects produced by stimulation of area preinsularis (2pr.i) of the secondary sensory cortex in the cat; Input-output relationships" released in 1983, the collaborative work "Physiological properties and patterns of projection in the cortico-cortical connections from the second somatosensory cortex to the motor cortex, area 4 gamma, in the cat" released in 1989, the collaborative work "Fifth somatosensory cortex (SV) representation of the whole body surface in the medial bank of the anterior suprasylvian sulcus of the cat" released in 1991, the collaborative work "Low-threshold motor effects produced by stimulation of the facial area of the fifth somatosensory cortex in the cat" released in 1993, the collaborative work "The ipsilateral and contralateral connections of the fifth somatosensory area (SV) in the cat cerebral cortex" released in 1996, and his solo work "Cortico-cortical connections from somatosensory areas to the motor area of the cortex following peripheral nerve lesion in the cat" released in 1997.
On March 26, 2000, Mori was awarded the commendation certificate by the Nihon University for working with the University for 30 years. He also researched the human actions of sports such as kendo
along with two other researchers, announcing the collaborative work "Two types of movement-related cortical potentials preceding wrist extension in humans" via the journal NeuroReport
in July 2001. He established the Japanese Society of Health and Behavior Sciences in 2002, becoming the board chairperson of the society. It was later admitted as an associated party by the Japanese scientific organization, Science Council of Japan, on April 13, 2006.
Mori got the degree Doctor of Medicine, but had not interested in the researches about relationships between video games and human neuroscience until he met a programmer
of computer software
s around 2000 when he made a new electroencephalograph
.
Shuppan) published the independent book Game Nō no Kyōfu, written by Mori, as a part of the series. According to the 2006 interview to , the chief editor of Seikatsujin Shinsho, Game Nō no Kyōfu sold over 100,000 copies, becoming the best-selling book of the series. Additionally, the book was translated into traditional Chinese characters under the title Xiao Xin Dian Wan Nao! in 2005. Mori commenced research into the effects of video games on a child's mind. He has cited various violent crime committed by juveniles who played video games to support his position. His position is that playing video games can cause damage to a child's brain, but the theory was heavily criticized.
In 2004, Mori also claimed that the brains of people who used mobile e-mail
s were also damaged, calling those .
On October 19, 2004, the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association
announced that the neuroscientific works of Mori and Ryuta Kawashima
about video games had insufficient evidence to claim something. In 2005, however, Mori and Kawashima took part in a series of convocations, held by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
as a part of its activities for creating its guidelines of Japanese schools' operation.
In addition, Mori's book , published on August 1, 2006, was selected as the Japan National Council of Parent-Teacher Association
's "recommended book" at that time.
Mori also recommend Iida Denshi's Nōchō series highly as intelligible goods with his reserches. The series are CDs recording the speeches such as Heart Sutra
and won the creative award at the Utsukushima Monozukuri awards presented by Fukushima Prefecture
in January 2007.
In 2008, Mori resigned from the head of the Japanese Society of Health and Behavior Sciences, being replaced by Shinji Murakami of Hokkaido University
.
On April 16, 2008, Senichi Club, a communication club comprising the readers of Sekai Nippō, the Japanese division of the World Times
, invited Mori over a lecture meeting at Shibuya
, in which Mori cited India
as an advanced country of information technology
.
Since the professors in different fields such as literatures took part in the brain science when the theory of game brain was becoming popular, the Japan Neuroscience Society announced the new ethical code on January 8, 2010, seeking the scientific sources against the groundless theories.
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
, sports scientist
Sports science
Sport science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He is also the founder and the former head of the Japanese learned society
Learned society
A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...
, .
Mori was originally known for his physiology researches, but began to write books about human neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
, coining the term "game brain" on his 2002 book . He claimed that the brains of people who played video games were physically damaged
Brain damage
"Brain damage" or "brain injury" is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors...
. Game Nō no Kyōfu got much attention from multiple critics, such as Tamaki Saitō
Tamaki Saito
is a Japanese psychologist. Saitō is Director of Medical Service at Sofukai Sasaki Hospital in Funabashi, Chiba.Saitō is notable for his study of hikikomori, a term he coined; he is internationally recognized as Japan's leading hikikomori expert....
.
Mori's activities expanded into other genres such as journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
due to the popularity of his books, though his theory about human brains was pointed out to be pseudoscientific
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
. Japanese critic Hiroo Yamagata compared the book Game Nō no Kyōfu with the following movement of Messages from Water
Masaru Emoto
is a Japanese author and entrepreneur known for his claims that human consciousness has an effect on the molecular structure of water. Emoto's hypothesis has evolved over the years of his research. Initially Dr. Emoto claimed that high-quality water forms beautiful and intricate crystals, while...
because those theories became popular via Japanese mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
without scientific backgrounds.
1969–2002: Early career and research
Born in Hokkaidō, Mori graduated from the College of Humanities and Sciences of the Nihon UniversityNihon University
Nihon University is the largest university in Japan. Akiyoshi Yamada, the minister of justice, founded Nihon Law School in October 1889....
in 1969 and graduated from the Graduate School of Literatures of the Nihon University in 1971. Getting the academic degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
, he became a professor of the Nihon University, though he toured the Rockefeller University
Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a private university offering postgraduate and postdoctoral education. It has a strong concentration in the biological sciences. It is also known for producing numerous Nobel laureates...
as a researcher and the Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
as a visiting scholar
Visiting scholar
In the world of academia, a visiting scholar or visiting academic is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university, where he or she is projected to teach , lecture , or perform research on a topic the visitor is valued for...
before that.
Originally, Mori was known for his many scientific researches about cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s' physiology such as the collaborative work "Input-output relationships in cat's motor cortex after pyramidal section" released in 1981, the collaborative work "Low threshold motor effects produced by stimulation of area preinsularis (2pr.i) of the secondary sensory cortex in the cat; Input-output relationships" released in 1983, the collaborative work "Physiological properties and patterns of projection in the cortico-cortical connections from the second somatosensory cortex to the motor cortex, area 4 gamma, in the cat" released in 1989, the collaborative work "Fifth somatosensory cortex (SV) representation of the whole body surface in the medial bank of the anterior suprasylvian sulcus of the cat" released in 1991, the collaborative work "Low-threshold motor effects produced by stimulation of the facial area of the fifth somatosensory cortex in the cat" released in 1993, the collaborative work "The ipsilateral and contralateral connections of the fifth somatosensory area (SV) in the cat cerebral cortex" released in 1996, and his solo work "Cortico-cortical connections from somatosensory areas to the motor area of the cortex following peripheral nerve lesion in the cat" released in 1997.
On March 26, 2000, Mori was awarded the commendation certificate by the Nihon University for working with the University for 30 years. He also researched the human actions of sports such as kendo
Kendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
along with two other researchers, announcing the collaborative work "Two types of movement-related cortical potentials preceding wrist extension in humans" via the journal NeuroReport
NeuroReport
NeuroReport is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of neuroscience. The first issue was published in September 1990.- External links :* , SCImago Journal & Country Rank* , ResearchGate...
in July 2001. He established the Japanese Society of Health and Behavior Sciences in 2002, becoming the board chairperson of the society. It was later admitted as an associated party by the Japanese scientific organization, Science Council of Japan, on April 13, 2006.
Mori got the degree Doctor of Medicine, but had not interested in the researches about relationships between video games and human neuroscience until he met a programmer
Programmer
A programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to...
of computer software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
s around 2000 when he made a new electroencephalograph
Electroencephalography
Electroencephalography is the recording of electrical activity along the scalp. EEG measures voltage fluctuations resulting from ionic current flows within the neurons of the brain...
.
2002–present: Literary career and political activities
On July 10, 2002, the Japan Broadcast Publishing (or NHKNHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
Shuppan) published the independent book Game Nō no Kyōfu, written by Mori, as a part of the series. According to the 2006 interview to , the chief editor of Seikatsujin Shinsho, Game Nō no Kyōfu sold over 100,000 copies, becoming the best-selling book of the series. Additionally, the book was translated into traditional Chinese characters under the title Xiao Xin Dian Wan Nao! in 2005. Mori commenced research into the effects of video games on a child's mind. He has cited various violent crime committed by juveniles who played video games to support his position. His position is that playing video games can cause damage to a child's brain, but the theory was heavily criticized.
In 2004, Mori also claimed that the brains of people who used mobile e-mail
Mobile e-mail
Mobile email is the function of reading, replying to, and forwarding emails using mobile devices.Mobile email solutions synchronise in real time between an email server and a mobile device the following services:* Email* Calendar* Personal Contacts...
s were also damaged, calling those .
On October 19, 2004, the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association
Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association
Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association is a Japanese organization that was established in 1996 to "promote the computer entertainment industry [...] with the aim of contributing to the strengthening of Japanese industry as well as to the further enrichment of people's lifestyles." It...
announced that the neuroscientific works of Mori and Ryuta Kawashima
Ryuta Kawashima
is a Japanese neuroscientist known in PAL regions for his appearance in the Brain Training series of video games for the Nintendo DS -Biography:Kawashima was born...
about video games had insufficient evidence to claim something. In 2005, however, Mori and Kawashima took part in a series of convocations, held by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan)
The , also known as MEXT or Monkashō, is one of the ministries of the Japanese government.The Meiji government created the first Ministry of Education in 1871....
as a part of its activities for creating its guidelines of Japanese schools' operation.
In addition, Mori's book , published on August 1, 2006, was selected as the Japan National Council of Parent-Teacher Association
Parent-Teacher Association
In the U.S. a parent-teacher association or Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a...
's "recommended book" at that time.
Mori also recommend Iida Denshi's Nōchō series highly as intelligible goods with his reserches. The series are CDs recording the speeches such as Heart Sutra
Heart Sutra
The Heart Sūtra is a Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtra. Its Sanskrit name literally translates to "Heart of the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom." The Heart Sūtra is often cited as the best known and most popular of all Buddhist scriptures.-Introduction:The Heart Sūtra is a member of the Perfection of...
and won the creative award at the Utsukushima Monozukuri awards presented by Fukushima Prefecture
Fukushima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
in January 2007.
In 2008, Mori resigned from the head of the Japanese Society of Health and Behavior Sciences, being replaced by Shinji Murakami of Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
.
On April 16, 2008, Senichi Club, a communication club comprising the readers of Sekai Nippō, the Japanese division of the World Times
News World Communications
News World Communications, Inc., is an international news media corporation. It was founded in New York City, in 1976, by Unification Church founder and leader, Sun Myung Moon. Its first two newspapers, The News World and the Spanish-language Noticias del Mundo, were published in New York from...
, invited Mori over a lecture meeting at Shibuya
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
, in which Mori cited India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as an advanced country of information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
.
Since the professors in different fields such as literatures took part in the brain science when the theory of game brain was becoming popular, the Japan Neuroscience Society announced the new ethical code on January 8, 2010, seeking the scientific sources against the groundless theories.
Independent books
- Mori, Akio (July 2002). (Japan Broadcast Publishing) ISBN 4140880368
- Mori, Akio (July 2004). (KodanshaKodansha, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
) ISBN 4062124750 - Mori, Akio (August 2006). (Juniors' Visual Journal) ISBN 4879812226
- Mori, Akio (September 2007). (PHP Institute) ISBN 4569694004