Zombie myths have captured imaginations for centuries, but their roots may lie in real-world infections that alter behavior in terrifying ways. This chapter explores the biological underpinnings of the zombie archetype, beginning with cultural practices surrounding Haitian Vodou and moving into the realm of neuroscience and virology. Rabies serves as a chilling real-world analog to zombification, with symptoms like aggression, hydrophobia, and loss of cognitive control emerging as the virus travels from the bite site to the central nervous system. The chapter also examines Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite capable of rewiring host behavior and reducing fear responses, particularly in rodents. By tracing the ways infectious agents can alter motivation, movement, and fear, this chapter offers a grounded, scientific perspective on one of the most enduring horror tropes—and explores what happens when the threat isn’t supernatural, but biological, and it’s already inside the body.

While debates may rage around issues of sexuality, sexual identity and sexuality-based rights, if we are to believe what we hear from some of our political leaders and sections of the media, concerns over sexuality itself are to be settled outside of schools. Sexuality, they would argue, is too mature, too controversial and quite simply a biological fact that has no relevance to schooling. However, there are disturbing stories and statistics that point to the significant challenges faced by students, and these surely warrant attention. With this in mind, this chapter examines some of the questions that often arise when talking about sexualities: Are gender and sexuality the same thing? Is sexuality ‘all about sex’? And what has school got to do with any of this? By unpacking some of the emergent literature in the field, the chapter suggests that dominant discourses around sexualities – in this case, heteronormativity – are up for challenge.

This chapter examines the impact of education policy on students, parents, caregivers, and teachers. This chapter argues that ‘big policy’ in education tends to operate under a market-based logic that has been described as ‘neoliberal’. Adopting a more nuanced and ‘problematising’ approach to policy, this chapter explores the nature and effects of policy in education in relation to its valorisation of market principles such as ‘choice’ and ‘competition’. It also explores the nature and effects of such policy as it seeks to regulate the performance of teachers and schools. Underpinning the discussion is the philosophical notion that policy not only addresses and solves ‘problems’ in education and schooling as it does ‘produce’ those problems in the first place. In this respect, policy can be understood as implicitly linked to programs of governance.

This book began with specific goals in mind. The first was to address the issue of mass education in ways that had something to offer a range of different readers. This book is not aimed specifically at undergraduates, any more than it is directed at practising teachers or university academics. Each chapter has been organised with a progressive layering of complexity and density, such that readers with differing levels of knowledge and expertise should still be able to get something out of it. This has not been written as a textbook, with bitesized pieces tailor-made for tutorial digestion. This book was put together for a range of reasons: it is a summary of the current state of play within Australian (and global) theories of education; it is a resource book for those interested in assessing the weight of different conceptual approaches to mass schooling; it is an analysis of various issues within contemporary society as they relate to education; it is a (relatively) gentle critique of reductionist analyses of our schooling institutions and their outcomes; and it is a call for us not to forget the value of philosophy within the broader play of the social sciences.

Chapter 1 establishes the foundational concepts of neuroimaging by exploring the complex relationship between brain structure and mental function. It traces the historical progression from ancient surgical approaches to modern noninvasive techniques, contextualizing how technological innovations have transformed our understanding of neural processes. The chapter examines the multiscale nature of brain investigation, from single-neuron recordings to population-level measurements, and evaluates the critical tradeoffs between spatial and temporal resolution across imaging modalities. Key neurophysiological principles underlying these technologies are introduced, including neuronal action potentials, hemodynamic responses, and the chemical processes that support neural activity. The text challenges common neuromyths while addressing fundamental questions about functional organization, from modular specialization to distributed network processing. By comparing the relative strengths and limitations of major neuroimaging tools (fMRI, EEG, MEG, PET, and TMS), the chapter provides an analytical framework for understanding how these methodologies collectively advance our ability to correlate brain activity with cognitive and behavioral processes, setting the stage for more detailed exploration in subsequent chapters.

This chapter tackles positron emission tomography (PET), a functional neuroimaging technique that revolutionized brain imaging in the 1970s by providing the first colorful maps of brain activity. Beginning with its historical development from Hans Berger’s early hemodynamic measurements to modern scanners, the chapter examines how PET visualizes metabolic processes by tracking radioactively labeled tracers in the bloodstream. Unlike structural imaging methods, PET detects gamma rays emitted when positrons from the radiotracer collide with electrons, allowing researchers to measure regional changes in blood flow, glucose metabolism, and neurotransmitter activity related to cognitive processes. The chapter details practical aspects of PET studies, including experimental design, data acquisition, image reconstruction techniques, and visualization methods like subtraction analysis for mapping task-related brain activity. While MRI-based techniques have supplanted PET for many cognitive neuroscience applications, PET remains invaluable for certain investigations due to its unique ability to label diverse compounds, particularly for studying neuropsychiatric disorders, neurotransmitter systems, and metabolic processes in diseases like Alzheimer’s and epilepsy.

Chapter 7 deals with neuroimaging methods for investigating the structural components underlying brain function. Beginning with lesion-symptom mapping (LSM), which identifies relationships between localized brain damage and specific cognitive deficits, the chapter examines how structural abnormalities correlate with functional impairments. Three primary approaches to measuring brain structures with MRI are discussed: structure tracing for hypothesis-driven volumetric analysis, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) for whole-brain comparison of tissue concentration, and surface-based morphometry (SBM) for analyzing the cortical sheet’s unique properties including thickness, curvature, and gyrification. The chapter then explores diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a technique that visualizes white-matter tracts by measuring the anisotropic diffusion of water molecules along axon bundles. DTI tractography reveals the brain’s “highways,” short, intermediate, and long-range fiber pathways that connect functional modules within and across hemispheres. Together, these complementary techniques provide critical insights into the structural architecture supporting brain networks, offering a more complete understanding of brain organization when combined with functional imaging methods.

Chapter 9 introduces transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a neurostimulation technique that uses rapidly changing magnetic fields to induce electric currents in targeted brain regions. Beginning with its historical roots in 19th-century electromagnetic experiments and evolving through Anthony Barker’s groundbreaking 1985 demonstration, TMS has become a critical tool for establishing causal relationships between brain activity and behavior. Unlike neuroimaging methods that only observe brain activity, TMS can temporarily interrupt or enhance neural processing, enabling researchers to create “virtual lesions” and directly test hypotheses about regional brain function. The chapter examines TMS delivery methods, single-pulse, paired-pulse, and repetitive stimulation, and their differential effects on cortical excitability. It details four primary research applications: virtual lesions for establishing causality, chronometry for determining processing timelines, mapping functional connectivity between brain regions, and tracking neuroplasticity. Clinical applications are discussed, particularly for treating depression and presurgical mapping. The chapter also addresses practical aspects of TMS implementation, localization techniques, and safety considerations, concluding with a brief overview of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a milder alternative stimulation approach.

Chapter 2 traces the development of electroencephalography (EEG) from its inception with Richard Caton’s pioneering work in 1875 to its current status as a cornerstone of human neuroimaging. The chapter discusses how EEG captures the electrical signals generated by synchronous activity of pyramidal neurons arranged in open fields perpendicular to the cortical surface. It examines the technical evolution of recording systems, from basic silver-chloride electrodes to modern active electrode arrays with built-in amplification, and explains the standardized 10-20 electrode placement system that enables spatial mapping of brain activity. The chapter addresses the inverse problem that constrains EEG’s spatial resolution while highlighting its exceptional temporal precision for tracking neuronal events in millisecond timescales. Special attention is given to the characteristic oscillatory patterns in different frequency bands (alpha, beta, theta, delta, gamma) and their association with cognitive states ranging from deep sleep to focused attention. The chapter details practical considerations for obtaining clean recordings, including artifact reduction techniques and experimental design. By evaluating EEG’s strengths (temporal precision, direct measurement of neural activity, accessibility) alongside its limitations, the chapter positions EEG as an enduring, versatile tool for both clinical applications and cognitive neuroscience research despite technological advances in other imaging modalities.

This chapter examines intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG), a rare but powerful technique offering unparalleled insights into human brain function by recording electrical activity directly from the brain’s surface. It traces iEEG’s development from pioneering work by Penfield and Jasper in the 1950s to modern applications with up to 1,024 recording channels. The chapter outlines the two primary surgical approaches, stereo EEG with depth electrodes and electrocorticography with surface grids, and explains how these techniques achieve both high temporal (millisecond) and spatial (millimeter) resolution by bypassing the signal-dampening effects of skull and scalp. Particular attention is given to high-gamma-power signals (70–200 Hz), which reflect neuronal firing with exceptional signal-to-noise ratios. The chapter addresses methodological considerations including electrode localization, signal processing, and data interpretation challenges unique to recording from epilepsy patients. It balances discussion of iEEG’s remarkable advantages, such as direct access to neuronal activity across cortical layers and network nodes along with its limitations, including restricted accessibility, sparse sampling, and the clinical constraints that dictate electrode placement. The ethical framework governing this invasive research methodology is emphasized throughout.

Chapter 5 examines functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as a transformative neuroimaging technique that maps brain activity by detecting changes in blood oxygenation. The chapter traces fMRI’s development from Angelo Mosso’s 19th-century observations of blood-flow changes during neural activity to Seiji Ogawa’s pioneering work with blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast in the 1990s. It discusses the neurophysiological basis of the BOLD signal and how increased neural activity triggers disproportionate increases in cerebral blood flow relative to oxygen metabolism, creating measurable magnetic susceptibility differences. The text analyzes the temporal profile of the hemodynamic response, with its characteristic delay, peak, and undershoot, emphasizing its implications for experimental design. Considerable attention is given to the methodological complexities of fMRI research: preprocessing steps (slice-timing correction, motion correction, coregistration), statistical analysis approaches (including voxel-wise comparisons and region-of-interest analyses), and techniques for examining functional connectivity between brain regions. By evaluating fMRI’s comparative advantages, which is exceptional spatial precision and its noninvasive nature, alongside its limitations in temporal resolution and indirect measurement of neural activity, the chapter discusses fMRI as a powerful, albeit technically demanding, tool that provides unique insights into functional brain organization while requiring rigorous experimental design and statistical analysis.

Chapter 4 examines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a cornerstone technology for visualizing brain structure with remarkable precision. The chapter traces MRI’s development from Wolfgang Pauli’s discovery of nuclear spin properties through Nobel Prize-winning innovations by Bloch, Purcell, Lauterbur, and Mansfield that enabled spatial encoding of magnetic resonance signals. It explains the physical principles underlying MRI and how powerful magnetic fields align hydrogen atoms in tissue, followed by precisely tuned radiofrequency pulses that excite these atoms, resulting in detectable signals that vary by tissue composition. The text explores technical considerations essential for high-quality image acquisition, including magnetic field strength, head coil design, and pulse sequence parameters that determine tissue contrast in T1, T2, and FLAIR imaging. Considerable attention is given to image processing methods, distortion correction, registration, normalization, segmentation, and smoothing that prepare brain images for meaningful analysis. By assessing MRI’s comparative advantages over other structural imaging modalities, including its non-ionizing radiation profile and superior tissue differentiation, alongside practical considerations of safety protocols and experimental design, the chapter discusses MRI’s foundational role in modern neuroimaging while acknowledging the tradeoffs between spatial resolution, acquisition time, and signal quality that researchers must navigate when designing studies.