Predictions: a universal principle in the operation of the human brain

—how do neural oscillations help in information organization for predictions?

—how do we learn what we need for subsequent generation of accurate predictions, and how does error in predictions promote such learning?

—what is the role of language in learning and sharing future-related information?

—does the ability for future simulations exist exclusively in humans, or are we simply unique in
the magnitude and level of complexity of our foresight?

—in social settings, what is the relationship between simulations and our understanding of other people’s thoughts and state of mind? and

—what is the role of predictions in emotion? How does the association of past experiences with
affective values influence how we predict and perceive related information? Are we as good as
we think in predicting emotional consequences? If there is a discrepancy between our ability to foresee affective states and rewards and our ability to predict non-affective outcome, what is the source of this discrepancy? How does the ability to plan and simulate futures affect our happiness, and what might be the implications to well-being and mental disorder?

in Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B (2009) 364, 1181–1182
Moshe Bar, here