Review: the historical context of the computer metaphor of the brain

Popular understandings of the human brain in the twenty-first century are characterised through a computer metaphor. In this review, I situate the computer metaphor within its historical context, positioning it as the most recent incarnation of metaphors of the brain which draw upon technology. I argue that communication technology metaphors produced for the brain appear to capture its essential characteristics, due to these technologies being designed to emulate human labour.