In this first part of our interview with Dr. Michael Posner from the University of Oregon, Dr. Posner gives a brief historical account of the study of attention from the turn of the last century until today. Specifically, Dr. Posner explains his model of three main attentional networks which constitute the basis for consciousness. Dr. Posner describes the behavioral and the main structural aspects of each system and how different methods have allowed a better understanding of the anatomy of these "attentional organs". The interview was conducted at the University of Oregon by Justin Mayes, a beginning graduate student in cognitive neuroscience at the U of O.