“Blocks and neighborhoods aren’t concrete concepts that mean the same thing to everyone, unlike, say, things like ‘apple’ or ‘sky.’ Points of reference shift depending on the person that’s using that reference, so blocks/neighborhoods are more like alternate realities laid atop one another, like plastic sheets on an overhead projector. There’s even a phrase for … Continue reading “Neuroscience And Neighborhood Blight”
“The device uses a technique called neurofeedback. This has been around since the 1960s, but traditionally, the EEG equipment needed to practice neurofeedback was limited to research centers and specialized clinics. Now, devices like the Versus are bringing the technique into the homes of corporate executives, elite athletes like Walsh, and others.”
“The day might be coming when I could actually learn to play as I would had I learned during childhood. I might be able to swallow a pill that restores my brain to a more flexible, receptive state.”
“Though falling in love is associated with anxiety and stress, this state—in combination with the belief that there may be reciprocation—is also at times accompanied by intensely pleasant emotions. These emotions arise from an underlying brain chemistry that resembles those triggered by cocaine use.”
It’s all about the neurotransmitters – endogenous cannabinoid neu-rotransmitters.
“Google is known as a search engine, yet there is barely any searching involved anymore. The gap between a question crystallizing in your mind and an answer appearing at the top of your screen is shrinking all the time. As a consequence, our ability to ask questions is atrophying.” Says Google’s head of search, “The … Continue reading “Is Google Making Us All Dumber? The Neuroscience Of Search Engines”
“The app’s premise is that it usually takes us time to focus because of the distracting effect of the environment. Their music has apparently been carefully engineered to reduce this distracting effect. The tunes go through “phase sequences” to ensure that they are neither too relaxing, nor too distracting.”
“No profound understanding of the workings of the brain is likely to compromise our appreciation of art, any more than our understanding of how the visual brain functions is likely to compromise the sense of vision.”
“What in the brain triggers aesthetic experiences? And how does knowledge of basic brain mechanisms inform our understanding of these experiences?”
“In the past few years, the brain has lost its influence; fMRI hucksters are on the run. I don’t mean to say that neuroscientists have given up–their field of study is as vibrant as it’s ever been, and it still exerts a massive influence on research funding. But as a cultural force–one capable of duping … Continue reading “Neuroscience “Gold Rush” Is Almost Done”
