Monday, July 24, 2006
Thirst for knowledge gets you high Neuroscientists have proposed a simple explanation for the pleasure of grasping a new concept: The brain is getting its fix. The "click" of comprehension triggers a biochemical cascade that rewards the brain with a shot of natural opium-like substances, said Irving Biederman of the University of Southern California. He presents his theory in an invited article in the latest issue of American Scientist.
"While you're trying to understand a difficult theorem, it's not fun," said Biederman, professor of neuroscience in the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
"But once you get it, you just feel fabulous."
The brain's craving for a fix motivates humans to maximize the rate at which they absorb knowledge, he said.
"I think we're exquisitely tuned to this as if we're junkies, second by second."
link
OK. I'm off to cop me some more knowledge.
6 comments:
Hi Susan!
Very interesting post.
I'm still around, just not so often. Love you, Lady!
I'm jonesin' for a knowledge high...
Yo, I sure could use a hit of something say, like, ummm
Quantum Theory!
Interesting and I agree to a point and it proves that too much of a good thing isn't always good, it causes brains to fry. I can say this because it's finals week LOL
*HUGS*
I wonder if I could use this as my excuse for going back to college.... LOL
Love your comments, everyone. So cool to see that you all appreciate "higher" learning!
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