Cog Sci has been in the news lately. Here is a great story about appealing the musical sense of Monkeys! Yes, you heard it right, appealing to a MONKEY!! Check out this link on National Public Radio (NPR) of USA:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112444869
For those wanting to listen, there is a radio podcast bit as well.
There was yet another experiment in Switzerland on Amygdala, emotion and fear. It is quite interesting. Check out the story at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112531962
Amygdala hijack is a very interesting phenomena. It talks about how, when faced with a totally unexpected circumstance, we human-animals resort to our basic instincts of either FIGHT, FREEZE or FLEE. This phenomena is not as uncommon amongst us as one would expect. In fact, we see many cases of it in our own lives or in lives of people around us. Imagine a situation where you did something in the spur of the moment that now, after you had time to reflect, feels very silly, stupid / insane. You ask yourself why you even did what you did? What compelled you, you would wonder.
Well, most likely it is your Amygdala at work. Anyway, read about it on the net and be aware of this basic instinct.
Easiest thing to avoid an Amygdala hijack, I believe, is:
1. be aware of this phenomena,
2. when you see yourself or somebody getting into it ... take a pause, drink water, look in the mirror, lie down or walk away from that situation for at least half a minute or so. Give time for the rational brain to kick-in. Refrain from being impulsive! (Although, I am not sure we will have so much control on ourselves...)
Anyway, read the Cog Sci news, read about Amygdala and enjoy!
SaiGo
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