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The Everyday Brain (March 12, 2004, Two)

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Program Summary

Why would we outwardly sympathize with someone who lost a job, but let a little smile escape because we’re inwardly glad it didn’t happen to us? Why do we want to laugh and cry at the same time? Why does the brain operate in such a conflicting manner? These are questions that led Steven Johnson to use himself as a guinea pig in a number of brain-measuring tests to find out just what goes on in the brain that makes us what we are. The results were a revelation.

Using neurofeedback, Johnson found that he could move a bicycle across a video screen simply by thinking about it. The feedback machine displayed his brainwaves on a screen; by viewing them, Johnson was able to determine which waves were responsible for moving the bicycle. He then found that he could make those waves stronger by thinking only about moving the bicycle. The technique has been used to help people with attention deficit disorder tune out confusing external stimuli and tune in on a particular task. He also hooked himself up to a sophisticated brain scanner to see if he could catch his brain at work in coming up with new ideas. Surprisingly, his brain was most active when he failed to come up with anything and extremely quiet when he was mentally writing new sentences for his book. It seemed to “shut down” all unnecessary functions in order to direct all its energy to accomplishing the task. Athletes call this being “in the zone.”

What about those emotional conflicts? Blame it on the amygdala, the part of the brain that controls involuntary emotional expression. Sometimes it disagrees with the part of the conscious brain that is trying to determine what the appropriate behavior should be in a social setting. The result: Betrayal of emotions. The amygdale is also the section of the brain that allows us to recognize facial expressions as emotions.

So next time you inadvertently chuckle when your friend’s goldfish dies, remember—you’re not alone. It’s just the way we are.

Guests

Steven Johnson, author and Emerging Technologies columnist for “Discover” magazine in New York

Related Links and Resources

Books Discussed

Johnson, Steven. “Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life.” (Scribner, 2004)

For Discussion:

• What is the amygdala? What brain system is it part of? What is its role in emotional expression?
• What part of the brain controls behavior in social settings?
• What happens when these two parts of the brain disagree?
• Have you ever experienced a conflict of emotions? What was the situation? How did this conflict make you feel?
• What is a “poker face”?

Activities

Brain basics. Neuroscience for Kids is the best all-around site for learning about the brain, with thorough explanations of brain anatomy and function and plenty of interactives.

And how does this make you feel? An easy introduction to emotions and the brain can be had at Emotions, part of the Your Brain exhibit from England’s online Science Museum. It discusses the interaction of brain and emotion and the parts of the brain that control emotion; it also examines emotions individually. Lots of photographs illustrate the discussion.

Don’t worry, be happy. Thinkquests’s Laugh Out Loud to Good Health explores how emotions influence health and focuses on positive thinking. The Emotions section is divided into nine chapters that delve into the how and why of emotions, with a look at different studies and theories of emotion. Photographs and cartoons spice things up. There’s even a Teacher's Corner with lesson plans and activities.

The corners of your mind. PBS’s companion Web site to its series “The Secret Life of the Brain” begins its investigation in 4000 B.C. and works its way to the present. The episodes trace the development of the human brain from infancy to elderly; The Adult Brain (episode four) concentrates on emotions. Students can take a 3-D tour of the brain, view the latest in scanning technology, and watch video clips about the amygdala.

A love/hate relationship. Can't Hide those Lying Eyes (Access Excellence) examines how facial expressions are processed and analyzed by different parts of the brain. Studies have found that, while most people focus on the lower half of the face during conversation, it’s actually the upper face that betrays true feelings. Science of Lying discusses how liars give themselves away with verbal and physical cues. Choose several students to present statements to the rest of the class. Have some give true statements and others give false ones. The class must determine who they think is lying and why.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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