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Incognito: The Secret Lives of The Brain

Book by David Eagleman · 10 quotes · Brain, Ifs, Way

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Incognito: The Secret Lives of The Brain Quotes

“When one part of the brain makes a choice, other parts can quickly invent a story to explain why. If you show the command "Walk" to the right hemisphere (the one without language), the patient will get up and start walking. If you stop him and ask why he's leaving, his left hemisphere, cooking up an answer, will say something like "I was going to get a drink of water."”

IfsStoriesShowsChoicesAsksLeftLanguageWaterAnswersWalksBrainWalkingDrinkCookingPatientLeavingCommandGet UpHemisphere
Book:Incognito: The Secret Lives of The Brain
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“If you measure someone's brain and see very little activity during a task, it does not necessarily indicate that they're not trying - it more likely signifies that they have worked hard in the past to burn the programs into the circuitry. Consciousness is called in during the first phase of learning and is excluded from the game playing after it is deep in the system.”

IfsTryingFirstsLittlesDoeHardPastGamesBrainConsciousnessActivityProgramTasksPhasesExcluded
Book:Incognito: The Secret Lives of The Brain
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“Societies would _not_ be better off if everyone were like Mr Spock, all rationality and no emotion. Instead, a balance - a teaming up of the internal rivals - is optimal for brains. ... Some balance of the emotional and rational systems is needed, and that balance may already be optimized by natural selection in human brains.”

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Book:Incognito: The Secret Lives of The Brain
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