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Quote by David Eagleman

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Incognito: The Secret Lives of The Brain

This book delves into the complex workings of the brain, particularly the subconscious aspects, and how they shape our actions and perceptions. more

Author

David Eagleman
David Eagleman

David Eagleman is a neuroscientist born on April 25, 1971. His research focuses on visual perception, time perception, and brain plasticity. Eagleman has made significant contributions to the field of neuroscience and has ventured into various scientific and artistic domains. more

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“When a male vole repeatedly mates with a female, a hormone called vasopressin is released in his brain. The vasopressin binds to receptors in a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, and the binding mediates a pleasurable feeling that becomes associated with that female. This locks in the monogamy, which is known as pair-bonding. If you block this hormone, the pair-bonding goes away.”

“If you cannot always elicit a straight answer from the unconscious brain, how can you access its knowledge? Sometimes the trick is merely to probe what your gut is telling you. So the next time a friend laments that she cannot decide between two options, tell her the easiest way to solve her problem: flip a coin. She should specify which option belongs to heads and which to tails, and then let the coin fly. The important part is to assess her gut feeling after the coin lands. If she feels a subtle sense of relief at being "told" what to do by the coin, that's the right choice for her.”

“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.”