Science in action: attention, headaches, and smart bras
I think my brain is missing something. I don't think I have an 'irrelevance filter.' Apparently there's memory and there's something called 'working memory:'
"Working memory is important because it gives a mental workspace in which we can hold information whilst mentally engaged in other relevant tasks, which is crucial for learning.They think that this has something to do with ADD, etc., or at any rate they think it explains why some people are better at remembering things than others.
"Its capacity is limited and seems to vary from person to person."
And as a longtime migraine sufferer, I also found this article interesting:
"Scientists have discovered differences in the sensory areas of the brains of people who develop migraines.Apparently this phenomenon of cortex thickening leads to hypersensitivity to pain and other stimuli. Kind of a chicken-and-egg thing at this point, though.
"They found a part of the cortex is thicker than in people who are free from the debilitating headaches.
"What is not clear is whether the difference causes, or is the result of migraine attacks."
But on the useful new study front, yet another group of scientists -- this bunch in Australia -- has found a way to incorporate sensors into fabric in order to compensate for the uncomfortable motion of large breasts during exercise. Increased accuracy in monitoring the breast tissue is essential, they say, to design more supportive undergarments for the large-breasted gal.
"Brassiere designers will have the ability directly to assess the effects of changes to each brassiere component."About damn time, is all I have to say about that. Although how would it feel to know that your own bra is staring at your tits while you run?
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3 comments:
Migranes, like many other things involving brains (and humans) seem to leave scientists puzzled - as you say, is it chicken, is it egg or is it GOING TO GET RID OF MY MIGRANE!!
Sorry.
One of the aspects they believe artists share with people with several socialital/mental dysfunction is the inability to appropriately filter out what the rest of the society does.
I want to know more about "mentally engaged in other relevant tasks" - does this mean while I am trying to remember a word, my brain is booking tickets to Hawaii?
No way - someone has come up with a smart bra? What will they think of next?
I started blogging to "remember" stuff, and found my memory was full of inexplicable holes. i.e. I can remember certain events, but not the year they happened, who was there, etc. I have had to learn to reconstruct my memory by using surrounding information such as clothes, songs, people I knew at the time, etc. It's an interesting exercise in how memory is formed and how it 'works', too.
My ex husband (!) commented on my blog, and I asked him by email if he remembered a certain person we'd known who had died, since I wanted to write a nice obit. Even though he had initially known the person for a longer period than I did, he could hardly remember; 20 years is a long time!
If I had anything to tell young folks, I'd say go back and label your free-floating photos (amassed in shoe boxes, as mine are?) with names, places, dates, ASAP, because at some point you reach CRITICAL MASS and can't remember ANY of that shit, and it's disturbing as hell.
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