Our Brains Tell Stories So We Can Live - Issue 75: Story

Don't look at the clock! Now tell me: How much time has passed since you first logged on to your computer...READ MORE An efficient pattern recognition of a lion makes perfect evolutionary sense. If you see a large feline shape moving in some nearby brush, it is unwise to wait until you see the yellows of the lion's eyes before starting to run up the nearest tree. You need a brain that quickly detects entire shapes from fragments of the total picture and provides you with a powerful sense of the accuracy of this recognition. One need only think of the recognition of a new pattern that is so profound that it triggers an involuntary "a-ha!" to understand the degree of pleasure that can be associated with learning.