Researchers have discovered a new brain region that appears to help humans identify whether they have made bad decisions. See full BBC story here. Scans failed to find any comparable region in monkeys, suggesting the area is exclusive to humans.
#Picture: Adam and Eve, 1526. Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery, London, oil on panel.
Is this neural tissue a conscience? The special part inside a human which links him to the creator? But wait. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, the Bible, Adam and Eve were the first people on Earth. Eve didn't choose wisely and ate the apple from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Eve blamed the goodness of the tree, and Adam blamed her for giving the fruit to him. When God punishes all three—the serpent, Eve, and Adam— for disobeying his command, another meaning of this very first story in the Bible emerges. We cannot go through life blaming others for our own behavior.
#Picture: Adam and Eve, 1526. Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery, London, oil on panel.
Is this neural tissue a conscience? The special part inside a human which links him to the creator? But wait. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, the Bible, Adam and Eve were the first people on Earth. Eve didn't choose wisely and ate the apple from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Eve blamed the goodness of the tree, and Adam blamed her for giving the fruit to him. When God punishes all three—the serpent, Eve, and Adam— for disobeying his command, another meaning of this very first story in the Bible emerges. We cannot go through life blaming others for our own behavior.
#Ceiling: The Adam and Eve story from the fantastic ceiling mosaic in the Baptistry of Florence, Italy.
I'm annoyed at Adam for passing the blame to his wife. He should show some form of loyalty to the only other person of his kind on Earth. Perhaps that part of his brain hadn't developed yet.
Definition: A person who feels loyalty to a nation, cause, or person feels a sense of allegiance, commitment, dedication toward them.
I admire a person who stands beside someone they believe in. I'm reading a novel at the moment about a woman who bonds with a fragile man in her care and determines to find out what went wrong with his life. I'm half way through and really enjoying ‘Sinking Ships’ by Michelle Knowldon:
USA: http://www.amazon.com/Sinking-Ships-Abishags-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00H8CLEHG
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sinking-Ships-Abishags-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00H8CLEHG
But, back to the news story about the discovery in the brain. The ball of neural tissue, compared to the size and shape of a large Brussels sprout, seems to be crucial for the kind of flexible thought that allows us to consider switching to a more promising course of action. I liken this to the little voice inside, which I put down to God or an angelic presence.
While other brain parts keep track of how our decisions—good or bad—are working for us, the new structure is more outward-looking, and mulls over what we might have done instead. Great concept.
I'm annoyed at Adam for passing the blame to his wife. He should show some form of loyalty to the only other person of his kind on Earth. Perhaps that part of his brain hadn't developed yet.
Definition: A person who feels loyalty to a nation, cause, or person feels a sense of allegiance, commitment, dedication toward them.
I admire a person who stands beside someone they believe in. I'm reading a novel at the moment about a woman who bonds with a fragile man in her care and determines to find out what went wrong with his life. I'm half way through and really enjoying ‘Sinking Ships’ by Michelle Knowldon:
USA: http://www.amazon.com/Sinking-Ships-Abishags-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00H8CLEHG
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sinking-Ships-Abishags-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00H8CLEHG
But, back to the news story about the discovery in the brain. The ball of neural tissue, compared to the size and shape of a large Brussels sprout, seems to be crucial for the kind of flexible thought that allows us to consider switching to a more promising course of action. I liken this to the little voice inside, which I put down to God or an angelic presence.
While other brain parts keep track of how our decisions—good or bad—are working for us, the new structure is more outward-looking, and mulls over what we might have done instead. Great concept.
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