All posts tagged: brain activity

People With Neurodivergent Traits Have A Rare Social Superpower Says Study

People With Neurodivergent Traits Have A Rare Social Superpower Says Study

Published by Jenni Sidey

Historically, society has made the assumption that individuals with autism or other neurodivergent conditions lack social cues. This thinking has created a space where neurodivergent people are belittled or even infantilized.  Determined to discover the reason behind the misunderstanding, scientists have started to research the way the neurodivergent brain reacts within interpersonal relationships. A study conducted recently combats this idea of “lacking social cues” by presenting the idea that the disconnect is due to mismatched communication styles.  Those with neurodivergent tendencies communicate differently due to unique social processing. Neurodivergent people have often been categorized as “socially awkward”, with others assuming that it is due to a lack of theory of mind. The “theory of mind” is a term in psychology used to define our ability to understand what others are thinking and feeling as a cognitive resource.  However, being neurodivergent doesn’t stop you from comprehending others’ emotional states; you just respond to them differently.  Polina Zimmerman | Pixels The Double Empathy Problem highlights that neurotypical and neurodivergent people may not communicate as smoothly together because …

Smart People With A Pattern Recognition Brain Usually Have To Deal With 10 Annoying Things

Smart People With A Pattern Recognition Brain Usually Have To Deal With 10 Annoying Things

Published by Jenni Sidey

Some people have the natural ability of being able to pick up on things the average person might have completely missed. They pick up on the patterns all around them, from the way others act and talk, to how certain events seem to happen when actions happen in a particularly way. These individuals just can’t help that their brains are naturally looking for patterns and seeking out structure in the kind of information they consume. It’s never something they are actively trying to do either. As impressive as this ability is though, smart people with a pattern recognition brain usually have to deal with annoying things that mentally exhaust them. Because of how often they are processing things they see and are involved in, even the smallest interaction can turn into an entire analysis when they just want to exist in that moment without their brain whirring at a speed faster than light. Smart people with a pattern recognition brain usually have to deal with 10 annoying things 1. Predicting outcomes nobody believes at first …

People Who Overuse AI And ChatGPT Are Getting Dumber Than Everyone Else In 10 Specific Ways

People Who Overuse AI And ChatGPT Are Getting Dumber Than Everyone Else In 10 Specific Ways

Published by Jenni Sidey

Despite being relatively inaccurate and inconsistent, so many people are still reliant on AI and tools like ChatGPT to make their lives more efficient and easier. It’s not just a handful either, because over 34% of people flock to ChatGPT, creating all kinds of climate, social, and emotional consequences they’d prefer to write off. However, in the long run, people who overuse AI and ChatGPT are getting dumber than everyone else in very specific ways, whether it’s their critical thinking skills or growing more entitled. They’re not doing themselves any favors, even though it feels convenient in the moment to leverage AI. People who overuse AI and ChatGPT are getting dumber than everyone else in 10 specific ways 1. They’re missing out on opportunities to learn Krakenimages.com | Shutterstock While the average person thinks critically about issues to solve problems, someone who only uses ChatGPT or AI is skipping the kind of internal thought needed to learn and grow. Especially because of how ChatGPT pulls information from across the internet, its sources and explanations for …

20 minutes of cycling can make your brain fitter

20 minutes of cycling can make your brain fitter

Published by Jenni Sidey

Even a brief time spent on a bedside pedal device has positively impacted an area of the brain related to memory, according to recent research published in Brain Communications. In a study involving 14 participants suffering from medically intractable epilepsy, researchers recorded activity in the brain before and after the participants engaged in approximately 20 minutes of light to moderate cycling. After cycling, the participants showed a higher incidence of fast electrical bursts (known as “ripples”) in the hippocampus. This is a well-known brain structure involved in learning and memory. For several years, scientists have been researching these ripples and their role in helping the brain sort and organize new information and replay memories. However, this study was unique because the authors were able to view the patterns directly in a human brain via intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG). This is an uncommon type of monitoring used for patients undergoing pre-surgical evaluation. Exercise has physiological effects throughout the body, including on brain activity. In the current study, participants aged 17–50 who were evaluated for epilepsy surgery at …

Vivid dreams can help sleep feel deeper and more restorative

Vivid dreams can help sleep feel deeper and more restorative

Published by Jenni Sidey

Sleep rarely feels like a simple number. The hours you spend in bed matter, but the feeling of waking refreshed often carries more weight. That sense of having slept deeply can shape your entire day. Yet scientists have long struggled to explain what creates that feeling inside the brain. New research from the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca suggests the answer may lie in your dreams. The study finds that vivid and immersive dreams can help sleep feel deeper and more restorative. The findings challenge a long-held belief that deep sleep requires a quiet, inactive brain. For years, experts linked deep sleep to slow brain waves and low awareness. In that view, the deeper the sleep, the less active the brain becomes. Dreaming, by contrast, was often tied to REM sleep, a stage where brain activity looks more like wakefulness. This created a paradox. How can sleep feel deep when the brain appears active? The new study offers a more nuanced answer. It suggests that the quality of your mental experience during sleep, especially …

The Wild Thing That Might Actually Be Happening When Your Mind Goes Blank

The Wild Thing That Might Actually Be Happening When Your Mind Goes Blank

Published by Jenni Sidey

We all have moments when our brains just go blank, and there’s nothing really floating around up there. No daydreams, intrusive thoughts, or even just your mind mindlessly wandering to a random topic. Scientists have a name for it: “mind blanking.”  Apparently, these moments aren’t just about extreme daydreaming but actually pauses in our consciousness. Researchers at Sorbonne University in Paris conducted a study in which they monitored the brain activity of 62 adults during a simple task to determine exactly what happens when a person’s brain is devoid of thoughts. Researchers found that when your mind goes blank while you’re awake, it’s actually a pause in consciousness. Participants in the study were reporting what was happening in their minds at random points (about every 40-70 seconds). They were expected to explain what was happening before the probe, including if they were focused on the task, mind wandering, mind blanking, or if they just couldn’t remember at all. Karola G from Pexels | Canva The results, which were published in Proceedings of the National Academy …

If You Can’t Stand These 11 Common Phrases, Your Brain Is Likely Wired Differently

If You Can’t Stand These 11 Common Phrases, Your Brain Is Likely Wired Differently

Published by Jenni Sidey

If you’re an inherently self-aware or emotionally intelligent person, your brain probably functions at a different level than the average person. You’re not only in touch with your feelings, but you act based on your emotions with others and make decisions from that thoughtful, curious lens. So, of course, when speaking to someone who only ever weaponizes incompetence or acts with ignorance, you’re going to feel a disconnect. Even in casual conversations around things like “it is what it is” and “you’ll be fine,” if you can’t stand these common phrases, your brain is likely wired differently. If you can’t stand these 11 common phrases, your brain is likely wired differently: 1. ‘Let’s circle back’ MAYA LAB | Shutterstock.com Simplicity and clarity are often incredibly important for people with high IQs. They don’t try to convince people of their intellect by overcomplicating topics or using unrecognizable language, but instead lean on accessibility in every aspect of their lives to ensure everyone’s on the same page. That’s why corporate jargon is one of the things most …