Tag: #didyouknow

Human perception: Our brain sees not what we see, but what we expect

In recent research conducted at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, scientists have made a significant discovery about how our brains process social interactions, such as observing someone else’s actions. 

This study suggests that our perception is heavily influenced by our expectations, rather than solely by the visual information we receive.

Traditionally, it was believed that when we watch someone perform an action, our brain processes the information in a sequential manner.  However, the new study challenges this notion about human perception. 

The findings were groundbreaking. When actions were shown in a predictable sequence, the brain increasingly relied on its motor system to predict what would happen next. Essentially, what we expect to happen next shapes what our brain perceives. 

“What we would do next, becomes what our brain sees,” explained senior author Christian Keysers. This contrasts sharply with the classical model of information flow from visual to motor areas.

Seeing what we expect to see

This shift towards a predictive brain model indicates that our brains are not just passive receivers of sensory input. Instead, they actively generate predictions about what will happen next, and these expectations can suppress the actual sensory input. 

This phenomenon allows us to perceive the world as we expect it to be, unless our expectations are violated, prompting us to become aware of the actual sensory input.

Study implications 

The study’s findings contribute to a broader understanding within neuroscience about how our brains function. It suggests that we perceive and interact with the world based more on our internal expectations and predictions than on the external stimuli we encounter. 

This paradigm shift in understanding brain function and human perception opens up new avenues for exploring how we engage with the world around us.

The study is published in the journal Cell Reports.

Title image © Provided by Earth©

Why is Type ‘O’ Blood considered so Unique?

According to the American Red Cross, approximately 45 percent of people in the United States have type O blood. Of these, 38 percent are O positive and 7 percent are O negative. People with type O blood have some unique characteristics.

And this just in from Positive Med (www.positivemed.com):

People having type O blood naturally produce a greater amount of stomach acid. This factor features favorably for digesting proteins. The recommended diet for people in this blood type grouping entails consuming plenty of lean meats, fish and poultry along with fruits and vegetables. However, diets should include less dairy products, grains and legumes. Individuals should also avoid alcoholic and caffeinated beverages as these substances lead to an increase in adrenaline, which is already produced in abundance in type O people.

Exercise Recommendations

A diet high in lean protein, fruits and vegetables provides plenty of fuel for brisk exercise. If not already physically active, strive to work up to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three to four times each week. This type of activity offers full-body toning while enhancing cardiovascular and emotional health.

Active Sympathetic Nervous System

Japan and other Asian countries believe that there is a direct correlation between blood type and personality. The claim involves the presence and quantities of certain hormones that vary in blood types. Adrenaline and noradrenaline hormones signal the sympathetic system to go into a “fight or flight” mode.

With an abundance of these stimulating chemical compounds flowing through the blood of type O people, a variety of personality traits are possible. Individuals might be quick to anger, inappropriately overreact and have temper tantrums. Type O people might also display hyperactivity or exhibit manic tendencies. The hormonal issues and nervous energy may lead to demonstrations of destructive behavior when a type O person experiences fatigue, boredom or depression.

On the other hand, positive personality traits include loyalty, passion and self-confidence. Considered competent in their endeavors, type O people are also often successful leaders or innovators.

Is that unique or what?

We Lost These Celebrities Today

Naomi Judd, of Grammy-winning duo The Judds, dies at 76

photo chris pizzello©

 Naomi Judd, the Kentucky-born singer of the Grammy-winning duo The Judds and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd, has died. She was 76.

The daughters announced her death on Saturday in a statement provided to The Associated Press.

“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy. We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” the statement said. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.”

Naomi Judd died near Nashville, Tennessee, said a statement on behalf of her husband and fellow singer, Larry Strickland. It said no further details about her death would be released and asked for privacy as the family grieves.

The Judds were to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday and they had just announced an arena tour to begin in the fall, their first tour together in over a decade. They also made a return to awards shows when they performed at the CMT Music Awards earlier this month.

Actress Jossara Jinaro, who appeared on ‘Judging Amy’ and ‘ER,’ dies at 48 after cancer battle

GREG DOHERTY/GETTY IMAGES

Actress Jossara Jinaro, who portrayed roles in “ER” and “Judging Amy,” has died, according to a post on her Facebook page. She was 48. 

The TV and film star died from cancer on Wednesday, her husband Matt Bogado announced in a statement posted to Facebook. She passed away at her home surrounded by family.

“Jossara was an amazing wife, mother, artist, and friend. She had the most beautiful, kind soul and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Even in her last moments, she was still fighting,” Bogado wrote. “She is now resting in peace and will be remembered forever. Myself, Liam, and Emrys will miss her so deeply, although we know she is in our hearts and guiding us every step of the way.”

Source: hollywoodreporter.com & The Associated Press

Do you get a jolt right before you fall asleep? Here’s the reason behind it and other strange bodily reactions

The human body is full of all kinds of quirks. It makes confusing sounds seemingly out of nowhere. It jerks and jolts right before falling asleep or as the temperature changes. It yawns merely by reading the word “yawn” or seeing someone else do it.

These reflexes and involuntary responses reveal how little control people have over the way their bodies function. Understanding why some of these bodily reactions occur can give clues about things the body may need at a moment in time. For example, an athlete might get a cramp on the side of their ribs on a long jog when they’re fatigued. The body is telling them to reduce the intensity of their physical activity.

Stacker compiled a list of 15 strange bodily reactions and looked at news articles, government reports, and scientific research to understand the biology behind these phenomena. Read on to learn the explanations for the peculiarities of the human body and get the answers to some reactions you may have always been curious about.

©Canva

Goosebumps

People get goosebumps when they’re chilly or experiencing extreme emotion, like shock or inspiration. This reaction is caused by the contraction of tiny muscles at the base of the hair follicles all over the body, which causes the hair to stand upright. This involuntary response may be nature’s way of helping animals’ bodies look larger and scarier in a threatening situation.

©Roman Yanushevsky // Shutterstock

Hiccups

Hiccups are almost like a domino effect in the body. First, the diaphragm experiences a sudden and involuntary contraction. That causes the vocal cords to close, which then creates that “hic” yelping sound to come out of the throat. While hiccups can be a symptom of a medical disorder, they’re generally the result of overeating, getting excited, or drinking too many bubbly beverages.

©GikaPhoto By waraphot // Shutterstock

Wrinkly fingers in water

A long bath or day at the pool can cause fingers and toes to get super wrinkly. Researchers initially thought this condition occurred when the fluids in the body shifted when surrounded by water. However, experts now suspect that the reaction may be the body’s way of improving the ability to grip objects when people are wet.

Click the link below to view more bodily quirks:

Source: Do you get a jolt right before you fall asleep? Here’s the reason behind it and other strange bodily reactions (msn.com)

Canadian tutor Roach has won Jeopardy nine times in a row

She’s now over $200,000 U.S. in winnings and going for more

PHOTO BY HANDOUT /JEOPARDY PRODUCTIONS INC.

The 23-year-old Nova Scotia native, who is now a tutor in Toronto, won $28,001 U.S. on Friday night on the game show, running her total to $210,802.

Roach’s latest win came when she successfully answered the “Final Jeopardy” category of “Academy Award Winners,” putting down $6,201.

The answer was:  “In 2019 he won his first competitive Oscar, 36 years after a Student Academy Award for a film about a Brooklyn barbershop.”

Roach wrote down: “Who is Spike Lee?”

Roach has already booked a spot in the Tournament of Champions which features the show’s top contestants.

She graduated from the University of Toronto in 2020.

Roach had told The Evan Solomon Show podcast she didn’t even expect to win a single game, let alone go on this streak. She’s going for #10.

Canadian tutor Roach has won Jeopardy nine times in a row heading into Monday | Windsor Star

DYK: Why Aluminum Foil Has a Shiny and a Dull Side

Aluminum foil: It’s one of the most versatile things you can have in your kitchen. It’s not just good for wrapping up food—you can use it for so many more things!

But there’s one question we all have about aluminum foil: Should we use the shiny or the dull side when we cook? And have we been doing it wrong this entire time?!

© Alaina DiGiacomo/Taste of Home

What Side Should We Use?

As it turns out, there’s no “correct” side of aluminum foil to use when cooking, so using it on either side is not one of the cooking mistakes that could ruin your food. They’re both equally effective at heating your food, so just choose whatever side you prefer.

So if there’s no real reason for it, then why, exactly, does aluminum foil have a shiny and dull side in the first place? Everyone’s favorite foil brand, Reynold’s Kitchen, says that the difference between the two sides is due to a manufacturing process called milling, during which heat and tension are applied to stretch and shape the foil. Two layers of foil are pressed together and milled at the same time, because otherwise, it would break.

“Where the foil is in contact with another layer, that’s the ‘dull’ side,” Reynold’s explains. “The ‘shiny’ side is the side milled without being in contact with another sheet of metal. The performance of the foil is the same, whichever side you use.”

Are There Any Exceptions?

Yep—if you’re using non-stick foil, there is a difference between the two sides. Since the non-stick coating is only applied to one side, you’ll want to use the dull side. Side note: There will be a label that designates the “non-stick side” in case you forget!

By Amrita Thakkar for Taste of Home©

Source: Why Aluminum Foil Has a Shiny and a Dull Side (msn.com)

More Things your Birth Order that can Predict about your Future.

  • Some researchers say there are some ways in which birth order impacts your child’s future. Here is a list of those things of things that may impact your child’s future, based on your family’ structure.
  • 1 – Allergies
  • There does seem to be a link between your child’s birth order and a tendency to get bronchial asthma. Those children who are classified as later in the birth order had an increased risk of early childhood bronchitis episodes. The risk decreased once the child hit school age. So, researchers think that the influence of birth order affected the type of allergic disease a child may have in early childhood. Plus, the child’s physical development and immune system development after birth came into play.
  • 2 – Intellect
  • A firstborn child gets preferential treatment from their parents. This one- on- one treatment could slightly affect a child’s intellect. Firstborns often have a slightly higher IQ, but this isn’t proven entirely. Many researchers contribute this to the parents providing more mental stimulation to firstborns because they have the time and energy to give to the firstborn before other children arrive. Parents are more divided in their attention once they have multiple children.
  • 3 – Perfectionistic behavior
  • Some research found that first-born kids are more apt to be perfectionists. For these kids, parental involvement is strong. So, it’s thought that this could be due to parental influence. Birth order only contributed to being a perfectionist, because being born first gave parents more input into the child’s life since they are the only one. It was found that first-born kids have more personal and social demands put on them, which leads to perfectionist behavior.
  • 4 – Become a CEO
  • A National Institute of Health study in June 2020, researched the subject of whether first-borns are more likely to become CEO of a company. The researchers found that this is often the case not due to a higher cognitive ability, but more often due to the advantages that a first-born child has with their parents. There’s also no evidence that a firstborn CEO performs better. The firstborn advantage could be due more to not having an older brother, but this doesn’t seem to be the case if they had an older sister.
  • Social norms often dictate so that first-borns are often given the family business. This was especially true in older CEOs. What is thought to be the biggest contributing factor in a child’s life instead of their birth order is their upbringing environment and their parents’ choices for them. These seem to have a bigger impact on a child’s later career choices.
  • 5 – Thinness
  • Your child’s birth order could have something to do with their thinness. In China, scientists studied sibling size and family structure, finding it could have an impact on overweight or obesity in children. But they had never studied if these things could impact a child’s thinness. So, they did a study this past August 2020 to find out if there was an association between sibling number, birth order and a number of younger or older siblings and being thin as a child.  Results found that as the number of siblings and birth order increased and so did a child’s tendency to be thin. In a household with two kids, the second child is more apt to be thinner than the older child.

If you’re the youngest:

You’re more likely to be self-employed, even if your parents aren’t.

One group of psychologists found that last-borns develop a rebellious nature, and are more inclined to assume the risks that come with self-employment as they age.

You’re more likely to participate in risky activities.

Research suggests that laterborns are more likely to take risks and participate in dangerous sports. That explains why your youngest sibling wants to go skydiving so badly.

If you’re the middle child:

You’re more likely to help others.

One study says that middle children are more likely to exhibit “prosocial” behavior, meaning they’re altruistic and will put the needs of other people before their own.

If you’re the oldest or only child:

You’re more likely to succeed in conventional ways.

One psychologist explained that without siblings around, oldest and only children grow up surrounded by adults who are smarter than they are—and the best way to please them is through conventional successes.

You’re more likely to hold a leadership role at work.

Some research suggests that firstborns are more likely to become political leaders or CEOs. Only children and firs

borns identify better with their parents and authority, and therefore tend to be more conformist, academically inclined, and confident. These traits can manifest in the workplace when it comes to moving up the ranks.

Regardless of your birth order:

You’re likely to be be friends with someone with the same birth order as you.

One study shows that youngest children are likely to form close relationships youngest children, middle children with other middle children, and so on.

Source: womansday.com©