Science Stuff

I've been getting actual paid writing work lately, writing short scripts for a series of science videos. It's actually been pretty interesting work, my assignment being to present various science topics in a "fun hip way." My first assignment was for Quantum Theory. Yeah, I know. How does one make THAT fun? Actually, you'd be surprised how much the subject lends itself to humor though, simply because of the fact that it defies logic, and even the scientists themselves who study it admit that it makes no sense. If you ever want a bit of a head trip, find a book that presents the topic in an accessible way. Be prepared though to still be utterly confused. At the same time, it will be an eye-opening, if a little bit trippy, read.

The new assignment I'm working on is for Mind and Brain. It's not nearly as mind-bending as Quantum Theory was, but it's still an interesting subject to learn about. For instance, the part of our brains that is involved in emotions, the limbic system, is an area that's actually used for SMELL in "lower" animals. But through evolution, we decided to develop our hearing and sight senses moreso than smell. So now the scent part of the limbic system is virtually non-existant. The rest of it seems to be given over to emotions. Ever wonder why dogs and other animals can smell so well compared to us? It's because what they're using for smell, we're using for love, hate, jealousy, embarrassment... all senses they have no use for.

It's truly fascinating stuff and it's giving me a throwback to a book I recommend often, "How the Mind Works" by Steven Pinker. That book is all about how evolution shaped the mind and how every little thing we think and feel is merely the byproduct of natural selection and survival of the fittest. Again, I'm not completely sure how sold I am on the whole evolution deal. Even moreso, now that I've read a lot about how it supposedly works. It just seems far too complex and based on chance and impossible odds to have worked out... and to KEEP working out the way it apparently does. But either way, that book is a fascinating read and gives you some good insight into... well, how the mind works. It's a little hard to get into at first. There's a lot of heady material that you have to weed through at the beginning that the author uses to set up the rest of the book, but once he gets going, his ideas will make your head spin.