4 ms·

I want the switch that allows me to turn this on at will.

by sdh 16y ago

jerf 16y ago
Are you sure? http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/17-04/ff_perfectmemory http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/17-04/ff_perfec... As with so many other things in the brain, there's a reason (metaphorically speaking) why it works the way it does. Anything that's a small tweak away, like more perfect recall (which evidence like the woman in the article suggests can't be that distant from how our brain works), but has not spread through the population, probably isn't that useful. (With the caveat that our environment has been rapidly changing and what's useful and not may change. Though the woman in that article doesn't seem to be a beneficiary of the effect.)
mirkules 16y ago
I wonder if this ability is just a function of increased adrenaline in the system or the sudden increase of adrenaline. If it is, it would be easy to make a switch, but would probably be harmful for extended periods of time.
- DifE-Q 16y ago
  I have often wondered why people would attribute this and other events where one has super human strength or super perception (where time slows down) to adrenaline. This is becasue it is a hormone that is released from the adrenal gland..it would take some time to get to the parts of the body where it would make things function this way would it not..at least longer than the times we are considering would allow. So if I am right, what else could be the "switch" to switch these functions on?
  - mirkules 16y ago
    First off, thank you for making me look this up, as I now learned something new :) If I understand this correctly, the immediate fight-or-flight response is triggered by noradrenaline, which is very similar to adrenaline but released by nerve cells directly to places all over the body, increasing blood flow and pressure, alertness, etc (but not affecting muscles). Adrenaline gets released into the blood via stimulation by the sympathetic system, but its effects last longer. So it seems noradrenaline, by the fact that it's released directly from nerve cells, basically dictates how fast a person processes immediate external stimuli, and could possibly explain "super perception"
    - DifE-Q 16y ago
      This is fascinating. Thanks for looking it up. I too have now learned something new!
c1sc0 16y ago
I'm not sure it would be possible to train yourself to turn this on at will, but you can train yourself to make the best of it when it happens. That's what visualization & drills are about in e.g. skydiving emergency procedures.
- bootload 16y ago
  "... you can train yourself to make the best of it when it happens ..." The standard (and best) answer. From experience there is another factor to take into account, randomness. Each situation is unique making how you adapt important. It's never quite like the drills. Training allows you to adjust quickly. With training the skills are there ready to be applied and adapted to the situation at hand.
  - c1sc0 16y ago
    I'm intrigued because my understanding of drills is that it turns the required response (e.g. in skydiving trying to get stable when things get out of control) in something instinctive that will take far less time than normal to execute. When you couple this with the slowed-down time, you do improve your reaction time, so that you can use your available time window in the best way possible.
maushu 16y ago
This is such a bad idea. There must be a reason the brain doesn't work at this velocity, right? I would guess it is way resource intensive and would end up with a fried brain.

I want the switch that allows me to turn this on at will.

by sdh 16y ago

I want the switch that allows me to turn this on at will.

jerf 16y ago

Are you sure? http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/17-04/ff_perfectmemory http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/17-04/ff_perfec... As with so many other things in the brain, there's a reason (metaphorically speaking) why it works the way it does. Anything that's a small tweak away, like more perfect recall (which evidence like the woman in the article suggests can't be that distant from how our brain works), but has not spread through the population, probably isn't that useful. (With the caveat that our environment has been rapidly changing and what's useful and not may change. Though the woman in that article doesn't seem to be a beneficiary of the effect.)

mirkules 16y ago

I wonder if this ability is just a function of increased adrenaline in the system or the sudden increase of adrenaline. If it is, it would be easy to make a switch, but would probably be harmful for extended periods of time.

DifE-Q 16y ago
I have often wondered why people would attribute this and other events where one has super human strength or super perception (where time slows down) to adrenaline. This is becasue it is a hormone that is released from the adrenal gland..it would take some time to get to the parts of the body where it would make things function this way would it not..at least longer than the times we are considering would allow. So if I am right, what else could be the "switch" to switch these functions on?
- mirkules 16y ago
  First off, thank you for making me look this up, as I now learned something new :) If I understand this correctly, the immediate fight-or-flight response is triggered by noradrenaline, which is very similar to adrenaline but released by nerve cells directly to places all over the body, increasing blood flow and pressure, alertness, etc (but not affecting muscles). Adrenaline gets released into the blood via stimulation by the sympathetic system, but its effects last longer. So it seems noradrenaline, by the fact that it's released directly from nerve cells, basically dictates how fast a person processes immediate external stimuli, and could possibly explain "super perception"
  - DifE-Q 16y ago
    This is fascinating. Thanks for looking it up. I too have now learned something new!

c1sc0 16y ago

I'm not sure it would be possible to train yourself to turn this on at will, but you can train yourself to make the best of it when it happens. That's what visualization & drills are about in e.g. skydiving emergency procedures.

bootload 16y ago
"... you can train yourself to make the best of it when it happens ..." The standard (and best) answer. From experience there is another factor to take into account, randomness. Each situation is unique making how you adapt important. It's never quite like the drills. Training allows you to adjust quickly. With training the skills are there ready to be applied and adapted to the situation at hand.
- c1sc0 16y ago
  I'm intrigued because my understanding of drills is that it turns the required response (e.g. in skydiving trying to get stable when things get out of control) in something instinctive that will take far less time than normal to execute. When you couple this with the slowed-down time, you do improve your reaction time, so that you can use your available time window in the best way possible.

maushu 16y ago

This is such a bad idea. There must be a reason the brain doesn't work at this velocity, right? I would guess it is way resource intensive and would end up with a fried brain.