4 ms·

If heating is your goal, thermal inefficiency isn't really a problem. There's also the issue of the blood-brain barrier. Might make normal thermal regulation i

If heating is your goal, thermal inefficiency isn't really a problem. There's also the issue of the blood-brain barrier. Might make normal thermal regulation insufficient. In any case, it seems like they intend to do further study to see if this hypothesis is really correct and if there is more to the story. Who knows--it might be that for some species it's not necessary, but left over as a vestigial behavior like a tailbone. That's pure conjecture on my part, excuse me. Something I find interesting about this, if a little off-topic, is that the Ancient Egyptians had a misconception that the brain simply existed to cool the blood. When they mummified a body they threw that part in the trash. How far we've come.

Smaug123 8y ago
"If heating is your goal, thermal inefficiency isn't really a problem." - I guess my objection is based on an analogy with human-made devices, which degrade the more you use them. Thermodynamically it's fine to power up a computer to produce heat, but the inefficiency I really meant is that every moment the computer is running is another moment when it can go wrong. Perhaps the brain isn't like that: perhaps the brain's activity doesn't change the mind's lifespan. Or, more prosaically, perhaps the mind does degrade faster if it's active more, but evolution didn't care as long as the meatbags kept pumping out their genes.
- vertexFarm 8y ago
  True, that's a good point. As far as evolution is concerned, if you have effectively raised offspring until you aren't fertile anymore then the warranty is up and all the time you get after that is a bonus. There isn't really much pressure to select for longevity after that period. I've heard a lot of office buildings will leave every floor's fluorescent lights on in the winter to take a load off the overnight heating bills. I'm sure that lessens the lifespan of the bulbs and ballasts, but for people to adopt that practice it must still be economical in the final tally. Who knows, I'd love to see more study on this because I think everybody in history has always wondered what the hell is up with dreams. "To keep your noggin warm" seems like a super anticlimactic purpose and I love it. It's so absurd and nihilistic it's funny, which kind of jives with nature's whole style.
  - jamiek88 8y ago
    > I love it. It's so absurd and nihilistic it's funny, which kind of jives with nature's whole style. I couldn’t agree more and wouldn’t it be so indicitave of the scientific trend that ensmallens man? From the center of the universe, the sun orbiting our land to the Big Bang and inflation theory where there is no center. From gods chosen creation to common ancestors shared with apes. Now even our dreams to be punctured? Brilliant to think about!
  - kortex 8y ago
    Actually it's the thermal expansion/contraction cycles of turning on and off, as well as ablation of the electrodes on startup. So leaving it on is marginally better for bulb longevity.

Smaug123 8y ago

"If heating is your goal, thermal inefficiency isn't really a problem." - I guess my objection is based on an analogy with human-made devices, which degrade the more you use them. Thermodynamically it's fine to power up a computer to produce heat, but the inefficiency I really meant is that every moment the computer is running is another moment when it can go wrong. Perhaps the brain isn't like that: perhaps the brain's activity doesn't change the mind's lifespan. Or, more prosaically, perhaps the mind does degrade faster if it's active more, but evolution didn't care as long as the meatbags kept pumping out their genes.

vertexFarm 8y ago
True, that's a good point. As far as evolution is concerned, if you have effectively raised offspring until you aren't fertile anymore then the warranty is up and all the time you get after that is a bonus. There isn't really much pressure to select for longevity after that period. I've heard a lot of office buildings will leave every floor's fluorescent lights on in the winter to take a load off the overnight heating bills. I'm sure that lessens the lifespan of the bulbs and ballasts, but for people to adopt that practice it must still be economical in the final tally. Who knows, I'd love to see more study on this because I think everybody in history has always wondered what the hell is up with dreams. "To keep your noggin warm" seems like a super anticlimactic purpose and I love it. It's so absurd and nihilistic it's funny, which kind of jives with nature's whole style.
- jamiek88 8y ago
  > I love it. It's so absurd and nihilistic it's funny, which kind of jives with nature's whole style. I couldn’t agree more and wouldn’t it be so indicitave of the scientific trend that ensmallens man? From the center of the universe, the sun orbiting our land to the Big Bang and inflation theory where there is no center. From gods chosen creation to common ancestors shared with apes. Now even our dreams to be punctured? Brilliant to think about!
- kortex 8y ago
  Actually it's the thermal expansion/contraction cycles of turning on and off, as well as ablation of the electrodes on startup. So leaving it on is marginally better for bulb longevity.