In this article we will explore the split brain experiment and its findings. We will also delve into a thought experiment about consciousness.

History

Since the 1940s, patients with severe epilepsy have been treated surgically by cutting corpus callosum in their brain, which is a thick bundle of nerve fibers connecting the brain’s two hemispheres (left and right). Since corpus callosum enabled both the hemispheres to communicate with each other, cutting this pathway means disabling this communication and thereby preventing seizures from spreading from one hemisphere to the other.

One of the most influential artist of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso’s work was known very well for pushing the boundaries of traditional art. His work was mostly diverse and many contained expressions of emotions aimed at conveying their psychological states.

After relishing the ample fruits of his successful career, during his old age, Pablo Picasso was sitting at a restaurant scribbling something on a napkin. He was just enjoying the present and effortlessly scribbling something that grasped his attention at that moment. A woman, sitting on the nearby table noticed him. As Picasso finished his coffee and crumbled up the napkin to throw it away, the woman stopped him and asked:

Have you ever wondered why we feel less motivated after a tiring day at college or at work? Why does a cheat day or skipping the workout routine feels like heaven on such occasions? This article is tailored to give answers about that.

According to the researches of psychologist Roy F. Baumeister and his colleagues, we the humans, seems to have only a limited reserve of mental/emotional energy. His researches shows that this reserve of energy could get depleted with tasks that demands mental/emotional effort. The conclusion he made was that the motivation to do other tasks requiring any mental/emotional effort are affected when our energy reserves are depleted and this later came to be called as the term ego depletion.

Pause for a few seconds and ask yourself: “ how do I feel today?”. What springs forth in your mind?

In our busy lives seldom do we find time for ourselves: a time to reflect on our thoughts and our feelings. Having such a time called the “me-time” will help us to make our subconscious conscious. Paying attention to our subconscious mind enables us to reveal our hidden thoughts, emotions, memories, and behavior patterns into our awareness. This plays a key role in facilitating a deeper understanding of ourselves and promotes a more fulfilling life.

If you are a child of science, this blog will enlighten you about two unconventional destinations which can give an unforgettable experience on visit (perhaps a goosebump too!)

Gran Sasso National Laboratory(LNGS) in the Italian alps

LNGS is one of Italy’s four National Institutes for Nuclear Physics. LNGS is renowned for its research on particle physics, astrophysics, and other scientific disciplines. Located amidst the beauty of Italian alps and merely 3 to 3.5 hours by road from the city of Rome, this lab is one of the places on earth where the hunt for dark matter is ongoing!

Three of us (myself, K & S) eliminated our travel fatigue and woke up quite relaxed on Friday, 26th May 2023. I was still dreaming of the Whales with my eyes open this time, while others got ready for the day. We have planned for whale watching but we haven’t booked a tour yet because tours depends on the weather. Since the weather today isn’t promising, we planned something else for the day.

Have you ever wondered why the joy of passing a difficult exam or getting that dream job you ever wanted or getting married to the love of your life isn’t a constant source of happiness? Why does such happiness fade with time? Why is it so hard to feel good every day?

One theory that sheds light on this is that the sole driving force behind our evolutionary process was never the magic potion of happiness. It is rather a blend of diverse emotions that enabled our ancestors survival, with happiness playing a role alongside others like fear and anxiety which significantly contributed to our overall well-being. If all of our ancestors got happy at the sight of a Lion at 100m rather than running for their life with fear, or if they were joyous to experience an Earthquake instead of finding a safe hide out, or if they ate any Fruit that they saw without being anxious about its safety, neither you nor I would be here today. Only the ones who got anxious, who was afraid and who was alert survived history and we are their descendants. Positive emotions like happiness, while it is super cool to experience, unfortunately did not significantly contribute to the survival of our species.