Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Comfortably numb in my dotage?
The human brain is one mysterious and fascinating system. Everytime I learn something new about it I realize that I hadn't until that point realized just how mysterious and fascinating it is. And so it will continue forever, I'm sure. Anyway, what prompted this musing is an NYT Science article titled "Neuron Network Goes Awry, and Brain Becomes an IPod".
According to the article, some people experience musical hallucinations in their old age, with their brains repeatedly playing some of the songs they've heard during their lifetime. The likelihood of experiencing these halluciations is greater in people who are hard of hearing and people who live alone and are thus exposed to fewer external stimuli.
Kinda scary and makes me wonder if I'll be hearing "Comfortably Numb" again and again some future day.
According to the article, some people experience musical hallucinations in their old age, with their brains repeatedly playing some of the songs they've heard during their lifetime. The likelihood of experiencing these halluciations is greater in people who are hard of hearing and people who live alone and are thus exposed to fewer external stimuli.
Kinda scary and makes me wonder if I'll be hearing "Comfortably Numb" again and again some future day.
