Alexis Gorin
Farah Laiwalla
Engineering Biomedical Systems (BI920-3B)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
To start a conversation, a common icebreaker is "Are you right-brained or left-brained?" making the asker associate a few characteristics to your character in 5 seconds based on whichever two words you choose. While certain abilities , such as verbal language, can be associated to either the left or right side of the brain, the right brain has been shown to be able to carry out verbal language, though to a lesser extent. Other than the left brain's superior ability to carry out verbal language, both sides of the brain are similarly able to carry out each ability with only a small difference of either the right or left being the better processor (Two Brains for the Price of One).
Left and right brain interaction to control a mental ability is also necessary, to the point that one can only be unable to perform a mental ability if both sides of the brain are damaged (Two Brains for the Price of One). Using the language example from before, it has been found that while left brain controls grammar and pronunciation, the right controls the pitch of the voice, both producing the ability to verbally speak (Brain Mythology). So next time someone asks whether you are a righty or a lefty, say your both, or just show them how you write, whichever you prefer.
"Two Brains for the Price of One? ." PsyBlog. PsyBlog. 23 Jul 2008 http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/03/two-brains-for-price-of-one.php.
"Brain Mythology." Brain Fitness Channel. 2008. Posit Science Corporation. 23 Jul 2008 http://bfc.positscience.com/brain/brain_mythology.php.
2 comments:
The subject of right and left brain usage is interesting, especially the fact that one side of the brain won't function only if both sides are damaged.
I didn't know that. This topic does seem to be interesting but I'm wondering how all these myths actually got started. There must have been at the least some sort of pseudo-evidence that got everything started
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