---

That's me. Not just me. That's everyone.

This is one of the most amazing facts about the human brain. And exploring it reveals many secrets of how the mind works.

Most people are familiar with the idea of a left brain and right brain - the brain consists of two symmetrical "halves" called hemispheres. It was discovered in the 1960s that one way to cure people with severe epilepsy is to cut through the connection between the two halves - this connection is the corpus callosum. The treatment works. What was unexpected is how this affected the mind. The human brain carries out specific functions in the left and right halves, but what is odd is how the two halves can operate independently. Typically, the left half demonstrates behaviour that is logical, analytical, verbal and rational. The other side behaves in a conceptual imaginative way.

While the two halves are connected, instructions pass between them at the speed of light, to achieve "whole brain" behaviour. But with a patient who has a split brain, an amazing thing happens. A technique was developed to enable researchers to communicate with each half independently.

Researchers used this technique to interview a split brain patient. They asked his right side what occupation he would like to follow and it replied "racing driver". But his left brain responded "draughtsman". Other behaviours in other patients included trying to pull up his trousers with his right hand while his left hand was trying to pull them down, attacking his wife with his right hand while his left hand tried to defend her.

Another experiment with split brain patients involved using flash cards to show a word so that the right half of the brain would interpret the information. The patient would write down the word with his left hand. But when the patient was asked what word he'd written, he didn't know. The information sent to the right hemisphere was unknown to the left side (which controls language).

Perhaps the most amazing result is in he area of opinions. A split brain patient was asked about perceptions of himself. His right brain responded that he was a good person, his left brain responded that he was not good. Each brain half seems to have its own emotions and opinions.

More information here...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-brain

---

---

Continuing on our French road trip we stop at the Aire du Poitou Charentes. That might conjure up an image of a sleepy, romantic French village but it's actually a motorway service area. Just about anything can sound romantic when you say it in French. I can't help being impressed by the facilities on the French motorways, and this rest area is excellent. But just my luck, two massive buses full tourists have arrived just before us, so it's going to be busy.

As I stand in line to order coffee, I am physically barged out of the way by a group of elderly French men and women. Now... I know stereotypes can be unfair, but there is a cultural difference between the UK and France when it comes to standing in line. In the UK we stand in line. In France, they don't.

I actually thought it was quite funny being jostled by these old people and I joined in the spirit and jostled them back. Not enough to knock them over of course. And I didn't use my elbows. That would be out of order.

Even the cafeteria staff seemed surprised. A bunch of these elderly travellers had grabbed various food items and were waving their money in the air, trying to pay the guy who makes the coffee, who was trying to explain that the cashier was at the other end of the counter. I had to laugh because these people - in their 70s and 80s - were behaving like a class of unruly 5 year olds on a school trip.

Eventually I'm sitting enjoying my coffee and croissant and observing the bus party as they fight for tables and generally swarm around. They are all wearing matching silk scarves, and some kind of badge with what looks like a crucifix. And then I notice two nuns who seem to be in charge, although they are keeping a low profile.

By the time I return to the car, the bus party are swarming all over the parking lot, oblivious to traffic. It would be wrong for me to drive through them so I wait until they disperse. Then i see the sign on the front of their buses - "Lourdes". They are on a pilgrimage to the village where The Virgin Mary made an appearance about 150 years ago, a place reputed to have healing powers in the water.

So perhaps these elderly people are in poor health, and seeking a cure, physically and/or spiritually. I feel sympathy for them and I hope they feel better after their trip. (However I did read once that many people return from Lourdes in worse health, because the place is full of sick people spreading disease - but that's another story).

I can't help imagining the scene in Lourdes, as they barge their way through other groups of pilgrims, knocking them over into the holy pool. Perhaps they will receive the gift of good manners.

---

I am in France. This is not through choice. My youngest child has been working as a teacher in the south of France and it's time for her to come home. She's gathered too many possessions to fly home with so it's become a road trip. 1500 miles in total.

In order to drive a UK car in France there are certain requirements. Every car must carry:

A red warning triangle
First aid kit
Fire extinguisher
High visibility reflective vests for each occupant of the car
A breathalyser (don't ask me why)
A "GB" plate identifying country of origin
Full set of documentation to validate insurance, roadworthiness and ownership of the vehicle
Flashlight
Spare set of bulbs for headlamps and rear lights
Headlight adjusters

That cost me about £100 before I'd even left home. And if you have a GPS device which includes the locations of speed cameras, it can be confiscated and you will be fined £1000. And speed limits are enforced with zero tolerance. If you exceed the limit by 1mph you're guilty, even though it's impossible to calibrate a speedometer to that level of accuracy.

The journey was surprisingly easy. The French motorways were almost empty, and the rest stops on the motorway are superb with great food, interesting shops and wifi.

And no sign of a policeman until I was 600 miles into the journey. We stopped at a toll booth and a policeman was standing in front of my car, legs apart, arms folded, staring at me. Reminded me of Robert Patrick as the T-1000 robot in Terminator 2. This is it I thought. I'm going to be fined because my first aid kit is the wrong shade of red or something.

But he wasn't an evil robot from the future after all. He just watched me as I drove past. Then I realised - of course he didn't stop me. My car is a Peugeot.

---

Thankfully, it's rare for a patient to die in our care, but such an event occurred this week, and it brought home to me how amazing the staff working in mental health care can be.

A couple of years ago, John (not his real name) was admitted following a severe physical brain injury, as well as significant physical healthcare problems. One day he was a fit, happy, family man. The next day he was something else entirely.

John couldn't speak. He would crawl around on the floor, displaying extreme aggression. He would disrupt other patients and required 24/7 supervision by a minimum of two staff, sometimes four staff, trained as nurses but also specialists in dealing with aggression and violence. I saw the treatment he received many times. Every small step he made was celebrated. Perhaps he would smile, or he would let a nurse brush his teeth, or he would say "yes" in response to a question. Even a short period of calm behaviour would be congratulated - it was a big achievement. When he was unhappy or scared, he would wail like, well like nothing I've ever heard in my life. The staff always treated him with dignity, compassion and respect even during his most extreme episodes.

Occasionally he would make eye contact and you could see fear in his eyes, confusion, pleading... you could tell he had no idea where he was, or what was happening to him. Sudden brain damage must be an unimaginable nightmare because you cannot process what is going on. You appear to be someone else. Not so long ago he would have been regarded as possessed by "demons" and exorcised. Some people would question the "value" of having to pay for four full time skilled staff on duty 24 hours every day, just for one patient.

I've seen some incredible recoveries in my time, thanks to advances in psychiatry, but John's brain was so badly damaged, and his physical health so poor, little could be done. His family would often visit, full of hope, but there was no happy ending. His physical health problems worsened and he passed away. A blessed relief some might say. But despite the incredible challenges he presented, we miss him because there was always hope.

---

---

Some people must assume they live in a soundproof force field and no one can hear what they say.

These events all occurred during the last 7 days...

I was on a train sitting opposite two guys. I soon realised they were discussing a defendant in a court case, and they were policemen out of uniform. Names were mentioned... evidence was discussed. How did they know I wasn't involved in the case? Or a journalist?

I was in a cafe and a group of three women were discussing the behaviour of a child. Turns out they were teachers. The child's name was mentioned. Some details about his parents private lives were revealed, including their address and the father's criminal record. I could have been a parent with a child at that school. Other teachers were named and criticised.

I was bagging my shopping and the cashier was chatting to another cashier about the previous customer - some very personal and nasty comments.

Whatever happened to discretion?

---

---

This is a tough week. 12 hours study everyday with two exams. I used to thrive on this kind of thing when I was in my 20s. But most of my brain has gone now.

Annoyingly I saw a book at the train station today and had to buy it. Annoying because I don't have time to read it, or rather, I shouldn't be spending time reading it this week, but probably will.

It's called "The God Impulse - Is Religion Hard Wired Into Our Brains?" and it's by Kevin Nelson, a Professor of Neurology with 30 years experience and it explores the biology behind human spirituality. He's identified the various neurological processes that produce spiritual experience as a by product.

Stay tuned for amazing revelations. But not this week. 

(I wonder if he has any tips for an elderly person taking exams?)

That reminds me.  Saw a movie called "Limitless" <SPOILER ALERT> about a pill that unlocks the 90% of the brain that we can't access consciously. I need one of those pills...

---

---

This is a neat diagram.

The "explanatory gap" is where all the cool stuff happens.

{ Image: dericbownds.net/bom99/Ch01/Ch01-1.gif }

---

...is one of my favourite TV shows. It shows us the life and times of a group of socially inept theoretical physicists. It's hilarious. Not only is the show terrific, so is the theme tune and I was ecstatic to discover a full version. I insist you download it from amazon now! here are the awesome lyrics...

Our whole universe was in a hot dense state,
Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait...
The Earth began to cool,
The autotrophs began to drool,
Neanderthals developed tools,
We built a wall (we built the pyramids),
Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries,
That all started with the big bang!

"Since the dawn of man" is really not that long,
As every galaxy was formed in less time than it takes to sing this song.
A fraction of a second and the elements were made.
The bipeds stood up straight,
The dinosaurs all met their fate,
They tried to leap but they were late
And they all died (they froze their backsides off)
The oceans and pangea
See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya
Set in motion by the same big bang!

It all started with the big BANG!

It's expanding ever outward but one day
It will cause the stars to go the other way,
Collapsing ever inward, we won't be here, it wont be hurt
Our best and brightest figure that it'll make an even bigger bang!

Australopithecus would really have been sick of us
Debating out while here they're catching deer (we're catching viruses)
Religion or astronomy, Encarta, Deuteronomy
It all started with the big bang!

Music and mythology, Einstein and astrology
It all started with the big bang!
It all started with the big BANG!

---

A psychiatrist colleague of mine has sent me an extraordinary piece of research which has resulted in a computer that can read your thoughts. The computer decodes your brain activity and reconstructs the electrical signals into the words you are thinking about. 

This isn't just a party trick...   people who are currently unable to speak could have a voice generated by a computer based on what they are thinking.  Now it seems to me that could be a bit awkward because sometimes I think words that I don't say!  But seriously... A major step forward for people who can't speak. And yet another massive step forward in explaining how the mind works.

"Potentially, the technique could be used to develop an implantable prosthetic device to aid speaking, and for some patients that would be wonderful," said Robert Knight, a senior member of the team and director of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, "Perhaps in 10 years it will be as common as grandmother getting a new hip."

Here's the research paper...

http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1001251

Last time I saw Mary (not her real name) she had been admitted to a mental health facility due to extreme psychosis. The voices in her mind were unbearable to the point where she was smashing her head on the corners of furniture to try to make them go away. The voices would tell her she deserved to die. They would criticise her every action and she was terrified to go to sleep. She was convinced that a UK TV talkshow host was Satan and phoned the police to have him arrested. To escape the "demons" she hid in a park under a tree overnight. Her family found her, called an ambulance and she was taken to a secure mental facility.

Today, we are able to have a conversation. Her head is scarred for life from the self harm, but the voices are not troubling her.

Medication was the key to stabilising her when she was admitted. Dopamine carries messages around the brain and if it's out of control... So are your thoughts. Not so many years ago families of people like this called on priests to "exorcise" the "demons". Now we know it's a bug in the brain's software that can be fixed, or worked around.

Mary might be on medication all her life. It's possible her brain will develop a resistance and another drug will be needed. It's possible she will be able to come off the drug over time and lead a normal life with therapy. Hard to tell as this kind of science is new and has a lot to discover .

OK, I know it sounds ridiculous. But let's think about what life is. Living things have these qualities:

1  They react to their environment 
2  They consume substances to extract energy
3  They reproduce
4  They use respiration 
5  They emit waste

So think about a forest fire.

1 it reacts to its environment. It changes if the wind blows. It burns brighter or with different colours depending on where it is 

2 It consumes wood, leaves, plastic, animals, all kinds of things to use for energy

3 It reproduces. It starts small and spreads across a massive area

4 Fire exhibits respiration. It uses oxygen. It dies without it. 

5 It emits smoke as waste. It leaves behind ashes and charcoal as waste.

So... Next time you put out a fire, note that you're not putting it out... You're KILLING IT!

I was throwing out some old magazines today when I found a copy of New Scientist which had this interesting list. The magazine explains that "There is nothing more fascinating to most of us than ourselves so it is hardly surprising that we have expended large amounts of effort trying to get to the bottom of what it means to be human. What is surprising is that there are so many traits that remain enigmatic. These range from the sublime to the ridiculous".

They certainly do. Here's the top 10...

1 Blushing: Why do we turn red when we lie?

2 Laughter: Endorphins are released when we laugh which make us feel good, but we sometimes laugh at things which re not funny.

3 Kissing: One theory is that it is associated with memories of breastfeeding and that ancient humans weaned their children by feeding them from their mouths, which reinforced the link between sharing saliva and pleasure. (ewww)

4 Dreaming: The process of dreaming has been explained but why we see strange visions has yet to be properly explained.

5 Superstition: Evolution can partly explain why we develop some unusual but reassuring habits in ancient times. Religion seems to tap into this impulse.

6 Picking your nose: There is no practical reason to do this. But a quarter of teenagers do it, on average four times a day. Also people who drive their cars who think no one can see them. Hey - I can see you.

7 Adolescence: It seems humans are the only animals to experience unpredictable and irrational behaviour in teenage years. Perhaps it helps our brain reorganise itself before adulthood or allow experimentation in behaviour before the responsibility of later years.

8 Altruism: giving things away with no certain return is odd behaviour in evolutionary terms although other animals do this apart from humans. It may help with group bonding or simply give pleasure.

9 Art: Painting, dancing, sculpture, music could be the human equivalent of a peacock's tail in showing what a good potential mate someone is. Or, it could also be a tool for spreading knowledge or sharing experience.

10 Body hair: Humans have fine hairs on their bodies and thick hair on their genitals and armpits - which is the opposite of what occurs in primates, our closest animal relatives.

I've just found out Morgan Freeman is an atheist. This is a surprise. When I watched Bruce Almighty I thought he was very convincing in the role of God. Even his voice was perfect.

Not sure I will be able to watch that movie again.

I've been learning about synthetic biology. I've heard of it but had no idea how far it had gone.

Scientists can now design and build biological organisms that do not already exist in nature. That's quite amazing.

Even more amazing, scientists (and students) can create and share "bio-bricks" which are DNA sequences that perform a specific function. You can download these just like open source software. For example, you could download a biobrick which is the DNA sequence that makes a jellyfish glow in the dark and introduce that into the DNA of a mouse to make a luminous mouse. 

Ok that's not a very practical thing to do.  Here's a better example. Spider web silk is incredibly strong - if we had enough we could make fabrics stronger than anything man made. You could make bullet proof skin. So... 

- Isolate the spider gene that makes the web
- introduce that gene into a goat embryo 
- breed "spider goats". They look just like any normal goat by the way except...
- when you milk the goat, the milk contains the spider web protein.
- extract the protein in the lab and you can literally pull out as many miles of spider web silk as you want on to reels.

This isn't fantasy - this is actually happening on a commercial scale at Utah State university. 

Another example is the production of diesel from genetically modified yeast. You don't have to wait millions of years for crude oil to be created underground. You can make diesel in a lab, from yeast. And it's being done now.

Synthetic biology is now so widespread it's a hobby for some people - designing and modifying DNA sequences as biobricks on their home computers and sharing them online.

The moral questions are interesting...

About 3 months ago I started reading "The Road To Reality - A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe" by Roger Penrose. I'm only halfway through - it's 1049 pages and it's hard going.

His approach is to show how the physics that defines our universe falls out of the underlying mathematics. And so he starts with Pythagorus and builds on that to derive all of the mathematics needed for quantum physics, space-time, and the laws of the universe. I can't confirm this as I'm still wading through fibre bundles and gauge connections (page 329).

He does however reveal a beautiful aspect of our universe whereby mathematics can lead to new discoveries - even new universes. It's quite a simple idea - you take something that is considered to be a fundamental truth and then analyse what happens if it's not true.

Take parallel lines which as we learn at school, never meet. What if they did? Well, that leads to non-Euclidean geometry. The impact of this discovery was sensational - it went way beyond mathematics and science.

This idea has been repeated many times. What if we assume (-1) has a square root? What if we can divide by zero? What if we assume more than three physical dimensions? And so on. Each one leading to a new aspect of reality. Whatever that is.

The physicist Max Tegmark has suggested that reality IS mathematics. Mathematics is all that exists. Could be...

Arranged to meet a colleague for lunch at St Paul's Cathedral - surely one of the most magnificent buildings in the world. They have a cafe in the crypt which does a very nice lunch of soup and sandwiches.

There is now a small encampment (known as "tent city") outside the cathedral where anti-globalisation protestors have been living for several months. In fact they are anti lots of things... religious fundamentalism, capitalism, war, that kind of thing.

When they first arrived there were thousands of them. The cathedral was closed for the first time ever, and the Dean had to resign. He'd seen the protestors as some kind of threat but ironically, they were protesting - peacefully - about many of the same things that Jesus spoke against. He should have spoken to them, made some arrangements. I guess the Dean lost his job for not having read the bible properly.

Anyhoo.... I had a look around tent city - they have a tent selling books and magazines - they call it Tent City University. They have all the facilities they need to stay for a long time, including a block of toilets. I chatted to some of the occupants and very pleasant they were too. But they were blocking the entrance to the cafe and I wasn't afraid to tell them.

The only way in was through the main entrance which usually means paying a hefty visitor's fee. But when I said I wanted the cafe I was escorted through various rope barriers and past queues of people as if I was a visiting dignitary, then allowed to head off on my own. Which means I had full access to the cathedral for nothing. Surprised they haven't spotted this loophole.

Eventually found my way to the cafe, where my colleague was waiting, having had a similar experience. But we had a delicious lunch, surrounded by the dead bodies of some of England's greatest leaders and thinkers. (Suitably entombed of course)

And the soup was delicious. So if you're ever in London - check it out.

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't seen the Thor movie yet - don't read any further!

Actually it's Monday. Which probably is derived from "moon's day" but maybe not. I can't be bothered to google it. Funny how most of the days of the week are named after gods... Tiu; Wodan; Thor; Friya...

Anyway... I picked up my grandson from school today and noticed how smart he was. His shows trousers and coat all looked clean and new. A sharp haircut. I'm sure when I was 4 years old I would be muddy and scruffy by the end of the school day.

We arrived at my house after a quick stop to buy some fruit pastilles and sat down to do some reading practice but that didn't last long, so we watched the Thor movie on DVD. Well not all of it - I skipped the boring bits so we watched the whole movie in 30 minutes. We cheered as Thor demolished the ice giants with his mighty hammer Mjolnir (try explaining how to spell that word to a 4 year old), then we almost shed a year when Thor's dad (Odin aka Wodan maybe?) shouted at him for starting a fight (but as I explained his dad was right) and we were most upset when Thor was banished to Earth with no superpowers as punishment. (Or the cosmic naughty step as I explained).

We laughed as human Thor came to terms with his limitations, scoffed pancakes in one mouthful at the diner, we were a bit embarrassed when he kissed a girl (ewww), we were angry at Loki for telling Thor his dad was dead, we couldn't believe it when Loki's Giant robot kills Thor. WHAT?!?!? How can a God be dead?!??? But imagine our joy when Mjolnir senses Thor's predicament and flies into Thor's hand and Thor is resurrected! Yay! He then goes on to deal with Loki, save the ice giants from annihilation, proves he is wise after all, and joins his dad in the heavenly realm of Asgard where they become friends again.

Sadly (for me) my daughter arrived at this point to collect my grandson so we didn't have time to play hot wheels. That will have to wait until Saturn's day.