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Strange brainz are strange
Apr. 16th, 2013 08:56 amWhile I'm certainly not cut out to be a scientist, I still think that studying the brain must be one of the most interesting (and probably frustrating) fields of research one can possibly choose.
Meanwhile, I'm slightly befuddled and at times even awed by the way my own brain, so far the only subject of brain research at my disposal, works.
For example, take the "Personalized Visual Diary": I suppose it only works if you are a strongly visual type (When and how exactly is that determined, however? Other than testing whether a person is the acoustic type rather than the visual one, is there a way to determine it? Questions, questions...), but since I am one of those, it works perfectly well for me. If I need to remember, e.g., to take someting to work -- something I don't usually take, that is, like the charger for my iPod -- the only fail-safe method is this: I know where the charger is (in a small box next to my handbag). So I mentally picture myself checking the contents of my purse, which is something I always do in case I need to restock on cash, and taking the charger out of the box to put it in my handbag. Works like a charm. It also works for several different objects, but only combined with different actions, so there's definitely a limitation to PVD's effectiveness, at least for me.
Another example: Although my English is quite good, I have never done any translations from German to English or vice-versa, except maybe once a year or so. In other words, when I write English, my brain doesn't translate from German but thinks and produces in English. Same when I'm talking.
In the last three and a half years, however, I've been learning Macedonian, and since Dalibor, my teacher, doesn't speak German, we've been holding the lessons in English. After the first seven or eight months, once we'd finished the grammar, we started translating texts of increasing difficulty, both English-Macedonian and Macedonian-English. When we do English-Macedonian, German evidently doesn't come into play -- the brain goes directly from English to Macedonian. When we do it the other way round, it's obvious that the brain does Macedonian-German-English. Subconsciously, of course, but it becomes visible whenever I'm a little tired or don't concentrate -- I get stuck on the German word and have to struggle to find the English one, because I've never done translation. At the same time, though, the brain seems to be forging new connections, because it happens with increasing frequency that I'm writing an English text, stopping and trying to find the English word, and all that comes to mind is either German or, in rarer cases, Macedonian. It's even beginning to happen when I'm talking.
I'm being thoroughly fascinated by watching these processes -- not because I'm such a special little snowflake, but because insight into how a brain works *is* fascinating, and it just happens to be mine.
However, to return to the more prosaic aspects of life, I'm going to have a loooong lunch break today -- the workmen need to tackle my office today, and if that isn't the prfect excuse for slipping out, I don't know what is.
Oh, and any experts/scientists reading this are absolutely welcome to provide explanations, insights and reading advice, provide it's something my layman's intellect can grasp.
Meanwhile, I'm slightly befuddled and at times even awed by the way my own brain, so far the only subject of brain research at my disposal, works.
For example, take the "Personalized Visual Diary": I suppose it only works if you are a strongly visual type (When and how exactly is that determined, however? Other than testing whether a person is the acoustic type rather than the visual one, is there a way to determine it? Questions, questions...), but since I am one of those, it works perfectly well for me. If I need to remember, e.g., to take someting to work -- something I don't usually take, that is, like the charger for my iPod -- the only fail-safe method is this: I know where the charger is (in a small box next to my handbag). So I mentally picture myself checking the contents of my purse, which is something I always do in case I need to restock on cash, and taking the charger out of the box to put it in my handbag. Works like a charm. It also works for several different objects, but only combined with different actions, so there's definitely a limitation to PVD's effectiveness, at least for me.
Another example: Although my English is quite good, I have never done any translations from German to English or vice-versa, except maybe once a year or so. In other words, when I write English, my brain doesn't translate from German but thinks and produces in English. Same when I'm talking.
In the last three and a half years, however, I've been learning Macedonian, and since Dalibor, my teacher, doesn't speak German, we've been holding the lessons in English. After the first seven or eight months, once we'd finished the grammar, we started translating texts of increasing difficulty, both English-Macedonian and Macedonian-English. When we do English-Macedonian, German evidently doesn't come into play -- the brain goes directly from English to Macedonian. When we do it the other way round, it's obvious that the brain does Macedonian-German-English. Subconsciously, of course, but it becomes visible whenever I'm a little tired or don't concentrate -- I get stuck on the German word and have to struggle to find the English one, because I've never done translation. At the same time, though, the brain seems to be forging new connections, because it happens with increasing frequency that I'm writing an English text, stopping and trying to find the English word, and all that comes to mind is either German or, in rarer cases, Macedonian. It's even beginning to happen when I'm talking.
I'm being thoroughly fascinated by watching these processes -- not because I'm such a special little snowflake, but because insight into how a brain works *is* fascinating, and it just happens to be mine.
However, to return to the more prosaic aspects of life, I'm going to have a loooong lunch break today -- the workmen need to tackle my office today, and if that isn't the prfect excuse for slipping out, I don't know what is.
Oh, and any experts/scientists reading this are absolutely welcome to provide explanations, insights and reading advice, provide it's something my layman's intellect can grasp.
