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M.I.T. Explains Why Bad Habits Are Hard to Break
Ant writes "CNET News.com says habitual activity (e.g., smoking, eating fatty foods, gambling, etc.) changes neural activity patterns in a specific region of the brain when habits are formed. These neural patterns created by habit can be changed or altered. But when a stimulus from the old days returns, the dormant pattern can reassert itself, according to a new study from the M.I.T., putting an individual in a neural state akin to being on autopilot... The neural patterns get established in the basal ganglia, a brain region critical to habits, addiction and procedural learning."
Because earlier posts tend to get the gimp mod points, where as a later post much actually BE interesting or insightful to get modded up. Naturally, you want to be positively recognized with a minimum of effort...
Probably because you head into a post with a bullet list of acidic talking points made purposely to insight strong emotions.
Like the feeling you get from successfully being one of the first ten comment posters, slashdot editors get a similar feeling of achievement from posting their quota of story submissions.
The consistency of the Yankees in winning can almost enitrely be attributed to the Yankees not sucking. Conversely, the Cubs consistently coming up short is directly related to their complete suckage.
Your questions on crime shows, Larry King, Donald Trump, and Steve Ballmer are all related to their inexplicable ability to make money despite being complete assholes.
Because of the thoughts that they have when they go to take a leak and someone else is dropping a load. Most people aren't proud of the smell and sounds they produce during #2.
And finally... Like the feeling you get from successfully being one of the first ten comment posters, slashdot editors get a similar feeling of achievement from posting their quota of story submissions.
Hope this helps!
What genius got so impressed by the trumped up science words in this and decided this was news? Except technical data collected to help further research there is no revelation and nothing newsworthy in this post at all.
My opinion: This is more disgusting Slashdot pseudo-science.
Consider what the article says:
1) Habits are remembered. (They could not be habits if they were not remembered.)
2) The memory is stored in the brain. (Good guess!)
3) Quote: "Graybiel speculated that the beginning and ending spike patterns reflect the nature of a routine behavior." Speculation is another word for guessing.
4) Quote: "It is as though, somehow, the brain retains a memory of the habit context, and this pattern can be triggered if the right habit cues come back,..." Another quote: ' "This situation is familiar to anyone who is trying to lose weight or to control a well-engrained habit. Just the sight of a piece of chocolate can reset all those good intentions," Graybiel said.' It's major pseudo-science to say that rat habits and human habits are similar.