Word: amygdala
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...come to believe play a role in sexual orientation have been related to either reproduction or sexuality. The Swedish study, however, is the first to find differences in parts of the brain not normally involved in reproduction - the denser network of nerve connections, for example, was found in the amygdala, known as the emotional center of the brain. "The big question has always been, if the brains of gay men are different, or feminized, as earlier research suggests," says Dr. Eric Vilain, professor of human genetics at University of California Los Angeles, "then is it just limited to sexual preference...
...more encouraging point is that the brain is plastic. It can be trained to respond more appropriately. Less fear makes paralysis less likely. A rat with damage to the amygdala, the primitive part of the brain that handles fear, will not freeze at all - even if it encounters a cat. If we can reduce our own fear even a little bit, we might be able to do better...
Consider, for a moment, how memory is supposed to operate. Consider, that is, the hippocampus. A cashew-shaped node of tissue, the hippocampus sits deep in the temporal lobe of the brain, near the amygdala, which is the seat of emotions. If the brain has a gatekeeper of sensory information, the hippocampus is it. The aroma and sizzle of bacon frying, the smooth finish of polished granite, a phone number you need to call--all must pass through the hippocampus. Only if information gets in can it be moved along to the prefrontal cortex, where it will be held briefly...
...common mistake, and one that dooms most investors to lousy returns. In his new book Your Money and Your Brain, author Jason Zweig says humans are wired to act this way. The amygdala, a tiny, -almond-shaped knob of tissue in the brain, responds to potential risk by flooding the bloodstream with stress hormones such as corticosterone, which enable us to react quickly to danger. These emotional warning flares can be lifesavers if, say, you encounter a snake, but the sudden waves of emotion make it hard to stay calm in the face of a whipsawing market. Zweig says brain...
Speaking of which, he warns me that a beaten-down stock I bought a few days ago might just go to zero. The very thought is enough to kick my amygdala into overdrive...