One Touch of Homer Makes the Whole World Kin
After briefly distracting the patients, the researchers then asked them to think about the clips for a minute and to report “what comes to mind.” The patients remembered almost all of the clips. And when they recalled a specific one — say, a clip of Homer Simpson — the same cells that had been active during the Homer clip reignited. In fact, the cells became active a second or two before people were conscious of the memory, which signaled to researchers the memory to come.
Why is Homer Simpson singled out as the test case? Obviously because the human brain has specific neurons that emulate or actually induce and compel Homer-Simpson-style behavior.
And there in a nutshell you have the whole basis for ninety-nine percent of the contents of WEIRD UNIVERSE.
Comments
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
I'm in touch with my inner Homer. Now if only we could find the neurons responsible for epic poetry. . .
Posted by fuzzfoot in potland, or on 09/05 at 08:58 AM
Fuzzfoot--glad to see that you too embrace your Homerosity!
Posted by Paul on 09/05 at 09:00 AM
I always remind everyone what a Homer I can be. D'oh!
Posted by DC on 09/05 at 09:13 AM
So, in other words, we have a specific Homer Simpson center in the brain, sort of like Broca's Area and Wernicke's Area. It figures.
Posted by Big Gary in Palo Duro, Texas on 09/05 at 09:19 AM
DC--white shirt and blue pants rule!
Posted by Paul on 09/05 at 09:38 AM
Big Gary--this is the only reasonable conclusion to draw from the article.
Posted by Paul on 09/05 at 09:39 AM
Maybe I too should have the crayon removed from my brain. I wonder if Moe is still dabbling in surgery...hmmmm.
Posted by DC on 09/05 at 10:12 AM
I don't get it. Who's this Homer Simpson anyhow?
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 09/05 at 10:42 AM
DC--you will no longer mispronounce "library" as "liberry."
Posted by Paul on 09/05 at 10:44 AM
Expat47--he's a mythic totemic demiurge!
Posted by Paul on 09/05 at 10:45 AM
Stimulating the Homerian center of the brain will make you funny for a number of years, then just obnoxious for many years afterwards.
Posted by kingmonkey in corrigible on 09/05 at 11:53 AM
Kingmonkey--ah, the old "jump the shark" phenom!
Posted by Paul on 09/05 at 12:17 PM
Thank, Paul, I've always wanted to see a mythic totemic demiurge but didn't quite know where to look. You may, however, in the future refrain from sesquipedalianism as I do believe we're leaving a few of our regular friends behind in this conversation. 
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 09/05 at 09:44 PM
Expat47--at least I did not employ the word "psychopomp"!
Posted by Paul on 09/06 at 08:01 AM
Humans, the intelligent race. But is it? Global warming, weapons of mass destruction. Intelligent my ass.
Posted by interpretation in London on 10/05 at 01:42 AM
Interpretation--sometimes one wonder what higher brain functions actually achieve....
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