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April 13, 2007

Strange But True!

Q. Our little 3-pound brains take millions of “snapshots,” recording sounds, smells, tastes, time sequences, a continuous running commentary — all day, every day. You'd think overload would set in.

A. Maybe, except the brain has a secret: it cheats, says Harvard's Daniel Gilbert in “Stumbling on Happiness.” Faithful representation like a DVD isn't the way. Ask eyewitnesses “How fast the two cars were going when they collided?” and you'll get a different answer than if you ask, “How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?” In other words, the question itself helps shape our answer.


 
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