

Information is its own reward - same neurons signal thirst for water, knowledge - keyist
http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2009/07/why_information_is_its_own_reward_-_same_neurons_signal_thir.php

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ars
I would like to see this test with some info on how badly they wanted the
fore-knowledge.

i.e. they can choose: know in advance, or get a better drink.

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atas
Is this article's title misleading or am I missing something? Shouldn't it be
that "same neurons signal thirst for water, knowledge about water", as in
"same neurons signal 'thirst' for A, knowledge about A"? I think this is
implied from the article but not from the title.

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ars
I can see how you would read the article that way, but no, I don't think it's
implied by the article.

However, it's a very subtle point, and a good one. Because if those "water
wanting" neurons triggered only because the knowledge was about the thing they
wanted: "water", then this research is (at least partially) invalid.

I highly suggest you contact the authors of the study and ask them.

However the point that monkeys do want the fore-knowledge still stands. (And
since the fore-knowledge doesn't help the monkey, and monkeys are assumed to
not do things for no reason, it's assumed that there is a part of the brain
that wants knowledge.)

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TheSOB88
Basically, OP's saying that there is a group of neurons that fire when the
person thinks about water. I wouldn't have it any other way.

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paulrday
I have discussed this topic at length with friends, typically when I am
struggling to grind through "dry" material in an effort to understand
something.

I have found that my neurons are extremely resistant to learning any kind of
meaningful knowledge and are very receptive to learning all manner of useless
knowledge. ;D

Psychologically, it seems odd to me that it is so hard to be disciplined when
it comes to learning material when you know intellectually that you will grow
from understanding it.

Sometimes I truly want to understand something, I am curious and I want to
know the answer, but the work required to gain that understanding is sometimes
so painful that I just decide to do something else instead.

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electromagnetic
Perhaps the knowledge you ascribe value to is in fact knowledge you really
find valueless.

I know market economics is very valuable knowledge, but to me it's less useful
and less interesting than knowing how to make butter . . . and I don't have a
cow, goat or sheep, and I don't think I've ate real butter in over 2 years.

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Ardit20
Does information overload drown us then? :P

