Want to find out why we procrastinate or how you might rid yourself of that earworm tune?
If so you could do worse than attend the discussion between Australian scientist Dr Jen Martin and former scientist-turned-novelist Tracy Farr at The Piano on 1 September.
Dr Jen is expert at making science relatable and her book Why Am I Like This? offers sensible explanations for some of our odd and/or frustrating behaviours.
She and Tracy Farr will discuss some of the wierd and wonderful thoughts our brains engage in.
For 18 years Dr Jen has been talking about science each week on 3RRR radio, she writes for a variety of publications, hosts the Let’s Talk SciComm podcast and MCs events. She was named the 2019 Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication, is Ambassador for The Wilderness Society’s Nature Book Week and is a member of the Homeward Bound Faculty, a global leadership program for women and non-binary people in (STEMM Science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine).
Dr Jen gave an interview to RNZ on 15 February and offered her scientific take on a few of our puzzling behaviours which are also outlined in her book.
Why can't I remember my childhood?
Maybe it is because we are still building the cerebral equipment necessary to describe experiences or maybe our brains are absorbing so much information at a young age that long-term retention is developed later.
Why can't I stop procrastinating?
This could be a battle occurring in our brains between the system that seeks pleasure and the more responsible part that looks after planning. We all procrastinate due to a constant battle between those two parts of our "incredibly complex" brains, Dr Jen says.
Why do I stick out my tongue when I concentrate?
Disengaging the tongue from mapping the roof of the mouth reduces the amount of information sent to the brain. This may free up a bit of brain power improving our concentration.
Why don't I remember why I walked into this room?
"The Doorway Effect" makes people more likely to forget what they were going to do after walking through a door than covering the same distance without a door involved. "The Doorway Effect" relates to our brains being full-on all the time and our brains need ways to decide what is most relevant at a given time.
In the modern world doorways are "a signal to our brain that the previous episode is over, what you knew in that space is no longer the most relevant, you need to have your brain ready to take in new information in this new space".
To learn more come along to Dr Jen's and Tracey Farr's discussion which starts at 11.30am on 1 September at The Piano.
Find out more in our collection:
- Books on Psychology
- Books on Self-help
- Books on Neurology
- Check out the Mental Health resources in our Health subject guide
More WORD Christchurch
Make your own picks of the festival - check the programme online online or picking up a printed copy from your library.
- WORD Christchurch website
- Follow WORD Christchurch on Instagram, Facebook and X FKA Twitter
- Our WORD Christchurch 2024 page - Find books by writers coming to this year's festival
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