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Psychologist and Neuroscientist, University of Maryland; Author, Curious Behavior
Common Sense


Behavioral and brain science detects chinks in our synthetic, neurologically generated edifice of reality. Research on sensory illusions indicates that percepts are simply our best estimate of the nature of physical stimuli, not a precise rendering of things and events. The image of our own body is an oddly shaped product of brain function. Memory of things past is also fraught with uncertainty; it is not the reading-out of information from the brain's neurological data bank, but an ongoing construct subject to error and bias. The brain also makes decisions and initiates action before the observer is consciously aware of detecting and responding to stimuli. My own research found that people confabulate narratives to rationalize their laughter, such as "It was funny," or "I was embarrassed," neglecting laughter's involuntary nature and frequent contagiousness.

Our lives are guided by a series of these guesstimates about the behavior and mental state of ourselves and others that, although imperfect, are adaptive and sufficiently accurate to enable us to muddle along. However, as scientists, we demand more than default explanations based on common sense. Behavioral and brain science provides a path to understanding that challenges the myths of mental life and everyday behavior. One of its delights is that it often turns reality on its head, revealing hidden processes and providing revelations about who we are, what we are doing, and where we are going.