As you may or may not know, the Nobel Prize for physiology/medicine was given Monday morning to three scientists who have uncovered the "GPS" aspect of our brains that helps us find our way through the surrounding environment, identifying where we are, where we've been and how to get back there again. John O' Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Evard Moser solved the age old question "how does the brain create a map of the space surrounding us and how can we navigate our way through a complex environment?" O'Keefe discovered the place in space, while the Mosers found the coordinates.
In 1971, O' Keefe discovered that certain nerve cells were activated in rats every time the animals passed by a particular location in a room. For example, when the rats were in one corner, certain cells in their brains activated; when they were in a different part of the room, other cells lit up. O'Keefe coined the term "place cells" to describe these activated cells and research since then has suggested that humans have these "place cells" as well. They help us construct mental maps of space, recognizing the difference between your desk and your peer's. In 2005, the Mosers added to this the discovery of "grid cells" that also allow us to determine our position in the world and navigate through it. The amazing part of it all is that this inner navigational work happens without any conscious effort.
Their findings not only shed some light on diseases such as Alzheimer's (which robs people of their spatial memory), but can also lead to new ideas as to how we design spaces more effectively. The evolving science of your "GPS" could help create buildings, transportation networks, etc. that aren't so confusing or help us understand why places we've already built are. How interesting would it be to have a major where you specialize in the psychology behind urban planning?
With all of the buzz going on about who had won the Nobel Prize, it was a very enlightening read to see exactly what their research was that had earned them this amazing accomplishment. What made this article even more interesting was how it applied these findings to other applications other than mental health. The only negative thing about this situation was that they had to split the prize money; luckily the Mosers are married!
--Sources--
Article link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/10/06/the-brain-science-that-just-won-a-nobel-prize-could-help-us-build-better-cities/
The whole idea of a GPS in our brain is so interesting to me. It reminds me of how when we lose things, we often retrace our steps to try and remember our movements and thoughts at those times. A lot of times if I forget what I was doing while walking around the house, if I go back and re-walk the same path I'll remember the thought I was having. That sounds like the same idea as the rats used in the study. The implications for this study are probably the most interesting part and it'll be exciting to see where this research goes.
ReplyDeleteI actually hadn't heard about these three people winning the Nobel Prize so this was extremely interesting and informative to me! I live about 10 minutes from DC, which I think is the most confusing place to navigate. The article says that this finding could help us learn/explain the thought process that went into building these confusing places. I would be so grateful if someone could explain to me how DC works in a logical way. Sometimes my parents ask me to drive my sister places in DC or I have to run errands there and I have to plan for an extra hour in my schedule just to figure out where I'm going. Interesting read!
ReplyDeleteThis is extremely interesting to me because I would have never thought that there would be psychology behind why some places are harder to get around than others. It is interesting that this may all be found within the brain. It would be cool if new buildings and cities were built simply by the way our brains can easiest remember them. It seems like hard work for the future but I am definitely interested in seeing how more research in this area pans out!
ReplyDeleteThis is super interesting research! It reminded me a little bit about what we talked about in class today with emotions. It's strange to think that chemicals and these biological processes can be our emotions. The same goes for the grid and place cells. It's the activation of these tiny neurons that make sense of the world around us. I think it's neat that researchers have identified two different neurons that navigate us through life. I find it interesting about integrating psychology and urban planning to create more effective cities as well. Efforts like that are being made in engineering where psychology is being integrated in that field. Engineering psychologists make the machines we use on an every day basis more safe and effect for people to use. It is interesting to see how advances in our field can be used in other fields and vice versa.
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