Monday, May 10, 2010

More on creativity and the brain

This past Saturday's NYTimes had an article featuring work by Rex Jung which was the subject of last Tuesday's post. A bit facile and simplistic, but I thought I would pass on some of the eye-catching graphics supplied by researchers:


Images from brain research conducted by the Mind Research Network. While intelligence and skill are associated with the fast and efficient firing of neurons in the brain, subjects who tested high in creativity had thinner white matter and connecting axons that slow nerve traffic. In these images, the green tracks show the white matter being analyzed. The yellow and red spots show where creativity corresponds with slower nerve traffic. The blue areas show where “openness to experience,” associated with creativity, corresponds with slower nerve traffic. (from Jung).


Left, before an insight, activity drops in the visual cortex; right, in the “aha! moment,” activity in the right temporal lobe spikes. (from Ohn Kounios, Drexel University)

No comments:

Post a Comment