Besides the fact that I'm a total dork who used to LOVE that song and actually owns the Lou Bega CD, this just shows how amazing the brain is. We can recall an enormous amount of information with a simple cue. Like when I smell a precise scent of Nivea aftershave lotion and I think of my hubby, or I see an old family photo and can remember so much detail about when it was taken, and so on. Of course, this isn't always the case. The brain can be a fickle thing. Sometimes I'm surprised by the completely random things I can remember with perfect clarity and yet have trouble remembering what I did yesterday.
I went to the Body Worlds exhibit a couple of years ago and learned a lot about the brain. Yes, that's the one with real dead bodies preserved in a process called "Plastination" (basically, the body tissue is turned into plastic and preserved; it's gross, but fascinating - learn more here). There was this whole section about the brain and how our minds process information. Such as, how long we can retain information based on how long we're exposed to it (like witnessing a crime and how two people might remember two very different things). Or, how sleep is very important for turning short-term memory into long-term memory (a la 50 First Dates). And if you practiced you could even train yourself to work out complex problems in your sleep that you might not be able to while awake. Oh, of course - sleep-writing! We finally have an answer to "writer's block". What else does our brain do that science hasn't even uncovered yet?
This brings me to an intriguing new movie coming out called Limitless starring Bradley Cooper. Wait, let's just stare at him for a second...
...*sigh, drool* ... sorry, you still with me? Anyway, the premise of this movie is very intriguing. Thinking about how much our brain can already do (besides the times my brain takes a vacation; and always mid-thought; how inconsiderate), what if we could just take a little pill and use 100%? Would we really make millions of dollars in one day, or would our brains fry from working so hard? Probably the latter, but wouldn't it be cool to be like Bradley Cooper in the movie, always 50 moves ahead? It sure would make writing a novel a heck of a lot easier. I'm sure there is a science-y explanation for why this movie's premise it total baloney, but it's fun to think we could just take a little pill and be instantly brilliant.
What would you do if you could take that pill (without the side effects; I haven't seen the movie yet)? What old songs have you heard recently that you could sing word-for-word without even thinking about it? And just for fun, what would you do if you met Bradley Cooper? (*Sorry dudes, that last one is more for the ladies I guess.)
