296: Primitive brain is 'smarter' than we think

Primitive brain is 'smarter' than we think | Science Blog:

Primitive structures deep within the brain may have a far greater role in our high-level everyday thinking processes than previously believed, report researchers at the MIT Picower Center for Learning and Memory in the Feb. 24 issue of Nature. The results of this study led by Earl K. Miller, associate director of the Picower Center at MIT, have implications about how we learn. The new knowledge also may lead to better understanding and treatment for autism and schizophrenia, which could result from an imbalance between primitive and more advanced brain systems.

Learning how monkeys learn teaches us how humans learn, which may help cure these diseases. Why do we care about monkey brains? Because we share a recent ancestor with them. Common descent!