Got Purpose?
Aug. 12th, 2004 09:10 amApparently, human beings are like many primates in that over the years we become exceptionally adept at figuring out how long a given task will take and then procrastinating until the last minute to get it done. Apparently, the reward for finishing a job becomes more apparent the closer we get to a deadline (duh) and that deadline-awareness is both instinctual and purposeful. The brain's reward mechanism is driven by it.
Well, no longer. Researchers have managed to engineer monkeys who behave as if the reward is always immanent. The brain's ability to focus on a task as if the deadline loomed is brought to full capacity, with the effect that the monkeys become workaholics, showing exceptional response times and extremely low error rates regardless of how far off the actual, physical reward for accomplishing a task may be.
Unfortunately, the drug for doing so has two problems: (1) it must be injected directly into the brain, and (2) the effect lasts for "several weeks."
Dunno whether to be fascinated or scared by the prospect...
Well, no longer. Researchers have managed to engineer monkeys who behave as if the reward is always immanent. The brain's ability to focus on a task as if the deadline loomed is brought to full capacity, with the effect that the monkeys become workaholics, showing exceptional response times and extremely low error rates regardless of how far off the actual, physical reward for accomplishing a task may be.
Unfortunately, the drug for doing so has two problems: (1) it must be injected directly into the brain, and (2) the effect lasts for "several weeks."
Dunno whether to be fascinated or scared by the prospect...
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}