One of the most impressive features of brains - and especially human brains - is the flexibility to learn almost any kind of task that comes its way.
David EaglemanEven though the outside world has not changed, your brain dynamically presents different interpretations.
David EaglemanWho we can be begins with our molecular blueprints - a series of alien codes penned in invisibly small strings of acids - well before we have anything to do with it. We are a product of our inaccessible, microscopic history.
David EaglemanIt turns out that dopamine is a chemical on double duty in the brain. Along with its role in motor commands, it also serves as the main messenger in the reward systems, guiding a person toward food, drink, mates, and all things useful for survival. Because of its role in the reward system, imbalances in dopamine can trigger gambling, overeating, and drug addiction - behaviors that result from a reward system gone awry.
David Eagleman