Recent theorizing in cognitive neuroscience suggests that humans have an evolved theory of mind module. An fMRI study by Gallagher et al. even suggests where it is in the brain:Mark Liberman/Language Log November 08, 2003
Brain activation during the theory of mind condition of a story
task and a cartoon task showed considerable overlap, specifically in the
medial prefrontal cortex (paracingulate cortex).
So here's my hypothesis. When you're sitting in a restaurant or a railroad car, hearing one side of a cell phone conversation, you can't help yourself from trying to fill in the blanks. And after a few seconds of this, your paracingulate medial prefrontal cortex is throbbing like a stubbed toe. Or at least, it's interfering with your ability to think about other things.
link Sociable Dec.12.03
Comments
