Summary
WHY do some people sleepwalk? Why are some people left-handed? Thanks to advances in technology, scientists can answer these once- impenetrable questions. Here, in new occasional column, science writer RITA CARTER reveals some of their fascinating discoveries. This week: why do we find babies so irresistible?
WE ALL use facial expressions to manipulate others and the need to persuade others to behave in ways that benefit us is greatest among those who are powerless. This is probably why babies are born with a range of facial expressions and gurgle and cry. They help them to get what they want or need in the way of attention and food. Typical pet animals, such as dogs and cats, also have expressions we respond to. A mother's instinct to bond with her baby seems to be built into her brain. Imaging studies show that when a woman sees a picture of her own baby smiling, it triggers activity in the area of the brain associated with pleasure (the same area is activated by addictive substances such as nicotine). Pictures of other smiling babies produce a similar, though weaker, response in the same area.See the full content of this document
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Inside Your Brain [Edition 3]
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