Leonard Mlodinow
Leonard Mlodinow
Leonard Mlodinowis an American popular science author and screenwriter...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPhysicist
CountryUnited States of America
along connection cooperation enhancing evolved feelings physical route seems social special tool touch travel
Touch seems to be such an important tool for enhancing social cooperation and affiliation that we have evolved a special physical route along which those subliminal feelings of social connection travel from skin to brain.
convincing factors hugely judge mind people pitch speed state
The pitch, timbre, volume, speed, and cadence of your voice, the speed with which you speak, and even the way you modulate pitch and loudness, are all hugely influential factors in how convincing you are and how people judge your state of mind and character.
course future less likely lives longer might predicting
I find that predicting the course of our lives is like predicting the weather. You might be able to predict your future in the short term, but the longer you look ahead, the less likely you are to be correct.
curious far loved mind natural physical science
I've always loved science, as far back as I can remember. I was very, very curious about how everything worked: the world, the physical universe, chemistry, law. So it was only natural to be curious about how our mind works.
available build complete construct data helps mind objective picture pictures shape starts vision whatever
In all our perceptions, from vision to hearing, to the pictures we build of people's character, our unconscious mind starts from whatever objective data is available to us - usually spotty - and helps to shape and construct the more complete picture we consciously perceive.
boosts enhances expressive noticeable pitch
Expressive speech, with modulation in pitch and volume, and a minimum of noticeable pauses, boosts credibility and enhances the impression of intelligence.
consequences physical predict
In physics, all can you do is predict the consequences of physical laws.
conscious humans social transcend understood
Language is handy, but we humans have social and emotional connections that transcend words and are communicated - and understood - without conscious thought.
assumed both decided looks substance
We all know that looks matter, and modern politicians have always assumed that their battles are decided on both substance and image.
emotions hand imagine pain pull slam touch
We have emotions for a reason; for instance, imagine pain. You have pain so that if you touch something that's hot, or if you slam your hand with a hammer, you will pull your hand away and not do that again.
voice usual raises
Listeners instinctively detect that when we lower the usual pitch of our voice, we are sad, and when we raise it, we are angry or fearful.
aware bonds connect conscious form grooming hours society spend touching
Non-human primates spend hours a day grooming each other. And with humans, touching is also important. It's a way to form bonds and connect in modern society. But you can also speed up the use of conscious purposes once you're aware of that, and it can be manipulated.
both clear explain fade indeed longer people vivid
If memories were indeed like what a camera records, they could be forgotten, or they could fade so that they are no longer clear and vivid. But it would be difficult to explain how people could have memories that are both clear and vivid while also being wrong. Yet that happens, and it is not infrequent.
impart seems
On the unconscious level, touch seems to impart a subliminal sense of caring and connection.