Pink Review for Music as Artist

Daniel Pink a Whole New Mind
Right Brain Rising: Chapter One

Brain Scan Test

• Author is getting a brain scan as a volunteer to see how the brain works; capturing images of brains at rest and work
• Testing perception:: First task: researchers display extreme expressions pictures, then using a clicker indicate which of the next two pictures expresses the same emotion as the initial picture; Second task: slide show of 48 pictures: indicate indoors or outdoors
• When looking at grim facial expressions brain wanted support of right hemisphere; when looking at scary scenes brain wanted left brain support

Left side: the side that makes us human, rational, analytical, logical, reasoned, excelled at analysis, handled words

Right brain: reasoned holistically, recognized patterns, interpreted emotions, nonverbal expressions

History of brain:
In history: left side of the brain was the important part of brain, housed heart and language
During next century, Robert W. Sperry did surgery on epileptic patients and discovered that the right brain was not subordinate to the left just different

Wrong Stuff:
Certain groups of people view right brain as saviour, believing that right brain is repository of all that is good, just, and noble in the human condition
Too much concentration on touch-feely elements with too much emphasis on right brain
the right hemisphere will neither save us nor sabotage us..reality is more nuanced

The Real Stuff:
the two hemisphers take different approaches to guiding our actions, understanding world, and reacting to events

Four Key Differences:
1. The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body; the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body:: reading, turning head
2. The left hemisphere is sequential: the right hemisphere is simultaneous::
left brain decodes letters, right brain interprets silmultaneously
3. The left hemisphere specializes in text; the right hemisphere specializes in context
left hemisphere handles what is said, right hemisphere focsues on how its said
4. The left hemsiphere analyzes the details; the right hemisphere synthesizes the big picture
left brain grasp analysis of infomration (the parts), right brain graps the synthesis (the whole)

Amygdalas

• Two almond shaped structures that serves as brain's security: issue alerts and process emtions like fear
• Scenes: left brain was more active
• Faces: right brain was more active
• Left brain reacts better to scenes because accuately assessing each scene depended on the rapid fire sequential reasoning
• Right brain reacts better to faces because it is specialized in recognizing faces and interpreting expressions

Whole New Mind

Many people try to determine if they are more left brain or right brain

Pink states this is important to how people navigate their lives

L-Directed Thinking

• Sequential, literal, functional, textual, analytic
• Exemplified by computer programming

R-Directed Thinking

• Simultaneous, metaphorical, aesthetic, contextual, synthetic
• Exemplified creators and caregivers