But can BrainGames explain why I expected to learn something from BrainGames?

[thistlechaser]

My disappointment is all my fault. I heard about this new BrainGames show on the National Geographic Channel and got excited. It promised to explain the workings of the brain, how attention/focus works, how the brain decides what to focus on, how persuasion works, how we make decisions, etc. How interesting it would be to learn more about those things!

But instead the show was full of cheap tricks ("Focus on this one red spot on the right! Don't take your eyes off it for a moment! Keep looking! ...now, did you see the tiny detail we changed on the left? No? That's because you were focusing on the spot!") and information on the "duh" level (Person walks up to the counter for help, counter worker ducks down to get something, different-but-similar person stands back up and continues to help the person. BOGGLE THAT NO ONE NOTICES THE CHANGE! Well of course they didn't, people don't just change like that, so of course it's not something everyone is going to pick up on -- body switches do not happen, so why would our brains waste time and effort watching for them?)

I had all seven eps saved to watch. I thought I was going to love them, that I'd learn all sorts of new things. I watched part of three different eps, then deleted them all. My fault for expecting something educational when instead it was just typical cotton candy entertainment.

Edit: The more I think about this, the more angry it makes me. They treat basic, commonplace knowledge as THE MOST AMAZING INFORMATION EVER. Like if someone dresses up as a cop, people will react to the uniform and assume it really is a cop. DUH. Of course they do! Also, did you know if advertisers added "limited time offer" or "limit (some number) per purchase" it will make people want it more? Gods above, I'd hope there wasn't anyone over the age of 12 who didn't know that!

Comments

[evilgrayson.livejournal.com]

You're familiar with critical thinking, Thistle. The idea that not everything may be as it seems.

A disturbing number of grown adults... aren't.

(I trained my peripheral vision, so I usually spot substitutions/switches/gorillas walking through basketball games.)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

But... but... but... they should. :/ On one level, I know a lot of people don't, but the rest of me goes ALL YOU PEOPLE! YOU MUST KNOW THIS! IT'S IMPORTANT! HOW DO YOU LIVE WITHOUT KNOWING?! Then the first level gets annoyed over the use of all-caps, and things go downhill from there. :P

[ani-mama.livejournal.com]

Is it a kid show? Maybe it was actually meant for the twelve and under crowd. One can only hope.

I have had a small child and troublemaking cats for years, so my peripheral vision is trained quite well!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Nope, for adults.

Ha! That seems like a great way to train your peripheral vision!

[teaandfailure.livejournal.com]

I will learn you something about the brain that is way more interesting instead!

Apparently a study was done that shows the brain sees a doorway as as event change, so when you walk through a doorway, it erases what you were thinking about in that room and is all CLEAN SLATE NEW ROOM.

I don't know about you, but I was relieved to learn this, as I regularly get up and go to do something, forget what the hell I went to do, sit back down, and remember what it was.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

You did learn me! I hadn't heard that before!

That sure would explain our forgetfulness, yeah.