Natalie Angier writes in the NYT about why jokes affect us so much but are hard to remember. She says it has to do with the fact that easy-to-remember things like jingles reinforce patterns already in the brain, whereas jokes are powerful because they break or subvert patterns, which makes it harder for the brain to slot the joke into memory.

Here is a great story about how doodling–a seemingly pointless, enjoyable activity (the essence of play)–actually makes the brain function better.

A Presidential Doodle

This is a good video of a dog and cat playing, and a great illustration of handicapping: the dog is much bigger and stronger than the cat, but lies down to bring himself down to the cat’s size. Neither animals uses their full strength.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULVQ1P6ln_4

Great roundup and introduction to play on this Nature’s Edge ABC news segment.

On March 10, Stuart appeared on the Leonard Lopate Radio Program.

Hear the segement here:

Play. Yes You Must.

Change is the mantra of the age of Obama. But what essential aspects of human nature best prepare us for change and for the unexpected? The world is now particularly fragile economically and braced for major stress and transformation.

A new Science of Play is emerging that, I believe, provides an effective foundation that, if fully embraced, will facilitate healthy changes required for major societal change without catastrophe.

A close look at the evolution of play behavior, an instinctive force that becomes more complex the smarter and more social the creature, reveals important long-term survival data, based on our biological design.
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