Related to the mouse experiment, the real problem nowadays is that our brains are designed for a hunter-gatherer environment and are actually very easy to please. Simple mobile apps, among other things, take advantage of this fact. It doesn't matter how intelligent someone is, their pleasure center still works the same way. Why read a book when they could be getting much more rewarding chemicals from pressing a couple buttons on a phone?
That is true, so it might be a question of evolution and adaptation.
My view on it:
You can either choose to become aware of whats going on in your brain and how it effects you, and try to rewire and train it yourself by going out of the comfort zone. and work towards evolution. Be a try hard.
Or you can choose to join the masses and simply give into an misused reflexes and squander away in a luxurious degenrated state.
To give more explanation:
By troublesolving issue's by usage of outside influences such as Problem -> Google -> Instant gratification, and your brain has gotten used to this type of behaviour, it will eventually dumb down and become lazy, as the brain isnt stressed or demanded to be pushed beyond current comprehension. It will never develop more nerves and connections, but will overdevelop only the few parts you're using. And other parts will degenerate, ending up in one of the many conditations we hear about lately. Chemicals are overproduced or underproduced, balance has become and issue.
By troubleshooting yourself, trying to find out the problem without outside sources. Your brain will rely on both creativity and reasoning, it will strenghten the bridge between the two hemisphere.. reactivating many parts wich we barely use in society/lives nowadays. And by that, it will enable many more diffrent kind of thought processes and it will make you smarter overtime, because you demand you're brain to develop in such a way. Many of brain activities we have lost will slowly be incoporated again. Drag in a living 3rd party for your troubleshooting, try fixing something together.. and your brain will have a hemisphere orgy
And no.. i dont mean tech-support over the internet lol
Given in the mouse expirement video, all needs were given to them. They had no need to think to much for themselves anymore, and thus became dumber and developed social issue's etc. Much as like we see in the masses of the human world.
Its the choice to become either a slave to your brain, or taking things in your own hands giving it orders on what you need to be done.
Like people that have broken their legs, and have to learn to walk again. By putting them in the right state of mind, and effort to push themselves, their brains will rewire and learn to walk again, because it is demanded to.
The hunter/gatherer brain concept, i do believe in. But many of it is based within the oldest part of our brain, wich is the reptilian part.. wich also responsible for the immediate gratification urges. But we have so much more then just that part of our brain. The Hunter/Gatherer concept is many times misconceived with some cavemen with a club imagery, but is in fact much broader and sophisticated as one might think. Many new age crap blames the reptilian part for all the trouble we have now in the world in short. But far from that, i think the reptilian brain should be praised for what it is, what its capable of in healthy enviroment and usage.
To take it literally:
A hunter for example, hunts animals.... given. But a good hunter will also have to push himself to learn about its surroundings, keep track of cycles of nature, keep track of animal populations, effectively thinking not only for himself but also his outside world etc etc activating many other function then jsut the reptilian part. And if the hunter is a fine specimen of human... it will also inherit curiosity. He will go beyond simply hunting, but also will start wondering to such as why things are the way they are.. pushing beyond the envelope... pushing his brain to develop.
Same goes for a gatherer somewhat, but ill keep it short.
Saying our brains are designed for hunter/gathering, does not mean we cannot go beyond that. But granted its actually a very useful design to go out there, explore and have eyes wide open, ready to adapt! And not only to be used for survival. One tiny part, capable of triggering the whole. wow
