Posted on 10/14/2019 10:45:03 AM PDT by BenLurkin
In the 1950s, researchers stumbled upon a new class of drugs that provided relief for those suffering from schizophrenia. These drugs were known as antipsychotics and, as the name suggests, they reduced symptoms like hallucinations and delusions — primarily by reducing the levels of dopamine in the brain. This led clinicians and scientists to argue that dopamine was linked to the experiences of psychotic symptoms, and a concerted research effort ensued, seeking to solve the puzzle of why excess dopamine might produce hallucinations.
Although it was later shown that increasing dopamine could produce hallucinations, establishing a consistent link between them, it has not been clear why.
They achieved this by taking advantage of a simple fact: Your brain is lazy. It makes shortcuts to understand the deluge of information that bombards it daily. If you’re presented with consistent information, consistently, your brain adjust its expectations of reality in turn. This is the basis of Bayesian theories of how we perceive the world – that is, the brain makes inferences about the world around us based on statistics and probabilities on what is likely to occur.
[I]ncreasing dopamine made it more difficult for participants to adjust their perception — an effect comparable to how the hallucinators had struggled. Moreover, the extent to which participants struggled was strongly associated with the severity of hallucinations — but not with any diagnosis of schizophrenia. In other words, the difficulty appeared to be associated with a symptom, not a diagnosis.
Using brain imaging, the researchers also showed that an increased capacity for dopamine release, from a part of the brain known as the striatum (an area involved in schizophrenia), was associated with the severity of hallucinations. Together, these experiments showed that excess dopamine was associated with difficulty in accurately predicting reality.
(Excerpt) Read more at inverse.com ...
Another off-the-wall thought I had comes from some real-world experience.
When I had a problem with my well, I got the replacement hardware from a plumbing supply agency. Later, when I needed a pressure tank, I went back to the same place. I was told that I didn’t qualify as a wholesale buyer.
This puzzled me, but I surmised that it had worked before because I was sent there in league with my repair crew. I suggested that they contact that same agency to see if they would authorize me again to purchase what I needed. It worked, and I even got that group’s discount pricing.
They reason this could be relevant is that if you can find such a supply house in your area you could just walk in, bold as brass and inquire about the pricing of what you need.
If you get, as expected, a tale of woe about their not being able to sell directly to you, then you spring the real purpose of your visit; try to wheedle out of them the name of a local contractor who might be willing to work with you about your problem.
Be sure to emphasize how long you’ve been without water.
***
And just so you’ll know that I’m nowhere near the end of the alphabetical listing of plans, (maybe U or V, but not the end), I also considered that if a person wanted to absolutely NEVER be in a position of having no water, no matter for what apocalyptic reason, there is also a manually operated deep well pump that can be installed IN PARALLEL with your electric one, so that if the power is out, you just go out to the pump-house — (Okay not everybody has a pump-house, I had to build my own) — and manually operate your already primed and ready stainless steel deep well pump.
Permanent standby solutions require spending money.
Kitteh looks disgusted with the current trend of events.
Well, how would you feel if you got up in the dark and cold, came downstairs, and found that you hadn’t put water in the coffee pot or turned the timer on?
What a squeeful Floof!
Good morning.
I’ve been up forever and all I’ve done is write a letter. I’m going to walk it over to the mail box in a bit. I’ll have to use my umbrella to do that, for sure.
Maybe when I get back, I’ll take a nap since I was up so obscenely early.
I actually did that when we were transferred from Gt Lakes back to San Diego. I got up filled the coffee pot, plugged it in and couldn’t figure out why I didn’t smell coffee. I didn’t put coffee in the basket. Just water in the pot. It was my first experience with a sleep aid and it backfired. I was awake the entire night. GAH!!!
Good morning. In addition to not having the coffee ready, I found I was out of fake sugar. Fortunately, I keep some in the camping supplies. Today, I’ll have to remember to buy more fake sugar and then restore the supply that goes in the camp box. Otherwise, I won’t have any next time we go camping!
I had coffee in it. At least I hadn’t turned the timer on without putting the water in - that would have ended badly.
Good morning, everyone. Happy ... (check’s calendar) ... Thursday. Yes! Friday Eve!
Apparently the tree at Rock Center was lit last night as were most of the people standing in the cold waiting for it.
Or so I’m told.
Good morning. Happy Thor’s Day.
I’m cold.
Last time I did that and admitted it on the UT I was told that’s called, “Almost making coffee.”
Now I’m going to go make sure I put water in my coffee maker.
“They” are claiming the thermometer will read as high as 43 today but the “real-feels” will be in the upper 20s.
I’ll decide to trust “them” and not test it myself.
I think someone was washing dishes when I was ready to get the water for the coffee. Then I had to leave for a church meeting.
The thermostat says it’s 68 in here, but my teeth are chattering. I’m going to go put on many layers of clothes!
You can always take off some outwear if you feel too warm.
That's NOT a cat!!!! 😨
I didn’t bring many layers this trip. And I didn’t bring my heaviest coats. Fortunately, I don’t have to go outdoors much when I’m working.
Our partner company is about a block up the road and I do get a kick out of walking there in nothing but my suit when the weather’s in the 20s. Tourists just stare. But I can stand temperatures above the teens for about 30 minutes if there’s no wind.
Would you like to be on the Morning Kitteh ping list?
That was unexpected.
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