Storytelling: Possibly a Key Part of Human Brain Development

from ape to writerIn Melissa Bowersock’s article, Conflict: The Heart of Storytelling, she wrote, “Storytelling is as old as human DNA. As old as language. As old as Joe Neanderthal sitting around the fire at the mouth of his cave, telling the group what happened that day. ‘Me went hunting, threw rock at rabbit, killed it, brought it back. Good day. Ug.'”

As old as language. There are many theories about how language developed. As recently as April 2015, researchers at MIT said language developed rapidly. Human speech wasn’t a series of mumbles and grunts. Rather, humans combined two kinds of communication, one from birds and the other from monkeys. Continue reading “Storytelling: Possibly a Key Part of Human Brain Development”

Exploiting the Subcognitive Brain

In my last post, I discussed the concepts of unconscious or subcognitive influence on the decisions people make. The hard-wired brain appears to be involved in a much wider array of skills and decision-making than science had previously thought.

People can catch a ball without consciously doing the complex trigonometry required to calculate angle, arc, and rate of speed. When the person fails to make the catch, it is more likely a result of the conscious mind intruding on the process—i.e., fear of being hit by the ball. If we don’t get in our own way, our brains work all that out lightning-fast without any fancy book-learnin’. Continue reading “Exploiting the Subcognitive Brain”

Krista Tibbs Joins the Staff of Indies Unlimited

Author Photo - Krista Tibbs
Author Krista Tibbs

Going down the checklist of my burgeoning army of evil minion special skills the other day, I noticed a few boxes remained unchecked. Among those skills still required were neuroscience and swing dancing. I know, you’re thinking neuroscience and swing dancing? Let me assure you that even something as seemingly ordinary as neuroscience can be useful under the right circumstances to an evil mastermind.

Along comes Krista Tibbs, and without boring you with the details of who slipped what into whose drink, I am pleased to announce we have added Krista to the team here at Indies Unlimited.

Krista Tibbs was on her way to a writing career when she published her first story about somersaults then landed a weekly newspaper article, “Junior Hi-Lites”. She was derailed by studying neuroscience at MIT and spiraled into a decade of clinical research and a swing dance habit. After rehabilitation through business school, her writing hit a fever pitch with such critically acclaimed projects as “Performance and Management Assessments” for the Federal Budget and “Return on Investment Report”.

Krista kept her fiction stories secret for years until publishing her first novel, The Neurology of Angels, which earned an honorable mention in the DIY Book Festival. She is currently finishing a collaboration on an illustrated book of animals stories for grown-ups. You can read more from Krista on her blog, shadesofwhitematter.com, where there might be math and science, but there will also be kittens.

Please give Krista a warm Indies Unlimited welcome.