Depressive realism - better time keeping

We’ve known for quite a while that depressed people appear to have a more realistic perception of their importance, reputation, locus of control, and abilities than those who are not depressed. In fact this depressive realism was something the French philosopher Voltaire dealt with as early as 1759 in his novel Candide: Or, Optimism.

New research led by the University of Hertfordshire shows that depressed people are more accurate when it comes to time estimation than their happier peers.

In the study, volunteers gave verbal estimates of the length of different time intervals of between two and sixty-five seconds and they also produced their own time intervals. For non-depressed people, their verbal time interval estimations were too high; while their own production of times in the same range were too low. In contrast, the mildly-depressed people were accurate in both their verbal time estimates and also their own production times.

It’s said that the findings may help to shed light on how people with depression can be treated. People with depression are often encouraged to check themselves against reality, but maybe this timing skill can help in the treatment of mildly-depressed people. These findings may also link to successful mindfulness based treatments for depression which focus on encouraging present moment awareness.

Competing models of time perception

Anyone that knows me will know my fascination with time. Not how we go about measuring time but time it self. Here there are 2 equally important paths of endeavor. One is that of a global scale and involves the very nature of the universe; Space-Time continuum and General Relativity.  The second is equally baffling – how does the brain code time.

There are multiple competing models of time perception with no real consensus. For example we know that the Suprachiasmatic nucleus uses environmental cues, most importantly light, to determine the time of day and year thus coordinating circadian rhythms. This however is more about tracking time and less about perception of time. Also, this may not be the structure that links events to time – i.e. history.

According to a recent MIT study groups of neurons in the primate brain code time with extreme precision. Institute Professor Ann Graybiel says “All you do is time stamp everything, and then recalling events is easy: you go back and look through your time stamps until you see which ones are correlated with the event,"

Neuroscientist Paul King of the Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience at UC Berkeley explains fast time interval estimation (sub-second) to be important for timing complex behavior and playing musical instruments. Slow time interval estimation may be important for planning the day, although daylight and hunger can provide cues. Intervals greater than a day may rely on observing the repetition of day-night cycles and seasonal changes.

The above diagram shows the accuracy of time interval estimation for humans and other animals, along with proposed neural mechanisms for each time scale. Slow time scales (hours) are at the top and fast scales (milliseconds) are at the bottom. It’s a fascinating model.

Let's not under estimate human ingenuity

I, like many, am interested in the latest, newest and shiniest new gadgets and in particular smartphones (read iPhones). So I’ve been eagerly awaiting the most recent launch of the iPhone 5S and the more fun-bound iPhone 5C. With every new phone comes the usual swag of analytics. Value for money, could the vendor have packed more features, has this leap-frogged incremental advances, and more.

What really caught my attention this time however was the number of analysts and journalists seeing the new iPhone batch as not really constituting a quantum leap in innovation – and some claim that It could be that there just isn't much more you can do to jazz up a smartphone. In which case, we've reached "peak smartphone".

This kinda think is a little shortsighted isn’t it? After all, wasn’t it Thomas Watson (chairman and CEO of IBM who oversaw that company's growth into an international force from 1914 to 1956) who was supposed to have made the remark in 1943, "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers".

Dexter - Dr Vogel says Psychopaths are not a mistake of nature

A few days ago a colleague and I fell into a discussion about Psychopaths – wondering if psychopaths have distinct brain structure, the impact of early childhood experience, etc. And, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that we both came to think about the popular Showtime series Dexter.

A few days later I find myself watching the new season 8.

It took us 8 seasons before we finally see Dexter experiencing a kinda serial killer’s version of a midlife crisis. Not only is he still talking to his dead foster father Harry - a constant since Season one – but now he’s getting a play by play in video form, courtesy of the mysterious Dr. Vogel.

Dr Evelyn Vogel is introduced as a as a psychiatrist that is also called the 'psychopath whisperer' reveals she was the mastermind behind the “Code of Harry” that he lives by. “I helped create you,” she says, and he responds, “You sound like Dr Frankenstein.”

What the good doctor says to a shocked Dexter next is fascinating - consider

“Psychopaths are not a mistake of nature – they are a gift, they are alpha wolves that will help the human race survive long enough to become civilized – an indispensible demographic. She goes on to tell Dexter that psychopathic traits can be found in the most successful CEOs and the most effective politicians. Without the psychopaths mankind wouldn’t exist today. “

As we know several studies have been conducted to try and better understand psychopathy. One of the more common theories regarding psychopathy is that psychopaths are incapable of emotional learning, due to abnormalities in their amygdala, which is responsible for regulating emotion and aggression. Psychopaths do not learn from punishment, and so never gain a social conscience. This, in turn, is the reason they lack empathy for others and feel no remorse for their violence.

But is there is evolutionary value or basis for the traits that define 'psychopathy?

Ignorance is not bliss

Let me first start with something I found rather interesting and somewhat quaint. When at the turn of the 1900 Century the highly radioactive element Radium was discovered by Marie Curie, the French public and the tabloid press were fascinated by it. Rather touchingly though no one had a clue what radioactivity really was assumed it must be wholesome and healthy. So all sorts of weird and wonderful uses for it began to hit the streets; Radium bath products, Radium eau de Cologne, Atomic perfume and Radium face cream that was supposed to enhance beauty through healthy skin. Here, perhaps Ignorance is truly bliss.

There are bumper stickers that claim, "Ignorance is NOT bliss" so it’s got to be asked; is ignorance really bliss? 

Thomas Gray’s “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College” which was written in 1742, which introduces and concludes with the famed line “…where ignorance is bliss, ‘Tis folly to be wise.” This concept basically means that as long as one lacks knowledge, they are able to be carefree. Nostalgically reminisces about the bliss of youth with its carefree days of playfulness unmarred by the dark realities of adult life.  The poem reveals Gray's double perspective that not only is ignorance bliss but knowledge is misery.

So what of psychology and the apparent contrast?  It is a kind of splitting, in which we remember what we once had as better than it was and we relate to what we do have as worse than it is.  Is childhood really all that blissful?  And is adulthood really all that miserable?