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Living and Learning 193

We need to reflect on what we have experienced and draw any nec-
essary conclusions from it.
Finally, the brain is a very sophisticated survival mechanism.
It ensures that the right chemicals are produced when it needs to
stimulate the body to run away from danger. It knows how to rec-
ognize bodily and facial danger signals from other people and other
creatures. To ensure its survival, the brain is incredibly flexible, or
plastic, as neuroscientists prefer to say. Even if it is severely dam-
aged—for example, through disease or as the result of a stroke—it
can adapt. Parts of the brain not normally used for one function can
take on that role.
There is, in short, plenty of reserve capacity in the brain. But,
to be truly effective you need to learn how to analyze what has hap-
pened and take action accordingly.
Interestingly, it is worth remembering that many of us suc-
cumb to “change blindness,” seeing far less than we think we do.
We take in only the important details of what happens and miss
much of the rest.
Harvard scientists undertook a fascinating experiment. On a
university campus, a researcher stopped an unsuspecting student to
ask for some directions. As the student answered, two more
researchers, carrying a door, passed between the student and the
researcher asking the way. As they did so, a switch took place and a
different researcher took the place of the original one. The conver-
sation continued.
Once they had finished talking, the researcher asked the stu-
dent if they had noticed anything: 50 percent of students had not!
When your attention is fixed on one thing, your brain may not
notice other details.

Have you ever experienced change blindness? Can you think of any applications at work?
At home?