Your Brain on the Ocean
Scientists at first-ever BLUEMiND Summit explored connections between the ocean and our brain.
June 7, 2011—Last week a packed house of neuroscientists, artists, conservation scientists, entrepreneurs, journalists and other ocean savants gathered for the first-ever BLUEMiND summit at the California Academy of Sciences to explore the connections between the ocean and the inner workings of our brain.
“This was a wildly successful celebration and exploration of an exciting and new field of study: how the connections between our mind and the ocean could enhance conservation efforts across the globe,” said Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, who spearheaded the initiative. The idea for BLUEMiND came to Nichols at an Earthwatch conference more than a decade ago, he said. "The technologies of neuroimaging now allow us to ask questions that used to be off limits to scientists, it's very exciting."
Among the take-away messages discussed were how food addiction impacts the ocean, how the sight and sound of the ocean can reduce stress, and how volunteering for ocean conservation can increase compassion and empathy.
“We’ve got to connect our understanding of our mind and emotions to the ocean because how we feel plays a significant part in our mission to better serve the planet,” Nichols said, who confirmed that BLUEMiND2 is already in the works.
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