Facebook
Twitter
Pocket
Reddit
Email
INT. HOME OFFICE—DAY
BODY, a middle-aged woman, is working at a computer, trying to finish a plan for the household budget.
Habits
Oh! It’s time to walk the dog.
BODY stops typing.
Central Executive
Uh, oh right. The body has to walk the dog. Come on, girl.
BODY walks outside with the DOG on a leash. The DOG is a pug.
EXT. THE SIDEWALK—DAY
Default Mode Network
How are we going to afford to keep the second car? Maybe we should cancel one of our three streaming services.
Reward System
Oh, look at that sun. What a nice day! Let’s stop and let the sun shine on the face before we walk into the shadow of that building.
Habits
No, let’s keep walking.
Reward System
No, let’s stop—
Central Executive
We’re walking. The dog needs to go.
Default Mode Network
Does Disney+ really have enough content to warrant the monthly fee they’re charging? The kids already own half of Disney’s catalog on DVD…
BODY sees a discarded aluminum can across the street.
Central Executive
Aluminum is, environmentally speaking, very costly to produce, but is one of the most recyclable materials out there. Lots of energy gets preserved….
Habits
Keep walking.
Central Executive
The body should go pick up that can and carry it home to the recycle bin.
Reward System
But it’s all the way across the street! It’s a busy road!
Central Executive
It’s the right thing to do.
Habits
Let’s just keep walking.
Central Executive
Think of how good you’ll feel when the body tosses that can into the recycle bin!
Reward System
But that’s like 11 minutes away.
Habits
I’m with Reward System on this one. Ignore it.
Central Executive
Fine.
Default Mode Network
We’re cancelling Disney+ when we get home.
Reward System
What about the next season of The Mandalorian?
BODY keeps walking DOG. A cold wind blows by.
Reward System
Ah! The body should have worn a coat.
Central Executive
That’s true. Why didn’t it?
Habits
It’s been pretty mild lately. I didn’t think of it.
Reward System
Let’s go home.
Central Executive
The dog hasn’t done her thing yet.
Habits
Let’s keep walking down this street like we do every day.
Reward System
I’m cold. I hate this.
Central Executive
You got your way with the can, now shut up and leave us alone.
BODY walks into an intersection without looking.
Reward System
You’re cold too, not just me. Body, turn around.
Central Executive
You can take it. The dog—
A car stops just short of the dog, honking its horn.
Central Executive
What happened?
Habits
You two were arguing, I just kept walking. Felt like the right thing to do.
BODY waves apologetically and moves out of the intersection.
Reward System
That was scary. You should have been paying attention.
Central Executive
But I was—Arrrrg.
DOG finally pees. The next three lines are spoken simultaneously.
Habits
Time to go home!
Reward System
I want to go home!
Central Executive
We should go home now!
BODY walks home and gets back to work on the document.
INT. HOME OFFICE—DAY
Central Executive
The body has to get this budget squared away…
Default Mode Network
The body is going to cancel Disney+. That should help.
Central Executive
Thanks.
BODY types for a minute.
Reward System
…I’m hungry.
Jim Davies is a professor at the Department of Cognitive Science at Carleton University. He is the author of Imagination: The Science of Your Mind’s Greatest Power and Riveted: The Science of Why Jokes Make us Laugh, Movies Make us Cry, and Religion Makes us Feel One with the Universe. He is co-host of the award-winning podcast Minding the Brain. His new book, Being the Person Your Dog Thinks You Are: The Science of a Better You, comes out in February 2021.
Get the Nautilus newsletter
Cutting-edge science, unraveled by the very brightest living thinkers.
