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Addicted to knowledge

There is a simple explanation for the pleasure of grasping a new concept: The brain is getting its fix. The "click" of comprehension triggers a biochemical cascade that rewards the brain with a shot of natural opium-like substances, writes Irving Biederman, professor of neuroscience at the University of Southern California, in American Scientist. He hypothesized that knowledge addiction has strong evolutionary value because mate selection correlates closely with perceived intelligence. Only more pressing material needs, such as hunger, can suspend the quest for knowledge, Biederman added.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-06/uosc-fk062006.php
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