The really good traders were not necessarily those who were the most intellectual or the most cerebral, but the ones who were best able to tune into their bodily signals. Our gut feelings are like a little nudge or a little tug at our elbow, saying, hey, you've seen this before. This is what worked when you responded this way last time. And so that is why, paying attention to those internal signals, which scientists call introception can make better decisions and choices.
Modern life has not been easy on our brains. Average IQ scores rose steadily throughout the last century. Now they appear to be leveling off. The problem, according to neuroscientists, may be that we have reached our neurobiological limits. Our brains simply can’t work any harder. Luckily, science writer Annie Murphy Paul has a solution. In her bold new book, “The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain,” she draws on a wealth of scientific research to show that we’re smarter when we get out of our heads. By offloading our memories onto our phones, making decisions based on our bodily sensations, using tactile tools to solve abstract problems, drawing inspiration from our surroundings, and arguing with our friends, we can access intelligence that exists beyond the confines of our craniums. In this episode, Annie explains how to do it.