Have Scientists Discovered Intuition?

By Gerald Traufetter

Whenever humans recognize a mistake, a mysterious wave of electricity passes through the brain. Researchers think the signal could explain addiction, error correction and even the sixth sense.

Stress is normal for the 5,500 scientists and engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They know that whenever they make a decision, even the slightest error could have serious consequences.

Memories of 1999, after all, are still fresh. Eight years ago, when the Mars Polar Lander space probe entered the atmosphere of the red planet, radio contact was suddenly lost. The satellite simply disappeared from the screens at the control center. Four hundred million dollars had vanished into silence.

The two managers in charge of the project were convinced that they would be fired without further ado. "That's how we deal with errors in our culture," says Markus Ullsperger. But this time, the managers were spared, Ullsperger, a brain researcher at the Cologne-based Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research, recounts. "And it was a good decision," he says. "After all, millions had been invested in their training and education."

From the standpoint of neuropsychology, this was an excellent management decision. Errors, Ullsperger is convinced, are in fact one of the most valuable sources of knowledge. "A man's errors are his portals of discovery," Irish writer James Joyce once said, anticipating a conclusion modern neuroscience has now confirmed.

Full story, Source: Der Spiegel

Most Mars' expeditions fail. Only 1 in 3 succeeds, I've learned.
I didn't see how stress was involved, though, just some unexpected errors cropped up. That's to be fully expected when exploring the unknown. To learn from other experiences.
Unless, of course, you're with the new generation of computer generated checking systems, as in pay check.

Those two guys must've been quite nervous.. but how do you spend millions on someone's education ?

First you send the kid for 12 years to a private boarding school and then for ten years to an elite university... no problem.

ED:TYPO

an elite university.. like harvard ?

That was a major leap - from an article about neurology to an article about a Rover?
To be honest, I'm more curious about the neurology. I'll have to look this up later.

Try a Swiss boarding school first and Oxford's Trinity if the kid has the passing grades. Top grade Spanish Jesuit's school could do the same to your pocketbook.

Havard is not the most expensive College around.

I think I'd rather be an average joe. @_@