The Whole-Brain Child

the course of our insight into the mind. One of the researchers
picked up a peanut and ate it as the monkey watched. In response,
the monkey’s motor neuron ɹred—the same one that had ɹred
when he had actually eaten the peanut himself! The researchers
discovered that the monkey’s brain was inɻuenced and became
active just by watching the actions of another. Whether the monkey
witnessed an action or performed that same behavior himself, the
same set of neurons became activated.
Scientists immediately began scrambling to identify these
“mirror neurons” in humans. And while there are far more
questions than answers about exactly what they are and how they
work, we are actively learning more and more about the mirror
neuron system. These neurons may be the root of empathy, and
therefore contribute to mindsight, in the human brain.
The key is that mirror neurons respond only to an act with
intention, where there’s some predictability or purpose that can be
perceived. For example, if someone simply waves her hand in the
air randomly, your mirror neurons won’t respond. But if that
person carries out an act you can predict from experience, like
taking a drink from a cup of water, your mirror neurons will
“ɹgure out” what’s intended before the person does it. So when she
lifts up her hand with a cup in it, you can predict at a synaptic
level that she intends to drink from it. Not only that, the mirror
neurons in your own upstairs brain will get you ready to drink as
well. We see an act, we understand the purpose of the act, and we
ready ourselves to mirror it.
At the simplest level, that’s why we get thirsty when others
drink, and why we yawn when others yawn. It may be why even a
newborn infant, just a few hours old, can mimic his parents when
he sticks out his tongue. Mirror neurons may also explain why
younger siblings are sometimes better at sports. Before they ever
join their own team, their mirror neurons have ɹred each of the