Campcuriosity: Summer Camp — Camp Curiosity

Why do we need curiosity | My friend, yes you are a transformer

Field

Text:

Julia Bystrova

Illustration:

Alena Belyakova

November 23, 2018

This year the Discovery Channel is celebrating its 20th anniversary of broadcasting in Russia, that is, for two decades now its hosts have been asking the most strange and non-obvious questions in order to set off to explore the world around – in general, just like the editors of your favorite samizdat. In honor of this date, “My friend, you are a transformer” asked the authors of the channel to tell how, from a scientific point of view, the mechanism that makes a person climb into the most bizarre wilds of the universe is arranged – curiosity.

A long time ago there was not a single galaxy far, far away – there was everything and nothing packed into a singularity. But about 14 billion years ago, the Big Bang forced the singularity out of its comfort zone, scattering streams of energy and particles of matter over colossal distances. The inertia of this explosion made a lot of noise – including giving birth to the Earth and its inhabitants, who have been trying to figure out what to do next for several hundred thousand years. Being human is not an easy and sometimes very unenviable fate, especially in the 21st century, when you have to clean up all this post-apocalyptic mess in the conditions of the Cenozoic, the digital age, the Age of Aquarius and society 5.0.

But there is also good news. To sweeten the pill for man, evolution (or whoever is responsible for it) has put together a hiking backpack with all the necessary reflexes, physiological reactions and needs for him. In addition to the instinct of self-preservation and reproduction, the Homo sapiens starter pack also includes a whole set of pleasant things that fit into Maslow’s pyramid. Almost at the very top is a need that, at the dawn of civilization, became a kind of flashlight: its light helped not only survive, but also develop, reclaiming a few centimeters of the surrounding world from the darkness, making it clearer and, therefore, at least more predictable. Even today, this need makes babies reach for toys suspended above the cradle, and adults endlessly scroll through the feed on social networks or chase the Higgs boson. This is the need for knowledge, collection and development of new information. This is curiosity, the oldest innate program built into us at the physiological level.

Midbrain Guard

One of the basic mechanisms of curiosity is the orienting reflex. It is constantly on standby, ready to fire in the same millisecond as soon as a signal arrives from novelty neurons – they constantly monitor the environment and compare the current model with the one that was a moment ago. The classic orienting reflex is demonstrated, for example, by dogs that tilt their heads to one side, raise their ears and express concentrated attention with their whole appearance, as soon as they hear, see or smell something new. A person shows an orienting reflex constantly – it is so familiar that we do not notice it, just as we do not pay attention to the process of breathing or walking. This is an innate impulse that pushes us to unconsciously read information about spontaneously occurring stimuli. It forces you to slow down when something unusual suddenly comes across on a familiar road – a new sign, an inscription on the wall, a repainted house, a cut down tree. It encourages you to turn your head and move your nose in search of the source of a new smell. It is responsible for the fact that a person looked back at a sound that had nothing to do with him – it was not for nothing that Academician Pavlov dubbed it the “What is it?” reflex. The orienting reflex lives in the midbrain, like many other important physiological functions. This is the oldest center for processing new information, without which our ancestors could not have survived. What kind of animal is that? Where does this strange sound come from? Who is that creeping in the dark? In an era when humanity had not yet invented Hitchcock, it would be possible not to attach importance to strange shadows shying at the entrance to the cave, unidentified footprints, rustling and the behavior of birds, but the vigilant orienting reflex protected the newborn human species from intrusion, as Heimdal – entrusted to him Bifrost: This is unfamiliar to me, so take note immediately. At the same time, as Vyacheslav Dubynin, professor of the Department of Human and Animal Physiology at the Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, points out, “the potential for curiosity” is growing in the course of the evolution of vertebrates, including mammals. The curiosity aimed at changes in the external environment is very quickly joined by social curiosity – the desire to obtain information about other individuals in the pack and community.

Not for survival, but for pleasure

A man, asking questions and finding answers to them, seems to have got out of Plato’s cave: he imagines how the world works, no longer writes off thunder and lightning for the wrath of God and does not treat syphilis with mercury. Despite a certain persisting degree of obscurantism around, we can state that we have already passed the stage of primitive survival and today we are enjoying a well-deserved technological era. Why then does the body need atavistic programs like curiosity, if physical well-being does not directly depend on them? There are several reasons for this.

First, curiosity is not by chance at the top of Maslow’s pyramid: it is a basic, but at the same time sublime program of self-development. It is directed to the future: at the time of implementation, its meaning is unclear, but after a while it can be useful. Vyacheslav Dubynin explains that human exploratory behavior is the most obvious example of such a “delayed” benefit. The brain is very curious in itself, and new information and the process of its search are no less important for it than food, water, safety and other vital categories.

Secondly, evolution from the very beginning cut a person according to such a measure that he did nothing for nothing: any action had to bring some measurable benefit. Curiosity, in addition to functional bonuses, also has a powerful physiological reinforcement – dopamine. It is he who forms the neurochemical basis of positive emotions, including those that arise in the process of cognition, discovery of something new, creation and creativity. This neurotransmitter is an essential component of the brain’s “reinforcement system” that pushes us to seek novelty and provides the basis for learning. A person is designed in such a way that it is physiologically pleasant for him to receive new information: a feeling of satisfaction, and sometimes even bright pleasure, which dopamine gives in the process of comprehending the unknown, and becomes a reward for the process itself. In 2007, researchers found that the part of our brain responsible for the functioning of the reward mechanism is activated when we expect to find something unknown, new, in the same way that Pavlov’s dogs salivated in response to a bell in anticipation of a pile of meat. rusk powder (the comparison is not the most flattering, but you can’t argue with physiology).

Man is arranged in such a way that it is physiologically pleasant for him to receive new information

Of course, we are not entirely omnivorous and in matters of curiosity we are selective. Vyacheslav Dubynin comments: “Something is instilled in us from birth, including a certain disposition to work more efficiently with different types of information. As a “feedback”, this attitude manifests itself as a stream of positive emotions, caused specifically by solving mathematical problems, or constructing robots, or drawing, or participating in historical plays. This is very difficult to detect using EEG or fMRI, but a good teacher and a loving parent will definitely notice, because the child shows this with all his behavior: “I like it!” indicate a specific giftedness and often become prerequisites for the future choice of a profession or hobby for life. But the opposite option also works: even if there is no obvious predisposition, being busy in a particular area of ​​activity tunes the brain to this particular flow of signals, and we begin to enjoy it (as they say, “be patient – fall in love”). In real life, both situations coexist, but the first option, of course, makes a person happier and more purposeful.

Vyacheslav Dubynin also adds that “short-term”, situational surprise is not yet a guarantee of remembering information. People sit in news feeds for hours, and then they can’t really retell what they read, they rejoice at funny stories and funny memes, but after a couple of hours they can’t remember them. If we define intelligence as the ability to operate with information, then we, of course, also learn this, and this is one of the pillars of pedagogy – to put into the head not facts, but algorithms of “computational operations”. We learn this out of curiosity, rejoicing in the emergence of new skills and opportunities, imitating our teachers and complicating our unique “neural model of the world” – that informational mold of the environment that gradually develops and becomes more complex in the higher centers of the cerebral cortex.

This is a trap

So, curiosity is a program installed in the brain from the very beginning and focused on survival, which in the process of evolution was fixed by the neural chain “new information – release of dopamine – positive emotions”. It would seem that there could be something wrong with this mechanism: here you have both new knowledge and positive reinforcement – learn and rejoice, own information and the world at the same time. In fact, in the era of total digitalization, reality has, in fact, turned into one big dopamine button: there is too much information – and it is available anytime, anywhere (“information fast food”). We are accustomed to a constant flow of information and to the fact that you can learn something new just at the click of a finger. A guide to this world of digital hedonism is, of course, a smartphone that we never part with even in the bathroom. Almost any free minute turns into a reason to unlock the phone: we are waiting for the elevator or we are driving more than five floors in it, we are standing in a traffic jam or we are walking along the subway passage, we are standing in line for the person on whom the ticket office is stuck, we are walking the dog, we are eating, we are waiting for the bus – at these moments, most of us will definitely climb the Internet. Yes, and during work, we are constantly distracted by it – even if there are no notifications.

Sociologists, parents, downshifters and other Luddites are screaming about psychological dependence on smartphones, and we are really talking about psychological and physiological addiction. The brain got hooked on dopamine, associated with novelty, like any other stimulant, got used to receiving it constantly and demanding more and more each time. At the same time, it most often happens that there is no specifically formulated request – there is simply a need to find out anything, to see a new post, like, comment, response, inject a dose of novelty. Some go even further: they deliberately turn off notification sounds and check their smartphone every two minutes. At this moment, they produce dopamine, which gives a pleasant feeling of anticipation: it is not known whether a person will see the coveted icon signaling incoming messages, but the potential opportunity to see it is enough incentive to reach for the phone. This system of waiting for affordable happiness plays a cruel joke on us: it becomes more difficult to concentrate on long-term actions, and people walk around the city like zombies, connected to autonomous and beloved dopamine drips.

All this is being watched with curiosity (where without it!) by marketers – or rather, neuromarketers. People think that the accumulated knowledge, experience and understanding of the laws of the world around them made them invulnerable to the advertising industry, but with an unenviable frequency they fall into the harmless traps of clickbait headlines: damn it, what are there for 17 reasons to love swede right now? Yesterday I didn’t have a single one – and here there are seventeen. Or another popular heading scheme – irrational neighborhood, a set of words that at first glance have nothing to do with each other. For example – “Ice, bacon and psychics: how the first airship was launched.” The brain, having processed this heading, most likely will not find a single match – it does not have this pattern, the connection between these concepts, it does not understand how it can be placed in one sentence at all without having first accumulated stimulants to the state of berserk. And when faced with the unknown and incomprehensible, the brain pushes us to be curious: go see what is there, I need this information, based on it I will build new associative connections that may be useful in the future.

Vyacheslav Dubynin notes that excessive curiosity can sometimes take submanic forms. The desire for new information, like any other biological need, can go wild. In severe cases, antipsychotics or tranquilizers are needed. In the lungs, in fact, it is important to understand whether this excessive curiosity interferes with the life of the person himself and, most importantly, those around him. If yes, then you need to use general techniques that develop volitional control, “train” your brain not to gossip, not to hang out watching TV, on the Internet, to remember how diverse the world is and how great its possibilities are.

Curiosity – turns on

Curiosity leads far, as the slogan of the Discovery Channel anniversary campaign in honor of the 20th anniversary spent with Russian viewers says. It opens up the world to us and makes it familiar, understandable, subservient – and helps us explore new territories. The rover, launched in 2011 on a research mission, is called Curiosity (“curiosity”) – the name was invented by schoolchildren, and it won the Internet voting, ahead of such options as Adventure (“Adventure”), Amelia, Journey (“Journey” ), Perception (“Perception”), Pursuit (“Aspiration”), Sunrise (“Sunrise”), Vision (“Vision”), Wonder (“Miracle”). And in principle, this is quite understandable: adventures, travels, aspirations and other miracles begin with an ancient impulse – with curiosity, which makes us take the first step into the unknown.

However, it also happens that curiosity “falls asleep” – we are not interested in anything, and life goes on a downward trajectory of “non-grief”, instead of ascending to joy. Vyacheslav Dubynin explains: “Sleeping curiosity is bad, this is the path to depression, because one of the most important sources of positive emotions (and the influx of dopamine in the neural network) is turned off. It is important to listen to the opinion of friends, relatives, colleagues and let yourself be “drawn” into new areas of activity. These areas may not necessarily be directly related to curiosity, but any active activity (expansion of professional skills, communication, creativity, volunteer and humanitarian projects, just walks, travel, albeit small ones) will require the attraction of new information – and your centers of curiosity will definitely “wake up”. “”. An excellent guide is Alex Korb’s Upward Spiral, written by a depressed neuroscientist, that walks you step by step to help your brain remember what a dopamine surge is and wake up from the lethargy of lethargy and indifference to this diverse and unexpected world.

Text

Julia Bystrova

Illustration

Alena Belyakova

Moscow

Robinson’s Island Family Hiking Camp on the Volga

It was a great summer and a great hiking experience.
Weather permitting, see you in September.

Family hiking camp “Robinson’s Island” from the creators of yacht trips “Friendly Regatta”.

We invite you to spend 4 days on a real island near Moscow. Take your children with you and arrange for them a real trip with tents on the banks of the Volga, fishing, swimming, mysterious messages from the owner of the Island, and for yourself – relaxation or active rest, depending on what you need more right now.

In the summer of 2020 we will have several shifts:
July 9-12
July 23-26
July 30 – August 2

HOW IT GOES
sailing and boating, the guides organize the children and give them the skills to navigate the area, make a fire, pitch a tent, cook camping food, team activities and much more.
Adults have their own program. The cook will take over the preparation of food for the participants of our camp, and wash the dishes themselves, each for himself. Electricity in our tent will be only in the evenings for 3 hours, but there is a stationary battery in the common area where you can charge your phone.

AMENITIES
Toilet: a cabin in the woods with a familiar seat, toilet paper.
shower: there is no soul, there is a reservoir and camp bath

than do
Miles
We buy
Sail
We sit on the fire
We will be engaged in
We will hold the sunset
We will play
PROMICE
SUPPLY
.
we will eat tasty food and drink wine in good company
we will listen to children
swing and swing in hammocks
lie down on the shore, looking at the stars
take a steam bath in the sauna
drink spruce tea

FOR WHOM
For curious children from 6 to 14 years old and their active parents.
The program is designed for this age, if your children are older or younger, please contact us, we will discuss how to make their stay comfortable.

ABOUT US
Our team has been organizing yacht trips around the world for adults and children for 6 years. We have expeditions, walks, regattas and family trips.
Our values: Care, Curiosity, Dream and Freedom to be yourself.
Our credo: being in nature, in the present moment, among comfortable and interesting people, gaining new experience and sharing it with loved ones, we become the best version of ourselves. We realized that the atmosphere that yachtsmen miss so much can also be created in a tent camp on the river bank, exposing your face to the wind and sun, listening to silence or children’s cheerful laughter.

TEAM
Nina and Sergey Sinitsyn, former top managers of large international corporations, are now the founders of the Friendly Regatta – sailing trips around the world for adults and children. Sergey is a yachtmaster, IYT instructor, who has over 25,000 miles of sailing trips in different regions of the world, including Mexico, Cuba, Iceland, Norway, Seychelles and two ocean crossings. Nina is an experienced organizer of events in different countries of up to 300 people, she knows how to foresee everything and take care of everyone. Nina and Sergey believe that the main thing in traveling is a good company and they constantly prove it by bringing together surprisingly interesting people.

Ekaterina Zorina
Man-structure and man-memory. Reminds everyone and controls everyone and everything. You will never forget or miss anything with her. At the same time, she is very kind and funny.

Avgustin Grishin
Talented musician, composer, author of songs and hiking tours in Russia. You will never be bored with him, you can learn a huge number of interesting and useful things from him about everything in the world. In our camp, he is also responsible for orienteering and campfire songs.

Olga Trubnikova
A student of one of the medical universities in Moscow, an experienced hiker and an experienced counselor. The absolute favorite of all children. Her smile, dance exercises, gentle songs with a guitar and almost invisible care for all children are indispensable when traveling.

Program

DAY 1 (Thursday)
17:00 Meeting of participants at the Novomelkovo pier, Konakovsky district.
(At the pier you will be met by a speedboat, which will take you to our picturesque island in 5 minutes)

Organization of a bivouac, acquaintance with Robinson’s glade.
19:30 Dinner and familiarization with the rules of living on the island, safety briefing.
Evening program.

DAY 2 (Fri)
9:00 am – wake-up call (children dance with the guides, (adults, having joined once, remember our wake-up calls all the time between trips and regattas) we finish by diving into the lake)
9:30 – breakfast
10:30-13:00 – “Raise the Sails” (travel around the island in search of a secret message from Robinson).
13:00-14:00 – free time / outdoor games
14:00 – 15:00 – lunch
15:00 – 16:30 – workshops / games of interest / free time
16:30 – 18:00 – water activities
19:00 – 20:00 – dinner
20:30 – 22:00 – evening program / Mafia

DAY 3 (Sat)
9:00 – wake-up call
9:30 – breakfast
10:30-13:00 – active team game “Desert Island” (Robinson’s card promises adventure for the whole team and, possibly, a chest of gold)
13:00-14:00 – free time
14:00-15:00 – lunch
15:00-16:30 – workshops / games of interest / free time
16:30-18:00 – water fun (unusual water polo)
19:00 -20:00 – dinner
20:30 – 22:00 – evening program / Intuition

DAY 4 (Sun)
9:00 – vigilance
9:30 – breakfast
10:30 – 13:00 – open Secret Friends
13:00–14:00 – free time
14:00–15:00 – lunch
15:00 – gathering camp and sailing to the mainland

Attention! The program may be changed by decision of the organizers due to weather conditions.