Royston

I do...I only drink when I feel I deserve it, or when I go out. Which I suppose is quite a bit (the going out part.) But thanks for the warning, I didn't really think of it like that, but I certainly don't feel the need for a drink when I'm hungover...and I don't drink whilst I study, which is practically everyday of the working week. I thought it was more the effect of the alcohol wearing off, that I managed to analyse.

The conclusion then...I must be a little odd, but INCREDIBLY HAPPY!!!

I didn't think this was worthy of the medicine forums, but feel free to move it. Anyway, one thing I've noticed if I've had a few cans the night before, is after feeling a bit groggy in the morning I feel absolutely fantastic, almost ecstatic...I'm well ahead with my last assignment so I had a 'few' last night as a treat. I came into work, stuck my headphones on, and I felt like dancing around with an idiotic grin on my face...obviously I didn't, because I was at work, but I would of done, if I was at home...in private. Another thing I've noticed is, when I'm enjoying this elated feeling of the morning after, and a song comes on...I practically fall in love with it, and can't stop listening to it...it's as though I attribute the music to that feeling, so I end up relentlessly listening to that particular tune. Is there any reason to this ridiculously happy state, I can't work out why I feel so damn good when I'm hungover. I'm in such a good mood right now...I rarely feel down anyway, but I feel absolutely great, great I tell you !

One thing springs to mind...when I was younger I thought it would be great to slip into my pyjamas if they were warm, and so lulling me to sleep. So as I had a bath, I hung my bed clothes on the electric heater in the bathroom. Ten minutes later there was a burning smell, I pushed back the shower curtain, and the bathroom was on fire and my pyjamas were melting and sticking to the bathroom wall...needless to say, a few seconds afterwards, my Dad was banging on the door shouting 'what the hell are you doing in there.' Try explaining to your Dad, that the thought of warm pyjamas is appealing, when your 9 years old.

That's not the argument, we're talking about a level of respect. If the so called 'technological singularity' was introduced 60 years ago, don't you think any given person would understand it, in the same terms as you do. You can't respect somebody more because they are sitting on the ideas of somebody else, that makes no sense.

Elderly women ? I'd love to see that.

I took Kung Foo classes for about a year and a half when I was approaching my teens. The belts were classed to different weapons we used, so yellow belt was staff, orange belt was nunchucks et.c The best moment was smashing a load of roof tiles with my fist...hwaaa. It was held at the local leisure centre. To end each session off, we had a game of bulldog, where I was nearly always the last person left, and ended up getting thrown over somebodies shoulder.

Glider, I couldn't of asked for a better explanation, so thanks again. I must admit I always associated a reflex action from something potentially painful (especially something very hot) as a reaction to pain itself. I guess this is why you can walk across hot coals (a few friends and myself) have actually done this. Although I knew there was a delay before the pain was processed, if I accidentally stepped on a hot coal without knowing it was there, I would immediately jump away from it...rather than consciously raising my foot quickly to avoid the pain, if I stepped on it deliberately. I guess it's though microseconds of reaction between reflex and actual pain, and why I couldn't see the distinction. But obviously they're completely distinct situations, and reactions. By the way, I urge anyone not to walk on hot coals to try this out...I managed to get a small glowing rock trapped between my toes, and it was incredibly painful.

Fair enough, I'm obviously missing something here

If I'm relaxed or excited, I'm generally happy...so perhaps what KFC is saying is, he experiences a certain scent when he is in a good mood. It's probably more an association with the mood, than an actual smell though. I can't imagine you have much time to realise you're smelling something 'mid bike jump', but you can certainly associate a scent with a previous 'good time'. You're most probably recollecting that scent and linking it with periods when you're excited or relaxed, so convincing yourself there is a scent.

I've heard a lot of stories about PCP, some possibly myths (isn't it a dog tranquilizer)...however, I do find it fascinating that an inherent survival process such as pain (one we cannot do without), can be overcome by thought alone. It does illustrate quite nicely what the brain is capable of, and possibly holds other implications...but before anyone starts, that's a different debate entirely.

Very interesting, thanks very much...I havn't had time to read the paper in full, but hopefully later on this evening. It seems even in an uncontrolled environment e.g the split second when somebody scalds themselves on an iron (so they are not expecting the pain) the reaction time will differ, how the person will cope with the outcome, and any form of previous conditioning to similar situations would be accountable. I guess I was thinking whether there is such a thing as an 'absolute' threshold, given certain circumstances, and a tight limit on the time scale in which the reaction to pain is measured...so the split second knee jerk reaction. I guess it's quite hard to imagine that even when the intense stimulus is not expected...someone could be capable of keeping their hand firmly pressed on the hot plate of the iron, despite not expecting it.

I'm interested in cosmolgy, and I'm pretty good at art...so I came up with this nebula, can't same I'm hiding behind anything. <<<<< I second Sisyphus's question.

Just found it, it's called 'congenital insensitivity.' Thanks anyway.

Thanks Glider, and I entirely agree with the subjective part...I guess I was a little stumped in trying to word the question, because although pain is entirely subjective to the individual, the threshold still has to be overcome for somebody to become conditioned to an intense stimulus. So, a very young child would be much more sensitive to a stimulus, than they would if they grew to be in the SAS (for example) unless they had something inherently wrong with them. So I suppose conditioning is more psychological, and like you said can't be pinned down to a specific part of the brain. I guess this really belongs in psychology in that case. Slightly off topic, I remember hearing of a condition where pain (using the word at face value) is not experienced, so you could even fracture your arm, and no nothing about it...is this true ?

Poor Steve, what bad luck...he will be very sadly missed.

Thanks Klaynos, I'll give it a shot...incredibly busy this week, but hopefully I'll be chatting to you guys next week.

What part of the brain is responsible for conditioning the body to overcome a knee-jerk response such as pain. You can get people who find pleasure out of pain, is this something you're born with, or is there a specific part of the brain, that can alter how such a response is processed ?

I agree with the old fella...you're born into an environment that's been shaped by your predecessors, who had less to work with. Today, we're sitting on a gold-mine of ideas and technology, how does that make us any more clever ? I can't see any progress in 'raw' intelligence, it makes no sense, but there's certainly progress from our accumulated wisdom.

But there's already a 'national database' (don't you think I could check out your credentials, if I wanted) and your argument is a lighter wallet...come on.

Which would solve...nothing.

I've managed to get Mirc working, but I can't find the SFN server.

Of course not, but the information the government have, is as meaningful as owning a credit card. It can be easily changed, just as any other documentation. To implement the idea of an id card, would have to be so rigorous to be effective, that it's a completely pointless venture.