Naked Science Forum
On the Lighter Side => New Theories => Topic started by: thedoc on 17/02/2016 01:50:02
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sphumelele asked the Naked Scientists:
hi
I have a science related theory that I would like your opinion on. I'm no science boffin but I sit and ponder some things when I'm bored. At school we are taught that when a person touches a hot surface with his hand a signal is sent to the brain and the brain sends a signal to the muscles to move the hand out of the way. This happens in a fraction of a second. I theorise that in some cases that chain of events happens in reverse. I theorise that when a person touches a hot surface, one that he has touched several times in his life then there is a memory stored in the muscles that recognise the discomfort and already knows the reaction to it therefore does not wait for the signal from the brain. it is after the hand has been moved that a signal is sent to the brain probably just to do stocktaking and filing. if my theory were true there would be obvious reasons for things to happen that way e.g. it saves time but more importantly it saves energy as the brain wont have to prioritise the reaction in favour of this discomfort and also the brain does not have to send signals to other parts of the body like the adrenal gland, sweat gland and wherever the bowel movements are controlled in preparation for flight just to avert something so mundane. I've had this theory for many years but never took it seriously until this past Saturday when we were slaughtering a goat (African ritual) when I noticed whenever the leg of the goat was cut the muscles tensed although the head had been cut off. clearly no signal was coming from the brain unless the head and body were also connected via Bluetooth but jokes aside would you please tell me if I'm just alice in wonderland or is there a possibility that im right. Maybe the science world already knows this but I haven't come across anything about it but then again I'm no science community member.
What do you think?