Science: Twilight of the Brain

How beautiful to do nothing, and afterward rest up.

The old Spanish proverb does not work out if doing nothing is carried too far. In a small attic office at McGill University in Montreal, Psychologist Woodburn Heron pays students $20 a day to lie on a soft bed in a soundproofed, air-conditioned cubicle. The students' eyes are covered by translucent goggles so that they see only a foggy glow. On their hands they wear cardboard gauntlets over thick gloves to deaden their sense of touch.

Dr. Heron's purpose is to find out by experiment how...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!