- #1
notaphysicsmajor79
- 1
- 0
This is a long post with limited amount of physics in it (but it is a physics question, so hopefully it is allowed). I am a scientist but trained as an ecologist (PhD) and despite my long interest in physics, my knowledge of it remains rather rudimentary. Apologies for that, in advance.
I am trying to figure out an actual physics law/rule as a way to explain anecdotal brain function during different episodes of bipolar to someone who would better understand physics than psychology. But all the information I can dig out is too complicated and only considers detailed factors when I am only looking for "yes: x relates to y and z like this" -so I would really appreciate your help!
There are three "levels" in bipolar disorder (when over-simplified): "normal", "low" or "high". During these episodes, various things change, not just mood. People often experience intense flourishes of creativity and critical thinking during "highs" (this is well documented in many famous artists and composers etc) -and I am no exception.
The way I have always explained it to people goes along these lines:
LOW: it feels like my brain is foggy, there is very little activity, everything I try and think about takes forever and recalling information and storing it is difficult (a bit like an old, crap computer). It feels like my brain pipes are wide, convoluted, some end in dead-ends and only a small amount of information actually comes out at the other end, at slow velocity. So multiple branches of tubes, some with dead ends, wide tunnels, little flow through.
"NORMAL": all the tunnels are now as one, regular sized tunnel. Flow is good and strong, even and predictable. Memory works, memory recall is normal (for my age and number of children that is!)
"HIGH": All of the liquid (information flow, brain processing, memory recall and storage) present during "NORMAL" now goes through a pipe that is the circumference of a pencil. Lightspeed. I can do things 100x faster AND 100x more when I am high than when I low -I can do 5 things that I have been thinking about doing for 6months when I am low in 3 minutes when I am high.
(you are probably thinking, wow, I'd love to stay high all the time -unfortunately it disintegrates into complete chaos (turbulence at high flow rates?) after some time and it is not healthy).
Sooooo. The same amount of fluid going through, so constant flow, all other things being equal (temperature, type of fluid etc?), size of the tube changing, the speed changing. What is the relationship between the factors? Are they linear? If I were to say "I'm feeling normal, I'm feeling twice as good (the size (smaller) of my "brain pipes") as I feel when I'm low, therefore my brain function (speed) is...twice as/quadrupled etc good?
Probably the weirdest question you have ever had!? :D
Hope this is ok and makes sense?
Thanks for taking the time to read my rambles. x
I am trying to figure out an actual physics law/rule as a way to explain anecdotal brain function during different episodes of bipolar to someone who would better understand physics than psychology. But all the information I can dig out is too complicated and only considers detailed factors when I am only looking for "yes: x relates to y and z like this" -so I would really appreciate your help!
There are three "levels" in bipolar disorder (when over-simplified): "normal", "low" or "high". During these episodes, various things change, not just mood. People often experience intense flourishes of creativity and critical thinking during "highs" (this is well documented in many famous artists and composers etc) -and I am no exception.
The way I have always explained it to people goes along these lines:
LOW: it feels like my brain is foggy, there is very little activity, everything I try and think about takes forever and recalling information and storing it is difficult (a bit like an old, crap computer). It feels like my brain pipes are wide, convoluted, some end in dead-ends and only a small amount of information actually comes out at the other end, at slow velocity. So multiple branches of tubes, some with dead ends, wide tunnels, little flow through.
"NORMAL": all the tunnels are now as one, regular sized tunnel. Flow is good and strong, even and predictable. Memory works, memory recall is normal (for my age and number of children that is!)
"HIGH": All of the liquid (information flow, brain processing, memory recall and storage) present during "NORMAL" now goes through a pipe that is the circumference of a pencil. Lightspeed. I can do things 100x faster AND 100x more when I am high than when I low -I can do 5 things that I have been thinking about doing for 6months when I am low in 3 minutes when I am high.
(you are probably thinking, wow, I'd love to stay high all the time -unfortunately it disintegrates into complete chaos (turbulence at high flow rates?) after some time and it is not healthy).
Sooooo. The same amount of fluid going through, so constant flow, all other things being equal (temperature, type of fluid etc?), size of the tube changing, the speed changing. What is the relationship between the factors? Are they linear? If I were to say "I'm feeling normal, I'm feeling twice as good (the size (smaller) of my "brain pipes") as I feel when I'm low, therefore my brain function (speed) is...twice as/quadrupled etc good?
Probably the weirdest question you have ever had!? :D
Hope this is ok and makes sense?
Thanks for taking the time to read my rambles. x