The northern Italian district of Emilia-Romagna is appealing. This area includes the cities of Parma, Modena, and Bologna, and they gave us, apart from other important people and things, Parmesan cheese (Parma), Ferrari (Modena), and Verdi (Busseto). I am targeting this region for slow travelling and learning.
I still have some shredded Parmesan cheese (made in Australia and packed by NTUC!) in our fridge. There are a lot more articles related to empathy in this blog. They include (to mention some) The Key to Empathy, Of M & M (II) Man Is Ever Resourceful III, Living in Gratitude (Part 2), Smile, and We are Happier in Old Age! So then, what is the relationship between Parmesan cheese and empathy? The city, of course!
In 1992, Giacomo Rizzolatti and Vittorio Gallese at the University of Parma identified a new class of brain cells called mirror neurons. This discovery owes as much to serendipity as to skill. Rizzollati once commented, “We were lucky because there was no way to know such neurons existed, but we were in the right area to find them.
The researchers noticed neurons (in a macaque monkey) fired when the monkey grabbed an object (like holding a banana) and when it watched another primate grab the same thing. In other words, mirror neurons respond equally when we perform and witness someone else perform the same action. However, the mirroring system includes a mechanism that helps the brain record the difference between when we are seeing and when we are acting.
The initial discovery of mirror neurons belongs to brain cells involved with motor functions (movement). Since then, researchers have extended their work to important areas involving emotions and intentions behind actions. They found mirror neurons are behind, for instance, our empathy – we are saying, in effect, that we experience the same agony when we see someone else in pain. Hence, we can cry while watching a sad event because we can feel what others feel. So now we understand why emotions are contagious. For the same reason, laughter spreads the way it spreads. The mirror system is involuntary and automatic; we do not think about what other people do or how they feel – we can sense and know.
I understand that many scientists felt Giacomo Rizzolatti should be awarded a Nobel Prize for his work. They were rather upset when he did not. I think I empathise with them (a reflection of my mirror neurons). At the same time, I also felt the resentment of people (the fault of my mirror neurons!) when Barack Obama won the Noble Peace Prize.
I look forward to visiting Parma – travelling, and learning. And not to mention the joy of savouring delightful Italian cooking!
Vince
Dr Vincent Chong is a retired Professor of Radiology at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
