Curiosity Saved the Cat

I grew up with cats – not house pets, but the outdoor-mouse-catching kind. They were a source of hours of play and intrigue. I learned curiosity and considerable caretaking from my stray-cat collection. Why anyone believes that “Curiosity killed the cat” does not know felines. Curiosity saved cats. Curiosity is a necessary ingredient for effective problem-solving which requires generating alternative possibilities. Catching a mouse takes alternative strategies, as first attempts may fail. Curiosity is helpful not just for cats, but for stray humans.

Of course I was curious about the phrase, “Curiosity killed the cat.” Originally, phrasing was “Care killed the cat!” Care represented worry, sorrow, or grieving, with the connotation of excessive worrying is detrimental for one’s health. William Shakespeare used this “care” version. However, by late 19^th century phrasing, “curiosity” took the place of “care,” referring to nosiness!

Lead researcher Charan Ranganath and his colleagues published a study at University of California (Davis) in Neuron using fMRI scanning of human brains while participants were reading trivia questions. Participants rated how curious they were to know correct answers. Those with intense curiosity about trivia answers had 2 brain areas that “lit up”: the dopamine-releasing midbrain as well as the hippocampus. Dopamine-releasing neurons have many functions – controlling voluntary movements, processing rewards, as well as regulating motivation and cognition. The hippocampus is key to  memory functioning. The super-curious responders were better able to recall unrelated information presented during their curiosity about trivia questions. Better cognition depends on oiling your neurons with curiosity!

The message is clear – rewire your curiosity if you have forgotten how to be curious.

Developmental psychologist Susan Engel at Williams College tracked how many questions children ask per hour. She found that the average 5-year-old asks 107 questions per hour! Why is Grandpa’s hair white? Why is the sky blue?  These are just a sample of the questions from astute 5-year-old curiosity experts. Then the inquisitive beings go to school. By age 6 and in first grade, Engel found that one entire class asked 2-3 questions per hour combined. And by 5^th grade that number dropped to .48 questions per hour. Described another way, a room of 11-year-olds asked less than 1 question every 2 hours.

Engel recalled her observation in the back of a science classroom where students were running experiments to test weights with a balance scale. The teacher squashed curiosity when abruptly saying, “Enough of that. I’ll give up time to experiment at recess. There’s no time for experiments now. We’re doing science.” Engel made a scary conclusion: if you lose your curiosity by age 11, you probably don’t get it back. Does schooling kill kids’ curiosity?

If cats are capable of alternative problem-solving, can’t kids recalibrate their curiosity? I have a lot of curiosity and I hope that you, dear reader, do too.

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

526. When did any adult curb your curiosity?

527. How curious do you see yourself at your present age?