Seeking info on Wall of Death-style rider
Reader Doug, of Howick, writes: "Does any reader have information on one Roy Champtaloup, who, about 1920, rode his motorcycle down into the Mt Eden crater and up and out again, driving in a spiral both ways like the old "Wall of Death" sideshows which fascinated me as a youth? I have a brief report from a 1950s book, but Google and other searching has produced no results. In my younger and more stupid days, I was tempted to drive my Land Rover straight down one side and up the other. I had no fear, as there was a hefty winch on the front to extract myself should I get stuck. The Land Rover might well have done it - they have immense climbing capability given the right ground condition, as I found out on Waiheke. Common sense prevailed, and I never made the effort."
Smiles can jump from person to person
Smiles - and frowns - are so contagious that they can jump from person to person in a fraction of a second, according to researchers studying the human brain's amazing ability to read expressions. When we see an expression on another face it activates what is called "sensorimotor simulation", in which we automatically mimic the other's expression, helping us understand and react to the other person's emotion. This reaction takes place in the space of a few hundred milliseconds and happens completely unconsciously, researchers say. The facial muscles don't always move, but the relevant parts of the brain are still activated. The researchers say that a better understanding of how we "can infer complex mental states from even the slightest facial expression" could help develop new treatments for people with social disorders.
(Source: Christian Science Monitor)
