If we pull together the various strands of research on dopamine, we could say the following: dopamine surges most powerfully when we perform a novel physical action that leads to unexpected reward. Dopamine drives us to push beyond established routines and to try new search patterns and hunting techniques. As a result, the effects of dopamine on the course of evolution have been revolutionary. According to Fred Previc, a psychologist at Texas A&M University, the rapid growth of dopamine-producing cells, the result of ancient dietary changes such as an increase in the eating of meat, changed
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