Rats don’t have a monopoly on tyrosine hydroxolase, or on dopamine either—it turns out that all mammalian brains, including the ones nestled inside human skulls, use dopamine to control what social scientists call “motivational salience.” It’s the all-important cognitive process that motivates us to move toward desirable and pleasurable outcomes, like hugs and cheesecake, and to move away from dangers, like gunfire and Reddit forums. For example, Sapolsky cited research proving that toxo-infected people are three to four times more likely to be killed in car accidents that involve reckless
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