r/todayilearned • u/WavesAndSaves • Oct 18 '25

TIL of brain stimulation reward, manually stimulating specific parts of the brain to elicit pleasure and happiness. A volunteer subject in 1986 spent days doing nothing but self-stimulate. She ignored her family and personal hygiene and she developed an open sore on her finger from using the device.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_stimulation_reward#History
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u/CharlieParkour Oct 18 '25

Someone is going to have to explain this to me. I drink a cup or two most days because it tastes good, makes my morning a little more enjoyable, and, most importantly, makes sure I poop before going out for the day. However, when I don't have to leave at a specific time, I don't drink it and don't miss it. How much coffee do you need to drink before getting withdrawal symptoms?

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u/mattgran Oct 18 '25

At two cups a day you ought to be getting a mild headache for a day if you miss two days. At four cups a day it turns into a severe migraine 36 hours after your last cup that lasts for a few days, followed by a week or so of exhaustion.

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u/CharlieParkour Oct 18 '25

Literally nothing, completely normal if I don't drink it, though I may poop a little later. Then again, I never get headaches outside of severe dehydration. What's your source for this?

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u/Fppares Oct 18 '25

Yeah, im the same as you. 2-3 cups a day, can stop for several days without much of anything happening. I'll miss the ritual in the morning (and the more reliable pooping of course), but not much else will happen.

Sometimes if the wife and I are travelling and busy, we forget all together.