I included the social aspect of brain functioning because I felt it was extremely relatable and interesting. Everyone interacts with other people on a daily basis and everyone’s brain functions in extremely similar ways when interacting with those people.

Research:
The brain not only processes what the people around you look like and sound like but also what they might be feeling at that moment. In a study on mirror neurons in the brain, it was discovered that our ability to understand others’ behavior and actions partially relies on vicarious feeling and emotions we experience in the motor areas of our brain. The study measured brain activity of participants as they watched other people do actions and experience different sensations. The brain activity consistently showed vicarious activation in the touch and motor centers of the brain; the participants were not only watching but also feeling what they were seeing.
Source: Christian Keysers, Jon Kaas, Valeria Gazzola (June 2010). Nature Reviews Neuroscience Vol. 11, Issue 6, p417-428.

Design:
I wanted the social thought to look like it might connect with another person’s social thoughts without looking too much like some sort of puzzle piece. I also wanted the color of the thought to be bright and slightly radiating like a the pair was having a conversation or laughing.