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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Nicola Davis Science correspondent

Optimists share similar brain patterns when thinking about the future, scans show

Brain Leo Tolstoy Japan Science Photo Library
Blue gloved hands on an MRI scan.
Researchers carried out brain scans to examine the way optimists and pessimists think. Photograph: Tek Image/Science Photo Library/Getty Images

Whether it’s an exam, flight or health check, some people take a sunny view of the future while others plan for catastrophes.

Now researchers have found that people with an upbeat outlook show similar patterns of brain activity when they mull over future scenarios.

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