Pleasant surprises tickle the brain

With the descent of March Madness upon the basketball world, fans can once again anticipate the joy of an underdog triumph. It's one of life's rare joys, the astounding upset. From finding a nice parking space to winning the lottery, it seems everyone enjoys a pleasant surprise.

And why not? Your brain, it turns out, is deep-wired for enjoyment of unexpected rewards, finds a new study. Led by neuroscientist Kareem Zaghloul of the University of Pennsylvania, the study suggests that if you want a lesson to stick, an unexpected reward is what the brain is craving.

"The brain's sensitivity to unexpected outcomes plays a fundamental role in an organism's ability to adapt and learn new behaviors," write the study authors in the March 13 Science journal.