The Brain Has a ‘Low-Power Mode’ That Blunts Our Senses (quantamagazine.org)

Initial reaction: 'Most anyone who has volunteered at a few serious endurance events (marathons suffice, in my experience), knows that runners who are really pushing themselves can get into a "99% of brain cells powered down" mode. Even if you're only a course marshal or aid station helper, you gotta be aware of just how different (& impaired) a mental place a runner might be in.