Static in your brain

This morning on my favorite radio station they were talking about some new study which shows what happens in people's brains when they aren't really doing anything. Like when walking alone, or sitting at a red light, or waiting at the dentist, or something. And they have discovered that the majority of people have a mode which they called "static" - now I don't know if this is what the researchers called it or what the radio people called it. But apparently it's quite normal to just let your brain "rest" or something.

But then one of the radio guys went on to say that he doesn't think his brain ever rests; when he is sitting, for example, in a movie theater waiting for the film to begin, he maps out what he would do if a sniper came into the theater. And when he is dropping his son off at school he memorizes license plate numbers around him for the day that some student gets kidnapped and he needs to be prepared to tell the police what the getaway car looked like. And he went on and on with more examples.

Everyone else on the radio station was telling him he is insane and they were laughing at him.

Me, I was thinking "you mean there are people out there who DON'T think like this?" I walk through airports on hyper-alert status, ready to jump into action when someone drops from a heart attack. Whenever I hear a strange sound I look at a clock so I can correctly identify the exact time when I am needed as a witness at the trial for whatever crime has been committed. I always I assumed I am normal. Perhaps not?

I'll try to find a link to the research.