I Hear the Error, But Don't Process It - MMN Without P300 in 0G

Article:

Badalì, C., Wollseiffen, P., Puck, L., Klein, T., & Schneider, S. (2026). Neurophysiological markers of cognitive workload under altered gravity conditions using a gamified dual-task paradigm. Scientific Reports, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34426-0

First-Person Awareness:

I imagine my body sitting, strapped to the seat, and the world changing weight in a few seconds. In one phase I feel "normal weight." In another, my body becomes "heavier." And then comes 0G: the feeling of weightlessness, but with a hidden cost—my brain needs to continue functioning as if nothing has changed.

Now I have a continuous primary task, like playing Pac-Man, and at the same time an auditory task: standard sounds and target sounds; when the target sound appears, I need to press a key quickly. The rule is clear: prioritize the game. And this is where I see the most human point of the study: when I prioritize too much, I can continue "doing well"... and yet start failing at what seems simple.

EEG ERP P200 N200 P300 MMN 0G

What this study did (as I understood it):

The researchers measured behavior (reaction time and error rate) and EEG (evoked potentials and electrocortical activity) during a dual-task: continuous task + auditory oddball as a secondary task. They collected data under 1G, 1.8G, and 0G conditions over 25 consecutive parabolas in parabolic flights.

The study describes that the flights were conducted with the support of organizations such as the European Space Agency and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and that the design was within-subject (each participant as their own control). In the EEG, they looked specifically at classic components: N100–P200 (more “perceptual”), N200/MMN (automatic deviance detection), and P300 (higher-level, evaluative processing).

What happened to me (if I were one of the participants):

I continue to perform well. I continue navigating, avoiding obstacles, maintaining performance in my “main job.” And, in fact, the study reports that main task performance and general electrocortical activity did not change between gravity levels.

But something breaks down on the “B side” of my brain: in 0G, I make more errors on the secondary task (target sounds) – compared to 1G and 1.8G.

This, to me, seems like the signature of a bottleneck: I'm “functioning,” but the margin of attention has become too thin.

The EEG tells a story very much aligned with our language:

I perceive the sound: a well-marked N100–P200 appears, which the article interprets as perceptual processing of the auditory stimulus.

I automatically detect “difference”: the study observes an N200 and discusses it as MMN – a mismatch that can occur even without me paying direct attention, and which tends to be less dependent on cognitive load.

But I don't reach conscious evaluation: the strongest point is the absence of P300. The article suggests that this happens because almost all cognitive resources were sucked up by the main task, reducing the discrimination of auditory stimuli.

In my translation of “The Zone”:

MMN present = “my body-brain still detects the deviation.”

P300 absent = “I don't have the resources to transform this into evaluation and a good decision.”

It's as if I were saying:

“I feel that something is off… but I don't have the mental space to process it. So I continue on autopilot.” Direct connection to our core: the “Stone” connectome and Zone 3

When the main task becomes tyrannical (the eternal “Pac-Man”), I get good at continuing – but I get worse at correcting. The first wave appears (detection), the second doesn't close (evaluation). The body enters a mode that closely resembles our “Stone” connectome grouping: maintain performance, defend the route, reduce variation, survive the flow.

And here's a useful provocation for social media and misinformation (without needing to moralize):

Infinite feed + urgency + multitasking = socially weak P300.

I keep “responding,” but with little second wave to review, compare, check, update.

A physiological detail worth remembering (without exaggerating)

The article also mentions hypotheses that microgravity may come with changes in cerebral blood volume and intracranial pressure, with possible cellular cascades. It's not the "final explanation," but it's a plausible background: my body changes, and my brain needs to allocate resources within a body that has changed.

How I would use this in a future experiment (my way):

Bring it to Earth as a “Zone 3 simulator”

Continuous gamified task + auditory oddball, but with ecological stressors (noise, short time, interruptions). Measure P300/MMN and see when the P300 “disappears”.

Add Body-Territory signals

Combine EEG with HRV (RMSSD) and/or prefrontal fNIRS. My bet: when I enter “bottleneck mode,” the P300 drops before I realize I'm getting worse.

Automation training to recover P300

Train the “primary” task until it becomes more automatic and see if the P300 reappears — this directly relates to the article's conclusion about task prioritization and automation through training.

Our final sentence:

When my main task devours my resources, I still detect the error (MMN) — but I stop evaluating (P300).