The sought-after equanimity of “living in the moment” may be impossible, according to neuroscientists who’ve pinpointed a brain area responsible for using past decisions and outcomes to guide future behavior. The study, based on research conducted at the University of Pittsburgh and published in the professional journal Neuron, is the first of its kind to analyze signals associated with metacognition — a person’s ability to monitor and control cognition (a term cleverly described by researchers as “thinking about thinking.”)