Brain

Are you a gorilla short of a faculty?

How many brain cells do think you have? There was a time when it was believed that we have something like 100 billion neurons in our brains, but given that no one could remember how that number came about, nor from whom, Dr Suzana Herculano-Houzel in Brazil, thought she’d count! [...]

Brain

Memories are made of this

Oh dear! My suspicions are confirmed… A study from Fairfield University, Connecticut, has shown that taking photographs prevents us making memories of the thing we’re snapping! People in the study remembered more about their museum visit, the fewer photos they took! Memories are made of this? Maybe not! Having been primed [...]

Brain

Creativity is a muscle

If you were wondering…(and I know some of you worry about this sort of thing!) … how great musicians improvise –you know, make it up as they go along – new research has shed some light on where in the brain, the processing happens. It’s probably not where you think, [...]

Brain, Emotional intelligence

To be or not to be? The Language of Motivation

To be or not to be? To have and to hold. We say, “I am“. The French say, “I have“. Which is more empowering? Well, given that your brain actually responds differently, depending on how you say what you have to say. If we’re not careful, we activate our flight or [...]

Brain, Health

Which music heals wounds?

Do NOT do this to me! Music is good for the heart, or so an experiment on mice would seem to suggest. At Juntendo University Hospital in Tokyo, Japan, Masateru Uchiyama and team performed a number of heart transplants on mice. The hearts came from unrelated donors, and the mice [...]

Brain, Memory

Mental Note…

You’ve heard me say a number of times, it’s no good expecting the material you need to learn to enter your head of its own accord, settle down into your memory banks and await your recall. You’ve got to actively manipulate the information in whatever way is appropriate for you, [...]

Brain, Health

I must go to the gym…

It would be nice to think that we had the time, energy and inclination to enjoy rigorous exercise every day – but how many of us actually do sufficient exercise? So what do you suppose will get us out there moving more? Taking on just one small and easy activity [...]

Brain

You must be joking! How does your brain work?

Sarcasm – the lowest form of wit. Or is it? Recent research tells us that it takes more brainpower and skill to interpret the social cues and intention behind sarcasm. So whether we’re using it or listening to it, you can’t truthfully say that it’s the lowest form of wit [...]

Brain, Health

Using a pedometer

Streuth! That was quick! Ordered online on Sunday – delivered on Tuesday! Er… so no excuse not to get on with it then! Better put my money where my mouth is! That’s the trouble with telling other people what you’re going to do… they’ll know whether you did it or [...]

Brain, Health

Pedometer

Perhaps you already know that we should be moving more, and that our sedentary lifestyle is playing havoc with our health - physical and mental. But did you know - the recommendation is that we take at least 10,000 steps every day to stay healthy? (And latest research suggests we need [...]