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Neuroscience Update 2008
  1. Scientist’s Identify the Brain’s Activity Hub, B. Carey, The New York Times, 7/1/08
    Click here for article (PDF)

  2. When new nerve cells are born it is called neurogenesis and continues throughout adulthood, particularly in the hippocampus. People who maintain their mental acuity tend to be socially connected, having strong ties to relatives, friends and community. They tend to be physically healthy and active, as well as engaged in intellectually challenging activities. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recruited sedentary adults, 60-75. After 6 months of exercise their memory, attention and decision-making ability improved 15-20%. Chronic stress can re-wire the brain so it becomes more biased toward anxiety and depression. (For a Sharp Brain, Stimulation, R. Rabin, The New York Times, 5/13/08)

  3. Katherine P. Rankin, neuropsychologist in the Memory and Aging Center at the University of California, San Francisco, found the place in the brain where sarcasm occurs. Sarcasm involves stating the opposite and figuring out what other people are thinking. It is a composite of many social recognition skills learned in childhood. An example is “Nice weather we’re having” during a hurricane. The right parahippocampal gyrus is involved with perceiving social context, such as puns and jokes. The right frontal lobe is where the sense of humor is detected on an M.R.I. (The Science of Sarcasm, D. Hurley, The New York Times>, 6/3/08).

  4. Brain Rules, by John Medina (Peer Press, www.brainrules.net) , integrates the most current neuroscience research, concluding that a classroom environment is directly opposite of what the brain is good at doing. His 12 chapters examine work and productivity beyond school, including

    Exercise= more brain power
    Wiring= every brain is wired differently
    Attention= we don’t pay attention to boring things
    Short-term memory- Repeat to remember
    Sleep= sleep well, think well
    Vision= Trumps all other senses
    Sensory Integration= Stimulate more of the senses
    Gender= Male and female brains are different.

    (Education Week, 3/12/08)

  5. Does language shape what we perceive, or are perceptions sensory impressions immune to language? The latest research suggests that it can both help and hurt. The perception of color was examined. English distinguishes between blue and green while most other languages do not. Russians have different words for shades of blue while other languages do not. Language gives humans a framework for their thoughts, helping us carve up the world in certain ways. A recent book by Steven Pinker, The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature, explores the ways that language and thought relate to each other. The ability to understand small, specific numbers is a trait passed on through evolution. Language provides novel categories and enables thought on an abstract plane. The problem is that after a category has been learned, it can distort the memory of specific objects. (When Language Can Hold the Answer, C. Kenneally, The New York Times, 4/22/08).

  6. The Advertising Research Foundation had its 54th convention in April, focusing on neuroscience as a way to improve sales of products. The Nielson company bought a stake in Neurofocus, a company specializing in brain-wave research measuring attention second by second. Another company, EmSense, is trying to measure consumer response through biometric techniques. An advertising spot must engage the viewer in 5-7 seconds, using a “cognitive jolt” or surprise, to get more interest. Neuromarketing is a growing business. (Is the Ad a Success? The Brain Waves Tell All, S. Elliot, The New York Times, 3/31/08).