Booting Up

Brainpower Newsletter

Did you know your brain needs to "boot up" in the morning, just like your computer? That's the first item this week. I also have a new riddle for you.

Our brains apparently wake up like a computer "booting up," according to recent research. When we yawn and open our eyes, little puffs of nitric oxide are emitted from the brain stem and sent to the thalamus, which then sends it out to other places in the brain. Like turning on a computer operating system before running more complicated programs, the nitric oxide starts functions which prepare the brain for more complex operations.

Source: LiveScience.com

In other words, if it feels like you need some time in the morning before you can do mental work, you're probably right.

My own observations: looking out the window with eyes wide open to take in more light, and washing your face to get more sensory input started, may speed up this "waking up" process. No proof of this, but it seems to work for me.

- The microwave was invented when a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket. (I have also heard that the chocolate bar was on the table next to the tube, so who knows).

- A regulation golf ball has 336 "dimples."

When is a day longer than a year?

(The answer is at the bottom of the page)

Many people report that their thinking improves when walking at a comfortable pace. Studies have shown that exercise in general is good for brain function both right away and because of the long term benefits to the cardio-vascualr system. One recent study showed that older persons who walked 45 minutes three times per week scored and average of 11% higher on tests that measured decision making ability.

I think there is more than just the benefit of exercise here. I think the rhythmic and automatic nature of walking is very conducive to creative thinking in particular. I hope there will be more studies that look at the difference between other exercise and walking, in relation to brain performance.

In the meantime, try walking as a way to think and solve problems. It works well if you carry a small tape recorder, so you can record any ideas without stopping. Otherwise, bring a pen and notepad. I think you'll find walking to be good for your creative problem solving ability. In any case, there are enough other proven benefits of walking if I am wrong.

According to a study at the university of Toronto, a diet rich in antioxidants may help maintain cognitive skills in old age. The animal study found that old dogs on an antioxidant diet did better on cognitive tests than dogs not on the diet. In fact, the dogs which ate the antioxidant-fortified foods performed just as well as much younger animals.

Antioxidants used included vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene (form of vitamin A), and other minerals and compounds found in food. Antioxidants reduce oxidation, a process that damages cells and may contribute to the cognitive decline that often develops with age. The bad news? The antioxidant supplementation was needed for two years before significant differences were found - this is not a quick fix.

(Many subscribers are not aware of all the pages of the site. This section is a reminder of useful pages you may have missed. You can just ignore this part if you have read the following pages.)

Want to know how to tell if someone is lying? Be careful. All methods of lie-detecting, including polygraph machines, are regularly fooled or used improperly, resulting in mistakes. There are a couple of the many ways described here, but try to confirm the truth by other means as well, such as confession or investigation of the facts.

Compare behavior in the person under suspicion to their "base" behavior, if possible. In other words, if they always have shifty eyes, then this trait can't be considered as an indication of lying. On the other hand, if they are normally very calm under pressure, but start shifting in their chair after certain questions, that may indicate lying. Because all techniques fail at times, you should use several indications before assuming...

Continued here:
http://increasebrainpower.com/how-to-tell-if-someone-is-lying.html

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Until next time,

Steve

www.IncreaseBrainpower.com

Riddle Answer: When you are on Mercury. A day there is twice as long as a year, because Mercury rotates very slowly but travels around the sun quickly (less than 88 earth days).

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