Think

Brainpower Newsletter

I just returned from Ecuador yesterday, fortunately with enough time to put together a pretty good issue the newsletter.

It may seem like I'm making fun of science in the article below (and others). I'm not. The scientific approach is the best approach we have to learning about our world. But scientists don't always "do" science right, and I always like to take a jab at the idea of any "authority" that takes precedence over your own mind. After all, even choosing which authority to believe requires your own judgment and thought.

You have probably heard the expression "think twice." It is a reminder to be careful about assuming that your first conclusion is correct. Carpenters have a similar saying: "measure twice, cut once," which is a habit that prevents a lot of mistakes. Thinking twice does the the same thing in many areas - it prevents errors. Getting familiar with some of the common "thinking errors" also helps you avoid them, so here is a look at one that trips up a lot of people.

Straight-Line Projections? Think Twice

When he first visited the ocean, a scientist noticed that the water level getting higher. He carefully measured it for a few hours, then noted that every hour it was going up a foot. With his pen and paper, he quickly calculated that the ocean would be 700 feet higher in less than a month, drowning most of the major cities on Earth. In a year...

Continued here:
http://www.increasebrainpower.com/think-twice.html

- Eyebrows can have over 500 hairs.

- Antarctica may be the wettest place on Earth. Over ninety eight percent of Antarctica is covered by ice and it contains seventy percent of the planet's fresh water and ninety percent of the ice.

- Antarctica is one of the driest places on Earth. It is technically a dessert, receiving less than two inches of precipitation annually, about the same as the Sahara Desert.

Recent research at the Salk Institute found that mice which regularly ran on an exercise wheel grew twice as many new brain cells as those which were inactive. No big surprise there. I've reported on the brainpower benefit of exercise before. But there was more to this research.

Mice which exercised by swimming did not not have a similar growth of new brain cells. Researchers speculate that this is due to the fact that swimming is not an activity the mice would normally choose, and it stresses them. Stress has been shown to slow or stop the growth of brain cells.

What does this mean for us humans? If the researcher's speculations are correct, and the same results are found in humans, exercise alone may not be that great for the brain. It seems that you need to exercise, but in a way that you enjoy (or at least in a way that doesn't cause you more stress).

As reported on in previous newsletters, the research shows that even ten minutes of exercise can cause a noticeable improvement in brain function. The problem is we forget these things. This week, why not make an effort to get up and vacuum the house or rake the yard or take a short walk whenever you feel mentally sluggish. The idea is to train yourself to think of exercise automatically when you need more brainpower.

Sleep less, sleep better, and have more energy. That's the plan with with the fascinating new ebook "Powerful Sleep." Most people think sleep is just "sleep," but it is actually a complex and fascinating system you can OPTIMIZE in order to sleep less, and create an abundance of energy in your life.

Details here... http://www.increasebrainpower.com/sleep.html

To be a better problem solver, start with these three simple steps:

1. Learn some good problem solving techniques and approaches. The more of these you know, the better problem solver you can be.

2. Practice using the techniques...

Continued here...
http://www.increasebrainpower.com/problem-solver.html

While watching the news the other day, it occurred to me that people who have "words to live by" often begin to attack and even kill others. I remembered my own angry attitude from years ago, when I could easily use words to justify violent thoughts which might have become violent actions. Words are valuable tools, and yet it seems that they can be more dangerous than gunpowder.

For a moment, imagine two men facing each other, pointing past one another. One man is pointing at a tornado that is coming. The other is pointing at a raging fire headed towards them. They each see...

Continued here:
http://www.999ideas.com/words-to-live-by.html

Until next time,

Steve

www.IncreaseBrainpower.com

Riddle Answer: Silence.