Brain – Page 11 – Impact Lab

Brain, Breakthrough Thinking, Education, Entertainment, Health & Fitness, Historical Perspectives, Human Behavior, New Viewpoints

We’re heading towards a future where brain scans replace the SAT

May 14, 2012

No memorization will be necessary in the future.

Imagine if the extent your natural intelligence could be determined with a simple scan where you’d have to do nothing at all. What if it became the new standard for college admissions. Deterministic as it may seem, at least we wouldn’t have anymore goddamn vocab flash cards to memorize.

According to Duke University professor Jonathan Wai, writing in Psychology Today, there’s been a study conducted at UC Irvine since 1988, in which test subjects were put through various aptitude tests while conducting brain scans. What they discovered is the smartest patients required less brain power to accomplish a task. Efficiency!

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Analysis, Brain, Science & Technology News

Slackers’ brains are hard-wired to be lazy

May 2, 2012

Brain scans can show the difference between ”go-getters” and ”slackers”.

Scientists have identified neural pathways that appear to influence an individual’s willingness to work hard to earn money. Lazy people who prefer to live off others may have brains that are wired for under-achievement, according to a new study.

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Brain, Breakthrough Thinking, Entertainment, Health & Fitness, Historical Perspectives, Human Behavior

How to make yourself smarter

April 22, 2012

If you do lots of push-ups, you get stronger – but if you do a lot of mental exercises, do you get smarter?

For most of human history, it’s accepted that you’re either born smart or (sadly) not and that there’s no amount of Sudoku that will make you smarter (sure you can be more knowledgable – say by educating yourself, but not intrinsically more intelligent).

But that common wisdom may be wrong: studies show that you can increase your smarts by improving your memory through certain types of games…

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Analysis, Brain, Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

Brain scans can predict who will gain weight or have sex in the next 6 months

April 18, 2012

Women whose nucleus accumbens reacts strongly to pictures of appealing food are more likely to gain weight in the next six months.

The activity in the nucleus accumbens, a region of the brain associated with reward, can predict who will gain weight or have sex in the next six months, according to new research.

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Analysis, Brain, Health & Fitness, New Discoveries, Science & Technology News

New blood test can screen teens for depression: Study

April 17, 2012

Scientists showed that teenage depression could be diagnosed through a panel of 11 genetic markers.

One day a simple blood test may be all that’s needed to help parents figure out whether a child is suffering from clinical depression or normal teenage angst, according to a new study.

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Analysis, Big Problems, Brain, Globalism, Health & Fitness, Latest Trend

Dementia cases expected to triple by 2050

April 12, 2012

Treating and caring for people with dementia currently costs the world more than US$ 604 billion per year.

Nearly 35.6 million people live with dementia worldwide. By 2030 this number is expected to double (65.7 million) and more than triple by 2050 (115.4 million). Dementia affects people in all countries, with more than half (58%) living in low- and middle-income countries. By 2050, this is likely to rise to more than 70%.

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Analysis, Brain, Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

Dental x-rays double brain tumor risk: study

April 10, 2012

Researchers found frequent doses of x-ray radiation were linked with more cases of the cancer.

Having more than one dental x-ray a year can double or even triple the chance of developing a common type of brain tumor, according to a new study. People who recalled having frequent dental x-rays were more likely than those who did not, to have a form of non-spreading cancer called meningioma.

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Analysis, Brain, Food, Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

Coffee’s ‘stimulant’ effect only works on lazy people

April 2, 2012

If you’re a hard worker , it makes you slack off.

If you think that drinking coffee will give you that extra kick to keep you going , think again, for a new study says that the “stimulant” effect of coffee only works on lazy people.

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Analysis, Business, Economy, Latest Trend

America’s fastest growing group in the workforce is changing what it means to be ‘retired’

March 31, 2012

According to government estimates, the over-65 set is the fastest growing segment of the working population: More than 7 million are punching the clock.

Ailika Thomas’ husband brought her coffee in bed after she woke. It was 7 p.m., and the 73-year-old was facing a long, moonlit drive from her rural Indiana home to Chicago; Dean wanted to make the journey as easy as possible for his wife. He warmed the car and stocked it with snacks while she got dressed. When Ailika emerged from the back door in a pink-and-white pants combo accompanied by her two Yorkshire terriers, Dean gave her a warm goodbye kiss and made her promise to call at journey’s end.

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Analysis, Brain, Food, Health & Fitness, New Discoveries

Eating fatty foods causes new brain cells to grow

March 26, 2012

High-fat diets cause new brain cells to sprout in an area of the brain that seems to regulate eating.

Does your diet consist of eating too many French fries and burgers? Then, the effects would not only show up in your weight but also in your brain, scientists say.

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Analysis, Brain, Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

People who daydream have sharper brains

March 19, 2012

Daydreaming can make you smarter.

You probably won’t make it all the way through this article without thinking about something else. In fact, studies have found that our minds are wandering half the time, drifting off to thoughts unrelated to what we’re doing — did I remember to turn off the light? What should I have for dinner?

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Analysis, Brain, Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

Lack of sleep is killing you: Infographic

March 11, 2012

Sleep or die – lack of sleep can have serious effects to your health.

There could be serious risks to your health if you don’t get the right amount of sleep every night. Lack of sleep can leave long-lasting effects on your body and your mind. The medical perspective is irrefutable: lack of sleep is deadly.

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