Learning with a zing-zang-zoom!
Remember the Matrix where all you need to do to learn kung fu is to get it uploaded to your brain? Well, that may soon be coming to real life:
New research published today in the journal Science suggests it may be possible to use brain technology to learn to play a piano, reduce mental stress or hit a curve ball with little or no conscious effort. It’s the kind of thing seen in Hollywood’s “Matrix” franchise…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC2TTslf_YM&hd=1[/youtube]
At the Tokyo Institute of Technology researchers with the Hasegawa Group have created a robot that is capable of applying learned concepts to perform new tasks. The Self-Organizing Incremental Neural Network (SOINN) uses a type of self-replicating neural technology. The research team has released a video demonstrating the robot’s ability to understand it’s environment and to carry out instructions that it previously didn’t know how to do.
Continue reading… “Researchers create robot that can learn, think and act by itself”
“If a teacher can be replaced by a machine, they should be.” – Arthur C. Clark
Futurist Thomas Frey: In 1999, Professor Sugata Mitra embedded a computer in a wall in a slum in New Dehli, connected it to high speed internet and left it there. Kids in the area, mesmerized by this technology, learn to use computers by themselves.
Continue reading… “Curiosity-Driven Education”
Taking a test helps you learn.
Test taking is not just a passive mechanism for assessing how much people know, according to new research. It actually helps people learn, and it works better than a number of other studying techniques.
Continue reading… “Quit Studying and Take a Test if You Want to Learn”
People who nodded off for an hour after lunch performed better in learning tests than those who stayed awake all afternoon, the scientists found.
Taking a coffee break aids memory
Scientists have always known that sleeping helps consolidate memory by allowing your mind to sift through recently gained knowledge and file it in the brain. But this new research suggests that even a short rest or break while conscious could help it sort and retain information.
Continue reading… “Taking A Break After Learning Something Helps You Remember It”
The fancier the cortex, the smarter the brain
Why are some people smarter than others? In a new article in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, Eduardo Mercado III from the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, describes how certain aspects of brain structure and function help determine how easily we learn new things, and how learning capacity contributes to individual differences in intelligence.
Continue reading… “Why Are Some People Smarter Than Others?”
A small fish found in streams across Europe has a human-like ability to learn, British scientists reported Wednesday.
The nine-spined stickleback could be the first animal to exhibit a key human social learning strategy that allows it to compare the behavior of others to its own experience and make choices that lead it to better food supplies.
Continue reading… “Nine-Spined Strickleback: A Small Fish That Has The Ability To Learn”
College too expensive? Try YouTube. It might seem counterintuitive to look for higher education alongside Avril Lavigne music videos, but the video-sharing site has become a major reservoir of college content.
Continue reading… “College Too Expensive? Attend Classes On YouTube”
Monday’s Night with a Futurist offered perspectives on “Next Generation Learning” provided by Michael Cushman. To Cushman, the opportunity for improved learning and training derives from the historically static nature of education combined with the potential offered by the increased pace of technology development. While “our founding fathers were born with the same technology they died with,” current generations are faced with an environment that changes much more rapidly. Advances in the fields of wireless communications and virtual simulation promise a Copernican revolution in education methodology, which Cushman currently identifies as the key constraint in solving the world’s largest problems.
Continue reading… “Perspectives On “Next Generation Learning” At Night With A Futurist”
What does a teenage brain on Google look like? Do all those hours spent online rewire the circuitry? Could these kids even relate better to emoticons than to real people? These sound like concerns from worried parents. But they’re coming from brain scientists.
Continue reading… “Is Technology Rewiring Our Brains?”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.