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You won't want to miss the April 22, 2012 special New York Times issue, "All in Our Minds".
All of my favorite subjects are covered:
- The Brain Benefits of Exercise
- The Brain Benefits of Learning
- How Exercise Might Make Us Happier
- The Ethics of Eating Meat
Can You Make Yourself Smarter?
Photo Credit: Clang
Can Exercise Make You Smarter?
Photo Credit: Clang
It's chock full of news you can use, now!
- How Exercise Can Lead to a Better Brain, by Gretchen Reynolds. Best way to build new brain cells? Exercise.
"You won't want to miss this Sunday NYT's article! [T]here is [an] easy-to-achieve, scientifically proven way to make yourself smarter.
Go for a walk or a swim. For more than a decade, neuroscientists and physiologists have been gathering evidence of the beneficial relationship between exercise and brainpower. But the newest findings make it clear that this isn’t just a relationship; it is the relationship.
[S]cientists in just the past few months have discovered that exercise appears to build a brain that resists physical shrinkage and enhance cognitive flexibility. Exercise, the latest neuroscience suggests, does more to bolster thinking than thinking does."
- Can You Make Yourself Smarter? by Dan Hurley. This is the "big story" in the Times. Haven't read it yet, but it looks like something I won't want to miss. Includes a chart that explains what YOUR IQ means (always interesting)--plus a free on-link link to "N-Back" (Learning) Games that just might help you increase your intelligence.
- Can Running Make Us Happier? by Ilena Silverman. Could running, by helping create new nerve cells, not only make our brains sharper but also make our moods happier? IMHO, yes!
- Is It Ethical to Eat Meat? by Ariel Kaminer. Vote for one of just six essays (click here) submitted by thousands of NYT's readers. These six were chosen as the "top dogs" by a panel of experts:
Mark Bittman, Jonathan Safran Foer, Andrew Light, Michael Pollan, & Peter Singer. The judges narrowed the pool down to just these six finalists. Vote below by midnight on April 24 on the essay you think makes the strongest case. You can only vote for one.
I'll leave you with one thought.
Just imagine what we do for our brains when we combine exericse, with challenging novel learning & a plant-based no-added-oil diet!
Think of it: improved blood flow, elimination of blood vessel inflammation, building new brain cells & connections, preventing brain shrinkage, while getting mega-doses of nitric oxide from greens, oats & exercise. Mayo Clinic researchers say increased nitric oxide is one of the keys to preventing dementia.
So....What do you think?
Happy Weekend!!
Back to Blogging on May 4th
I'm disappointed on the current post.When I tried to read the article on eating meat, A NY Times message appeared telling me that I had exceeded my monthly limit of articles, which I normally read by using your posts from the Times.
Too bad they block readers who don't normally read the Times...
Posted by: George | April 22, 2012 at 02:59 PM
@George: This must be a new development on the part of the NYT. The 20 article limit always applied to non-subscribers reading articles directly off of the NYT website---but, the NYT still allowed subscribers (like me) to link to NYT articles--and they were viewable without applying to anyone's 20 article limit.
Now that I know this--I won't link to NYT's articles as often--and when I do, I'll be sure to include a good summary. Sorry, George. When did this start? I know they changed something a few weeks ago.
Posted by: The Healthy Librarian | April 22, 2012 at 03:41 PM
I've been playing with an N-back game off and on for the past year or so. They're really tough! Maybe if I did it more consistently, I'd get better. I'm going to get my 17yo to play the one at your link just to see how well he does. I appreciate the links and recall that someone said on FB that she uses different ids to get around the NYT's now 10 article limit, which apparently no longer allows you to view articles that others have linked to once you've viewed your 10 per month.
Posted by: Betsy | April 25, 2012 at 03:22 AM
I strongly agree - it's all in our minds.
Posted by: Ryan Travers | April 25, 2012 at 03:28 AM
About reading the NY Times - see
http://euri.ca/2011/03/get-around-new-york-times-20-article-limit/
Posted by: mistah charley, ph.d. | April 25, 2012 at 08:09 AM
I usually do well on aptitude tests, and I'm finding that N-back game a real challenge - hurts my brain! It will be interesting to see if a)I can keep at it, and b)it seems to make a difference in anything else, assuming I eventually get better at it.
Posted by: Mary in Vermont | April 25, 2012 at 09:19 AM