This past weekend the New York Times continued its coverage of the Boomers reaching retirement age. Interestingly, they tracked down and profiled the first boomer (at least one of the early ones) to reach retirement age; click the link to read more about this generation and one of its first born, Aloysius Nachreiner. Oliver Sacks [...]

1. Person of the Year
2. The Ultimate D.I.Y. Project
3. New Web Resource: “About the Brain”

This year, I have a lot of New Year’s resolutions. And that could be a problem, because I don’t have a great track record of sticking to my resolutions–especially if they involve stopping a bad habit (like drinking three diet Cokes a day or procrastinating all kinds of things). I always think my resolution sounds [...]

1. Daily TED Talk – Michael Merzenich on Re-wiring the Brain
2. When Toddlers Have Talents Far Beyond Their Years
3. Seniors Use of the Web Grew 55% in the Past Five Years

Time Magazine got it wrong.  Naming Mark Zuckerberg “Person of the Year” is okay but a better choice would have been the first Boomer to turn 65 in 2011.  That person, whomever he or she may be, is literally at the forefront of a tsunami that will change our world. NPR reported this morning that [...]

1. Boomer Coverage, Continued
2. The Coming Costs of Alzheimer’s
3. Why isn’t brain health top of mind?

If you’re like me, you have a neuroscientist in your family who’s hard to shop for. So perhaps, when you get desperate, you find yourself wondering (as I did this morning) if there are any brain-themed holiday gifts out there. It turns out there are. A lot. Zazzle.com has over 800 (!) neuron/brain/neurotransmitter-themed items, including [...]

1. Criminality, the Brain, and Brain Plasticity

Viewing television and playing video games each are associated with increased subsequent attention problems in childhood.

1. More Evidence: Playing the Right Type of Video Game Improves Real-world Brain Performance
2. Brain Plasticity Cuts Both Ways: How Does Technology Affect The Brains of Children?
3. Unlocking Alzheimer’s in the Mountains of Colombia

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps produce a reward response in the brain. This response kicks into action when we do something pleasurable- like eating highly palatable food. It is known that there is a reduction in this reward response in obese people. However, it is unclear whether the reduction in reward precedes obesity and [...]

1. Your Brain in Love: Part 5 – No Room for Romance? Try Music Instead… but not Junk Food
2. Weight Gain Can Lead to Fewer Food-Related Brain Rewards
3. Is Milk the Newest Brain Food?

Showing the age of the world’s population in 3D sculpture is illuminating

1. Person of the Year
2. A New Age of Centenarians
3. Boomer Coverage, Continued

I’ve never really been a “beach person” when it comes to vacations.  For me, a great vacation is about going to new places and immersing myself in different cultures.   Experiencing a new language, finding new ways of seeing, and pushing culinary boundaries are my idea of good fun.  Yes, I’ve gotten lost, had to rely [...]

1. Going Googly (Thoughts on “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”)
2. Take a Vacation – You and Your Brain Might Need It!
3. A Brain that Keeps on Teaching: H.M.’s Story

It has become clear over the last few years that one of the many benefits of regular physical exercise is a better functioning brain. In a recent review paper Erickson and Kramer (2009) noted the following: People who exercise regularly have larger volumes of grey matter in important regions of the brain, including the prefrontal, [...]

1. UFOV Training Reduces Medical Expenditures
2. Move Aside, Drugs: Non-invasive Brain Therapies
3. Dog Owners Excel in Physical and Cognitive Fitness

About the Brain is a new section on the Posit Science website that’s chock-full of great information about the brain and brain fitness. You can choose from these areas of interest: Brain Facts helps you understand how your brain and brain plasticity work. It answers all kinds of questions, like “Are crosswords really good for [...]

1. The Tipping Point?
2. Gentlemen: Start Your Engines! It’s Men’s Health Week
3. UFOV Training Reduces Medical Expenditures