March 15th, 2009 by Brainy

Go to http://www.mindmedia.com/brainworks/profiler and fill that out to get your score.

Here are my results

Auditory : 13%
Visual : 86%
Left : 18%
Right : 81%

And the summary:

Brainy, with your strong right hemispheric dominance and strong visual preference, you are very likely to fit into most people’s stereotype of an artist. You tend to perceive the whole, respond to patterns, overlook differences and seek diversity. You deal with material randomly and intuitively, and you tend to find symbolism everywhere.

For you, categories are temporary, created and recreated as events unfold. Thus learning can be “unlearned” more readily when needed. This implies that you continuously “adapt” to new situations and find differences in situations that others may not notice. Your learning style is naturally dynamic and flexible yet not totally chaotic.

Organization may not be your forte and you are likely to perceive it at times as constricting while recognizing the benefits that come from structure. While capable of being logical, you respond to your own inner-directedness which is often not explainable even to yourself since it requires sophisticated left-brain translation. You have a tendency to become more involved with the abstract in seeking out relationships and arriving at answers. More than most other people, you are self-directed and skilled at moving easily from project to project.

Your visual preference implies that you are active and continuously seeking or processing. You tend not to categorize experiences, but rather simply have them and react to them, integrating it into the whole of your experience. Despite your seeming lack of organization, you are one of those people who can almost always know exactly where you put something and easily relocate it.

Your best learning style is to see materials and relationships as with charts and graphs and retain them easily. However, if asked questions, you may find your access blocked since the input mode is auditory and runs counter to your strengths. You can help yourself by drawing pictures while you take notes, to use your visual talents.

Overall you will do well in endeavors emphasizing the visual such as arts, fashions, or architecture.

December 15th, 2008 by Brainy

This was a compilation of lines from student papers, collected by historyand English teachers, and put together by Richard Lederer; published in Ann Landers’ column 7 27 2000:

Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. Jacob, son of Isaac, stole his brother’s birthmark. One of Jacob’s sons, Joseph, gave refuse to the Israelites.

The inhabitants of Egypt were called mummies. They traveled by Camelot. Moses led the Hebrew slaves to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread, which is bread made without any ingredients. David was a Hebrew king who fought the Philatelists. Solomon, one of David’s sons, had 500 wives and 500 porcupines.

The Greeks invented three kinds of columns — Corinthian, Doric and Ironic. The mother of Achilles dipped him in the River Styx until he became intolerable. In the Olympic games, Greeks ran races, jumped, hurled the biscuits, and threw the java. The reward to the victor was a coral wreath. Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who died from an overdose of wedlock.

Eventually, the Ramones conquered the Greeks. Nero was a cruel tyrant who tortured his poor subjects by playing the fiddle to them.

In the Middle Ages, King Harlod mustarded his troops before the Battle of Hastings. Joan of Arc was canonized by George Bernard Shaw. The Magna Carta provided that no free man should be hanged twice for the same offense. William Tell shot an arrow through an apple while standing on his son’s head.

In the Renaissance, Martin Luther was nailed to the church door at Wittenberg for selling papal indulgences. He died a horrible death, being excommunicated by a bull. The painter Donatello’s interest in the female nude made him the father of the Renaissance. Gutenberg invented the Bible. Sir Walter Raleigh invented cigarettes, and Sir Francis Drake circumcised the world with a 100-foot clipper.

Queen Elizabeth’s navy defeated the Spanish Armadillo. William Shakespeare wrote about Romeo and Juliet, a romantic couplet. Miguel Cervantes wrote “Donkey Hote.” John Milton wrote “Paradise Lost.” Then, his wife died, and he wrote “Paradise Regained.”

Christopher Columbus was a great navigator who discovered America while cursing about the Atlantic. His ships were the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Fe.

One of the causes of the Revolutionary War was that the English put tacks in their tea. Benjamin Franklin invented electricity by rubbing cats backward. Franklin died in 1790, and is still dead.

Gravity was invented by Isaac Walton. It is chiefly noticeable in autumn, when the apples are falling off the trees. Bach and Handel were famous composers. Handel was half-German, half-Italian and half-English. He was very large. Bach died from 1750 to the present. Beethoven was so deaf that he wrote loud music. Samuel Morse invented a code for telepathy. Louis Pasteur discovered a cure for rabbis. Madman Curie discovered radium. And Karl Marx became one of the Marx Brothers.

December 8th, 2008 by Brainy

Here are my results:

Your Brain Power Test Results

Your Absolute Brain Power displayed on the left represents your percentile ranking among all members on their third run of this test. The Relative Brain Power displayed on the right represents your percentile ranking among all members in your age group on their third run of this test.

Your score: 111.49
Average score for all members on the third run: 88.59
Average score for all members in your age group on the third run: 78.25
Highest score for all members on the third run: 188.42
Highest score for all members in your age group on the third run: 140.92
Highest score for all members on any run: 213.65
Highest score for all members in your age group on any run: 168.46

Your Brain Age: 36 (21 is the ultimate Brain Age according to MyBrainTrainer data)

Try it yourself here!

July 13th, 2008 by Brainy

My parents were in their early fifties when I turned 22 and the chasm that separated us seemed unbridgeable. My father had his hat and tie on everywhere he went–even when he mowed the lawn. My mother kept indoors most of the time and warned us girls that no man would marry a woman made brown by the sun. I used to wonder if their brains had turned to mush.

Now I look at my 22 year old son and chuckle at the chasm that yawns between us. With his mp3 looped permanently over his neck, pants baggy and cuffed, he looks like an alien from a distant star. I have no doubt the as far as he is concerned, my brain has gone to mush.

Yet great as these differences seem, research suggests that there is very little difference in capacity between a 50 year old and a 25 year old brain. The myth of the post 40 brain decline is just that -a myth. According to Dan Gray in “The Surprising Power of the Aging Brain,” (Time Jan 16/2006) neurologists and psychologists are coming to the conclusion that “the brain at midlife -a period increasingly defined as the years 35-65 and even beyond–is much more elastic, much more supple than anyone ever realized.” Far from declining, the 50 year old brain can reorganize and reinforce its neural networks in response to new stimuli and experiences. The basic network for neural growth that was set in place in our infancy continues to develop and expand even when we age and the structural capacity for this growth is unlimited. In essence, the brain is like the web–there is no end to its memory capacity or functional ability.

Gray reports specifically on 2 aspects of brain activity that are alive and well in the 50+ group.

One is the increase of white matter in the prefrontal region of the brain, which is composed of nerve cells sheathed with myelin–the neural glue that makes connections possible. Myelin is the Grand Central Station of emotional and intellectual connections–the seat of our intelligence and humanity. As long as we maintain a high level of brain activity in our middle age, we can increase the “myelination” of the brain.

A second aspect is the tendency of both hemispheres of the brain to work together. This is another reason why the 50+ brain can often outperform its younger counterparts. A study at the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care found that as people age, their ability to focus on one activity in one part of the brain decreases, which explains why older people are easily “distracted.” Yet this distraction suggests that different areas of the brain are working simultaneously which explains why older people can often access higher reasoning processes (such as intuition) by using both hemispheres at the same time.

Like any other muscle, the brain can only function at its peak capacity when it is used consistently. What are the steps we can take to ensure a strong and healthy brain in our later years?

1. Pursue leisure activities. Read books and magazines. Knit with friends, go for a walk, play bridge. Leisure activities can reduce the risk or delay the onset of dementia. A study involving close to 1800 people up to age 65 showed that those who were involved with leisure activities had 38% less risk of developing dementia.

2. Read and write Poetry. In the famous Nuns’ Study, researchers concluded that the sisters who had more resilient brains later in life were the ones who tended to use multi-syllabic words and richer vocabulary in their diary entries. Those who developed dementia tended to use simple, monosyllabic words. The sisters with the more resilient brains also demonstrated stronger “density of ideas” in their writing–which researchers defined as the average number of ideas expressed in each grouping of 10 words. Idea density reflects the brain’s capacity to integrate memory, language, thought and emotion within a complex of words. Writing prose or poetry that creates layers of meaning within one metaphor is the best example of idea density. It makes sense that writing in general, specifically writing poetry, can supercharge your brain.

3. Again and again, studies confirm the relationship between exercise and a healthy brain. A recent study shows that exercise creates significant anatomical differences in the grey and white matter areas of the brain. Aging brings about a shrinking of these areas that closely matches declines in cognitive performance. However, cardiovascular fitness through exercise actually slows down this decline.

4. Eat a healthy diet. Avoid foods that are rich in fatty red meats and whole fat dairy products that contribute to high cholesterol levels in the brain; cholesterol promotes production of a toxic protein that attacks myelin and breaks down neural connections in the brain, leaving a trail of plaques that hamper brain function. Eat whole grains and legumes as these are rich in lecithin. Eat fish, high in omega 3 fatty acids (good fats) which have anti-inflammatory properties that can prevent the formation of plaques in the brain. Have 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables for their powerful anti-oxidant benefits . Finally increase consumption of Soy Protein, rich in phytonutrients and gives you all the benefits of protein without the fat.

5. Learn new things and take risks. Evidence shows that learning new activities (starting a new project, hobby, business or venture) is exactly what is needed to prevent the loss of myelin in the brain. The brain is plastic which means it is capable of regeneration when stimulated by new activities. Every new sensation or experience carves a new neural pathway in the brain. The diaries of Darwin are filled with dead ends; these were risks he took and never stopped taking until the time became ripe for his emergence. The best way to nurture your brain is to cultivate a vision, then approach your vision from different angles without abandoning the path, taking new turns when the last one does not work for you, always being willing to take further risks , in fact expecting to make mistakes not only because mistakes serve as the most meaningful guides but because the success that comes eventually is a numbers game.

6. Last but not least–love and enjoy what you have. Be thankful for the abundance you have been blessed with and give generously to those you can serve. A positive sense of purpose and a healthy optimism can do wonders to ensure longevity in the brain.
Source: http://www.healthguidance.org/authors/363/Mary-Desaulniers

July 13th, 2008 by Brainy

The human brain is the soul of the human nervous system. It controls involuntary activities such as respiration, digestion, and heartbeat, which are also known as automatic functions of the body. This organ also controls other conscious activities that are considered as higher order activities like reasoning, abstraction, and thought. The human brain is superior to any other brain of any other living species that are known to humankind.

The brain is also the center by which other human characteristics are defined. Creativity, for example, is much associated with the brain. So is personality. The brain lets us make decisions and define colors and smells. This organ controls every other perceived activity of the human body.

However, the human brain, as strong and as invincible as it may look, is not going to stay that way forever. As with any other part of the body, the human brain will wither in the future. One’s lifestyles and all other external factors will take toll against the human brain. As one grows old, the human brain will become slower in terms of functioning and rejuvenating itself. However, there are ways on how to enhance the power of the human brain as age catches up. This article tries to give some useful tips on how to do just that.

1. Live a healthy lifestyle

The brain is an integral part of the human anatomy. It is probably the most important organ in the body; but of course, we all know that every other organ in the body works for the others to function properly. The human brain is subject to the lifestyle of the person who owns it. If the person loves alcohol, he may not fully reap the powers of his brain. Alcohol and other dangerous substances destroy brain cells. An alcoholic will argue that, “I’ve been using only ten percent of my brain, drinking will activate the other 90% of it.” This is a total fallacy. This premonition was formulated in the 1800s and there is no truth in it. The brain is a lifetime organ, so we must preserve and protect it.

2. Eat the right foods

Eating the right sets of food will definitely benefit the brain. The brain is the most active part of the body. Even when one sleeps, the brain remains active and vibrant. The brain will appreciate it if one eats the right and balanced sets of food. The sad thing is that the brain is usually taken for granted when it comes to having a balanced meal or a workout because people are so focused into developing their outside looks. It’s about time that we give the brain a break.

3. Engage in proper exercise

Proper exercise is good for the brain and not only for the body. The human brain needs a well-balanced life.

4. Release stress once in a while

Releasing stress  is necessary to be able to clear the brain from all the difficulties and the clouds in one’s life. One must take time to get into a relaxing mood and a good night sleep.

The brain is an organ to be cherished. No individual will ever be able to live his life to the fullest if his brain is not functioning well. A brain that is cared for will result in a more active and fulfilling life.

Source: http://www.healthguidance.org/authors/435/Abbas-Abedi