Nature Knows and Psionic Success

We all might have at different stages in our lives encountered people who can be described as ‘born competitors’. It could be that colleague hell-bent on beating everyone else on the quarterly sales targets, that classmate who will stop at nothing to top the class in a favorite subject, or even a sibling that wants to outdo the rest in all sorts of family engagements. While this might give the impression that there are some people who are naturally competitive and others who are not, this is not the case. As research by Texas-based clinical psychologist Craig Dike reveals, competition has been at the core of the survival of the human species, driving both our biological and psychological evolution. In fact, an examination of hominid skulls from the past two million years by researchers at the University of Missouri concluded that social competition was the biggest cause of increased cranial capacity of humans, partly explaining why the size of the human brain has tripled over that period as compared to other mammals. While climate change and ecological demands also contributed to the increasing brain capacity in humans, the research findings suggest that areas with higher population density were associated with bigger skulls (hence greater brain capacity). A possible explanation offered for this positive association was that higher population density resulted in greater intensity of social competition for necessities and status, and having a bigger brain helped early humans survive in such situations. This shows that competition has a physical impact on the brain. Now, an even more relatable incidence of human competition is in sporting activities of all levels. There is the thrill of the sport itself and the glory of winning that spurs participants into a struggle to outdo each other. Think of a time you participated in […]

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Coffee House 29’s private conference room seats 14 comfortably and offers a mountain lodge look. (Emily Kemme) Serving food at a business meeting is a sure-fire method to increase the likelihood employees will be there to share ideas and brainstorm, particularly when attendance isn’t mandatory. And if it is, healthy, energy-conscious food choices will brighten everyone’s day while keeping people awake, productive and not concerned yet another workday meeting is having a negative effect on their waistline. Feeding your employees is also a good way to send a non-verbal message, as their employer, you believe their well-being is of utmost importance. The old adage food is the path to the soul is equally strong in workplace relationships. An employee who feels respected will give back in loyalty and higher production. According to Harvard Business Review , “Food has a direct impact on our cognitive performance, which is why a poor decision at lunch can derail an entire afternoon.” Healthy, smart choices are key. The goal is to provide foods that don’t make a lot of noise when consumed (the distraction of crunchy chips should be avoided), along with low-sugar options that provide sustained energy. Nutrients contained in fruits and vegetables have a direct correlation to increasing active thought and encouraging engagement. They are also high in antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory, which enhances memory while keeping blood sugars level. Your business might have a location for in-house meetings sized to accommodate the entire staff. In that case, having catered food is a viable option. But having facilities large enough to include a meeting room is not essential. Holding your business meeting in a restaurant’s conference space is a worthwhile alternative. A restaurant can provide multiple personalized options if you permit meeting attendees to order from the menu. Alternatively, most restaurants […]

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Growing your own food can cut expenses, provide exercise and perhaps even improve mental health. Each autumn, the fruits of the harvest fill the shelves of local groceries and farmers markets, a colorful reminder of the many nutritional benefits of fresh produce. But growing produce offers equally sustaining, though perhaps less visible, benefits. Beyond reduced grocery expenses, gardening offers many positive effects financially. A garden may be a good way to improve property value, for example, says David Ellis, director of communications for the American Horticultural Society and editor of its magazine, The American Gardener. But most people garden because they enjoy it, he says. "They grow vegetables and improve their own nutrition," says Ellis, "and they grow flowers, which they give away and spread joy." A form of light exercise, gardening can be a great way to stay active. The exercise involved varies, depending on the task, and seniors should be careful not to overexert themselves, Ellis says. Spending time outdoors has been linked with improved mental health. Recent studies have shown that the quantity of nearby green space buffers life stresses across ages. Gardening may lower cortisol levels in your brain, and in turn reduce stress levels, according to a study in the Journal of Health Psychology. Gardening may also lower the risk of dementia by as much as 36%, according to a study conducted in 2010 in Australia. For this reason, horticultural therapy is a growing area proving helpful for seniors with dementia, says Ellis. With this form of active therapy, people are led through gardening tasks and see the results, often making use of fragrant herbs that stimulate memory, he says. "It has become a great tool," says Ellis. Longtime gardeners agree that gardening makes great mental exercise. "So much of it is observation and […]

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The brain is the ultimate computing machine, so it’s no wonder researchers are keen to try and emulate it. Now, new research has taken an intriguing step in that direction – a device that’s able to ‘forget’ memories, just like our brains do. It’s called a second-order memristor (a mix of "memory" and "resistor"). The clever design mimics a human brain synapse in the way it remembers information, then gradually loses that information if it’s not accessed for an extended period of time. While the memristor doesn’t have much practical use just now, it could eventually help scientists develop a new kind of neurocomputer – the foundation of artificial intelligence systems – that fulfils some of the same functions a brain does. In a so-called analogue neurocomputer, on-chip electronic components (like the memristor) could take on the role of individual neurons and synapses. That could both reduce the computer’s energy requirements and speed up computations at the same time. Right now analogue neurocomputers are hypothetical, because we need to work out how electronics can mimic synaptic plasticity – the way that active brain synapses strengthen over time and inactive ones get weaker. It’s why we can hang on to some memories while others fade away, scientists think. Previous attempts to produce memristors used nanosized conductive bridges which would then decay over time, in the same way that memories might decay in our minds. "The problem with this [first-order memristor] solution is that the device tends to change its behaviour over time and breaks down after prolonged operation," says physicist Anastasia Chouprik, from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) in Russia. "The mechanism we used to implement synaptic plasticity is more robust. In fact, after switching the state of the system 100 billion times, it was still operating […]

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Ad closed by Report this ad Why this ad? Seen this ad multiple times Ad covered content Ad was inappropriate Not interested in this ad We’ll try not to show that ad again Ad closed by The cognitive ingredients market can be segmented into ingredient types, nature, application and packaging type. This press release was orginally distributed by SBWire Rockville, MD — ( SBWIRE ) — 09/06/2019 — Cognitive ingredients are primarily used for developing memory, attention and improving health of the brain. Use of these cognitive ingredients in various supplements has been proven effective for depression, anti-aging, anxiety and sleep. Use of cognitive ingredients in various memory enhancer supplements is expected to create a lucrative opportunity for cognitive ingredients market in the forecast period. The growing desire to enhance memory by consuming memory enhancer supplement is further fueling the Cognitive ingredients Market . Increasing awareness among parents and students about the importance of brain health supplements is projected to boost the overall market growth in the forecast period. Request TOC of this Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=3904 Further, a study in Canada revealed that an increased intake of cognitive-ingredients-based supplements during pregnancy could improve motor function of the offspring. Further, rising interest in vegan and vegetarian alternatives is also expected to boost the market slightly. However, even with the healthy growth of the market, manufacturers face issue regarding the age of the consumers when it comes to the use of conventional cognitive ingredients. There are age restrictions for using specific cognitive ingredients. Researchers and manufacturers have an opportunity to develop a universal cognitive ingredient, which will boost the market in the forecast period. Global cognitive ingredients market is likely to register an average higher-digit CAGR over forecast period The global market of cognitive ingredients is likely to increase in the forecast […]

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JOSE F. MORENO / Staff Photographer Even after months of interviews, editing sessions, and rehearsals, the amateur performers who tell their stories in Tangles in Time find themselves fighting tears as they practice. It’s hard for everybody on stage — medical students, doctors, nurses, and caregivers — when Nora Dougherty has to watch her husband, bigger than life in video shot last Thanksgiving. Bill, who has Alzheimer’s disease, was still able to talk a little then, and his face glowed with delight as he played in a percussion group. The Philadelphia couple, both 76, joined this theatrical production together, but his disease progressed so quickly that he had to move to a memory care unit before audiences could see him in person. She now comes to rehearsals alone. “I’m very sad,” she said. “When I see the face he had there … a lot of the life has gone out.” Then there’s Mike Szkaradnik, 62, and his wife, Mary Anne, 64, who has frontotemporal dementia. They can both still be on stage, but the Voorhees woman can’t speak and he knows it hurts her to watch film showing her own erratic behavior. A retired critical-care nurse, she knows her brain is broken. He wonders whether he’s doing the right thing by subjecting her to this, but he wants to share their devotion and do this thing together. “I love you and I want people to know I love you,” he tells her. The multimedia production, a collaboration between Jefferson and Theater of Witness , will be presented Sept. 13 and 14 at Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral in University City. It is a collection of personal stories that explore memory, culture, and truth pieced together with film and music. Anecdotal by nature, it has the feel of a sophisticated story slam. […]

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