Monday, January 28, 2019

Intellect is not fixed: a new understanding of cognitive abilities

Spatial navigation, decision-making, sociality, and creativity are essential measures of intelligence. Brain structures and neuronal networks mediate cognitive ability, turning intellect into a flexible trait. Mice growing up in a stimulating environment show higher problem-solving skills later in life. Environmental factors, such as place of residence, physical exercise, family income, parents' occupation, and education, significantly influence a child's IQ.

Food scarcity was probably a significant factor that drove cognitive evolution. However, the continuous availability and consumption of energy-rich foods in relatively sedentary modern humans might, in turn, affect mental changes. For example, high-calorie intake negatively affects intelligence and cognitive abilities. Obesity impairs cognition and increases the risk of some psychiatric disorders and dementia. Moreover, maternal and paternal obesity predispose offspring to poor cognitive development by epigenetic molecular mechanisms.

Intermittent food deprivation seems to enhance cognition on the cellular level. Epigenetic molecular DNA and chromatin protein modifications can be inherited by future generations. Paying attention to bioenergetic-based eating and exercise patterns can improve cognitive health and resilience. Read the whole article.

Amazingly, a virtual reality experience can modify intelligence. For example, being a virtual Einstein improves cognitive function and decision-making and reduces elderly bias. Impersonating psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud fosters personal problem-solving and social understanding. Brain modulation technology can artificially create or cancel memories, opening new, noninvasive avenues to treat mental disorders, depression, PTSD, and others.

Read more: Virtually Being Einstein Results in an Improvement in Cognitive Task Performance and a Decrease in Age Bias.

Conversations between self and self as Sigmund Freud,—A., virtual body ownership paradigm for self-counseling

Picture credit: www.freepik.com

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Saturday, January 19, 2019

The expansion of the universe: Is dark energy allowed?

String theory is the youngest and most abstract of the fundamental theoretical frameworks of physics. String theory expresses the hope that all the different forces, particles, interactions, and manifestations of reality are tied together as part of the same fundamental framework. Particles are tiny vibrating strings, and each type of vibration corresponds to a different particle. But a new article has shown that string theory is fundamentally incompatible with our current understanding of "dark energy," - which is the only explanation for the accelerated expansion of our current universe. The controversy, which even questions the Higgs boson's existence, has generated a lot of talk in the physics community.

In the next few years, the universe's accelerated expansion will be measured more accurately than ever before, allowing the hypothesis to be tested experimentally. More details about the debate and a more visual explanation of the problem go to the article: String theory: Is dark energy even allowed? For a purely physical approach, read the original article: de Sitter swampland conjecture and the Higgs potential.

Picture credit: Andrew J. Hanson, Indiana University. / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

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Friday, January 4, 2019

Insecurity, fear, and the tools to leave them all behind

Our lives depend on trust; the food we eat and the water we drink supply our survival and well-being. We trust that cars stop at the red light and allow others to pass. Without having faith in others or the system, we become stiff, tense, and suspicious of everything. Overprotected children, as young as 14 months old, grow anxious around strangers.

Danger provokes primal physical reactions, such as sweating, an increased heart rate, and elevated adrenaline levels in the blood, known as the fight-or-flight response. In some cases, anger can spur constructive change, but fear causes paralysis. The sense of dread prevents constructive reasoning, thinking, and the capacity to plan or act. “Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is,” says the German proverb. Fear shoots down every opportunity for help.

The impending instability of fear triggers a constant and futile search for security in the environment. The thoughts of vulnerability kill the likelihood of success. Presenting your story as a failure and hopeless case will manifest itself as a failure in real life. The perceived difficulty can trigger fear and procrastination regarding the subject matter. Inaction is a sure way to cement immobility, indecision, and helplessness.

Trust, like a chandelier, provides a complete, coherent picture. In contrast, fear is like a flashlight; it focuses on a small, highly detailed section of reality. Try to recognize fear in yourself. Whenever fear influences your decisions, take action! As jumping into cold water cures timidity, the most effective way to eliminate fear is to start a meaningful activity. The intimidating and often nervous first step generates familiarity, which is profoundly empowering. Because fear is a paralyzing tightness of pressure, almost any small but decisive action pierces its hold and automatically and instantaneously diminishes the fear response. Defeating fear in this way boosts confidence. Doing this exercise will not only increase your fear resistance but will also reformulate your life.

Abused and neglected dogs can be effectively rehabilitated by introducing a daily feeding and walking schedule. Creating order is a powerful stress eliminator for people, too. Children thrive on the predictability and organization of their lives. Maintaining order in the environment helps balance and calm the mind. Create order in your surroundings by organizing your daily, weekly schedule into a regular, predictable routine, which gives a profoundly empowering sense of control.

Discover more about consciousness by ordering my book, "Emotional Reasoning: Insight into the Conscious Experience."

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Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Breakfast and academic performance in children

Breakfast positively affects learning, behavior and school performance in children, especially at a young age. It provides essential nutrients to keep your energy levels up throughout the day. Iron, B vitamins (folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12) and Vitamin D are approximately 20–60% higher in children who regularly eat breakfast compared with those, who skip it. Studies have shown that eating a meal first thing in the morning decreases hunger throughout the day. Regular breakfast (including ready-to-eat-cereal) reduces the likelihood of being overweight. This occurs because children who do not eat morning meals are less likely to be physically active and have a lower cardiorespiratory fitness level.

The benefits of breakfast were apparent in all children whether they were well-nourished or they were from deprived, undernourished backgrounds. Habitual breakfast (frequency and quality) have a positive impact on children's academic performance with most evident effects on mathematics and arithmetic grades. Read the article

The morning meal is a crucial ingredient for achievement at any age.

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