Brain mapping is competitive – use it or lose it - “Neurons that fire together, wire together”

“Neurons out of sync, fail to link”

For any brain activity, the optimal neurons are selected (Edelman, 1987 Nobel Prize)

The critical period of NGF/BDNF (brain mapping on steroids) is infancy and early childhood – events and experiences at this time are extremely cognatively deterministic

Excess white noise in infancy triggers an early overload of BDNF which we think results in decreased intelligence and sometimes autism

Autism, essentially, is a human mind that cannot concieve of other human minds

ALC (supplement) somewhat mimics the effects of BNDF via similar reactions in the nucleus basalis

Cocaine lowers the neurological thresholds for pleasure – on its own does very little, but makes everything enjoyable seem much more so

Mania is a state of heightened pleasure and lowered aversion. In this state, we are excited, optimistic, hopeful. Things that normally would bother us, don’t.

Dopamine (pleasure chemical released naturally in our brains) loves novelty.

Orgasm produces oxytocin which promotes cognative reconfiguration, thus promotes pair bonding as a result of sex

Successful cultural assimilation takes one generation (due to childhood criticality)

Youthful neural plasticity transforms into adult crystalline intelligence (starting around the same age as testosterone begins to fall off ~ 25)

Overexposure to TV and video games leads to ADD-like symptoms, which in turn lead to difficulty completing complex tasks

Rousseau (early 1700’s), Condorcet (late 1700’s), Franklin (early 1800’s) and Jefferson (late 1800’s) each expanded on their predecessors contemplation of the human brain’s malleability, essentially concluding it made a perfect cognative state indefinable – an infinately moving, morally relativistic yardstick. The primary limitation on such a personal journey is our inevitable mortality.

Short term memory [and knowledge] fades fast. Repetition over time (rote learning) cultivates new ‘brain maps’ and thus becomes long term memory

REM sleep promotes plasticity (imprints short term memory into long)

Cardiovascular exercise promotes neurogenesis [1] [2]

Learning extends the life of existing neurons

Being physically immobile and in the same environment leads to brain atrophy

To age gracefully - Use your senses (eyes, ears, touch etc) as much as possible, preferably in new ways. Be barefoot wherever possible.

Never stop learning. Try and learn a language – despite the difficulty of crystalline learning, this is an optimal cognative endeavour.

Frank LLoyd Wright designed the Guggenheim (architecturally unique museum in uptown NYC) at age 90.

“Cognative reserve” built by education and (socially/cognatively/physically) challenging activity

Your brain at 20 is like a very fast single core processor. Your brain at 50 is like a slower clocked multithreaded processor with better SNR

Blueberries, raspberries and strawberrys are awesome for many reasons, including those related to neural health

Cardiovascular health (and low blood pressure) strongly linked to brain health