-
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)
-
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
Your Brain
Published by Harry