brain health

Age UK, a British organization that strives to help older people get more out of digital technology, is hoping to win financial support from Google's Global Impact Challenge for what could be a revolutionary idea. It wants to help thousands of people in Great Britain reminisce about their past via the Internet, as a way of teaching them about the value of being online and how it can improve their lives and decrease feelings of isolation. And although the project isn't being touted for this use, it ultimately could also help a vastly larger segment of seniors around the world who have age-related cognitive problems.
Sitting around too much? We all know it's pretty obvious that even mild exercise is good for it. But did you know that such exercise also is good for your brain? Even as little as 150 minutes of moderate activity seems to stave off several forms of dementia. But we bet you knew that. What other ways can we keep our head space trim and fit? So let's test your smarts. POP QUIZ!
Our brains may be one of the last frontiers for explorers of human physiology. The past few years have seen remarkable breakthroughs in understanding how the brain works. New discoveries in the field of neuroscience are helping us understand how and what we perceive and feel, how we learn and store memories and how reasoning and decision making are processed. Here are four new insights:
Two recent photography essays have delved deeply into that most ephemeral yet integral part of ourselves: our memories.
We've all heard the lingo used to describe brain as brawn: flex, workout, mental gymnastics and the like. But doing a bunch of good, old, hard thinking can be great for what is actually going on inside your head. We're not saying you have to do astrophysics or argue over Nitchze in your spare time (though those can be fun), but we do have a series of brain training games that can put your head-space through its paces. Plus, if people think you're wasting time, just say it is for good health. No one says joggers are procrastinating, why should brain games be any different?
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Good news for football moms...and football dads...and football grandparents...and anyone who watches football...and, well, anyone who cares about human life and scientific research. (There must be a category you fit into.)
alissa and nana
This college essay for admission to Cornell University was written by my daughter, Alissa, at the age of 17.
valentine candy
You know how one of your kids surprises you -- in a pleasant sort of way?
I went to every football game my son played in.  That wasn't easy since Tyler played all through high school.  I drove Tyler home after every game.  Not a pretty experience if his team lost or he thought he made a stupid play even if they did win.  Silence the whole ride home.  One time, mid-week, my husband showed up at a game.  Tyler thanked him profusely.  On the way home I said to him, "Honey, I come to every game and you never thank me..."  He turned to me and replied the obvious, "You're a mom - you have to come."  Which apparently was in my job description.
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