Dr. Robert Sylwester is an educator of educators, having received multiple awards during his long career as a master communicator of the implications of brain science research for education and learning. He is the author of several books and many journal articles, and member of our Scientific Advisory Board. His most recent book is The Adolescent Brain: Reaching for Autonomy
(Corwin Press, 2007). He is an Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Oregon.
I am honored to interview him today.
Alvaro Fernandez: Let's start with that eternal source of debate. What do we know about the respective roles of genes and our environment in brain development?
Robert Sylwester: Genetic and environmental factors both contribute to brain maturation. Genetics probably play a stronger role in the early years, and the environment plays a stronger role in later years. Still the mother's (environmental) use of drugs during the pregnancy could affect the genetics of fetal brain development, and some adult illnesses, such as Huntington's Disease, are genetically triggered.
Nature and nurture both require the significant contributions of the other in most developmental and maintenance functions. We typically think of environmental factors as things that happen to us, over which we have little control.
Can't our own decisions have an effect in our own brain development? For example, what if I choose a career in investment banking, vs. one in journalism or teaching?
We make our own career decisions in life, and most of us make a combination of good and bad decisions, which influence our brain's maturation.
My father was very unusual in his career trajectory in that he worked at one place throughout his entire adult life, and died three months after he retired at 91. I've always thought that it's a good idea to make a change every ten years or so and do something different – either within the same organization or to move to another one.
It's just as good for organizations to have some staff turnover as it is for staff to move to new challenges. The time to leave one position for another is while you and your employer are Continue Reading »
Given the recent James Watson "race and IQ" controversy, I took on to read Stephan Jay Gould's classic book The Mismeasure of Man, in which he debunks IQ (and the underlying "g") as measure of defined, innate, "intelligence". Fascinating reading overall, very technical in some areas.
The key take-away? In the last chapter, A Positive Conclusion, he writes that
- "Flexibility is the hallmark of human evolution...In other mammals, exploration, play and flexibility of behavior are qualities of juveniles, only rarely of adults. We retain not only the anatomical stamp stamp of childhood, but its mental flexibility as well...Humans are learning animals"
He then relates this story from T.H. White's novel The Once and Future King
- God, he recounts, created all animals as embryos and called each before his throne, offering them whatever additions to their anatomy they desired. All opted for specialized adult features-the lion for claws and sharp teeth, the deer for antlers and hoofs. The human embryo stepped forth last and said: Please God, I think that you made me in the shape which I now have for reasons best known to Yourselves and that it would be rude to change. If I am to have my choice, I will stay as I am. I will not alter any of the parts which you gave me...I will stay a defenceless embryo all my life, doing my best to make myself a few feeble implements out of the wood, iron, and the other materials which You have seen fit to put before me.." "Well done", exclaimed the Creator in delighted tone. "Here all you embryos, come here with Continue Reading »
The Dana Foundation kindly sent us a copy of the great book Best of the Brain from Scientific American, a collection of 21 superb articles published previously in Scientific American magazine. A very nicely edited and illustrated book, this is a must for anyone who enjoys learning about the brain and speculating about what the future will bring us.
Some essays, like the ones by Eric Kandel (The New Science of Mind), Fred Gage (Brain, Repair Yourself), Carl Zimmer (The Neurobiology of the Self) and that by Steven Hollon, Michael Thase and John Markowitz (Treating Depression: Pills or Talk), are both intellectual feasts and very relevant to brain fitness. And finally starting to percolate into mainstream consciousness.
Let me quote some quotes and reflections as I was reading the book a couple of days ago, in the courtyard of a beautiful French cafe in Berkeley:
1) On Brain Plasticity (the ability of the brain to rewire itself), Fred Gage says: "Within the past 5 years, however, neuroscientists have discovered that the brain does indeed change throughout life-...The new cells and connections that we and others have documented may provide the extra capacity the brain requires for the variety of challenges that individuals face throughout life. Such plasticity offers a possible mechanism through which the brain might be induced to repair itself after injury or disease. It might even open the prospect of enhancing an already healthy brain's power to think and ability to feel"
2) and How Experience affects Brain Structure: Under the section title "A Brain Workout", Fred Gage says "One of the mot striking aspects of neurogenesis (Note: the creation of new neurons) is that experience can regulate the rate of cell division, the survival of newborn neurons and their ability to integrate into the existing neural circuits...The best way to augment brain function might not involve drugs or cell implants but lifestyle changes."
3) Biology of Mind: Eric Kandel provides a wonderful overview of the most Continue Reading »
We often are told that we offer too much content for you to read given various time pressures... but it is tough for us to write less given the wealth of areas we cover around cognitive and emotional training.
To make your life easier (and please feel free to give us feedback!), what we will do is to offer a Monthly Digest of Most Popular Blog Posts. Today, August 1st, we will list the most popular July posts. Consider it your monthly Brain Exercise Magazine 
(Also, remember that you can subscribe to receive our RSS feed, check our Topics section, and subscribe to our monthly newsletter at the top of this page).
News you can use
Trading performance psychology and self-talk
Stress Management for Lawyers
Mental Training for Gratitude and Altruism
Brain Fitness/ Training Market News
MarketWatch on Beating forgetfulness and boosting the brain
Nintendo BrainAge, Lumosity, Happy Neuron, MyBrainTrainer...
Brain Health through Serious Games and Brain Exercise
Brain Fitness Workshops
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Brain Fitness class at UC Berkeley
Healthy Aging
Interview with Neuroscientist Yaakov Stern: Build Your Cognitive Reserve
Judson Laipply's Dancing Brain
Jack and Elaine LaLanne and Brain Health
Exercise Your Brain! Enjoy Learning!
Attention Deficits
Continue Reading »
A Leap for All Life: World’s Leading Scientists Announce Creation of Encyclopedia of Life (a database of all living things)
Press Release: Biodiversity, Science Communities Unite Behind Epic Effort To Promote Biodiversity, Document All 1.8 Million Named Species on Planet
- WASHINGTON (May 9, 2007) – Many of the world’s leading scientific institutions today announced the launch of the Encyclopedia of Life, an unprecedented global effort to document all 1.8 million named species of animals, plants, and other forms of life on Earth. For the first time in the history of the planet, scientists, students, and citizens will have multi-media access to all known living species, even those that have just been discovered.
- Over the next 10 years, the Encyclopedia of Life will create Internet pages for Continue Reading »
PZ Myers, the VV Cephei of science blogging, is 50 years old today. If you are interested in biology and evolution, give him the birthday present of a visit to Pharyngula!
If you are wondering what VV Cephei means, and how poor mortals view PZ...please enjoy this short clip.
(Thanks to Michelle for the lead to the video)
We hope you are enjoying the growing coverage of Brain Fitness as much as we are. Below you have the Brain Fitness Newsletter we sent a few days ago-you can subscribe to this monthly email update in the box on the right hand side.
In this post, we will briefly cover:
I. Press: see what CBS and Time Magazine are talking about. SharpBrains was introduced in the Birmingham News, Chicago Tribune and in a quick note carried by the American Psychological Association news service.
II. Events: we are outreach partners for the Learning & the Brain conference, which will gather neuroscientists and educators, and for the Dana Foundation’s Brain Awareness Week.
III. Program Reviews: The Wall Street Journal reviewed six different programs for brain exercise and aging, and the one we offer is one of the two winners. A college-level counseling center starts offering our stress management one. And we interview a Notre Dame scientist who has conducted a replication study for the working memory training program for kids with ADD/ ADHD.
IV. New Offerings: we have started to offer two information packages that can be very useful for people who want to better understand this field before they commit to any particular program: learn more about our Brain Fitness 101 guide and Exercise Your Brain DVD.
V. Website and Blog Summary: we revamped our home page and have had a very busy month writing many good articles. We also hosted two “Blog Carnivals”- don’t you want to know what that means?
Continue Reading »
BBC News reports that Brain creates 'new' nerve cells:
- "Researchers have discovered a type of brain cell that continuously regenerates in humans."
- "Experts said the findings, published in Science, opened up the potential for research into repairing brains in conditions such as Alzheimer's disease"
- "Dr Mark Baxter, Wellcome Trust senior research fellow at Oxford University, said: "This study is exciting because it reveals a group of brain cells in the adult human brain that are continuously regenerating."
Two of the best blog carnivals:
And a very informative post via MindHacks on what Singularity is and a technical guide to key terms of transhumanism - "an optimistic movement that seeks to apply current and future scientific discoveries to extending human experience and abilities".
First, here's the new edition of Encephalon hosted by MindHacks.
Second, you can't miss this short clip: Colbert asks Steven Pinker, "How does the brain work...in 5 words or less". Think what you'd answer, while the video uploads...
As brought to our attention by Edge.
In case you can't wait, in reverse order: (patterns in fire cells brain)
