Brilliant Blog

Hello, this is Andreas again, the MD/ PhD student in cognitive neuroscience and new summer intern here. Cognitive health is finally getting more attention by Public officials. On June 10th the National Public Health Road Map to Maintaining Cognitive Health was released by the Alzheimer's Association. The authors propose a set of 44 actions to reach [...]

Very quick post: just want to alert you of 2 news pieces on MCI and Alzheimer's prevention-related research. Frequent Brain Stimulation In Old Age Reduces Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease "The study found a cognitively active person in old age was 2.6 times less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease than a cognitively inactive person in old [...]

Are you seeing all the articles about Brain Fitness in the popular press and wondering, “What is this all about?”, “Can someone help me navigate through all the programs out there?”, “Does this trend present an opportunity or a threat to my company?”. As the leading source of information and education on Brain Fitness, we have [...]

Orli from Neurontic tagged me with a new meme –writing about 8 Random Personal Facts- that is circulating among science bloggers.  Well, I will happily write about 8 facts that appeared in unexpected ways yet, seen with perspective, seem to be a type of non-random randomness, if that makes sense…   As the oldest child, I [...]

Please enjoy this brain teaser compliments of puzzle master Wes Carroll. He found this one in the Mensa publication Number Puzzles for Math Geniuses by Harold Gale.The Empty TriangleQuestion:Which figure should be placed in the empty triangle?This puzzle works your executive functions in your frontal lobes by using your pattern recognition, hypothesis testing, and logic.Click here to read the Answer and Solution.

Hi! I’m Andreas, the new intern at SharpBrains. I’m having a summer break from my MD/PhD program in cognitive neuroscience at Oslo University, Norway. My research group’s recent work on patients with memory complaints has brought to me a really positive impression of brain fitness and its outcomes. This Tuesday Santa Clara University hosted the [...]

We just came across an article titled Best Computer ‘Brain Games’ for Senior Citizens to Delay Alzheimer's Disease. The headline makes little scientific sense-and we observe this confusion often. The article mentions a few programs we have discussed often in this blog, such as Posit Science and MindFit, and others we haven't because we haven't found any published [...]

One of the many Sharp Brains around, who is up to date of everything related to brain health and fitness (yes, Jeanne, that's you! thanks for being such a great bureau chief!) has sent us a very interesting press note on how brain fitness and training can be applied in the sports performance world. I [...]

Human Emotions

A sociological theory

• By Jonathan H. Turner

This major new theoretical work takes existing work on the emotions in significantly new directions. It gives a comprehensive account of emotions, beginning with general sociological principles, moving over important theory construction of social formation and applying this to a detailed and unified 'grand' theory of human emotions.

Presenting a unified view of the emotions in the social universe, the book explores the relationships between emotions, social structure, and culture. Turner hypotheses how social structure and culture affect emotional arousal in humans, and vice versa.

This book is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students researching sociology of emotions, social psychology, and contemporary social theory, and is also relevant for students and researchers working in the fields of psychology and cultural studies.

ISBN: 9780415427814

Published June 21 2007 by Routledge.

There is a great article on some findings from The Brain Fitness in Older Adults (B-fit) study posted at Psych Central: Fitness Training for the Brain.Here are a few key points:As we age, we experience changes in how we perceive the information that our eyes and ears gather from the environment.... This can lead to difficulties in blocking out distracting sights and sounds while still maintaining focus on important information.Early results from a Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center study appear to affirm cognitive benefits as attention training allowed older adults to block out distractions and improve concentration.

Here are a few blog carnivals we recommend checking out: Of course, our own Brain Fitness June Blog CarnivalEncephalon #25 - The Neuroscience and Psychology Blog Carnival.Success and Abundance Mindset Carnival.Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog Carnival #2.Living by Design Blog Carnival No.10.These carnivals have pulled together some top articles on everything from science to life skills to fun things. So, enjoy your reading!

   Welcome to the June 18, 2007 edition of brain fitness. We hope you will enjoy some of the great posts below! We are happy to see a broader interest in the topic since we launched the carnival in January-thanks to everyone involved.   Education and Professional Development Brett Steenbarger presents a great 3-part series titled Trade Like a Scientist- The Scientific [...]

Nature or nurture? well, both of course...but maybe the question itself is leaving out a critical component: our free will and potential to transcend, and influence, both. My wife Lisa and I just came back from a relaxing and stimulating 2-week vacation. One of the highlights was to participate in the opening, at Oslo's Nobel Peace [...]

Bill Gates delivered a very inspiring commencement speech in Harvard last week. I recommend reading the full Remarks of Bill Gates and reflecting on his core message, which may be summarized in its last sentence: "And I hope you will come back here to Harvard 30 years from now and reflect on what you have done with your [...]

Wes Carroll found this one in the Mensa publication Number Puzzles for Math Geniuses by Harold Gale.Tipping the Scales.Question:The top two scales are in perfect balance.How many diamonds will be needed to balance the bottom set?This puzzle works your executive functions in your frontal lobes by using your pattern recognition, hypothesis testing, and logic.Click here to get the Answer.

If you want to live long and strong, you’ve got to do more than work out your body; you’ve got to exercise your brain, insists Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, clinical professor of neurology at New York University School of Medicine. While we’ve heard for years that mental stimulation can stave off dementia and Alzheimer’s, Dr. Goldberg [...]

Brain Fitness TopicsBlog ArticlesSolutions for AdultsSolutions for TradersSolutions for Students The SharpBrains Checklist (short version) The SharpBrains Checklist (detailed version) Our Brief Questionnaire Brain Fitness eGuide Train your Brain Manage Stress and Find "The Zone" Improve your Basketball Game Books Read and Post to our Message BoardsRead and Comment on our Blog    High-tech 'Brain Gyms' Tone Minds, Reduce Stress How Sharp Are Your Brains? Take [...]

We were very happy to discover that Scientific American Mind has highlighted SharpBrains in their June/July 2007 issue!If you are here due to that issue, we'd like to welcome you and show you around a bit. You might enjoy: Our Neuroscience Interview Series in which we interview some of the leading neuroscientists in brain fitness, including: Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg on Brain Fitness Programs and Cognitive Training, Cognitive Simulations for Basketball Game-Intelligence: Interview with Prof. Daniel Gopher, Working Memory Training and RoboMemo: Interview with Dr. Torkel Klingberg, Memory training and attention deficits: interview with Notre Dame's Bradley Gibson, and an upcoming interview with Yaakov Stern, the leading researcher behind the Cognitive Reserve theory

The Role of Formal Features in Second Language Acquisition

• Edited by Juana M. Liceras, Helmut Zobl, Helen Goodluck

This edited volume dealing with formal features in Second Language Acquisition is defined within current generative grammatical theory, such as the Principles and Parameters Theory and the Minimalist Program. Formal features are essential to any account of language acquisiton because they are basic components of lexical and functional categories. This is a subject of much current research as evidenced by the number of published articles in journals and in conference proceedings. This is what the editors say: While L2 acquisition is the focus of our volume, the papers address the role of features in the current versions of generative grammar and explore the role of features for learnability theory as it relates to native and non-native acquisition. To our knowledge, the volume represents the first scholarly contribution specifiacally devoted to features in language acquisition.

There are many generativists in SLA, including our two series editors, Susan Gass and Jacquelyn Schacther. When asked if the formalist bias will be a big detraction, Jacquelyn said, "The formal features book will definitely be formalist in tone, and within the latest framework. But what I see the formalists doing big time is becoming cognitive neuroscientists. This is a good idea, I think because they're forced to deal with psycholinguistics and biological matters, like it or not. And I see that a number of the proposed authors for this volume are in fact working with psychologists and neuroscientists, especially the European authors, of which there are many. And I like the book for ...the expansion beyond SLA to agrammaticism, SLKI, bilingualism, the similarities between SLA and linguistic defects, etc."

ISBN: 9780805853544

Published October 23 2007 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

(These are not trick questions) Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons.... Can you name at least half of them?Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter "S."Click here for the answers.