Learning Mind: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Learning Mind: new post

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 07:45 AM PST

It looks like quackery, but it is a medical phenomenon. A person that is 100% blind goes through a labyrinth with obstacles. Without hearing or touching anything. The patient says that he knew intuitively where to step. Scientists explain that it is a specific form of sight, working in subconscious level.

A 56-year-old resident of Burundi, known as "TN" suffers from blindness provoked by two strokes which have completely destroyed the visual cortex in both hemispheres, although other parts of the brain remained almost intact. TN's eyes are healthy and continue to send signals to the brain.

Scientists have long known a phenomenon of the so-called blindsight, observed in patients with similar brain disorder. In experiments with a strictly controlled environment people respond to visual stimuli although they can't see anything.

Scientists claim that the phenomenon of blindsight has to do with a simple processing of visual information outside the visual cortex, and the signals involve certain hardly used areas of the brain.

The ability of TN has long attracted the attention of researchers. In 2004 Alan Pegna from the University Hospital of Geneva (Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève) made an experiment which showed that TN can distinguish emotional expressions of people without perceiving them visually (so in his brain there was only a “black screen”).

This time together with Beatrice de Gelder from the Tilburg University and a number of colleagues from different countries Alan has asked TN to put aside his walking stick and try to go through a corridor. The blind man has perfectly gone through it, avoiding the wall and a variety of small objects scattered on the floor. TN was looking down. He saw nothing consciously, but with the help of some sense could recognize the obstacles.

Perhaps it is echolocation? Echoes of the steps and even of his own breath might tell him where the objects are. But that is not the answer. In fact echolocation doesn't work well with small objects. In other words, maybe it would help TN avoid the wall, but not a book lying on the floor.

Researchers say that it is an “ancient” form of sight, similar to some other cases when we act in obedience with unconscious motive without analyzing them.

In some cases these behavioral responses may be associated with visual sensations, but not those that the visual cortex shows to our consciousness like “on the screen”.

According to Pegna, TN shows a keen interest in the study of himself and really wants to help scientists understand the phenomenon of the blindsight. Perhaps in future this knowledge will help other blind people with similar diagnosis.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Learning Mind: new post

Possible to read each other’s minds, say scientists

Posted: 25 Feb 2012 06:12 PM PST

Researchers from the University of Technology in Sydney, led by Dr Trisha Stratford have found out that some couples are so harmonious that their brain starts working "on the same wavelength". This is the first scientific confirmation of the existence of the so-called sixth sense or telepathy in particular.

Many of us have ever had a feeling that someone is literally reading our thoughts or that you are reading someone's mind. Especially it often happens in couples or between “eternal” friends.

Scientists have found evidence that people in harmonious couples really start thinking in sync. These data were derived from observations of brain activity in patients and psychologists during therapy sessions.

During the experiment the research team has ascertained similarity of the brain activity model of partners-volunteers who had reached a state in which their nervous system was pulsating almost coherently, helping them to recognize each other's thoughts and emotions.

Scientists believe that their findings shed light on the behavior of couples, close friends and family members. Psychologists have long known that in some couples people learn to think like their partner – they know what he is thinking about or what he is going to say. It has been believed that it has to do with habit, because if you observe a person for many years you get an idea of how he is gonna react and what he is gonna say.

But the researchers from Sydney have shown that it is not the habit but the activity of the brain and the nervous system. They were observing a group of 30 pairs of patients and psychologists. Scientists have identified the critical moment when the nervous system was beginning to act in sync while their brain was working in altered state of consciousness.

“That was the point when the sixth sense "switches on" and people can read each other’s thoughts. – said Dr. Stratford – The parts of the brain that control the nervous system begin to work at the same pace.“

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Learning Mind: new post

Tricks for memorizing and remembering things

Posted: 22 Feb 2012 04:33 PM PST

What is the biggest problem you face with your memory? Of course it is a recollection of a moment. There are many techniques that help improve memory but you won't remember them at the moment when they may be necessary only if these methods don't become a habit. So, when you learn some new techniques work them until they become automatic. Here are some ways to do it in a better way.

Use your imagination

Once at an event all guests were invited to visit a room for a minute, and then to get out and to write by memory all the 15 subjects that were there. Most people managed to remember from 5 to 8 subjects. But there was a boy who remembered all the 15 subjects.

Later it was found out how he won. His father had taught him a simple method of tying two subjects. For example, you want to memorize a list of the following items: soap, milk, honey, fork, flowers.

Compose a vivid story in your imagination, adding each item one by one: in the bathroom you are going to wash your hands. First of all, you take soap and wash your hands with milk instead of water. Then using fork you comb your hair and put some honey on it, and finally you pick up a bouquet of flowers and smile in the mirror. With the help of such an odd 'film' you will remember it even the day after.

Some other memory tricks

Many of us have problem with remembering people's names. So, when you hear someone's name for the first time tell yourself: “Remember that!” Your subconscious will set this information as more important. And it will be much easier for you to remember it.

If you know what you memorize it for, it will be much easier to remember it. Think on how this person may be useful for you in future and link it to some special feature you noticed about him. The importance of information and the association you created will really help you remember the person's name next time you meet him.

There are many similar memory tricks. But the point is to practice them. So if you want to improve your memory and achieve good results start right now!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Learning Mind: new post

Perseverance in achieving success

Posted: 16 Feb 2012 01:28 PM PST

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.

Dale Carnegie

Perseverance is one of the key qualities that you need to reach success. Really, perseverance is a great tool to use, which doesn't require neither college education nor training of any kind.

Persistence almost always leads to success. No matter what area your goals have to do with, but if you persevere, you will succeed.

In fact, your persistence has helped you learn to walk, to talk, to write. And you have succeeded in this.

You may be active, but it doesn’t mean that you move forward. If you don't move forward, you will not achieve success. Remember when you learned to ride a bike. Most of us made many attempts to obtain the skills of riding a bicycle, but we showed perseverance, which led us to success, and we learned to ride a bike.

The key means to develop perseverance is doing small steps, resulting in small achievement. Small achievements form a big success. Think about creating a puzzle: you add part by part and finally get the final image.

Persistence usually means learning something new in order to achieve the main goal. Always invest in your knowledge as it will assist you in moving forward and exploring new areas to succeed.

The way to success can't be without failures. The most important thing is to learn from these failures and to continue moving forward. Do not give up. Take the necessary lesson, and move on toward success.

The key to success in any field is to continue making efforts to achieve your goal even if you haven't managed to do it from the first time.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Learning Mind: new post

What does love do to our brain?

Posted: 14 Feb 2012 05:31 AM PST

Today is the St. Valentine Day, so I decided to write a post on the most universal and timely topic not only of today but of all the times… Have you ever wondered what exactly is occurring in our brain and body when we are in love?

Despite the complexity of love as an emotion only a few particular areas of the brain are activated in a person in love. This is a conclusion of experts from the University College in London who have been studying data received with the help of the magnetic resonance imaging of the brain of people, who were viewing pictures of their loved ones.

Being in love was a required condition for the experiment. Duration of monogamous relationship of all the participants ranged from 4 months to 23 years. The experiment was attended by 24 volunteers aged 19 to 47 years, 12 men and 12 women (6 heterosexuals and 6 homosexuals from each sex).

At the beginning all the volunteers rated their sexual orientation on a scale from 0 (which meant total heterosexuality) to 6 (total homosexuality). 12 of 24 people admitted being 100% heterosexual or homosexual. Others admitted some degree of bisexuality, regardless of the type of their relationship. In addition, volunteers answered questions from a special questionnaire designed to estimate the intensity of romantic feelings.

The results of the magnetic resonance imaging showed that the brains of volunteers responded to the photos of their loved ones in a similar way. At the same time both cortex and subcortical structures were activated. The most active areas were those producing dopamine. It is known that the effects of this hormone are closely connected with those of oxytocin and serotonin. All these substances play an important role in the regulation of emotions and particularly in maintaining good relations with people.

Previously some researchers had noted differences in the brain of homosexuals and heterosexuals, which manifested, for example, in the size of hypothalamus and in the degree of asymmetry of the hemispheres. However, those studies have been devoted exclusively to sexual attitudes, rather than to the romantic side of love.

Researchers have also found out that when looking at the loved one's face many parts of the brain were disabled. Among these were the areas in the temporal, parietal and frontal cortex that are associated with critical thinking. Perhaps that is why it's hard for a person in love to objectively evaluate the object of his love…

How does Mozart’s music affect the brain?

Posted: 13 Feb 2012 11:34 AM PST

Frances Rauscher, a neuroscientist from the University of Wisconsin discovered an unusual effect of Mozart's music on people's physiology in 1993. Listening to the "Sonata in C Major for Two Pianos" was improving mental abilities of students – they were showing better performance on tests.

Some other experiments have also shown positive impact of Mozart's music on the brain activity. However, until now scientists have been arguing whether it is just a consequence of a good mood caused by Mozart's harmonic melodies or is a result of more profound physiological processes, which are somehow related to the particularities of this music.

Recently Rauscher has announced the results of new studies on the Mozart effect. This time music was given to rats, which were to perform various tasks on memory and intelligence. It is logical that rats would hardly appreciate the beauty of classical music. However, just like in the case of experiments with humans, Mozart's music has greatly improved the ability of animals to perform tasks.

At the same time the scientist not only checked the progress in their task performance but also "looked into" their brains. He found out that Mozart's music had affected the activity of certain genes and the production of several proteins responsible for memory and attention. To compare the results of his experiment, Rauscher has examined the same parameters in rats that instead of music were given an equivalent amount of the “white noise”.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Learning Mind: new post

Ten secrets to success of Albert Einstein

Posted: 12 Feb 2012 10:49 AM PST

An outstanding scientist and insightful philosopher Albert Einstein has made his brilliant discoveries not only with the help of existing knowledge, but also thanks to his inner voice and a power of his imagination. Einstein never believed in impossibility of anything and followed his own secrets of success. Here are some of them.

1. A person who has never made a mistake has never tried to do something new.

The fear of mistake stops many of us at the moment of making an important decision. Sometimes such a decision can change all our life. And someone who dares knows that it's better to regret something you have done than something you haven’t done.

2. Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.

We remember only what we have learned by ourselves. Over years our memory erases everything we have learned at school. But the things we learned by our personal experience remain with us forever. An excellent education is still given only at the universities of life.

3. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledgeis limited toall we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world.

Our beliefs and views are often a trap, limiting our abilities. The only knowledge that can promote you on the way of development is knowing that the imagination is capable of anything. And what is possible in our imagination is possible in reality.

4. The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.

We all have our own sources of inspiration. Someone likes reading the success stories of outstanding people, someone else gets new ideas in dreams or in nature. But the point is to protect your muse from others. Remember that your ideas should look unique.

5. A man’s real worth is determined by what he gives to the world and not by what he can achieve.

The true purpose of your life has to serve not only to you. Chasing goals that make the world better is what has always aspired the greatest minds of humanity. Creation and introduction of values takes us to a new level of development.

6. There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.

The belief in miracles inspires us and fills our life with energy. The ability to see magic in the most simple and natural things makes you enjoy life and be happy with what you have.

At the same time, the belief that miracles do not happen opens you unlimited opportunities for self-realization because you know that there are no obstacles on the way to achieve the desired.

7. When I examine myself and my way of thinking, I come to the conclusion that the gift of imagination and fantasy meant more to me than any ability to think abstractly.

What can be born in our imagination can be embodied in our lives. Creative thinking and visualization of the desired are a way to begin the realization of your dreams.

As a business consultant Brian Tracy said, all successful men and women are big dreamers. They clearly imagine what they want to achieve in future and start working with a sole purpose of making their dream reality.

8. To become a perfect member of the flock, we must first of all be a sheep.

In order to achieve a result, it is necessary to act. If you want to become an entrepreneur you need to throw away all your doubts.

9. Need to learn the rules of the game. And then, you need to start playing better than anyone.

Even a great man is just a man. All successful leaders started as followers. The first step on the road to success is imitation. Start doing what all the great people do, become a follower of them, learn the rules they follow, and constantly improve yourself. Thus you will surely reach success and prosperity.

10. It is important not to stop questioning. Curiosity is not accidentally given to a person.

Curiosity and lack of fear of criticism is what distinguishes bright people. They constantly ask questions and are not afraid of looking silly or ridiculous. Many questions are the answers themselves. We have all the answers inside. Ask yourself and others, and you can always find the right solution.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Learning Mind: new post

Tips on how to learn a foreign language easily and quickly

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 01:45 PM PST

Today there are many ways to learn a foreign language quickly. Here are the most effective ones. Language environment The easiest and fastest way to learn a foreign language is to learn it in its natural environment. Everyday situational communication in a foreign language in all spheres of life is [...]

Friday, February 10, 2012

Learning Mind: new post

Higher civilizations might live inside black holes

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 03:52 PM PST

Russian scientists have concluded that highly developed extraterrestrial civilizations might live inside black holes. Senior Fellow at the Moscow Institute of Nuclear Research Vyacheslav Dokuchaev explained that black holes are the remnants of massive stars. The fact is that when a star goes out, [...]

Insomnia eats the brain

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 08:38 AM PST

A study of Dutch researchers has shown that chronic insomnia may reduce the volume of the gray matter. Chronic and acute stress associated with depression and post-traumatic disorders affects the brain regions such as the lingual gyrus and the hippocampus, responsible for the storage of [...]

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Learning Mind: new post

5 basic personal qualities of successful people

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 07:21 AM PST

Confidence. This characteristic is one of the most important. A confident person has persistence which is indispensable for success. After all, if you insist and move to your goal you will surely reach it. Listen to your heart and trust your instincts. Don't give up after the first failure, try to get it over and start again.

Awareness of oneself. Any person who strives for success should realize what he actually is and what he is capable of. He knows exactly what his strong and weak sides are. He clearly knows what he wantsand he is confident on the way to his goal, even if he is the only one who believes in this goal. Such a person has rich imagination, which helps him to have many brilliant ideas and to think various ways on how to achieve his goal.

Optimism. A successful person should have optimism. Without this quality all the ideas lose their meaning and become difficult to implement. Positive thinking helps to achieve great results. Remember it and don't give up in any situation. It will also help to easily take critics of others without getting upset with any negative comment. After all, the ability not to despair and to keep peace of mind will help to overcome any doubts and avoid failure.

Concentration. The point is to be able to focus on one task and to complete it. Don't grasp everything at once. Any projects that distract you from the main task have to wait. Learn how to improve your concentration (exercises and tips).

Passion for one's work. The point is to love your work and be passionate about what you do. You should have a desire to dedicate time and to put effort into your work. You can draw up a detailed plan of required tasks, but without passion and dedication it's impossible to reach success.

5 tips for everyday brain training

Posted: 06 Feb 2012 02:47 PM PST

The human brain is a very delicate and complex mechanism that requires systematic training. You can improve your brain's abilities with the help of different exercises and techniques which don't require much time and can be done at any place. Here are 5 simple tips for everyday brain training:

1. As less as possible act “mechanically“. Try to change subliminal movements by giving free rein to your imagination and creativity when choosing the best solution for a task.

2. Do usual routine things in unusual way. For example, you can brush your teeth with your left hand or with your right one if you are left handed. Try to use a computer mouse with your "other" hand. Of course it will be unusual and uncomfortable, but after some time you will notice that there is nothing difficult in it.

3. Experts recommend to learn several unfamiliar words of your mother tongue every day. It improves memory and makes your vocabulary more sophisticated.

4. Try to pay more attention to expanding your vocabulary in foreign languages, learn two or three words every day. It will help you not only to exercise your brain but also to get rid of language barrier.

5. Solve crossword puzzles and Sudoku. These tasks encourage great activity of the cerebellum, which stimulates our ability to think faster by quick finding answers to various complex problems.

2/7 ScienceDaily: Space & Time News

ScienceDaily: Space & Time News

High-precision map of Milky Way's magnetic fields charted

February 3, 2012 at 9:15 PM

Scientists have pooled their radio observations into a database, producing the highest precision map to date of the magnetic field within our own Milky Way galaxy.

Classic portrait of a barred spiral galaxy

February 3, 2012 at 4:24 PM

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has taken a picture of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1073, which is found in the constellation of Cetus (The Sea Monster). Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is a similar barred spiral, and the study of galaxies such as NGC 1073 helps astronomers learn more about our celestial home.

Surface of Mars an unlikely place for life after 600-million-year drought, say scientists

February 3, 2012 at 4:20 PM

Mars may have been arid for more than 600 million years, making it too hostile for any life to survive on the planet's surface, according to researchers who have been carrying out the painstaking task of analyzing individual particles of Martian soil.

Stellar astrophysics: The discovery of deceleration

February 2, 2012 at 10:14 PM

Pulsars are among the most exotic celestial bodies known. They have diameters of about 20 kilometres, but at the same time roughly the mass of our sun. A sugar-cube sized piece of its ultra-compact matter on Earth would weigh hundreds of millions of tons. A sub-class of them, known as millisecond pulsars, spin up to several hundred times per second around their own axes. Previous studies reached the paradoxical conclusion that some millisecond pulsars are older than the universe itself.

New super-Earth detected within the habitable zone of a nearby cool star

February 2, 2012 at 10:14 PM

Sientists have discovered a potentially habitable super-Earth orbiting a nearby star. The star is a member of a triple star system and has a different makeup than our Sun, being relatively lacking in metallic elements. This discovery demonstrates that habitable planets could form in a greater variety of environments than previously believed.

Millisecond pulsar paradox: Stellar astrophysics helps explain behavior of fast rotating neutron stars in binary systems

February 2, 2012 at 10:14 PM

Pulsars are among the most exotic celestial bodies known. They have diameters of about 20 kilometers, but at the same time roughly the mass of our sun. A sugar-cube sized piece of its ultra-compact matter on Earth would weigh hundreds of millions of tons. A sub-class of them, known as millisecond pulsars, spin up to several hundred times per second around their own axes. Previous studies reached the paradoxical conclusion that some millisecond pulsars are older than the universe itself. Now this paradox may be solved by computer simulations, new research shows.

Hubble zooms in on a magnified galaxy

February 2, 2012 at 10:08 PM

Astronomers aimed Hubble at one of the most striking examples of gravitational lensing, a nearly 90-degree arc of light in the galaxy cluster RCS2 032727-132623. Hubble's view of the distant background galaxy, which lies nearly 10 billion light-years away, is significantly more detailed than could ever be achieved without the help of the gravitational lens.