It’s incredible to uncover how our brain works, which once done, huge step for human beings. But still a ton of people who learn their second or third language not at the golden age can utilize the language freely as a native. When set in a place only the second language speaking, you’re pushed to learn and greater and faster improvement are made than only in language courses.

This proves how important it is to look after our babies and give them everything we possibly can to help them become happy adults. I’d like to take a moment to draw attention to Australia’s under-recognised childcare system. It always amazes me that people complain bitterly about the cost of child care, but it is this grossly underpaid industry that can ensure our babies get the best possible care available. Child care workers are highly trained in helping our babies learn, are taught the latest and greatest in cognitive development theory, and some of our babies spend up to a third of their time with carers. I don’t think our society praises these people enough for the great work they do. Child care is not a job for dummies, it’s probably one of the most important jobs out there.

here are some more figures on the critical period of language with colleagues following a discussion we had on this topic this morning and saw that it is in one of Patricia Kuhl’s papers here, if anyone is interested: www.life-slc.org/docs/Kuhl-brainmechanisms2010.pdf. It’s a fascinating article she wrote on this topic for Neuron Review.

This video points out many very current issues with our lack of evolution in the education system. The section on community learning and self teaching reminds me of the ted talks by Sugata Mitra. He portrays self learning as individuals teaching themselves, but also by students teaching students with the direction of a teacher. His studies show that students learn the material faster and retain it for a longer duration when they are actively teaching each other in a communal environment. Here is a link if you are interested. http://www.ted.com/speakers/sugata_mitra.html

If we adapt to be more discriminating, within the existing sea of media, it might help us learn to master our attention spans.

Are children learning how to be discriminating on levels adults (with their ‘comprehensive education’) don’t appreciate or are children truly all at sea?

I know I can’t bear to watch “Horizon” anymore due to its repetitive nature (dumbing-down), but perhaps more information sinks in over the length of a modern “Horizon” in comparison to how much we really took in watching an old-style 1970s version. After all, if we only watch the first and final three minutes of a programme, we probably know the same as we would from watching the full show.

There may be two main functions of an educational system. One is about having a certain set of skills: the ability to multiply or list uses for a paper clip.

The other function is about developing members of a society, teaching people how to get on and interact with each other. This way people know how to use their skills to be successful. So we share stories with the next generation. We transmit culture.

I think this is a useful way to frame the decision-making process: what skills do students need now that the current system doesn’t teach well? And what social values should we be sharing with students that we aren’t now?

Students probably do need to learn more “divergent thinking” skills (problem identification, solution generation, decision-making) and implementation skills. In UK they call these “Enterprise” skills.

As far as the society side of things, I think the system is… continued here: http://www.timwoods.org/2010/12/28/the-innovation-gap-in-public-schools

When conventionally studied, we would never expect electronic games as a form of art. Yet upon further inspection, we cannot deny that modern electronic games contain many elements of what we would traditionally consider an art form. In fact, today’s top rated video games incorporates traditional forms of art, such as music, literary plots, and graphical art.

Video games are becoming so much more than what they were, and better than what other forms of contemporary entertainment has to offer. Where else can you interact with and change the plot of an epic story? Human imagination cannot be expressed more beautifully in the designs of modern games, like Flower, Fallout, and Peter Molyneux’s own Fable franchise (just to name a few good games that alliterate).

One of the largest drawbacks to computers is their ability to interact with us is limited to monitor, projectors, keyboard, mice, etc. all of which are fairly limited in use. Computers themselves know little about us and our actions. Games and experiments like this provide an opportunity for us to learn to create computer systems that CAN interact with us through voice and body language. There is also rudimentary efforts here to allow the system to learn/grow through interaction with us.

In the long run this could be revolutionary in how we interact with computers, having them be able to “talk” to us and understand our movements and actions. Think of the “aware” computers in star trek that you can just talk to and discuss problems with…

In order to reach some of those more difficult goals, steps like this need to be made. It has promise, and may lead to some surprising business applications.

I see a chance for programmers. Instead of programming all variables and conditionals, you could take your car on a trip and learn it to react in a proper way. Best driver in the country programmed into your board computer. Best teachers in the classes, better than any of us and much cheaper. All community of virtual personalities to help our disabilities. Developing this technology for games is only one step in many others to follow. It may begin as a game but I am convinced it does not end there.

The system is a full EEG, and also monitors emotional state and facial expressions. There are already a several users working on lucid dreaming – using the EPOC to pick up the dream state and then pushing stimuli (sounds and flashing lights) to the user so they know they are in the dream state and can take control.

What you describe as a statistical database of ‘pull’ brainwaves in the world is exactly what Walter Benjamin sought to achieve with his ideas on translation. He had a metaphysical concept of words (signifiers) and objects/notions (the signified). It’s been quite a while since I thought about that – I’m glad for the opportunity to ponder potential future manifestations of his vision.

The idea of using pre-defined brainwave patterns (brain) for tasks is much like assigning mouse-gestures (hand) or voice-commands (voice). It wouldn’t matter if a user mapped “monkey doing the salsa” thoughwave to “pull”. Even if the user visualized a monkey doing the salsa, the cube would pull.

This differs from the technologies where, when you think of ‘pull’, the ‘content’ of the brainwave is interpreted, as opposed to the pattern. Is that possible? Given all the languages & interpretations of ‘pull’, can that even be done? Maybe, with a statistical database of ‘pull’ brainwaves in the world! But still, that would be like a voice-recog. software listening to ‘what’ you are saying as opposed to ‘how’ you are saying something.

And the colors thing, did the headset ’see’ what color the user is thinking of? Or are colors mapped to wave patterns too? Means I still can’t show the world my concept-art?!

It is always interesting to see examples on how our minds work and how easy it is to link this behavior to our development and evolution in a logic way.

I believe that there is much truth to the saying: “The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know”
By getting educated you realize both how much knowledge there is in the world and how complex the world is. You realize that if you get a new idea or a theory, it is extremely likely that somebody have got the same idea before you and already tested it. If you never heard of the idea or theory before, it is extremely likely that it was false. Therefore you get in some way also skeptical when other people have ideas. I think therefore that it is not a coincident that skepticism increases with level of education.

Consider the question, “Why, given the fact that human beings have so much potential, so much intelligence… our cultures are so amazingly diverse and creative and our technology so advanced… Why are we committing species suicide by destroying the habitability of our planet?

Shermer’s lucid and highly relevant talk, using the powerful tool of scientific method as a means of examining the characteristics of our own mind and brain, give us a verifiable and objective answer to this question.

That answer is that human awareness is flawed and has become dysfunctional in the modern era. Sherner clearly delineates the nature of those flaws. Once we are aware of this, we can take action to ameliorate the destructive impact of those flaws in our awareness. This is liberation and freedom from ancient bondages and a small chance for our species to pull out of our nosedive before we drill a big hole.

In psychology, memory is an organism’s mental ability to store, retain and recall information. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing the memory. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grZuwo_YlY0

There are several ways to classify memories, based on duration, nature and retrieval of information. A basic and generally accepted classification of memory is based on the duration of memory retention, and identifies three distinct types of memory: sensory memory, short term memory and long term memory.

Memorization is a method of learning that allows an individual to recall information verbatim. Rote learning is the method most often used. Methods of memorizing things have been the subject of much discussion over the years with some writers, such as Cosmos Rossellius using visual alphabets. The spacing effect shows that an individual is more likely to remember a list of items when rehearsal is spaced over an extended period of time. In contrast to this is cramming which is intensive memorization in a short period of time. Also relevant is the Zeigarnik effect which states that people remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed ones.

In March 2007 German researchers found they could use odors to re-activate new memories in the brains of people while they slept and the volunteers remembered better later.

The best way to improve memory seems to be to increase the supply of oxygen to the brain, which may be accomplished with aerobic exercises; walking for three hours each week suffices, as does swimming or bicycle riding. One study found that eating frequently such as five small meals a day promotes a healthy memory by preventing dips in blood glucose, the primary energy source for the brain.

This is a Right Brain vs Left Brain test. Do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CEr2GfGilw

If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa.

Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it. Personally I tried it and I can switch back between clock wise and anti clock wise. I focus on the feet and the shadow to do that.

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS

• uses logic
• detail oriented
• facts rule
• words and language
• present and past
• math and science
• can comprehend
• knowing
• acknowledges
• order/pattern perception
• knows object name
• reality based
• forms strategies
• practical
• safe 

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS

• uses feeling
• “big picture” oriented
• imagination rules
• symbols and images
• present and future
• philosophy & religion
• can “get it” (i.e. meaning)
• believes
• appreciates
• spatial perception
• knows object function
• fantasy based
• presents possibilities
• impetuous
• risk taking

We’re predisposed, as pattern-seeking mammals, to find “causes” for things we can’t explain.This is why we’re all so riveted by stories of any kind – movies, TV shows, novels, theater. These big brains of ours love explication and resolution.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOMqDIXsLm8

We are a pattern seeking species. Through our ability to differentiate similar from dissimilar, we are able to produce complex environments like blogs for example. The language we use on blogs is a complex pattern of symbols, shapes, and sounds which we are able to make sense of through the processes of similar and dissimilar – the processes of visual and auditory discrimination.

If we think back to out tribal ancestors, this ability to form visual and auditory patterns of recognition would have been a survival advantage. Not only would it have helped mankind to be able to progress to more and more complex technological and cultural concepts – but it would have enabled many of our ancestors to survive, literally.

Not only are we pattern seeking animals, we are a species which is honed evolutionary for physical survival. The ancestor who was in the forest at night and saw a shape in the woods with which he/she was unfamiliar, would have probably quickly visually processed if the shape was friend or foe. If the shape could not be quickly identified as a friend, or as something harmless, it would have been advantageous from a survival point of view to assume that the shape was harmful. And as the natural world was distinctly more harmful to human survival than it is now for many of us – the wary individual would have been one who assumed harm.

We Love to be Scared. If you haven’t been inside a haunted house lately, you might be shocked to see how far they have come. The haunted houses of today have animatronics and Hollywood-quality sets and special effects designed to shock you and make you scream. Haunted houses keep trying to one-up each other with the latest technology and special effects.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig9dhC06nwU

When people get scared, their bodies automatically triggers the “fight or flight” response—their heart rates increase, they breathe faster, their muscles tense, and their attention focuses for quick and effective responses to threats.

If the brain knows there is no risk of really being harmed, it experiences this adrenaline rush as enjoyable, Rudd explained. The key to enjoying such thrills lies in knowing how to properly gauge the risk of harm.