Artist or Scientist?

           A true education is when you develop your inborn talents and abilities through learning, experimenting, and practicing. Whether it is medicine or fashion, people who learn and become experts in their field of interest have acquired a true education.  I believe schools in the United States do not follow this model of education and learning. In the United States, educational institutions are geared towards a narrow range of popular, financially rewarding professions. However, not everyone can become a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer. Educational systems are not only   emphasizing sciences and math but also placing a great significance on test taking skills. This does not mean that if someone does poorly on a particular test, then they do not know anything about that subject.  On the contrary, tests do not determine how much a person truly knows. Schools serve the narrow few left-brained, scientifically inclined individuals .The great majority are destined to go through life with a mediocre education, having just a job to support their livelihoods. Education should be served in a more diverse manner and should cater to a wide variety of interests and skills. Schools are offering education however it is their brand of education, which is not necessarily what most kids want to learn.

Laughter: Passing Gas or a Sign of Intelligence?

bbc.com
October 18, 2013
By Anna Lacey
"Peek-A-Boo: A Window on Baby's Brain"

         A baby’s first laugh is the most unforgettable moment in a parent’s life. But what are they laughing at? Babies cannot laugh at something unless they get the joke. Their laughter tells us a great deal of their understanding of the world. Does this mean that the babies that laugh at an early age are intelligent and have a great understanding of the surrounding world? These questions were somewhat answered by Dr. Caspar Addyman, a baby laughter researcher at Birkbeck College in London. According to Dr. Addyman, babies can smile and laugh in response to pleasant feelings, which can be as young as one month old.  He then used laughter to track the babies’ understanding and intelligence at a young age.  Dr. Addyman discovered that when parents play peek-a-boo with a one month old baby, the babies with higher intelligence will not only laugh but also anticipate when their parents will reappear. However, on the other hand, some babies get shocked and startled at peek-a-boo because they believe that not seeing the parent’s face   means that they have actually disappeared. Accordingly, these babies do not get the joke. Peek-a-boo is all about shared communication. There is a potential link between laughter and language development. Children could pick up the rhythm of conversation through playing games and laughter.  

Do You Have a Dirty Brain?

October 17, 2013
By: James Gallagher
bbc.com/health
"Sleep cleans the brain toxins"

         Sleep Deprivation. Nearly all teenagers suffer from it. Homework, texting, and going on the Internet are the major culprits why teenagers do not get enough sleep. Research done by the University of Rochester Medical Center in the United States showed that sleep can clean toxins that build up in the brain during the day. Their studies showed that while a person sleeps, the brain cells   shrink, allowing for gaps to open up between neurons and allow fluids to rush into the brain and “wash” the brain of their neurotoxins. People who do not receive adequate sleep fail to clear away the toxins which can lead to a variety of brain disorders. The part of the brain responsible for this task is the glymphatic system. When a person falls asleep, the rest of the body does too but the brain remains active. The glymphatic system becomes more active when a person is asleep than awake. Other researchers conclude that the activeness of a person’s glymphatic system during sleep is especially crucial for memory and cognitive development. The more toxins build up in the brain, the more difficulty people have memorizing and being able to analyze problems. Also people who have toxin buildup in the brain can be at serious risk for brains disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s later on in their life. The next time you think that pulling an all-nighter will help you the next day, think about what those extra toxins will do to the brain.

Does Size Matter When it Comes to Your Corpus Callosum?

By: Melissa Healy
October 10, 2013
la times.com
"Einstein's Brain a Wonder of Connectedness"

       Is it the size of your corpus callosum that determines how smart you are or do other aspects of your brain also play a role in making you a genius? This old age question was somewhat answered when researchers at the University of Princeton discovered that Albert Einstein had a colossal corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is a network of neural fibers that extends from behind the forehead to the nape of the neck and connects the left hemisphere of the brain to the right. The primary function of the corpus callosum is to carry electrical signals between the brain’s right and left hemispheres. The thicker a person’s corpus callosum is, the more creative they are. Einstein’s corpus callosum was thicker in many sub regions of his brain than a typical young healthy male. When Einstein died, his family gave permission for the removal of his brain for further scientific studies. What they did not know was the great discovery of how his brain functioned. Princeton University took many photographs and documented different aspects of the physicist’s brain. The photographs show  Einstein’s corpus callosum with great accuracy, which led to the determination of how well his corpus callosum  communicated with the parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes. Earlier studies of Einstein’s brain show that his parietal lobes were bigger than those of normal people. Most authors write that different parts of his brain were better connected than an average man his age. Further studies also show that Einstein’s genius was not entirely due to his colossal corpus callosum. Instead, Einstein used some parts of his brain more than a regular person. This included his critical thinking and critical reasoning areas.  This is quite encouraging news for people that have a thin corpus callosum because they can compensate by constantly exercising different parts of their brain to keep their brains active and alert.

 

 

Carte Blanche For War

        On December 8, 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered an emotional and powerful speech to inform the Senate, Cabinet, and the people of the United States that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor without any provocation. With this speech, President Roosevelt convinced the United States that declaring war was the right thing to do and he motivated people to be strong and to prepare for the inevitable. His speech was hopeful, determined, and motivating. The reason why this speech has stood the test of time is because President Roosevelt simply delivered this speech, appealing to the emotions of the listener, by merely stating the obvious facts. Then he appeals to their sense of honor and patriotism to prove his claim. This speech was designed to leave people with no hesitation about declaring war on Japan.  The presentation was concise and to the point.  The facts were placed in a clear and understandable format that prompted Ara to give further explanation about the subject. Unlike other speeches, which are missing one or more rhetorical appeals, this speech seemed to have included all. Besides rhetorical appeals, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt seemed to use almost every literary device in this historical and memorable speech.

Italy's Musical Genius in Parliament?

October 2, 2013
bbc.com
Clemency Burton-Hill
"How Giuseppe Verdi's Music Helped Italy"

        Giuseppe Verdi is a renowned Italian classical composer that has captured the imagination of music lovers for two hundred years. Verdi was a truly great composer. He has written over thirty operas and twenty of them are prominently popular throughout the world. However, Verdi was more than just a phenomenal composer. He was an avid supporter of the Italian unification and worked as a member of Italy’s first Parliament during the 1860’s. Before their unification, Italy was broken up into independent principalities and kingdoms. Verdi worked relentlessly towards Italy’s unification by composing operas with political messages. These messages were designed to resonate with the disenfranchised citizens to sway them into accepting unification. When Verdi passed away in 1901, Italy wept as one. They took to the streets, marching at his funeral procession, and singing his immortal chorus from his famous opera, Va Pensiero. This chorus was the symbol of Italy’s unification in those days. Verdi’s political messages are progressive and are still pertinent today. In most of his operas, the heroes score moral victory over noblemen and sometimes escape the harsh punishment of their superiors. However, he will be remembered as one of the world’s most beloved composers and his music will be performed all over the world for generations.