That genius is unusual goes without saying. But is it so unusual that it requires the brains of those that possess it to be unusual in others ways, too? A link between artistic genius on the one hand and schizophrenia and manic-depression on the other, is widely debated. However another link, between savant syndrome and autism, is well established. It is, for example, the subject of films such as ‘Rain Man, illustrated above. A study published this week by Patricia Howlin of King’s College, London, reinforces this point. It suggests that as many as 30% of autistic people have some sort of savant-like capability in areas such as calculation or music. Moreover, it is widely acknowledged that some of the symptoms associated with autism, including poor communication skills and an obsession with detail, are also exhibited by many creative types, particularly in the fields of science, engineering, music, drawing and painting. Indeed, there is now a cottage industry in re-interpreting the lives of geniuses in the context of suggestions that they might belong, or have belonged, on the ‘autistic spectrum, as the range of syndromes that include autistic symptoms is now dubbed. So what is the link? And […]
Push-ups, crunches, gyms, personal trainers — people have many strategies for building bigger muscles and stronger bones. But what can one do to build a bigger brain? Meditate. That’s the finding from a group of researchers at UCLA who used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan the brains of people who meditate. In a study published in the journal NeuroImage and currently available online (by subscription), the researchers report that certain regions in the brains of long-term meditators were larger than in a similar control group. Specifically, meditators showed significantly larger volumes of the hippocampus and areas within the orbito-frontal cortex, the thalamus and the inferior temporal gyrus – all regions known for regulating emotions. ‘We know that people who consistently meditate have a singular ability to cultivate positive emotions, retain emotional stability and engage in mindful behavior,’ said Eileen Luders, lead author and a postdoctoral research fellow at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging. ‘The observed differences in brain anatomy might give us a clue why meditators have these exceptional abilities.’ Research has confirmed the beneficial aspects of meditation. In addition to having better focus and control over their emotions, many people who meditate […]
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that they expect to have a health care package before Congress by the end of July. Their aim is to make medical coverage cheaper and more widely available, while reining in costs throughout the $2.5 trillion health care system. The Senate could act even sooner. The insurance and pharmaceutical industries, which helped kill a similar effort championed by the Clinton administration 15 years ago, appear to be on board. Based on discussions with White House aides, congressional sources and health policy experts, here are some of the basic questions about the effort: Q: How much will it cost? A: The current guess is somewhere around $1.2 trillion over 10 years. Q: Where will Washington find the money? A: A number of ways are under discussion. It could be a combination of tax increases - possibly on alcohol, soft drinks and tobacco - and spending cuts in programs like Medicare, where overcharges run into the billions of dollars. A possible revenue target could be the tax-free status of employer-provided health plans. It’s unlikely Congress would eliminate it, but lawmakers could cap […]
ATLANTA — It’s been two months since 2-year-old Cori pulled the gold stud from her left earlobe, and the piercing is threatening to close as her mother, Maggie Anderson, hunts for a replacement. It’s not that the earring was all that rare-but finding the right store has become a quest of Quixotic proportions. Maggie and John Anderson of Chicago vowed four months ago that for one year, they would try to patronize only black-owned businesses. The ‘Empowerment Experiment’ is the reason John had to suffer for hours with a stomach ache and Maggie no longer gets that brand-name lather when she washes her hair. A grocery trip is a 14-mile odyssey. ‘We kind of enjoy the sacrifice because we get to make the point … but I am going without stuff and I am frustrated on a daily basis,’ Maggie Anderson said. ‘It’s like, my people have been here 400 years and we don’t even have a Walgreens to show for it.’ So far, the Andersons have spent hundreds of dollars with black businesses from grocery stores to dry cleaners. But the couple still hasn’t found a mortgage lender, home security system vendor or toy […]
If you exercise to improve your metabolism and prevent diabetes, you may want to avoid antioxidants like vitamins C and E. That is the message of a surprising new look at the body’s reaction to exercise, reported on Monday by researchers in Germany and Boston. Exercise is known to have many beneficial effects on health, including on the body’s sensitivity to insulin. ‘Get more exercise’ is often among the first recommendations given by doctors to people at risk of diabetes. But exercise makes the muscle cells metabolize glucose, by combining its carbon atoms with oxygen and extracting the energy that is released. In the process, some highly reactive oxygen molecules escape and make chemical attacks on anything in sight. These reactive oxygen compounds are known to damage the body’s tissues. The amount of oxidative damage increases with age, and according to one theory of aging it is a major cause of the body’s decline. The body has its own defense system for combating oxidative damage, but it does not always do enough. So antioxidants, which mop up the reactive oxygen compounds, may seem like a logical solution. The researchers, led by Dr. Michael Ristow, […]
Remote Viewing the Year 2060
