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Everything You Wanted To Know About Microdosing (But Were Afraid To Ask) Reading Literature Makes Us Smarter and Nicer. Gregory Currie, a professor of philosophy at the University of Nottingham, recently argued in the New York Times that we ought not to claim that literature improves us as people, because there is no “compelling evidence that suggests that people are morally or socially better for reading Tolstoy” or other great books.

Reading Literature Makes Us Smarter and Nicer

Actually, there is such evidence. Raymond Mar, a psychologist at York University in Canada, and Keith Oatley, a professor emeritus of cognitive psychology at the University of Toronto, reported in studies published in 2006 and 2009 that individuals who often read fiction appear to be better able to understand other people, empathize with them and view the world from their perspective. This link persisted even after the researchers factored in the possibility that more empathetic individuals might choose to read more novels.

(MORE: Oprah as Harvard’s Commencement Speaker Is an Endorsement of Phony Science) None of this is likely to happen when we’re scrolling through TMZ. Word roots: The web's largest root words and prefix directory. Spearmint and Rosemary Extracts Improve Memory. Rosemary for remembrance – at least that’s what the Victorian language of flowers says.

Spearmint and Rosemary Extracts Improve Memory

Now a small study has added weight to that folklore by showing that chemicals in the essential oils of rosemary and spearmint improve learning and memory. Researchers at the University of St Louis found that the higher dose of an antioxidant extract of compounds derived from rosemary was the most powerful in improving memory and learning in animals across three tested behaviours. A lower dose of rosemary extract improved memory in two of the behavioural tests, as did a compound made from spearmint extract.

Further, there were signs of reduced oxidative stress, which is considered a hallmark of age-related decline, in the part of the brain that controls learning and memory. Good Results in Humans Too The research was supported by the VA Medical Center in St. That doesn’t necessarily mean the findings are suspect. Get daily health tips and inspiration straight to your inbox! Join Us! Psychologists Identify the Best Ways to Study. Education generally focuses on what you study, such as algebra, the elements of the periodic table or how to conjugate verbs.

Psychologists Identify the Best Ways to Study

But learning how to study can be just as important, with lifelong benefits. It can teach you to pick up knowledge faster and more efficiently and allow you to retain information for years rather than days. Cognitive and educational psychologists have developed and evaluated numerous techniques, ranging from rereading to summarizing to self-testing, for more than 100 years. Some common strategies markedly improve student achievement, whereas others are time-consuming and ineffective. Yet this information is not making its way into the classroom. Select an option below: Customer Sign In *You must have purchased this issue or have a qualifying subscription to access this content.

Spizzik comments on According to Lumosity I am a very special snowflake when it comes to memorization... 120 Ways to Boost Your Brain Power. Here are 120 things you can do starting today to help you think faster, improve memory, comprehend information better and unleash your brain’s full potential.

120 Ways to Boost Your Brain Power

Solve puzzles and brainteasers.Cultivate ambidexterity. Use your non-dominant hand to brush your teeth, comb your hair or use the mouse. Write with both hands simultaneously. Switch hands for knife and fork.Embrace ambiguity. Learn to enjoy things like paradoxes and optical illusions.Learn mind mapping.Block one or more senses. Readers’ Contributions Dance! Contribute your own tip! There are many, many ways to keep our brains sharp. How to Memorize Verbatim Text.

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How to Memorize Verbatim Text

Thanks! Memorizing does not have to be as hard as most people make it. The problem is that most people only know how to memorize by reading the same thing over and over again. You have to learn to memorize. In this post we are going to look at how the brain remembers and then show how to use that knowledge to come up with a method for memorizing verbatim text. In this article we are going to focus on a technique that will let you easily: Memorize a speechMemorize the BibleMemorize linesMemorize Scripture At the end of this article is a Javascript tool that makes it easy to implement this method. g3Bsbhs.jpg (600×845) Consciousness Evolution. Logic Problems - Easy.