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An afternoon nap markedly boosts the brain’s learning capacity
If you see a student dozing in the library or a co-worker catching 40 winks in her cubicle, don’t roll your eyes. New research from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that an hour’s nap can dramatically boost and restore your brain power. Indeed, the findings suggest that a biphasic sleep schedule not only refreshes the mind, but can make you smarter. Students who napped (green column) did markedly better in memorizing tests than their no-nap counterparts. (Courtesy of Matthew Walker)
Main page Studying for better retention and better grades There are 3 memory processes that affect our ability to understand, store and retrieve information. Each can improve with practice.
Studying for better retention and better grades
Seven Speaking Tips That Beat “Pretend Your Audience Is Naked"
Aggh. Everyone showed up clothed! Once upon a time, I suffered from glossophobia. This affliction touches billions. It's the fear of public speaking , even to a tiny group.
Listen to an interview with Rob Cross. One of the happiest, most successful executives we know is a woman named Deb. She works at a major technology company and runs a global business unit that has more than 7,000 employees. When you ask her how she rose to the top and why she enjoys her job, her answer is simple: people. She points to her boss, the CEO, a mentor who “always has her back”; Steve, the head of a complementary business, with whom she has monthly brainstorming lunches and occasional gripe sessions; and Tom, a protégé to whom she has delegated responsibility for a large portion of her division. Outside the company, Deb’s circle includes her counterparts in three strategic partnerships, who inspire her with new ideas; Sheila, a former colleague, now in a different industry, who gives her candid feedback; and her husband, Bob, an executive at a philanthropic organization.
Managing Yourself: A Smarter Way to Network
Following the death of Napster, all of the file sharing networks that rose to main-stream popularity were decentralized. The most popular networks include Gnutella (which powers Limewire, BearShare, and Morpheus) and FastTrack (which powers KaZaA and Grokster). The decentralization provides legal protection for the companies that distribute the software, since they do not have to run any component of the network themselves: once you get the software, you become part of the network, and the network could survive even if the parent company disappears. All of these networks operate as a web or mesh of neighboring node connections.
File Sharing
In a day and age where presidential candidates think that wanting to go to college makes you a snob and people listen to celebrities over scientists about the safety of life-saving vaccines, it often seems as if critical thinking is a long lost art. To help educate a new generation of skeptics, Australian firm Bridge 8 and animator James Hutson created a series of six short videos that introduce the viewer to the basic principles of logic and a clever and engaging way. Although this will not take the place of a college class, for school age children, these videos are a must see.
"Logic" explained
12 Rules for Life
Sometimes we just need to remember what the 12 Rules of Life really are: 1. Never give yourself a haircut after three margaritas. 2. You need only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40.
Lesson 1186
Yes, it's only September 30th today, but I figured you should get at least a day to plan for Sages' Day, right? Years ago in college, I was abroad for April Fools' Day, so I belatedly celebrated it with October Fools' Day by kidnapping a friend's guinea pig and taking pictures with it in a casserole dish as I held a knife over it and placed it in a microwave. I wish I'd gone for Sages' Day, now, though. Guess it's time to make up for it! Two quick notes: major thanks to everyone who helped transcribe all the past STW!unlock brainpower
Zimmer: There is a lot of work lately in understanding how perception translates into action, making sense of what goes on when we make a decision to do something. Wang: Some neuroscientists who are studying these processes are interested in the idea that perhaps you could have a brain center that gathers evidence and reaches a threshold for making a commitment. There might be another brain center that expresses confidence in the decision or even the very awareness of the decision. Here’s an example that many of you may have encountered from everyday life. You may be presented with a dilemma—say, whether to take a job in a new city. The pioneering psychologist Amos Tversky once did an informal survey over a period of years, asking people how confident they were that they were going to take such a job offer.
This wiki is a collaborative environment for exploring ways to become a better thinker. Topics that can be explored here include MemoryTechnique s, MentalMath , CriticalThinking , BrainStorming , ShorthandSystem s, NotebookSystem s, and SmartDrug s. Other relevant topics are also welcome.
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