News in Brain Food This month saw several studies published on potential brain foods. In a pair of studies from Temple University, olive oil was found to be better for short-term memory and symptoms of Alzheimer’s than canola oil—at least in mice. Another showed that children who eat fish twice a week had higher IQ scores and better sleep. Learn more about the benefits of olive oil and fish consumption. We Are All Mutants Recent studies in Science suggest that over the course of life, people can generate more than 2000 mutations in each brain cell. They accumulate over time, with many formed in utero. In infancy, there are about 600 mutations per neuron…but by the time we’re in our 80s, it’s about 2400. Learn more. Global Pollution May Be Hurting Infant Brains The first 1,000 days of life are especially important to brain development. But according to current statistics, almost 17 million infants may be at risk of damaged brain tissue and brain development issues due to pollution. Learn more. How Neurons Connect Neurons connect to each other through synapses. But do they do so randomly, through set patterns, or in another way? According to Dr. Paul King, they “feel, taste, and smell their way to other neurons.” Learn more. The Distinct Evolution of Dopamine A new study suggests that one of the bigger differences in the brains of humans and apes relates to the system that controls the production of dopamine, the “pleasure” chemical. In a multicenter study, the brains of chimpanzees, macaques, and humans were only subtly different…except in a gene in the neocortex. Learn more. If You Missed Our Holiday Special… We are still offering $30 off any new BrainHQ product through the end of the year. It’s a great New Year’s gift to yourself or someone you care about. Shop now for a gift, or buy for yourself. Book of the Month Champions of Illusion: The Science Behind Mind-Boggling Images and Mystifying Brain Puzzles (2017) By Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen Macknik Champions of Illusion, written by neuroscientists from the State University of New York, is a masterpiece of visual tricks—and clear explanations about why our brains play such tricks on us. As specialists in the science of illusion who founded the annual Best Illusion contest, Martinez-Conde and Macknik are uniquely suited to understand and share why our brains perceive illusions incorrectly, and how that might be an evolutionary advantage. Buy from Amazon. |