2022 is knocking at our door—and I sincerely hope it is a welcome guest! All of us here at Posit Science wish you and yours a new year filled with good health and joy.
I talked with my co-founder, Dr. Michael Merzenich, the other day. One of his New Year’s resolutions is to do at least 30 minutes of BrainHQ every day. He invented many of the exercises and he generally felt like he had them mastered. But after a year of not using them as often, he decided that more regular use is important for his brain health and cognitive function. He's sharper than a tack and wiser than an owl, but knows there’s only an upside to using BrainHQ!
If you would like to bring in 2022 with a commitment to your brain health, our holiday special has been extended through January 1. If you do not have an annual subscription to BrainHQ, you can subscribe now for $30 off. If you do have a recurring annual subscription, you have the option of purchasing a one-year gift for someone else for $30 off, which also gets you $30 off your next BrainHQ renewal. |
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 Best regards, Jeff Zimman
Co-founder
Posit Science |
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| | | What 10 Minutes Can Do A study conducted in Japan has shown that 10 minutes of moderate running improves mood and executive function (planning, reasoning, decision-making), as measured by standard tests. It’s a small study, but potentially compelling, since the amount of exercise was limited—and perhaps feels achievable for more people. Learn more. |
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Why Does the Brain Use So Much Energy? You may have heard that the brain uses 20% of the body’s overall energy. Previously, scientists thought it might be because our synapses are firing, and we are thinking, feeling, imagining—and that took a lot of energy. But the brains in people in comas use similar amounts of energy. So, what is going on? Find out what a new study suggests. |
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Asthma May Prevent Brain Tumors Several years ago, researchers made a strange connection between asthma and brain tumors: children with brain tumors were much less likely to have asthma than kids in the general population. At first, some thought that was a fluke. But newer research shows it may not be: certain behavior in immune cells called T-cells can cause asthma, but at the same time, might inhibit brain tumors. Learn more. |
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Rudeness Is Contagious Over the great expanse of evolution, our brains developed to respond to threats in a way that would protect ourselves. In our current world, we can interpret someone being very rude about our beliefs or practices as a “threat,” which can put our brains on high alert. In response, we often get more stubborn, defend ourselves, and perhaps even become rude, too. It’s a natural response, perhaps, but one we might do well to control. Learn more. |
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Viagra May Enhance More Than You Thought A recent study on insurance claims from 7 million people showed that those who took Viagra were 69% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. The research team looked at what other medications people were taking (over 1,000 of them), but in the end, Viagra was found to be a common thread among people with fewer cases of dementia. The study authors are careful to remind us that this study was correlative (people who took Viagra also were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s) rather than causative (people did not develop Alzheimer’s specifically because they took Viagra). Learn more. |
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Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness (2021) By Stephen M. Fleming
In Know Thyself, Stephen Fleming, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, posits that to know yourself—to have introspection, to have self-awareness, to think about what you think and do—is unique to the human experience. In understanding yourself, this “metacognition” can enable us to feel what others are thinking, too—which can be key in understanding people who disagree with us, and ultimately, addressing societal conflicts. Learn more. |
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 | | Click to learn more about BrainHQ! |
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