By Surfdaddy Orca / Source: HPlusMagazine
Neurotechnology is a somewhat daunting term used to describe a wide range of technologies. At MIT, there is a flurry of research dollars going into diagnostic imaging of the brain through methods such as functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), neuropharmacology (drugs, including painkillers and antidepressants, that affect brain and nervous system functioning), enhancements or replacements for sensory or motor systems (cochlear or retinal implants, "smart" prosthetics) and neurostimulation through implanted electrodes to treat diseases such as Parkinson's or to restore mobility to paralyzed patients.
This can be pretty esoteric stuff for a lay reader. But Zack Lynch's new book The Neuro Revolution: How Brain Science Is Changing Our World (St. Martin's Press, July 2009) does an excellent job of laying out the scientific impact of neurotechnology on such diverse areas as financial markets, law enforcement, politics, advertising and marketing, artistic expression, and warfare.
It is written in language that should be comfortable for Wall Street financiers, marketeers, scientists, software developers, artists, theologians, and even poker players -- as well as any reader of popular science interested in where technology is going.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY...
Monday, August 24, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
How Your Brain Can Protect You From Cancer
Source: Pysorg.com
Scientists have been aware for many years that if cancer patients are not able to deal with the stress associated with being sick, the cancer will progress faster than in calmer patients. To counteract this phenomenon, physicians encourage treatments that help cancer patients handle their stress.
Scientists theorized that the stress relief may have come as a result of increased beta-endorphin peptide (BEP), the "feel good" hormones in the brain that are released during exercise, a good conversation, and many other aspects of life that give humans pleasure.
Researchers at Rutgers hypothesized that BEP producing neurons do not just make us feel good, but also play roles in regulating the stress response and immune functions to control tumor growth and progression. In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Dr. Dipak K. Sarkar and his colleagues demonstrate the physical mechanisms that support their hypothesis.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY
Scientists have been aware for many years that if cancer patients are not able to deal with the stress associated with being sick, the cancer will progress faster than in calmer patients. To counteract this phenomenon, physicians encourage treatments that help cancer patients handle their stress.
Scientists theorized that the stress relief may have come as a result of increased beta-endorphin peptide (BEP), the "feel good" hormones in the brain that are released during exercise, a good conversation, and many other aspects of life that give humans pleasure.
Researchers at Rutgers hypothesized that BEP producing neurons do not just make us feel good, but also play roles in regulating the stress response and immune functions to control tumor growth and progression. In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Dr. Dipak K. Sarkar and his colleagues demonstrate the physical mechanisms that support their hypothesis.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Anti-Aging Advice from a 96-year-old Hottie
By Francesca Biller-Safran / Source: Huffington Post
"Don't spend a lot of time with old people, they just make you feel older," my 96-year old grandmother told me at our latest luncheon.
After finishing off a large Caesar Salad and her second glass of Ice Tea, she stood and pointed to her new three inch caramel-colored Ferragamo heels she bought on sale. "Aren't they just darling?" she asked.
"They match my sweater set just perfectly," she said as she skimmed her body like a Miss USA contestant.
This continual zest for life and fun is just one trait that makes my paternal grandma the most youthful and hip person that I know.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY...
"Don't spend a lot of time with old people, they just make you feel older," my 96-year old grandmother told me at our latest luncheon.
After finishing off a large Caesar Salad and her second glass of Ice Tea, she stood and pointed to her new three inch caramel-colored Ferragamo heels she bought on sale. "Aren't they just darling?" she asked.
"They match my sweater set just perfectly," she said as she skimmed her body like a Miss USA contestant.
This continual zest for life and fun is just one trait that makes my paternal grandma the most youthful and hip person that I know.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY...
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Dogs Are As Smart As a 2-year-old Child
Source: UPI
Dogs are as bright as a human toddler, a Canadian canine researcher told the American Psychological Association Saturday.
Stanley Coren of the University of British Columbia, speaking on the topic "How dogs think," said the average dog can understand about 150 words and signs and can practice intentional deceit on dogs and people.
"We all want insight into how our furry companions think, and we want to understand the silly, quirky and apparently irrational behaviors Lassie or Rover demonstrate," Coren said. "Their stunning flashes of brilliance and creativity are reminders that they may not be Einsteins but are sure closer to humans than we thought."
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY...
Dogs are as bright as a human toddler, a Canadian canine researcher told the American Psychological Association Saturday.
Stanley Coren of the University of British Columbia, speaking on the topic "How dogs think," said the average dog can understand about 150 words and signs and can practice intentional deceit on dogs and people.
"We all want insight into how our furry companions think, and we want to understand the silly, quirky and apparently irrational behaviors Lassie or Rover demonstrate," Coren said. "Their stunning flashes of brilliance and creativity are reminders that they may not be Einsteins but are sure closer to humans than we thought."
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY...
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Mind-to-Mind Connection: How to Influence People With Your Mind
By Jim Francis
Source: Real Mind Power Secrets
It has long been suspected that your right cerebral hemisphere, when in the alpha state, operates in a realm where time and space are of no consequence. What you think affects others...... and what others think affects you!
It is rather like the invisible connection between the earth's magnetic field and every magnetic compass on earth. They are interconnected. If the earth's magnetic field were to suddenly shift then every compass in existence would swing in unison. Likewise, if you suddenly move a magnetic compass, or any magnet for that matter, this movement will have a slight effect on the earth's entire magnetic field. Admittedly this would be so small as to be immeasurable but it would still be there.
Similarly, when you have a thought it “twitches” the entire human consciousness "thought field".
Rupert Sheldrake calls this the Morphogenetic Field. Karl Jung called it Collective Unconsciousness.
Jose Silva found a practical method of evoking and controlling this marvelous human ability at will.
The technique, which is amazingly simple, has been developed over the years but to this day more than 99% of the population are unaware of it.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY
Source: Real Mind Power Secrets
It has long been suspected that your right cerebral hemisphere, when in the alpha state, operates in a realm where time and space are of no consequence. What you think affects others...... and what others think affects you!
It is rather like the invisible connection between the earth's magnetic field and every magnetic compass on earth. They are interconnected. If the earth's magnetic field were to suddenly shift then every compass in existence would swing in unison. Likewise, if you suddenly move a magnetic compass, or any magnet for that matter, this movement will have a slight effect on the earth's entire magnetic field. Admittedly this would be so small as to be immeasurable but it would still be there.
Similarly, when you have a thought it “twitches” the entire human consciousness "thought field".
Rupert Sheldrake calls this the Morphogenetic Field. Karl Jung called it Collective Unconsciousness.
Jose Silva found a practical method of evoking and controlling this marvelous human ability at will.
The technique, which is amazingly simple, has been developed over the years but to this day more than 99% of the population are unaware of it.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY
Monday, August 10, 2009
Relax Your Way to Perfect Health
By Anastasia Stephens / Source: The Independent UK
It's a piece of advice that yogis have given for thousands of years: take a deep breath and relax. Watch the tension melt from your muscles and all your niggling worries vanish. Somehow we all know that relaxation is good for us. Now the hard science has caught up – for a comprehensive scientific study showing that deep relaxation changes our bodies on a genetic level has just been published.
What researchers at Harvard Medical School discovered is that, in long-term practitioners of relaxation methods such as yoga and meditation, far more "disease-fighting genes" were active, compared to those who practised no form of relaxation.
In particular, they found genes that protect from disorders such as pain, infertility, high blood pressure and even rheumatoid arthritis were switched on. The changes, say the researchers, were induced by what they call "the relaxation effect", a phenomenon that could be just as powerful as any medical drug but without the side-effects.
"We found that a range of disease-fighting genes were active in the relaxation practitioners that were not active in the control group," explains Dr Herbert Benson, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who led the research.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY...
It's a piece of advice that yogis have given for thousands of years: take a deep breath and relax. Watch the tension melt from your muscles and all your niggling worries vanish. Somehow we all know that relaxation is good for us. Now the hard science has caught up – for a comprehensive scientific study showing that deep relaxation changes our bodies on a genetic level has just been published.
What researchers at Harvard Medical School discovered is that, in long-term practitioners of relaxation methods such as yoga and meditation, far more "disease-fighting genes" were active, compared to those who practised no form of relaxation.
In particular, they found genes that protect from disorders such as pain, infertility, high blood pressure and even rheumatoid arthritis were switched on. The changes, say the researchers, were induced by what they call "the relaxation effect", a phenomenon that could be just as powerful as any medical drug but without the side-effects.
"We found that a range of disease-fighting genes were active in the relaxation practitioners that were not active in the control group," explains Dr Herbert Benson, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who led the research.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY...
Saturday, August 08, 2009
How to Be Happy Right Now
By Urayoan Paz
Author of The Gratitude-Bliss Meditation Handbook
I will ask you a simple question...
DO YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY?
Really, think about it. Do you really want to be happy? Do you deserve to be happy? Are you doing everything in your power to be happy?
Or do you think happiness is something for the wealthy, the good-looking, royalty, and the spiritually advanced?
Well, guess again. I have developed the perfect way for you to be happy. It's called Gratitude-Bliss Meditation.
But first, If you think happiness is not for you then stop reading this report right now. You might not be ready for this powerful technique. But if you are ready for happiness, then read on.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY
Author of The Gratitude-Bliss Meditation Handbook
I will ask you a simple question...
DO YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY?
Really, think about it. Do you really want to be happy? Do you deserve to be happy? Are you doing everything in your power to be happy?
Or do you think happiness is something for the wealthy, the good-looking, royalty, and the spiritually advanced?
Well, guess again. I have developed the perfect way for you to be happy. It's called Gratitude-Bliss Meditation.
But first, If you think happiness is not for you then stop reading this report right now. You might not be ready for this powerful technique. But if you are ready for happiness, then read on.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Did John Lennon Sell His Soul to Satan?
By Margaret C. Galitzin
Book review of The Lennon Prophecy by Joseph Niezgoda
A book by Joseph Niezgoda - The Lennon Prophecy, A New Examination of the Death Clues of the Beatles - makes a good case for John Lennon making a pact with Satan in exchange for fame and fortune.
The author is a first generation Beatle fan, has read every book out on the rock group, and admits conflict with his love of the music and the evil that he perceives surrounds it. His book – a 15-year project - was an effort, he said, to try to define or make sense of that evil.
In fact, this is the book I was always planning to write about the Beatles. Since I threw out my Beatles albums along with the rest of my rock music many years ago, I’ve been gathering facts about the clues and signs of a Satanic link, evidence of camaraderie with occultists and their dabbling with the occult. Believe me, plenty exists.
There is nothing new in the facts Niezgoda presents – they were all out there. He just brings “the clues” – as he calls them – together to make a convincing case of Lennon’s pact with Satan. I believe it’s a valid thesis, although I would go further and say the other Beatles’ also signed the contract. Throughout the book, he certainly implicates the whole group as linked to the occult.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY...
Book review of The Lennon Prophecy by Joseph Niezgoda
A book by Joseph Niezgoda - The Lennon Prophecy, A New Examination of the Death Clues of the Beatles - makes a good case for John Lennon making a pact with Satan in exchange for fame and fortune.
The author is a first generation Beatle fan, has read every book out on the rock group, and admits conflict with his love of the music and the evil that he perceives surrounds it. His book – a 15-year project - was an effort, he said, to try to define or make sense of that evil.
In fact, this is the book I was always planning to write about the Beatles. Since I threw out my Beatles albums along with the rest of my rock music many years ago, I’ve been gathering facts about the clues and signs of a Satanic link, evidence of camaraderie with occultists and their dabbling with the occult. Believe me, plenty exists.
There is nothing new in the facts Niezgoda presents – they were all out there. He just brings “the clues” – as he calls them – together to make a convincing case of Lennon’s pact with Satan. I believe it’s a valid thesis, although I would go further and say the other Beatles’ also signed the contract. Throughout the book, he certainly implicates the whole group as linked to the occult.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY...
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Thinking Fast Can Make You Happy
By Siri Carpenter, Source: Scientific American
Lousy day? Don’t try to think happy thoughts—just think fast. A new study shows that accelerated thinking can improve your mood.
In six experiments, researchers at Princeton and Harvard universities made research participants think quickly by having them generate as many problem-solving ideas (even bad ones) as possible in 10 minutes, read a series of ideas on a computer screen at a brisk pace or watch an I Love Lucy video clip on fast-forward. Other participants performed similar tasks at a relaxed speed.
Results suggested that thinking fast made participants feel more elated, creative and, to a lesser degree, energetic and powerful. Activities that promote fast thinking, then, such as whipping through an easy crossword puzzle or brain-storming quickly about an idea, can boost energy and mood, says psychologist Emily Pronin, the study’s lead author.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY
Lousy day? Don’t try to think happy thoughts—just think fast. A new study shows that accelerated thinking can improve your mood.
In six experiments, researchers at Princeton and Harvard universities made research participants think quickly by having them generate as many problem-solving ideas (even bad ones) as possible in 10 minutes, read a series of ideas on a computer screen at a brisk pace or watch an I Love Lucy video clip on fast-forward. Other participants performed similar tasks at a relaxed speed.
Results suggested that thinking fast made participants feel more elated, creative and, to a lesser degree, energetic and powerful. Activities that promote fast thinking, then, such as whipping through an easy crossword puzzle or brain-storming quickly about an idea, can boost energy and mood, says psychologist Emily Pronin, the study’s lead author.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY
Monday, August 03, 2009
How to Explode Your Confidence
By Steve G. Jones, Clinical Hypnotherapist
Creator of Confidence Beyond Belief
If you are not one hundred percent satisfied with the current status of your life as it is right now in terms of anything including relationships, finances, career, parenting, etc. there is only one thing that you need to assess and that's your decision making process.
You see, our lives are shaped by our experiences and all experiences are the result of a decision.
If you decide to touch a burning stove, the result will be that you get burned. If you decide to jump in a pool of water, the result will be that you get wet.
Sometimes however, the result that we experience from a decision isn't so clearly visible prior to making that decision.
In other words, we think that by making a certain decision, we will achieve a certain result but somehow that result turns into something else. And that's when things get tricky.
And this is why if areas of your life aren't moving along as planned, you must assess your decision making process.
Decisions are driven by two things; the confidence in one's ability to achieve a certain result and more importantly, emotions.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY...
Creator of Confidence Beyond Belief
If you are not one hundred percent satisfied with the current status of your life as it is right now in terms of anything including relationships, finances, career, parenting, etc. there is only one thing that you need to assess and that's your decision making process.
You see, our lives are shaped by our experiences and all experiences are the result of a decision.
If you decide to touch a burning stove, the result will be that you get burned. If you decide to jump in a pool of water, the result will be that you get wet.
Sometimes however, the result that we experience from a decision isn't so clearly visible prior to making that decision.
In other words, we think that by making a certain decision, we will achieve a certain result but somehow that result turns into something else. And that's when things get tricky.
And this is why if areas of your life aren't moving along as planned, you must assess your decision making process.
Decisions are driven by two things; the confidence in one's ability to achieve a certain result and more importantly, emotions.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY...
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