Incorporating the arts — rapping, dancing, drawing — into science lessons can help low-achieving students retain more knowledge and possibly help students of all ability levels be more creative in their learning, finds a new study by Johns Hopkins University. Continue reading “Singing for science: How the arts can help students who struggle most”
Three ways studying organic chemistry changes the brain
Academic learning is about gaining new knowledge and skill, but only recently has it been possible to see new knowledge appear in a human brain. Continue reading “Three ways studying organic chemistry changes the brain”
Music captivates listeners and synchronizes their brainwaves
Music has the ability to captivate us; when listeners engage with music, they follow its sounds closely, connecting to what they hear in an affective and invested way. But what is it about music that keeps the audience engaged? A study by researchers from The City College of New York and the University of Arkansas charts new ground in understanding the neural responses to music. Continue reading “Music captivates listeners and synchronizes their brainwaves”
Smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity each linked to unhealthy brains
Factors that influence the health of our blood vessels, such as smoking, high blood and pulse pressures, obesity and diabetes, are linked to less healthy brains, according to research published in the European Heart Journal. Continue reading “Smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity each linked to unhealthy brains”
Genetic factors influence human brain expansion
An analysis published in JNeurosci of brain scans from more than 600 children and adolescents reveals genetically-mediated associations between the size of evolutionarily novel brain regions and intelligence test scores. Genetic influences on the brain follow the patterns of evolutionary expansion of the human brain relative to nonhuman primates. Continue reading “Genetic factors influence human brain expansion”
Smoking and alcohol: Double trouble for the brain?
Along with many other harmful health consequences, smoking tobacco causes chemical changes, oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain. Excessive alcohol use can have similar effects. Surprisingly, however, very few studies have examined the combined impact of smoking and alcohol on the brain. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Chemical Neuroscience have shown that in rats, the joint use of tobacco and alcohol could increase neural damage in particular brain regions. Continue reading “Smoking and alcohol: Double trouble for the brain?”
Novo Scriptorium 