8.31.2009
MultiTasking Cognitive Dissonance
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This may explain why it is difficult to work on several projects simultaneously and what happens if the majority of focus (for example, 80-90%) is not placed on a singular activity. According to Stanford researchers in this NY Times piece, if effort is load-balanced at 33.333 percent for each of 3 simultaneous activities, the result is mediocre, compared with 90-5-5. Probably, a key to success in any endeavor is the concept of 'towering competence' obtained through extensive practice and research, rather than mere 'luck'. The findings contradicted the original hypothesis of the scientists but provide further support for the idea of the 'expert' who is made, not born.
Labels: multitasking
// posted by neurofuture10:12 AM permanent link
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tags: help build archive | brain games | more brain games 
8.29.2009
What's a parsec?
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It's not just Fiction...
1 Parsec = 3.08568025 × 1016 meters
MCCOY: You're out of your Vulcan mind, Spock!
KIRK: How close will we come to the nearest Klingon outpost on our present course?
CHEKOV: One parsec, sir. Close enough to smell them!
SPOCK: That is illogical, ensign. Odors cannot travel through the vacuum of space.
CHEKOV: I was making a little joke, sir.
SPOCK: Very little.
KIRK: One of the advantages of being a captain, Doctor, is being able to ask for advice without necessarily having to take it.
KIRK: Now you're starting to sound like Spock.
MCCOY: If you're gonna get nasty, I'm gonna leave.
The parsec is a unit of length, equal to just under 31 trillion kilometres, or about 3.26 lt-years. The parsec is defined as the length of the adjacent side of an imaginary rt. triangle..now you know
1 Parsec = 3.08568025 × 1016 meters
MCCOY: You're out of your Vulcan mind, Spock!
KIRK: How close will we come to the nearest Klingon outpost on our present course?
CHEKOV: One parsec, sir. Close enough to smell them!
SPOCK: That is illogical, ensign. Odors cannot travel through the vacuum of space.
CHEKOV: I was making a little joke, sir.
SPOCK: Very little.
KIRK: One of the advantages of being a captain, Doctor, is being able to ask for advice without necessarily having to take it.
KIRK: Now you're starting to sound like Spock.
MCCOY: If you're gonna get nasty, I'm gonna leave.
The parsec is a unit of length, equal to just under 31 trillion kilometres, or about 3.26 lt-years. The parsec is defined as the length of the adjacent side of an imaginary rt. triangle..now you know
// posted by neurofuture11:31 AM permanent link
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tags: help build archive | brain games | more brain games
8.26.2009
Alzheimer's-Sunscreen Link?
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Researchers in Europe are examining a connection between Alzheimer's Disease and nano-sized particles that occur in sunscreen formulations. It is hypothesized that neuron links may be impacted by substances such as titanium dioxide which also occur in diesel fuels. Evidence from small animal studies implies causality, subject to future research.
"The brain itself is a very special organ. It cannot repair by replacing nerve cells – the ones you get at birth have to last all your life, which makes them peculiarly vulnerable to long-term, low-dose toxicity," said Dr. Vyvyan Howard, one of the lead scientists on the study.
Labels: alzheimers, howard, sunscreen, ulster, vyvyan
// posted by neurofuture10:48 AM permanent link
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8.24.2009
400 year anniversary of Galileo's telescope
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On August 25, 1609 Galileo demonstrated an optick tube to a group of Italian merchants. In the process, one invention - ground glass lenses created by a Dutchman - was mashed into another invention, the telescope which can be considered a meta-invention.
As the story goes, children playing with lenses in Hans Lipershey's shop may have accidentally invented the telescope (Oops!) without even trying, and began the process which has culminated in the Hubble Space telescope today.
By aiming the new invention at the sky, Galileo fomented innovation in the realm of celestial mechanics and astronomy, like ripples in a pool into which one has tossed a marble, and provided key support for other period iconoclasts like Copernicus and Kepler. Because of Galileo's troubling observations, it now appeared that heliocentricism was as unlikely to be correct as geocentricism.
The speed of these interlinked discoveries was highly uncomfortable to authorities since it threatened cosmology and humanity's hypothetical position in the universe along with their established referent power.
If fundamental beliefs were found to be lacking a solid foundation, what else would inquisitors and congregations question? They might as well go back to the belief that the Earth was being carried on the backs of turtles. Chaos might result.
As a result, the church silenced Galileo by forbidding him from making new discoveries, writing about his findings, and placing him under house arrest for years.
However, knowledge eventually triumphed.
Labels: 400, copernicus, galileo, hubble, kepler
// posted by neurofuture10:44 PM permanent link
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Bee Mystery May Be Solved
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The decline in global bee populations, a pandemic noticed in recent years that has been termed CCD, or Colony Collapse Disorder, may be attributable to a virus that impacts gene expression, leading to faulty replication and less bees.
Labels: bees
// posted by neurofuture3:00 PM permanent link
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8.20.2009
Real-Time Mummy Scanning at Stanford
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In 19th Century London, mummy unwrappings were well-attended social events.
Today, Stanford scientists will irradiate a mummy in real-time in an effort to envisage its countenance. Iret-net-hor-irew, a minor priestly official, will be scanned using (C)omputerized (T)omography at 1:30 PM in the basement of the Grant Building on the Stanford campus.
compare the meaning of two names:
Iret-net-Hor-irew = "The Eye of Horus is upon you"
Twt - 'nkh - amun = " The Living image of Amon"
The mummy was originally from Akhmim, a city (nome) in Upper Egypt that in historical times (after 300 C.E.) became a hotbed of Egyptian desert monasticism as the people switched from their traditional religion to Christianity.
For 65 years, the mummy was on loan to Stockton's Haggin Museum from the SF Palace of Fine Arts. Before once again hanging in the City, the mummy is vacationing at Stanford and getting zapped.
Egyptologist Patricia Podzorski, Ph.D.
so long, and thanks for all the fish
Labels: akhmim, grant, haggin, stanford
// posted by neurofuture11:41 AM permanent link
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8.18.2009
Loss
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While we've spent a few years fighting Alzheimer's and supporting cognitive fitness - someone close to us has unfortunately passed away - that is my uncle, from pancreatic cancer. He was quite a bit younger than my mom. One day, several months ago, he noticed a pain in the abdomen. After going to the physician and having tests performed, he was referred to a specialist who made a diagnosis. He was a senior executive with many friends in the science and business world in his industry, which was a natural resource, and so had the very best care from experts in the field - both Europe and the U.S.
But unfortunately, it was advanced - progressed rapidly, and he died this summer. He had resolved to connect with Patrick Swayze as a co-sufferer, but because he was gone so quickly, it's doubtful that any connection was made. When I was a little kid, he gave me a ride on his big, new Ninja motorcycle - my first ride. So, on the one hand, we progress, on the other hand, we face loss and obstacles. Hopefully, it all balances out.
But unfortunately, it was advanced - progressed rapidly, and he died this summer. He had resolved to connect with Patrick Swayze as a co-sufferer, but because he was gone so quickly, it's doubtful that any connection was made. When I was a little kid, he gave me a ride on his big, new Ninja motorcycle - my first ride. So, on the one hand, we progress, on the other hand, we face loss and obstacles. Hopefully, it all balances out.
Labels: cancer, pancreatic
// posted by neurofuture3:51 PM permanent link
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HAL's Consciousness
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old promo poster for 2001: A Space Odyssey as depiction of HAL's AI consciousness. Here's the modified 2001 Clarke section on coglabs.
Labels: 2001, clarke, depiction, promo
// posted by neurofuture2:45 PM permanent link
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Amino Acid Found on Comet
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Glycosine, an amino acid essential to the inception of life, has been found in a comet, supporting the hypothesis that comet impacts are key to planetary biogenesis.
// posted by neurofuture11:17 AM permanent link
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Amino Acid Found on Comet
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Glycosine, an amino acid essential to the inception of life, has been found on a
// posted by neurofuture11:17 AM permanent link
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8.13.2009
Red Planet May be Unattainable
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Due to budgetary constraints, NASA is projecting that the contemplated missions to return to the moon, establishing a moonbase, and sending astronauts to Mars may be off the table. And it may be that by viewing a mission to Mars as 'routine' that it will never be accomplished, due to the costs. Either the perspective must change so that such a mission is viewed as essential for the species - a point Stephen Hawking has often argued, or, significantly different means of planning, funding, developing, and executing the missions must be advanced.
// posted by neurofuture10:49 AM permanent link
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New ideas showcase
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Here's one and there's a whole bunch more - some we have touched on before-power related, consumer space, etc. This one's both old and new...
status2u
What if there was a friendfeed type service for business? What if? Incorporating status about everything, along with people in your life, was possible. That was a pitch we made (Asis Bose, Ron Zoppo, and me) in 2001 or early 2002. Bose was an e-commerce/host access architecture manager, Ron was running a consumer electronics/PC Industry XML/EDI initiative.
Envisioned was a kind of streaming universal tracker. Talked to 2 VC firms casually before tabling the idea - 1st offered 5 to 7 million and set up a meeting with their venture partner. (The lead GP is no longer at the firm) The other top-tier firm set up a long phone call to dig into it, which was quite helpful.
While intrigued, this partner pointed out some apparent flaws(the presumed business model, seat license or enterprise, might not work, they thought - and that was the standard software business model at the time, with SOS just emerging, and advertising DOA). Then, I got pulled into monitoring a trial on the KDDI EvDO network in Tokyo for another co. (Accelerate Mobile) acceleration technology which took about 6 months.
In the last couple of years this kind of service has proliferated within social networks, so maybe the time is right to put the project back in development. The business summary even had a couple of comic-elements.
status2u
What if there was a friendfeed type service for business? What if? Incorporating status about everything, along with people in your life, was possible. That was a pitch we made (Asis Bose, Ron Zoppo, and me) in 2001 or early 2002. Bose was an e-commerce/host access architecture manager, Ron was running a consumer electronics/PC Industry XML/EDI initiative.
Envisioned was a kind of streaming universal tracker. Talked to 2 VC firms casually before tabling the idea - 1st offered 5 to 7 million and set up a meeting with their venture partner. (The lead GP is no longer at the firm) The other top-tier firm set up a long phone call to dig into it, which was quite helpful.
While intrigued, this partner pointed out some apparent flaws(the presumed business model, seat license or enterprise, might not work, they thought - and that was the standard software business model at the time, with SOS just emerging, and advertising DOA). Then, I got pulled into monitoring a trial on the KDDI EvDO network in Tokyo for another co. (Accelerate Mobile) acceleration technology which took about 6 months.
In the last couple of years this kind of service has proliferated within social networks, so maybe the time is right to put the project back in development. The business summary even had a couple of comic-elements.
// posted by neurofuture9:33 AM permanent link
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tags: help build archive | brain games | more brain games
8.12.2009
quick run through the presidents
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from washington all the way through obama, 44 in all.
// posted by neurofuture10:37 AM permanent link
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8.11.2009
Presidents - Revised
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Thomas Jefferson, and the rest of the presidents, are being redesigned, slightly.
src="http://cognitivelabs.com/cognitive.js">
src="http://cognitivelabs.com/cognitive.js">
Labels: jefferson
// posted by neurofuture7:25 PM permanent link
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8.10.2009
Bears are Back
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For decades after the late 19th century, there was a paucity of bears in California around the populated areas of the state. You might only run into a bear in remote wilderness settings or come across notorious campground bears in crowded places like Yosemite.
However, starting in 2001 and from the perspective of 2009 - its clear that bears are on their ways towards becoming suburban interlopers like deer and raccoons, and more recently, mountain lions. Last year in Petaluma, former chicken capital of the state, a bear was seen walking down a main steet in downtown.
Now in August 2009, bears have been spotted twice in the Santa Cruz mountains - a tree-shrouded range of hills that separate the coast from the San Francisco Bay. Old names like "Bear Gulch" and "Bear Valley" on topographical maps once again actually have some meaning.
Of course, back in the 18th and early 19th centuries, California was awash in both Grizzlies and Black bears.
During the Portola expedition, the Spanish explorers led by Pedro Fages came across a valley teaming with Grizzly bears outside San Luis Obispo and named the place Arroyo de Los Osos, Today, there is an active movement to restore the Grizzly to the state, as well.
However, starting in 2001 and from the perspective of 2009 - its clear that bears are on their ways towards becoming suburban interlopers like deer and raccoons, and more recently, mountain lions. Last year in Petaluma, former chicken capital of the state, a bear was seen walking down a main steet in downtown.
Now in August 2009, bears have been spotted twice in the Santa Cruz mountains - a tree-shrouded range of hills that separate the coast from the San Francisco Bay. Old names like "Bear Gulch" and "Bear Valley" on topographical maps once again actually have some meaning.
Of course, back in the 18th and early 19th centuries, California was awash in both Grizzlies and Black bears.
During the Portola expedition, the Spanish explorers led by Pedro Fages came across a valley teaming with Grizzly bears outside San Luis Obispo and named the place Arroyo de Los Osos, Today, there is an active movement to restore the Grizzly to the state, as well.
// posted by neurofuture8:53 PM permanent link
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Perseids are Back
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Just in time for the final weeks of the summer vacation, the Perseids peak around August 12th and put on a display as the earth's orbit annually crosses a debris field left over, perhaps, from an ancient comet. This year the maximum is said to be around 80 meteors per hour, however, the moon provides some competition.
Labels: Perseids
// posted by neurofuture12:20 PM permanent link
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Gym Redesign
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An approximation of the appearance of the code, not the actual code
One of the brain gyms on cognitivelabs.com has been redesigned...so it matches with similar areas of the site, and the internal elements of the game are in accordance with the others with respect to speed, design, message, and external links, options-to-enlarge, and so forth as of the early hours this morning.
Labels: actionscript
// posted by neurofuture12:01 PM permanent link
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Turning Back the Aging Clock through Walking
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The stresses of caregiving and life in general can lead to the perception of premature aging, and the sense that one is up to 32 years older than they really are, according to a book by Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen reviewed in HealthCentral. Light exercise is recommended as one of the coping strategies.
Labels: roizen
// posted by neurofuture11:26 AM permanent link
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8.09.2009
UCLA Study Backs Use-it-or Lose it Hypothesis
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UCLA scientists have found that differences in socioeconomic status were less important relative to rates of cognitive decline than the propensity to enhance baseline performance by challenging oneself in mental tasks over a lifetime.
The findings support the concept of 'cognitive reserve' as a high-functioning shield helping to avert decline in some cases. The most statistically significant indicator of cognitive reserve in older populations in studies to date has been level of educational achievement. It is theorized that Cognitive reserve can be amplified through education and also through brain exercises that focus on different areas of cognitive function, tests, games, social activities, music, and a regimen of cross-training so the brain is continually developing new pathways. Learning a new language preferably of a completely different grammar, symbology, and ideation is one such example, as opposed to perhaps, learning Italian if you already know Spanish.
The findings also support the imperative to find universal means, or as close to universal means as possible, of assessing and enhancing cognitive performance across a variety of cultural settings - one of the goals in the formation of Elementary Cognitive Tasks (ECTs).
Publication: American Journal of Epidemiology
Labels: epidemiology
// posted by neurofuture10:14 PM permanent link
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8.07.2009
Honey Bee Queens Chemically Manipulate the Brains of Workers
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New research in Current Biology asserts that pheromones used by Queen bees to communicate with the hive members aren't just for signaling - they also contain chemical compounds that alter the cognition of worker bees - effectively controlling their brains.
For example, the balance of substances such as dopamine and serotonin is apparently regulated through pheromones issued by the queen, changing the 'mood' of the hive members and possibly also orchestrating the division of labor, which occurs in 5 or 6 different task areas such as gathering pollen, nectar, both of the previous, water , resin (for hive repair), nursery services for pupal bees and cleaning, and guard duty at the entrance of the hive.
These tasks are all divided depending on the age of the bee, the season, and enviornmental change - and all appear to be modulated through the queen's pheromones - a conductor's baton, if you will, for the hive's symphony.
Labels: bees, pheromones
// posted by neurofuture3:23 PM permanent link
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// posted by neurofuture12:24 PM permanent link
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Quick Note on the Coglabs Partner Program
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We refer to Affiliates, or partner sites, on our Affiliate page. More details on this program will be outlined as it expands.
Labels: Affiliates
// posted by neurofuture12:00 AM permanent link
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8.05.2009
Intravenuous Immune Globulin
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This (IIG) is potentially another treatment for early Alzheimers. It has already been approved for use as an autoimmune system deficiency treatment. The substance is derived from gamma globulin, a type of protein found in the blood.
Labels: gamma globulin
// posted by neurofuture7:13 PM permanent link
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8.04.2009
Doppler
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Albert gets blue-shifted in one scene - because of the Doppler effect.
Bending of 3D space grid depending upon one's perspective.
Bending of 3D space grid depending upon one's perspective.
Labels: doppler
// posted by neurofuture1:51 PM permanent link
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Cognitive Exercises Can Deter Dementia
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A new study of 488 subjects published today in the journal Neurology has found that brain exercises may halt the development of dementias - related to conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. The study examined a subject group over a period of 5 years.
More of the article
The body of evidence has been accumulating since late 2006's JAMA article showing increasing efficacy of cognitive exercise, particularly in the areas of speed and executive functioning - in a variety of scientific and medical journals, including our own 2008 study as well as earlier papers.
Labels: alzheimers, dementia, einstein
// posted by neurofuture8:36 AM permanent link
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8.03.2009
Mission Complete
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All those 'copy' buttons were beamed up and put into storage successfully.
Test comes from the Apollo 8 moon flyby mission
Test comes from the Apollo 8 moon flyby mission
Labels: apollo8, beam, beammeup, buttons, zapped
// posted by neurofuture2:21 PM permanent link
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src="http://cognitivelabs.com/cognitive.js"">
// posted by neurofuture1:11 AM permanent link
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8.02.2009
src="http://cognitivelabs.com/cognitive.js"">
// posted by neurofuture11:27 PM permanent link
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tags: help build archive | brain games | more brain games
Copy This
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There are some "copy this" buttons on our site. Due to some cross-browser scripting issues we've decided to minimize this feature for awhile - instead "copy this" can be accomplished the traditional way - by pointing at a text window of something you want to copy, right-clicking the browser, clicking on the SELECT ALL option...
then COPY. After that, just paste the item on the clipboard on its destination. This method will work on virtually 100% of possible platforms and browsers. So, those grey buttons will be going away. After some other development, we will then (probably) switch to a simple callout box in another medium. But, who knows, the simple way might actually work better for most people.
then COPY. After that, just paste the item on the clipboard on its destination. This method will work on virtually 100% of possible platforms and browsers. So, those grey buttons will be going away. After some other development, we will then (probably) switch to a simple callout box in another medium. But, who knows, the simple way might actually work better for most people.
Labels: copythis
// posted by neurofuture9:30 PM permanent link
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tags: help build archive | brain games | more brain games
src="http://cognitivelabs.com/cognitive.js"">
// posted by neurofuture2:47 PM permanent link
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tags: help build archive | brain games | more brain games
8.01.2009
Botox Appears to Reduce Migraines
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A double-blind study of migraine headache sufferers at Case Western Reserve University has found that strategically conducted botox injections appear to reduce or eliminate migraine headaches, possibly by relaxing muscles or isolating nerves that may have been subject to excess stress. Botox is occasionally used as a treatment for individuals with localized muscle spasms, outside of any cosmetic use. 83.7% of the people in the subject group reported improvement, however, 57.7% of the control group (placebo) participants also reported enhanced results, leading to the possibility that the placebo effect at work.
// posted by neurofuture10:24 PM permanent link
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Front Loading Experiment
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Experiment: If you want to expand your test to a more full-scale size, click an icon:
and this will open another test session which can be kept on the left hand side of your computer experience. It's just another way of making it easier for the user. This might be encountered around the site.
(Lab Sample Below)
src="http://cognitivelabs.com/cognitive.js">
and this will open another test session which can be kept on the left hand side of your computer experience. It's just another way of making it easier for the user. This might be encountered around the site.
(Lab Sample Below)
src="http://cognitivelabs.com/cognitive.js">
Labels: experience, GUI, labs, sample, UI, user
// posted by neurofuture6:39 PM permanent link
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more optimization, not yet absolute
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src="http://cognitivelabs.com/cognitive.js">
If inclined, try the top code snippet on this page by copying it. Incrementally better result than previously, esp. for blogger (e.g., that happens to be the platform used here - now it appears to be fully-functional locally on our machine, though doubt if for wordpress, since it rejects javascript, eventually everything will be in the 'cloud' and seamlessness should be everywhere - however, then you need unlimited scalable bandwidth )
Labels: blogger, brain, widgets
// posted by neurofuture5:44 PM permanent link
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The Obtuse Script
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Have you ever wrestled with an obtuse JavaScript script?
You've got a crystal clear example from codeidiot.com but when you implement it - nothing, nada, a non-rising souffle. You go back, check everything, and it still doesn't work.
Here's a secret - JavaScript is not really Java, but that's OK. It was originally called Mocha, then Mochachino, then Super-Frapalicous-Java-Chip-Explosion (also exploding your waistline), then eventually JavaScript. For web 2.0, it was lumped into the same context as AJAX, meaning anything dynamic, kind of like repainting the old Gran Torino. The trademark is owned by Sun Microsystems.
Vintage velvet-roped 1974 Gran Torino from Starsky and Hutch
You've got a crystal clear example from codeidiot.com but when you implement it - nothing, nada, a non-rising souffle. You go back, check everything, and it still doesn't work.
Here's a secret - JavaScript is not really Java, but that's OK. It was originally called Mocha, then Mochachino, then Super-Frapalicous-Java-Chip-Explosion (also exploding your waistline), then eventually JavaScript. For web 2.0, it was lumped into the same context as AJAX, meaning anything dynamic, kind of like repainting the old Gran Torino. The trademark is owned by Sun Microsystems.
Vintage velvet-roped 1974 Gran Torino from Starsky and Hutch
Labels: Ajax, javascript, mochachino
// posted by neurofuture2:45 PM permanent link
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tags: help build archive | brain games | more brain games
