Welcome
Do you think that diet and exercise is the key to a fit body? Would you pig out every day on a steady diet of fast foods, Rocky Road ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, potato chips and soft drinks? Would you kick back in your favorite chair watching the tube all day, every day? Would you surf the net all day, every day, never taking a break . Just siting there with eyes glued to the screen, pushing the little mouse around and clicking every now and then.
How would your body feel about that? Not too great...Right?
Well what about the three pounds of grey matter between your ears? Do the same thing,..............get the same result!
Let me introduce you to another great web site by Posit Science called Brainfitness.
Here is what they say about themselves:
"Not long ago, most scientists believed the brain became “hard-wired” during childhood, and that there was little you could do to improve its function once you entered adulthood. Not anymore. The scientific community now accepts that the brain retains its plasticity—the ability to rewire itself for better function—throughout life. This website is dedicated to educating the public about the brain and cognition, how (and why) the brain can change during the course of life, and what you can do to sharpen your brain."
So let's go find out just what Brainfitness is and why we need it!...
Click Here to enter the "Brainfitness" website
If you like the site then drop me a comment a the bottom of this post. If you like the material that I research and blog about why not join my "Net Friends".
Just enter your first name and email address in the form to the right and click the submit button.
The list is a double opt in ( to protect from spam) so you will have to look for an email and click the verify link to complete the process after you click the submit button.
Hay I look forward to having you join my "Net Friends" I will be sending you my welcome email as soon as you are verified.
Till next post,
Smiles :o)
Gary
Posts
4 comments:
Gary,
Can you explain what this "Net Friends" thing is all about?
As someone who is (small letter) net friends with autism and/or cognitive science researchers I'd like to agree with the Brainfitness point that "the brain retains its plasticity—the ability to rewire itself for better function—throughout life." There's a myth in autism that there is this magic "window of opportunity" in the very early years where you can mold an autistic child's plastic brain, and if you don't get in there early and intensively enough you've missed your chance. That myth prevails but science tells us otherwise.
Multiple Sclerosis has done a number on my own cognitive abilities, I'll pop over to Brainfitness and let you know later what I think.
ouch!
Dr. Michael Merzenich has some pretty nasty things to say about folks like my sons and I with autistic brains. His treatment on his blog of Tito is horrid.
That kind of thing blinds me to whatever "good" there may be on that site (and I'm not conceding here that there is any, I started with Dr. Merzenich and his blog to see who was behind the site and couldn't go any further) I can't get past that kind of stuff.
Hi jypsy Thanks for commenting. The Net Friends is my way to communicate to others of like interests by means of a broadcast or custom email. If you would like to receive information from me on occasion about things that I find interesting then by all means sign up.
I am terribly sorry if my post on Brain fitness upset you in any way. I am interested in the fact that research is finding that our brains are ever changing and influenced by the things that we do or that we don't do. Also the fact that we can teach our brains has been a fascinating subject to me scince my stroke in 2002.
I am not very familiar with Dr Merzenich or his writings although your comment is the first negative feedback that I have received. I will be checking him out in greater depth.
I admit that I am a babe in the woods when it comes to Autim. It sems that it can manifest itself in many different ways. I watched a tv documentary recently on the topic and I have been a recent follower of the blog "Joy of Autism" I am very interested to learn more and encourage you to help me if you are ok with doing that.
It is wonderful to read your comments both here and on the "Whimfield" blog.
Smiles :o)
Gary
Gary,
I'm not upset. I'm pretty thick skinned and my daily life involves reading material and opinions from folks the likes of Dr. Merzenich and much worse. The autism world is not the most unified, civil place unfortunately.
I certainly share your interest & fascination with the brain and it's abilities. I'm fascinated at how my own works (given my Aspergers, MS & seizures) and observing how my kids' brains (one autistic, one aspergers and 2 apparently "normal", or at least "undiagnosed"). I was told last year that balance could be relearned so that's what I've been actively working on.
I have followed The Joy of Autism since it began and almost met Estee when I visited Toronto in October '07. If I were one to join things I'd likely be a board member of The Acceptance Project.
I stumbled across your blog a couple of years or more ago through peiblogs I think and read it off and on but recently added you to my blog reader so you're now one of my regulars. You may have stumbled across The Autism Hub, a collection of autism blogs ("The Very Best in Autism Blogging") in the sidebar of Alex or Estee's blog and may enjoy some of those but I think you might like Michelle Dawson's TMoB Board where we (it has an international audience) discuss everything from autism to cognitive science to the weather to fascinating photos of knit, quilted and 3D wood block brains. It certainly keeps my brain exercised & entertained.
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