I checked out 5 books from the library on the brain. They all looked interesting and I thought by getting 5 books I would read 2 or 3 of the more interesting ones before I had to return them. I renewed them once and then had to return them yesterday. (I tried renewing them again, but I guess that's not an option) I only read half of one. So now I think I'll just get one book at a time unless it's from the kids section.
I read a lot of fascinating stuff though. ie: about how drugs work, how cocaine used to be sold to cure lots of things, like a toothache; there is a drug that increases your memory, I think it was ecstasy, it had a lot of uses whichever it was, so I suggested it to Brandon before he takes his big test on Saturday; people used to perform lobotomies all the time, they thought a simple stab to the front part of the brain could fix all kinds of mental problems, including child misbehavior; the reason I'm grouchy when I don't get enough sleep is because sleep effects the serotonin which is the mood controlling section of the brain; different brain diseases and how they affect people. I think there are a lot of people with mild brain disorders, we think they're odd but really it's just a problem with one of their organs. Kind of like someone with a stomach problem or liver challenges, only it's the brain.
Last night when I was up in the middle of the night feeding Calvin there was a PBS show on about the brain that was interesting also. This guy talked about having a healthy brain because 50% of people have Alzheimer's by the time they are 85. He talked about exercising twice a week, learning new things all the time in genres unfamiliar to you, playing table tennis, and more, but I don't remember. It was like 3a.m. He mentioned that if it's in your genes you are more likely to get Alzheimer's, if you have had cancer treatments, if you have untreated sleep apnea, and probably some other things I forgot too. He said a way to test for it early on is to smell things like pineapple, lemons, natural gas and some other fruits. If you can't smell them it is a sign that you have Alzheimer's coming. Maybe it will be on again tomorrow night/morning so I can catch more of it. If only Calvin could figure out that talking thing, maybe he could fill in the gaps for me.
3 comments:
Hmmm...it seems curious to me that not being able to smell a pineapple means you have Alzheimer's.
The brain is completely fascinating. I enjoyed studying it in my anatomy class. And can you believe that people really did labotomies!!! When I read that I was shocked. Um, HELLO!!! Don't poke at my brain!
I used to like watching Jay Leno, but when I got married it seemed to late to stay up for. In California, it is even later; an hour later than Utah. But I figured out from sessions of taking care of Link in the middle of the night, that they play all those late night shows over again; the news, the late show, the late-late show. So if 11:30 pm is too late, just wake up really early at 3:00 am.
The things you learn with a newborn alarm clock.
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