Make the most of your brain

It turns out that there is a kernel of truth in the popular wisdom that “left brain equals logic”. Imaging studies have shown that the left prefrontal cortex is needed to make logical trains of thought happen and, a lot of the time, no input is needed from the right. But when there is conflict between what seems logical and beliefs we already hold, the right side of the prefrontal cortex kicks in to help sort out the confusion (Brain Research, vol 1428, p 24). Unfortunately, the right hemisphere usually wins. Study after study has shown that where new information conflicts with existing beliefs, our brains bend over backwards to keep beliefs intact rather than revise them.

Another surprise is that, contrary to popular wisdom, emotions aren’t necessarily the enemy of rationality. People who have damage to the part of the prefrontal cortex that processes emotions struggle to make decisions at all, especially when there is no logical advantage to either option (Cerebral Cortex, vol 10, p 295).

So embracing our not-particularly logical gut feelings about decisions might actually help us make more rational choices. But not always: other studies have shown that strong emotions can interfere with making rational decisions, particularly when they concern people we love.
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The learning process carries on for life, so why is it so much harder to learn when we reach adulthood? The good news is that there seems to be no physiological reason for the slowdown. Instead, it seems to be a lot to do with the fact that we simply spend less time learning new stuff, and when we do, we don’t do it with the same potent mix of enthusiasm and attention as the average child. - See more at: www.popularmechanics.co.za/science/make-brain/#sthash.6QN0KwDx.dpuf

Michael Ramscar at Tübingen University in Germany reckons that anyone who lives long enough eventually hits that point just by virtue of a lifetime’s knowledge. He suggests that cognitive skills slow down with age not because the brain withers, but because it is so full. And that – like an overused hard drive – takes longer to sift through. - See more at: www.popularmechanics.co.za/science/make-brain/#sthash.6QN0KwDx.dpuf

But even for educated and well-fed children, the effects of environment wear off over time. By adulthood, genes account for 60 to 80 per cent of the variance in intelligence scores, compared with less than 30 per cent in young children. Whether we like it or not, we get more like our close family members the older we get. - See more at: www.popularmechanics.co.za/science/make-brain/#sthash.6QN0KwDx.dpuf

By this measure, the worst time to do anything involving thinking is, unsurprisingly, between midnight and 6am. It is almost as bad in the afternoon slump between 2 pm and 4 pm, which has more to do with body temperature than lunch – studies of people who have no lunch or just a small one have the same problem. All in all, the best time to get stuck in is between mid-morning and noon and then again between 4 pm and 10 pm. - See more at: www.popularmechanics.co.za/science/make-brain/#sthash.6QN0KwDx.dpuf