Do You Mind?

“I think, therefore I am.”
(René Descartes)

Science Alive is around the corner.  Too bad René isn’t able to make it. His famous line may sum up a lot on how we see ourselves. We are creatures with reasoning ability and hopefully not as some fear, just brains in a vat wired to “reality”. (This is, of course, unless you read a lot of Philip K. Dick or believe in The Matrix.)

So. About the brain.

As we grow up we might hear others say “Wow! She is so brainy!” or “Golly man, why don’t you use your brains?” — or you may catch exclamations of those sports fans who tell you, “His head just wasn’t in the game…(sigh)” when the Cubs lose.

Because the brain and mind are so integral to what makes us, well, us, we really don’t take the time to appreciate the many things our brain does …such as keep us alive. We tend to take notice when we see people with a disability, whether the impairments are of a physical, mental, or emotional nature.  This can cause the guilty thought of, “What if that was me?” This isn’t an implied judgment but more the way things are.  All in all, most of us are just are too busy living than to think about our brains unless something happens to us.

Take a look at Stephen Wiltshire, diagnosed with autism, as he draws Rome from memory. Incredible.

The following are some links that take a look at the brain in all its glory. The majority of these links are for youth (kid friendly!). You will learn some interesting history and see what areas affect your physical, mental and emotional state. Also included are some fun games for the younger crowd, too.

I will most definitely be sure not to include those dizzying papers arguing whether the mind is separate from the brain. I’ll leave that up to those with doctorates (who are published, of course!)

It is all just a bit too head spinning and puts my brain in a fog.

Feel free to check out various books on neuroscience, memory aids, and mind/body self-help.

Okay, on to those links:

• Diagram of the Brain
• History of the Brain (PBS) – Make sure to check the cool timeline!
• The Secret Life of the Brain (PBS) – See “Episodes”
• Kid- friendly pages explaining Autism, ADHD, and Dyslexia. (Trivia: Did you know that Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, and Tom Cruise all were/are dyslexic?)
• Biological causes of Depression
• Are You Totally Stressed Out? – A site helping students deal with stress.
• Meditation and Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercises so you can be like this dude.
• Games for the Brain – Various fun games for kids!

• Weird Stuff: 1) The Strange and Curious History of the Lobotomy (BBC); 2) What Ever Happenened to Einstein’s Brain? (NPR); 3) Did the Goverment Ever Use Mind Control? (Discovery Channel) or, erm, “This movie is fiction, right?“. Sure, it was based on Richard Condon’s novel but what about those men who stared at goats?(Telegraph UK) BTW, the book and movie are available!