Smarter Summary and Review | Book by Dan Hurley
The New Science of Building Brain Power
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Introduction
In Smarter, Hurley delves into the latest research on the brain and how to optimize its performance. He goes on to explore various ways in which we can improve our brain function and increase our intelligence. One way is through physical exercise, which has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain and improve cognitive function. Another is by challenging our brains with new and difficult tasks, as this can help to create new neural connections and increase brain function. The book also discusses the importance of sleep in maintaining brain health.
In addition to these physical factors, Hurley also explores the impact of social and emotional well-being on brain health. Hurley also delves into the concept of “flow,” which is a state of complete immersion in a task or activity. This state has been linked to increased productivity and creativity, as well as improved well-being. Hurley provides tips for achieving flow and explains how it can be used to improve brain performance.
Overall, Smarter provides a comprehensive look at the latest research on brain health and performance, and offers practical tips and strategies for optimizing brain function. Through its discussion of physical, emotional, and social factors, as well as the role of technology, the book provides a holistic approach to improving brain health and performance.
About Dan Hurley
Dan Hurley is an American science journalist. He was born on January 16, 1973 in Jersey City, New Jersey and attended St. Anthony High School in Jersey City and Seton Hall University. He began his career as a journalist in 1998 and has since written hundreds of articles and investigative features for The New York Times Magazine. Furthermore, he is the author of several books, including Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power.
StoryShot #1: Unlocking the Power of Neuroplasticity
The book begins by discussing the concept of “neuroplasticity.” which is the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to new experiences. Our brains are incredibly powerful tools that can be trained and developed to work better. The brain is not a fixed organ, but rather one that can be shaped and molded throughout our lives.
According to Hurley, Neuroplasticity allows us not only to learn, but also unlearn old habits or behaviors that no longer serve us well. This idea is especially important when it comes to understanding why some people seem so much smarter than others; they simply have a greater capacity for learning due to their neuroplasticity-driven brains!
This concept was once thought to be impossible, but recent research has shown that the brain can continue to develop and change even in adulthood. It is possible for an adult to improve their cognitive abilities and optimize brain function through activities.
The book goes into more detail on how to improve brain function and cognitive ability through practical tips and strategies, drawing on the latest scientific research.
StoryShot #2: How Diet and Exercise Can Enhance Brain Health and Cognitive Function
What you eat and how you move can affect your brain health. Your diet plays an important role in providing your brain with the necessary nutrients to function properly. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, and low in saturated fat and added sugars, can help to improve your cognitive function and protect your brain against age-related decline.
“And that is the same problem that researchers would run into if they tried to test the cognitive effects of a diet full of junk food, say, or fast food: it’s very, very difficult to get people to agree to change their diet at the request of a scientist and then to follow that diet for weeks or months, let alone years.”- Dan Hurley
In addition to diet, regular physical exercise can also improve your brain health. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which in turn delivers more oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Also, it triggers the growth of new brain cells and connections. It helps to reduce inflammation and improve mood. By engaging in regular physical activity, you can improve your cognitive function, boost mood, and protect against cognitive decline.
Examples:
- Eating a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, and low in saturated fat and added sugars, has been shown to improve cognitive function and protect against age-related decline.
- Engaging in regular aerobic exercise, such as running, cycling, or swimming, can increase blood flow to the brain and improve cognitive function.
- Resistance training, such as weightlifting, has also been shown to improve cognitive function and protect against age-related decline.
- Yoga and tai chi, which combines physical movement with mindfulness and meditation, have been shown to improve cognitive function, boost mood, and reduce stress and inflammation.
StoryShot #3: Achieving a Sound Mind Through a Sound Body
Engaging in regular physical activity, particularly resistance training, can have a positive impact on cognitive function. However, other activities such as learning music and meditation can also lead to improvements in intelligence. So, it’s not just about having a sound body, but also actively working on keeping the mind active and engaged.
The popular belief that “a sound mind in a sound body” suggests that physical fitness and mental strength are closely linked, and research dating back to the 1960s and 1970s supports this idea. Studies have shown that older adults who engage in regular physical activity, such as playing tennis or racquetball, perform better on cognitive tests than those who don’t exercise. Additionally, psychologist Harold Hawkins found that older adults performed worse than younger adults on tasks that required both auditory and visual focus.
To test this theory, Hawkins conducted an experiment involving 40 men and women between the ages of 63 and 82, none of whom exercised regularly. Half of the participants engaged in a 10-week aquatic exercise program for 45 minutes a day, while the others continued with their sedentary lifestyle. By the end of the study, the exercisers had become significantly faster on cognitive tests that required both auditory and visual focus, and their ability to multitask had improved.
But is one type of exercise better than another for improving cognitive function? In 2012, psychologist Teresa Liu-Ambrose sought to compare the effects of aerobic exercises, like running or swimming, to resistance exercise, like weightlifting. In the study, 86 elderly women with mild cognitive impairment were randomly assigned to six months of either toning and balance training, resistance training, or aerobic exercise. The resistance training group improved on tests of attention, conflict resolution, and memory, and showed increased activity in three regions of the cortex on fMRI tests.
StoryShot #4: Exploring the Benefits of Brain-Training Techniques Beyond Exercise
Exercise isn’t the only way to improve your intelligence, however. Learning music and meditation have also been shown to have positive effects on cognitive function. A study by psychologist Glenn Schellenberg found that six-year-olds who received keyboard or voice lessons had significantly higher IQ scores after 36 weeks than those who received no lessons. Additionally, a study by psychologist and neurologist Yi-Yuan Tang found that a specific type of mindfulness meditation called Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT) improved cognitive function in participants.
However, some skeptics argue that brain-training techniques do not have long-term effects on real-world outcomes. Despite this, the military continues to research and use brain-training techniques to improve the cognitive abilities and working memory of its personnel. Federal agencies in the United States also have a program that uses different brain-training techniques to make intelligence officers more intelligent.
StoryShot #5: Harnessing the Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation for Optimal Brain Health
Practicing mindfulness and meditation can improve your attention, memory, and overall cognitive function. Mindfulness and meditation can also reduce stress and inflammation, which can protect your brain against age-related decline. By practicing mindfulness and meditation, you can improve your ability to focus, increase your working memory and improve your overall cognitive function. It also helps in reducing stress, anxiety and depression and boost your mood and emotional regulation.
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program, which combines mindfulness and meditation with yoga and body awareness exercises, has been shown to improve cognitive function, reduce stress, and protect against age-related decline.
- Practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) has been shown to improve cognitive function, reduce stress, and boost mood.
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of relapse in individuals with a history of depression.
“But don’t let the trendiness fool you. A multitude of studies suggest that the ancient practice of mindfulness meditation actually holds promise as a way to improve cognitive abilities, to increase attention, expand working memory, and raise fluid intelligence.” ― Dan Hurley
StoryShot #6: The Science Behind Brain-Training Programs
Brain-training programs can help to improve your attention, memory, and overall cognitive function.” These programs are designed to challenge and engage your brain in new and stimulating ways. “By using these programs, you can improve your cognitive abilities and optimize brain function.
However, it is important to note that the benefits of brain-training programs are not yet fully understood and more research is needed to determine their long-term effectiveness.
Boosting Cognitive Function with Lumosity
Brain-training programs such as Lumosity, which offers a variety of cognitive exercises and games to improve attention, memory, and overall cognitive function, have become increasingly popular. Lumosity is a platform that offers a variety of cognitive exercises and games designed to challenge and engage the brain in new and stimulating ways. The platform uses a combination of games, puzzles and other activities to challenge different cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, problem-solving and flexibility.
The activities are tailored to the user’s level and adapt to the user’s performance, making them more or less challenging as the user progresses. However, it is important to note that the benefits of brain-training programs are not yet fully understood and more research is needed to determine their long-term effectiveness.
The Effectiveness of Dual n-back Training
Dual n-back training is a type of brain-training program that is designed to challenge working memory. The training involves listening to a sequence of sounds or seeing a sequence of letters, and then trying to recall the sound or letter from a certain number of steps (n) back in the sequence. The idea is that by challenging working memory in this way, you can improve your ability to hold and manipulate information in your mind, which in turn can improve other cognitive abilities such as attention, problem-solving, and fluid intelligence.
Research has shown that Dual n-back training can improve working memory and fluid intelligence.
StoryShot #7: The Effects of Sleep and Stress on Cognitive Performance
Sleep and stress can have a significant impact on cognitive performance. Lack of sleep has been linked to a decrease in cognitive function and an increase in the risk of developing brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
By getting enough quality sleep and managing stress, you can improve your cognitive performance.
Sleep hygiene practices such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule, avoiding screens before bedtime, and creating a comfortable sleep environment can help to improve the quality of sleep, which in turn can improve cognitive function.
StoryShot #8: Connect with Others
Studies have shown that social connections and relationships are positively associated with cognitive function, and that social isolation can lead to cognitive decline. Dan Hurley also examines the role of stress and negative emotions in decreasing cognitive performance.
By maintaining strong social connections, managing stress, and promoting positive emotions, you can improve your cognitive function and protect against age-related decline. The book suggest ways to maintain strong social connections, such as staying in touch with friends and family, joining clubs or groups with similar interests, and volunteering.
It also discusses how promoting positive emotions through activities such as mindfulness, gratitude, and positive thinking can help improve cognitive function and protect against age-related decline.
StoryShot #9: Strengthen Your Mind, Not Distract It
The book covers the potential benefits and drawbacks of technology on cognitive function. While technology has the potential to improve cognitive function, it can also have negative impacts such as increased distractions and decreased focus.
Hurley provides tips for using technology in a way that benefits brain health, such as setting limits on screen time and using apps that promote cognitive function. By using technology in a balanced and mindful way, you can improve your cognitive function and protect against age-related decline.
Be mindful when using technology and be aware of how it affects your cognitive function and well-being. Use apps that promote cognitive function, such as brain-training apps, meditation apps, and language-learning apps.
StoryShot #10: Think Smarter
One of the most interesting concepts Hurley introduces is the idea that there are different types of intelligence – analytical thinking or creative problem-solving – which can be used to enhance learning abilities and develop skills such as critical thinking. Studies have shown that people who engage in activities that require both types of intelligence perform better than those who only focus on one type of intelligence alone, as he cites examples from studies that demonstrate that. For instance, one study found that students who received instruction using both analytical and creative approaches achieved higher scores on tests than those taught through a single approach (analytical or creative).
As Hurley points out, recent technological advances such as artificial intelligence (AI) have opened up new avenues for us to boost our cognitive abilities beyond the traditional methods we used to boost our cognition, such as memorization techniques or practice exams. By leveraging AI tools such as machine learning algorithms, we are able to learn faster by discovering patterns more quickly by leveraging artificial intelligence tools, while at the same time giving ourselves the opportunity to reflect and gain a deeper understanding of what we are learning rather than just blindly following instructions from textbooks.
“While children are routinely forced by their teachers and life in general to do things they’re not good at, by middle age many of us have figured out what our strengths and weaknesses are and have learned to stick with what we do best. We’ve found careers we’re good at; we hang out with people we like and who enjoy our company; our hobbies are things we’ve been doing for years. We are no longer, as Michael Merzenich put it, engaging our mind at the cutting edge of its abilities; we have become users of mastered skills.” – Dan Hurley
StoryShot #11: The Military’s Investment in Brain-Training Techniques Despite Skepticism
You may have heard skepticism about the ability to improve intelligence through brain training, but the military continues to actively invest in research and implementation of these techniques. In a recent meta-analysis of 23 studies on working memory, researchers Charles Hulme and Monica Melby-Lervåg found large immediate gains in verbal working memory and moderately sized gains in visuospatial working memory. They also found evidence of small to moderate long-term effects, or “far transfer,” in areas such as nonverbal reasoning and executive attention.
Despite these findings, the researchers emphasized that they did not find evidence of long-term improvements in real-world outcomes such as reading and math. However, the U.S. military, represented by Harold Hawkins, the Office of Naval Research program manager, remains committed to improving cognitive abilities and working memory through brain training. They have even implemented a systems training program, currently being used in the fleet, that simulates war scenarios to train sea combat commanders and support personnel.
Additionally, federal agencies in the U.S. have allocated $12 million through the Intelligence Advanced Projects Activities (IARPA) to use various brain-training techniques to enhance the intelligence of their officers. The military continues to support research and implementation of brain-training techniques to ensure their personnel are able to make the best decisions in high-pressure situations.
Final Summary and Review
Smarter discusses various methods for improving brain function and cognitive ability by using practical tips and strategies based on the most recent scientific research. It explains neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to new experiences. It also talks about how diet and exercise can improve brain health and cognitive function.
The book provides readers with insight on the various ways to increase fluid intelligence such as working memory training, problem-solving exercises, and more. It examines the science behind cognitive training and explains the latest research on the subject.
Rating
We rate Smarter 3.6/5.
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