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Old Brains

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I’ve been reading far too much about old brains lately.

In fact, my mind has to put up a shield of self-ignorance, essentially denying that it is also a brain, before it can help me learn anything about them. Reading that it takes billions of interconnected neurons to process the words that tell me it takes billions of interconnected neurons to process the words is the kind of bio-informational feedback loop that causes wisps of smoke to come out my ears.

It feels like some things are not worth knowing.

But the latest news about old brains sends exactly the opposite message – that we should exercise our brains to keep them fit. And while we’re at it, we should exercise everything else, too.

My one-stop-shopping site for OBI (Old Brain Information) is the New York Times, where they are clearly trying to corner the market for elder ecephalifans. The paper isn’t called “The Gray Lady” for nothing, and if you want to know what’s happening among the folds of gray under the waves of gray, they’ve got it.

It turns out there’s a new study that shows some beneficial effects of exercise for people with a heightened risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

Education was also found to be a long-term brain benefit. A different study found that education is associated with a longer life and decreased risk of dementia. “The effects of education are dramatic and long term,” said one doctor quoted in the story.

Here’s an excerpt that confirms everything you already thought about brain health, although if you’re over 50, putting it together in a string of words this smooth would have taken you a lot longer than you imagine.

Many researchers believe that human intelligence or brainpower consists of dozens of assorted cognitive skills, which they commonly divide into two categories. One bunch falls under the heading “fluid intelligence,” the abilities that produce solutions not based on experience, like pattern recognition, working memory and abstract thinking, the kind of intelligence tested on I.Q. examinations. These abilities tend to peak in one’s 20s.

“Crystallized intelligence,” by contrast, generally refers to skills that are acquired through experience and education, like verbal ability, inductive reasoning and judgment. While fluid intelligence is often considered largely a product of genetics, crystallized intelligence is much more dependent on a bouquet of influences, including personality, motivation, opportunity and culture.

Yes, that’s what I’ve got. “Crystallized Intelligence.” It sounds so sparkly!
And hard, prickly and brittle.

But I have no trouble believing that education keeps your brain alive. In a world so full of things we don’t already know, the only question is – what to study? That’s the economics question and again, the Times comes to the rescue with a blog about what the top 1% of earners majored in.

It turns out the largest percentage of 1%’ers studied “Health and Medical Preparatory Programs.” No surprise there. In second place, Economics. Even an economist could have predicted that one. Third place goes to Biochemical Sciences. A bit of a surprise! But fourth place is the shocker – Zoology. Zoology? My understanding is that Zoologists study animals in their natural environments and also in captivity. Animal behavior is a special fascination, and zoologists work in university settings, research institutions and zoos.

I’m guessing the Zoologists who are making the huge bucks took their knowledge of animal behavior out of academe to some more lucrative arena, like Wall Street. After all, what better place to apply all those hard-learned lessons about the law of the jungle?

What have you done for your brain today?

64 thoughts on “Old Brains”

  1. I honoured my brain by wearing a hat. One of the smartest people I know compared the brain to a piece of meat. Put it in the freezer, take out and thaw, put it back in the freezer. Repeat for a winter. Soon the brain resembles a piece of meat with freezer burn.

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  2. Good morning to all. I am more or less trained as a zoologist with some agricultural science thrown in. I must be one of the exceptions to rule regarding the earning ability of people with my training. I even have had some course work in biochenistry so I should be a bigger earner, right? I guess I have to fall back on the rationalization that earning a lot of money isn’t necessarily the best measure of success.

    I’m physically active, but probably not enough to make a big difference in the health of my brain. I think making comments on this blog is probably the activity that might be the biggest benefit to my brain. Many thanks to you, Dale, for giving my mind something good to do every day.

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    1. I see from your blog that you probably are living in China. Most of the people that regularly comment on this blog are from Minnesota or nearby. Do you have connections to Minnesota? Good to hear from you!

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      1. I have Michigan roots but no Minnesota connections. I stumbled upon your blog and enjoyed the writing. Your most recent post struck a chord with me because it made me think of my grandparents. I do live in Beijing. I’m a copyeditor for an English-language publication and write the blog on the side.

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    3. welcome new guy. i like your story about your dad. the band does have a bit of that commander cody sound to it doesn’t it? hope to see you around.

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    5. Jimmy, here I thought I was having a bad day and then I stumbled across your blog site. You are intelligent and engaging, and your site is highly entertaining. I’ve bookmarked your blog so I can enjoy your observations in the future. Welcome to the Trail, and I look forward to sending much more time with you in the future.

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  5. I’m going to have to start worrying about this sort of thing very soon–today’s my birthday, and somehow the outside of me has become middle-aged while the inside of me is still a mid-20s college student trying to figure out how to live “a poetic life”. Ah, well, the nice young man at Dunn Bros. drew a star in chocolate sauce on my soy mocha this morning, so it’s all good. Tonight a good friend of mine, John Rezmerski is having a reading at Dreamhaven, so that’ll be my brain’s gift…along with a pint at the pub afterward. Lubrication for the neurons, dontcha know.

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    2. I’ve had some contact with John Rezmerski. He paricipated twice in a story tellers show that served as a fund raiser our chapter of the Sustainable Farming Assoc He is a very good story teller. Also, I very much like his book covering the writings of Fredrick Manfred and have a little contact with regarding this book.

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    6. A hipy papy bthuthdth thuthda bthuthdy to you, CG! And having met you, and I’ll have to say that “middle age” doesn’t come to mind when I recall you… (Not that there’s anything wrong with middle age.)

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      1. Haha, thanks, everyone! Barbara, I’ve come to believe Gertrude Stein’s theory, “We are all the same age inside.” I was old for my age as a child, and I think I passed the crossover point into young some time ago…hurtling toward “well-preserved,” no doubt :-). Jim: Rez is a terrific writer and a great guy. He’s very involved in the Blue Earth Historical Society these days, and officiates at their yearly Eisteddfod or Welsh poetry contest. He once had a poetry reading at the much-lamented Hungry Mind, which was full of very earnest college students who were either afraid to laugh or didn’t know poetry was allowed to be funny. Three of us from the science fiction poetry workshop were there and decided to perform as a peanut gallery. We laughed and clapped until the rest of the audience felt they had permission to loosen up. Rez’s famous Tarzan yell poem probably helped them along.

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      2. CG, I didn’t know about Rezmerski’s Tarzan yell poem, but I can picture him doing it. Happy birthday! YaaaWooo!

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  6. Greetings, all. I don’t get a chance to stop by often enough.

    I’ve definitely earned membership in the Old Brain Club! Drinking coffee is all I have done for my brain today, but it seems that, after exercise, caffeine is the wonder drug next in line as a cure all, also providing protection from dementia and definitely mitigating my asthma symptoms. I ran 50 miles this week, so I’m good for exercise, and I guess my job keeps my brain more active than I would care for it to be.

    Have a great weekend!

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  7. hi Jimmy! welcome.
    i like Beth Ann’s idea of keeping her brain warm. i wore two hats out to the barn this a.m. (and two sets of gloves, three layers under the parka, and my heavy boots. then it turns out it is only minus two out there! sheesh.
    my intelligence precipitated rather than crystallized and i think i’m sitting on it right now. but i agree with Jim iCG – Dale gives us a great opportunity each day to keep our brains young (he and you Baboons also keep our brains laughing, which can’t be bad!).

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  8. the excersize in this point of life is easy. just about anything qualifies other than the clicker to watch the idiot shows on tv. i am a storehouse of useless information waiting for me to prove i have it tucked away in there ready for its introduction to conversation and discussion. i like to tell myself i am researching the world as i do my daily walkabout but truth be told i am on automatic pilot a fair amout of the time. it would be a good idea to plug in a session of brain food based activity to my daily schedule. i noticed the arts don’t make the list. angelina jolie must not make up for the average wage earners but i would think that would be true of zoooligists too. and where are pitchers and quarterbacks and cheneys buddies at halaburton on the list. bloodsuckers is not on the list but i am not sure that is an area of study that is available for mere mortals i think that is post grad stuff for brownnosers and slimeballs. hey did you see the debate last night. newt lashing out at the commentators for questioning his morals when there are important things to consider.

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      2. Good point, Steve – I often find tim’s posts to be quite challenging to my brain. I can be a slow thinker and I feel that tim is the opposite of a slow thinker. Gee, maybe I should have nominated tim as my foil in the odd couples we discussed the other day.

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  9. I read the paper as usual today and I listen to music throughout the day when I can. I also think that playing a musical instrument or singing is good brain exercise. We read all the time at home, and both my husband and I are crossword fiends. Our brains get lots of exercise at work. I hope I don’t strain too many neurons.

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  10. Morning!
    Yesterday I asked a new young doc about the definition of ‘Diarrhea’. And he was almost giddy as we discussed it. Guess it was a slow day? (for him).
    And this morning I got new glasses; bifocals; and learned I am a ‘presbyope’ “having presbyopia”; meaning I need bifocals.
    I try to do sodoku’s… just can’t get it. I get a few numbers. And then I think I get bored. Hmm, what does that say about me?
    Building set things, programming lights… that’ll get my brain going!

    Snowing here. Drive safe!

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  11. My brain was delightewd with last night’s outing to the Fitz to see Walter Mondale and Gary Eichten. Talk about well used brains! It would be worth listening to the interview today at 11 or on line. Mondale gives his thumbnail of each of the presidents over the past 50 years.
    BTW Linda’s brain was exercised too. I ran into her in the lobby….Baboons on the loose!

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  12. If physical exercise helps invigorate the brain, then each week end I go into overdrive. Tonight, I’ll be free style dancing to a live Motown band for four hours straight. Unfortunately, and other than one week end evening, I don’t move from my den couch the rest of the week! I even put off walking to the mailbox days at a jump. Daily contributions to my brain’s functioning are: Huffington Post; Strib online; CNN; HGTV; Eckhart Tolle writings; and a host of real-life drama from clients.

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  13. Only thing I would add is Ping Pong. Although we don’t do it often enough, apparently it’s supposed to be good for the again brain. I will take time later to find a good link to post…

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  14. I look at the headline “Old Brains” and all I can think is that there should be a good joke in there about aging zombies and a need for “braaaaaaaans”….(not brains).

    I have a 7-year-old to keep up with – that keeps me exercised in body and brain pretty well. I knew I was in trouble the day I found myself explaining the big bang theory and evolution to her when she was four…and she got it. Imaginative play and a kid asking you questions about the world really helps keep the brain moving. I will also readily admit that learning new stuff about art and music so I can then figure out the best way to present it to Daughter’s classmates is also good mental calisthenics. I have fun learning, and then I have fun playing with the kids. 🙂

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  15. My brain must be aging, if my daughter has any opinion about it. Last night we were struggling to unlock the locking handle of a new fangled three hole punch, both getting in each others’ way until daughter decided she had had enough, ordered me out of the room, and just did it herself. I vacillate in her opinion between Wonder Mom and cretinous slug, and her parting comment to me was “Honestly, if you can get a PhD, ANYBODY can get a PhD.” I guess I had better take more vitamins and do more crosswords.

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    1. Hmm I don’t think it’s you who is declining. Even if you don’t master the 3 hole punch I would wager that in a few years your daughter will be amazed at how wise you really are. The rest of us will smile benignly when she figures it out.

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  16. This week I’ve been learning to use my new iPod. It probably doesn’t sound like much, but as a lifelong PC-user, it’s kept me pretty well occupied for a few days. I can feel myself learning and that feels good.

    I enjoy reading, playing musical instruments, trying to write songs (“trying” is the key word there), experimenting with recipes and researching topics that interest me. I think writing every day helps exercise the brain – this blog opportunity is an example of that – thank you, Dale. I would like to think that my writing skills have improved as a result of being here, but I could be imagining it. I really enjoy taking classes at North House Folk School when I can afford it. (I will have to miss their Northern Fibers retreat in February, though. http://www.northhouse.org/programs/events/northernfibersretreat.htm) I’m sure I don’t do enough for the old gray matter, though. Years back I may have done some damage to some of those cells and I need a lot of cellular repair.

    I wore a hat today too, but 5 degrees felt downright balmy!

    Nice job on the blog yesterday, BiB. My whole life has been random. It might be a major challenge to my brain if I actually made a life plan and stuck to it. I guess my life is sort of like a freestyle work of art. Like Joanne, I don’t necessarily love what I do for a living, but it allows me the freedom to pursue what I do love.

    Welcome, Jimmy slightlyreworded!

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  17. Learning new stuff is a favorite way of keeping this aging brain from atrophying. Last night I attended a 3 hour course in vegetarian cooking in a recently opened cooking school; great fun and a delicious meal at the end.

    Crossword puzzles and sudokus are other pastimes that I enjoy. When doing a difficult sudoku I can sometimes feel the brain working differently. I’m also trying to learn a little more Spanish in hopes that our Mexico vacation comes to pass. At the rate I’m retaining the vocabulary, the late February, early March timeline may be too short!

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  19. Greetings! Another fun day on the blog. Happy Birthday to Crow Girl and welcome to Jimmy in China. As someone else mentioned, just participating in the blog everyday exercises your brain. Although I admit I don’t necessarily post every day because I can’t think of anything! I think just doing karate exercises my body and my brain, especially when I learn new forms or weapons. Sparring is a major workout in multi-tasking — which probably explains why I’m not very good at it. Plus my reflexes are rather slow — and speed is everything in sparring. Have a great evening all!

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    1. I’m willing to bet that spending time outdoors in nature would help you stay young mentally. And if not, there are plenty of other benefits

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