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ESTI's goal is to provide you with accurate information on science, technology, and health. Happy reading!
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Myth Busters: Left Brain vs Right Brain
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A commonly held belief that has persisted for decades is that the right and left hemispheres of the brain control personality traits, depending on which hemisphere is more “dominant” in a person. Conventional wisdom states that a dominant left hemisphere leads a person to be more “logical”, and display more analytical personality traits. Conversely, someone with a more dominant right hemisphere would favor more “creative” endeavors. However, studies have shown that both hemispheres work together to perform most functions, with certain functions relying more heavily on either the left or right side.
In an article by NPR, Kara D. Federmeier, Ph. D., talks about how the left and right hemispheres work together and separately for various brain functions. People often think of math skills as being “logical,” types of math skills vary from estimation to counting to more complex calculations. Research shows that both hemispheres play a part in the ability to process information which is required for math skills, and damage to either hemispheres can make it difficult to perform mathematical calculations.
There is still much research to be done about how the left and right hemispheres differ and are similar, but the idea that a person is more “left-brained” or “right-brained” doesn’t have much truth behind it.
For a more in-depth explanation, check out this NPR article.
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Neuro News: Network Neuroscience
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The functions of the brain are complex and often opaque to many of us. To simplify the problem of understanding the brain, people often compare the human brain to a computer. Network neuroscience compares the human brain to a circuit board, and is the study of the connections between brain regions.
This first began with Paul Broca, a French neurologist who had a patient that could not speak but could comprehend spoken words. This mystery remained unsolved until the patient passed away and, by dissecting the patient’s brain, Broca discovered a lesion on the lower left side of the brain in an area responsible for speech production. This area became known as “Broca’s area.”
However, network neuroscience didn’t gain prominence until the development of brain-imaging technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) which allows neuroscientists to look at the human brain noninvasively.
Such advances in neuroimaging have greatly contributed to our understanding of the brain, including mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. For instance, we can now compare a healthy individual’s brain with that of a person diagnosed with schizophrenia using brain scans and functional information. Results of this research suggest that the problem in individuals suffering from schizophrenia may lie in how brain regions are connected to one another, rather than within specific regions.
For a more in-depth look at network neuroscience, check out this article.
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This Month in Science: Extreme Weather in August 2020
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In addition to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is also experiencing extreme weather events. From wildfires to intense hurricanes, the USA has felt damaging weather which could be the result of climate change.
Intense wildfires have devastated forests and homes throughout northern California, and the pacific northwest. This began on August 15th with a dry lightning storm that had 11,000 strikes of lightning. The dryness of the area and the record-breaking heat wave that California experienced this year, primed the area for wildfires. Two key factors contributed to the formation of this rare dry lightning storm: (1) moisture traveled up to northern California from the Tropical Storm Fausto, which formed clouds in the area, and (2) fragments of a thunderstorm in the Sonoran Desert left a small atmospheric ripple in the area which created a thunderstorm.
Next on August 10th, the Midwest was hit with an intense derecho, which is an intense windstorm that can have the strength and damaging effects of hurricanes and tornadoes.. This derecho started in eastern South Dakota and moved to western Ohio, causing extensive damage. The midwest had seen derechos before, but not of this size or magnitude. Though not any one storm can be said to be caused by climate change, the warming of the Earth’s surface and resulting atmospheric instability means more derechos could be possible.
The Atlantic hurricane season is a natural occurrence, but this year’s season brought a surge of hurricanes that rivals that of 2005. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration named as many as 25 storms for this season, trailing 2005 where they named 28. On the morning of August 27th, Louisiana was hit with category 4 Hurricane Laura. At first, Laura started as a category 1 but in almost 48 hours turned into a category 4 before hitting Louisiana. Even though it’s impossible to attribute any one storm to climate change, there is a statistically significant link between warmer waters and hurricane intensity.
With the Earth warming at a record-breaking rate, these times of extreme weather will continue to rise and become more frequent if there aren’t more measures taken to reduce climate change.
To read more about the extreme weather that happened in August, check out this article.
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Health: Keeping Your Brain Active During Quarantine
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Keeping your brain healthy and active is just as important as keeping your body healthy and active. Studies have shown that the brain’s volume peaks in a person’s 20s, and then begins to decline. However, doing brain-stimulating exercises can help decrease one’s risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Playing card games, board games, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and matching games help promote brain health because they engage different regions of the brain. Additionally, learning about new topics and sharing that information with others helps keep your brain active and establishes lasting connections in your brain.
Physical activity doesn’t only help keep your heart and muscles healthy, but it also helps your brain by building brain cells and improving memory. This helps to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 diabetes.
Destressing is also important for your brain health. Prolonged stress can shrink the hippocampus (a brain structure important for forming memories), causing issues with memory and learning. One healthy way to destress your brain is by coloring, which can release the dopamine hormone in your brain and take your mind off of these difficult times.
For more information on keeping your brain active, check out this article.
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Get in Touch: Get Familiar with Your Technology
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Are you interested in learning how to use your technology?
At ESTI, we’re hoping to start online workshops on how to use specific technologies and get the most out of your products. If this is something you’d be interested please fill out this survey!
Participate in a study about how COVID-19 and the public health crisis impacts out behavior.
Please visit this site for more information, and check out this infographic on how to sign up.
The Cole Neurocognition Lab
Center for Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience
Rutgers University-Newark
197 University Avenue
Newark, NJ
P: 973-353-2706
E: brain.research@newark.rutgers.edu
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/estirutgers/
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