> Once you've tried rubbing cod liver oil on your nads and wrapping a
> rabbit's
> foot in a dock leaf, and failed, try something sensible. The old cliche
> "The
> brain's like a muscle, the more you use it, the better it gets" is the
> only
> approach that I would recommend with an expectation of real, measureable
> results. It definitely has worked for me.
> So, what could you train your brain with? What would work a wide enough
> range of basic brain functions to observe a change for the better. I'd say
> IQ tests. Much as their ability to measure the undefined "intelligence" is
> highly questionable, they have been designed to isolate certain types of
> brain function and test performance, such as spatial ability (a good
> "mind's
> eye"), learning ability, memory and computational speed. Given this, we
> can
> expect an increase in your brain's effectiveness in these areas in
> response
> to IQ test practice. i.e. Get loads of 'em, and do 'em all. Naturally,
> you'll improve with practice. These gained skills will be noticable in
> real
> life, for sure. Don't forget - your brain's a neural net, so train it !
>
>
> Rob.
>
Well, if you are trying to get good IQ tests this might be a good approach.
If you're interested in getting smarter, you may as well rub cod liver oil
on your nads in my opinion.
There is a great deal of truth to the idea that you've got to work it, however. Try learning something completely new, or even better, try learning about six entirely new things, all at once, and try applying the knowledge to create some crazy cross-disiplinary artifact. What you end up with may not be too pretty (what do you get when you cross orbital mechanics with home plumbing with ?), but you will be as *awake* as you can ever expect to be (and learning things is good anyway!).
Actually, this isn't a scientifically tested hypothesis, so ignore it, it can't be trusted and is probably dangerous.
Emlyn, walkin' like a duck
(Imagine my wife mentioning a naturopath on this list! Of course, curing
illnesses lasting years was purely the placebo effect plus a vivid
imagination.)