~ Site Mission ~
This website features the exciting, cutting edge areas of cognitive neuroscience that comprise such fascinating topics as neuroplasticity, metaphysics and skepticism, research and the scientific method, science vs pseudoscience, learning and memory, sensation and perception, the history and theories of learning throughout the ages, intelligence, thinking and reasoning, and more. In a climate where pseudoscience trumps science, where real news is called fake news, the ever-important skills of critical thinking and reasoning are apparently optional, and science in general is given short shrift and dismissed altogether, this website is on a mission to guard against such practices by presenting this fascinating information in an entertaining yet factual manner.
But why is there a backlash against science?
There are many individuals and in fact whole communities of people that seem to have it in for science. And I think there are two major reasons why; those that have not, for one reason or other, been exposed to the wonders of science let alone brain science, and, those that never learned how to learn it, therefore assuming that one had to be an Einstein to understand the magic of the human brain or what science is really all about. It's all about learning, and how one is taught to learn is instrumental. No one need be an Einstein, and in fact, Einstein was a less then perfect student and performed poorly in multiple subjects.
It begins with learning how to learn!
Physical activity played a significant role during my childhood. If it involved climbing, jumping, somersaulting on a trampoline, ice skating, skiing or playing team sports, I was game, something I continued throughout adulthood. It was therefore a natural progression when in my early 30s and running became all the rage, that I promptly laced up my tennies, warmed up, and, well, went outoor for a run. I made it just past the neighbors driveway when I could barely breathe and felt a little dizzy. I assumed I was coming down with a flu bug.
Several days later I laced up my keds ('running shoes' were yet to come) and tried again, only to repeat the same scenario. I couldn't figure out what was going on and I didn't have the benefit of the internet to figure it out on my own. Running was a completely natural thing to do but I was stumped and sadly, quickly gave it up. A few years later home treadmills were all the rage and whether at the gym or at home, I spent day after day, year after year, running on one.
A few years later on one particular gorgeous autumn day I laced up my Nike's, warmed up on the treadmill and went outside for a run. It happened again. This time I had the benefit of Google and a few graduate courses in anatomy and physiology to help make sense of it. Not only were different sets of muscles involved in running then those I was used to firing up in the other sports I regularly engaged in, but I had to learn to breathe differently! Even so, for some reason, after training from scratch specifically to run, I noticed that I wasn't running like everyone else.
Other runners looked like variations of a graceful gazelle, regardless of body weight, shape, height, or gender. I on the other hand, looked like a jumping bean. Others ran ahead, I was running up in the air. Their stride was wide and carried them forward, mine was restricted and carried me up and then down, moving forward by only the slightest of increments. Perplexed and not just a tad miserable, I hired a running coach wherein he promptly told me to stay away from the treadmill until I can learn to run outside! Decades of treadmill running actually trained my legs to use shortened strides and my breathing was effected because I was not running against the wind, I was propelling myself upward on a motorized and cushioned belt. Made sense once I was knew, but it was apparent I wasn't going to readily figure it out on my own and even if I did, I doubt I would have known how to change it.
But why is there a backlash against science?
There are many individuals and in fact whole communities of people that seem to have it in for science. And I think there are two major reasons why; those that have not, for one reason or other, been exposed to the wonders of science let alone brain science, and, those that never learned how to learn it, therefore assuming that one had to be an Einstein to understand the magic of the human brain or what science is really all about. It's all about learning, and how one is taught to learn is instrumental. No one need be an Einstein, and in fact, Einstein was a less then perfect student and performed poorly in multiple subjects.
It begins with learning how to learn!
Physical activity played a significant role during my childhood. If it involved climbing, jumping, somersaulting on a trampoline, ice skating, skiing or playing team sports, I was game, something I continued throughout adulthood. It was therefore a natural progression when in my early 30s and running became all the rage, that I promptly laced up my tennies, warmed up, and, well, went outoor for a run. I made it just past the neighbors driveway when I could barely breathe and felt a little dizzy. I assumed I was coming down with a flu bug.
Several days later I laced up my keds ('running shoes' were yet to come) and tried again, only to repeat the same scenario. I couldn't figure out what was going on and I didn't have the benefit of the internet to figure it out on my own. Running was a completely natural thing to do but I was stumped and sadly, quickly gave it up. A few years later home treadmills were all the rage and whether at the gym or at home, I spent day after day, year after year, running on one.
A few years later on one particular gorgeous autumn day I laced up my Nike's, warmed up on the treadmill and went outside for a run. It happened again. This time I had the benefit of Google and a few graduate courses in anatomy and physiology to help make sense of it. Not only were different sets of muscles involved in running then those I was used to firing up in the other sports I regularly engaged in, but I had to learn to breathe differently! Even so, for some reason, after training from scratch specifically to run, I noticed that I wasn't running like everyone else.
Other runners looked like variations of a graceful gazelle, regardless of body weight, shape, height, or gender. I on the other hand, looked like a jumping bean. Others ran ahead, I was running up in the air. Their stride was wide and carried them forward, mine was restricted and carried me up and then down, moving forward by only the slightest of increments. Perplexed and not just a tad miserable, I hired a running coach wherein he promptly told me to stay away from the treadmill until I can learn to run outside! Decades of treadmill running actually trained my legs to use shortened strides and my breathing was effected because I was not running against the wind, I was propelling myself upward on a motorized and cushioned belt. Made sense once I was knew, but it was apparent I wasn't going to readily figure it out on my own and even if I did, I doubt I would have known how to change it.
Different types of information require different methods of learning.
This website is about learning. In much the same way that learning is a natural activity that one spends an entire life doing, different types of learning actually require different sets of skills and brain muscle. Similar to my difficulty understanding why I was not running like others, I had to have someone point out to me that this hindrance was caused by assuming all physical activity worked in the same way, and even then, I had to actually re-learn how to do certain types of activity. When I began teaching freshmen college and university students, I put this knowledge into practice. Regardless of the class I taught, the first day was spent orienting the students not just to the syllabus and the course itself, but orienting them to the fact that not all learning is the same, that learning in high school was not going to be the same as learning in college, and further, that different kinds of courses required different kinds of learning and studying. And application is a whole other story altogether.
This website is about learning. In much the same way that learning is a natural activity that one spends an entire life doing, different types of learning actually require different sets of skills and brain muscle. Similar to my difficulty understanding why I was not running like others, I had to have someone point out to me that this hindrance was caused by assuming all physical activity worked in the same way, and even then, I had to actually re-learn how to do certain types of activity. When I began teaching freshmen college and university students, I put this knowledge into practice. Regardless of the class I taught, the first day was spent orienting the students not just to the syllabus and the course itself, but orienting them to the fact that not all learning is the same, that learning in high school was not going to be the same as learning in college, and further, that different kinds of courses required different kinds of learning and studying. And application is a whole other story altogether.
Just as I had incorrectly assumed that a physically fit person could adequately engage in any sport or physical activity they desired with little or no physical difficulty, a sizable percent of the population are equally unaware that not all learning is the same, that different types of learning engage different parts of the brain, and that the type of learning and memory required to master different types of information are utilized by different types of memory and memory stores. Being smart, even really smart, in no way ensures that you will cinch physics even when taking the course. Unless of course you know how to study for physics.
This website has a dual mission. First, to educate interested persons about cognitive neuroscience and the various aspects of learning, memory, knowledge, scientific research, and much more, and how these topics play a role in not just how we learn, but how we perceive our self and the world around us. Second, this website hosts my various online e-courses, webinars and seminars, dedicated to educating those interested in the important areas of learning, science, research, the brain, critical thinking, memory processes, and a range of areas collectively known as cognitive neuroscience, by providing an easy, entertaining platform with which to do so.
I hope this website meets your needs and exceeds your expectations, and that when you leave this site, you do so all the more educated, and perhaps, motivated to return and digest the continuously updated, new and improved material.
This website has a dual mission. First, to educate interested persons about cognitive neuroscience and the various aspects of learning, memory, knowledge, scientific research, and much more, and how these topics play a role in not just how we learn, but how we perceive our self and the world around us. Second, this website hosts my various online e-courses, webinars and seminars, dedicated to educating those interested in the important areas of learning, science, research, the brain, critical thinking, memory processes, and a range of areas collectively known as cognitive neuroscience, by providing an easy, entertaining platform with which to do so.
I hope this website meets your needs and exceeds your expectations, and that when you leave this site, you do so all the more educated, and perhaps, motivated to return and digest the continuously updated, new and improved material.