Remember that scene in The Matrix when Tank starts feeding Neo software learning programs via the socket in the back of his neck? In addition to some great action scenes, it results in one of those classic Keanu Reeves lines:
I know Kung Fu.
Sure, great science fiction. But is this type of instant learning an actual possibility in our future?
Researchers at HRL Laboratories think so. In fact, they claim to have discovered how to use transcranial direct current stimulation to do somewhat of the same today.
The results so far show that when you send the brain activity of commercial and military pilots into the heads of novice pilots, subjects can essentially learn to fly in a realistic flight simulator. Amazing, right?
- According to the research published in Frontiers of Human Neuroscience, HRL monitored the brain waves of commercial and military pilots. From there, they identified signals that corresponded to those skills and created electrical stimulations on novice pilots. Those pilots were then put through a flight simulator, and despite a lack of training, HRL claims the amateurs flew like old pros.
Let’s remember that more study and peer review needs to be performed here. And this is still pretty far from jacking a software learning program directly into your brain stem.
But … it is a step in that direction, which raises some interesting questions. Instant learning, longevity through genetic alteration, and pills that replace exercise all provide the benefit without the work — while psychological research shows it’s the work that produces happiness and well-being, not the resulting gratification.
I’ll let you ponder those bigger questions. For now, check out the video at the top of this article — it’s pretty fascinating stuff.
Researchers Say They Built a Teaching Brain Interface Right Out of ‘The Matrix’
further: health
Healthy Mental Health
We know that building your body ignites your mind in beneficial ways. And you may have heard that exercise can help alleviate depression in some people. New research suggests that the effect of vigorous exercise on your over-all mental health may be more pronounced than previously thought.
Vigorous exercise boosts critical neurotransmitters, may help restore mental health
And Sex is Exercise …
Ask your doctor if you are healthy enough for sex. And then, since no one ever does that, have at it.
Sex Might Help Keep Old People Sharp
Mental Immunity
“In a stunning discovery that overturns decades of textbook teaching, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have determined that the brain is directly connected to the immune system by vessels previously thought not to exist.”
Researchers Find Missing Link Between the Brain and Immune System
further: wealth
Braking Point
Some items missing from this otherwise helpful list: Lumbergh stealing your stapler. Lumbergh moving your desk into Storage B. The “Bobs” fixing the glitch that gets you a pay check. (Video here for those who haven’t seen Office Space.)
7 Signs You’re Fast Approaching a Breakdown at Work (and How to Slam on the Brakes)
Persistent Motivation
“We interviewed an award-winning author, a woman who lost 157 pounds, and an entrepreneur about how they kept their eye on the prize . . . especially when that goal was not within reach.”
How The Most Persistent People Stay Motivated
Motivation for the Rest of Us
Maybe you’re not blessed with high levels of persistence like the people in the above article. But you do likely have loss aversion. That simply means we are motivated more by avoiding loss than by gaining a benefit. Knowing this, you can trick yourself into becoming more motivated simply by how you frame the issue.
This economics mind trick can improve your motivation
further: wisdom
Zucksterism
“Mark Zuckerberg’s public pledges of self-improvement have made him the object of fascination and emulation among a subset of millennials in and around the tech industry. More than seeing Mr. Zuckerberg as merely an avatar of tech success and unfathomable wealth, they consider him a role model.”
For These Guys, Mark Zuckerberg Is a Lifestyle Guru
Ancient Wisdom
Our culture is not kind to the elderly, which is unfortunate. Old people are smarter than you about lots of things, but especially about this one specific thing than you need to learn now. Just try to catch them when they’re not having sex to stay sharp.
What older people know that younger people don’t about living a happy, healthy, fulfilling life
Practice Makes Happy
Okay, maybe it would be cool to learn kung fu — or how to fly a B-212 helicopter — in the blink of an eye. Until then, do it the old-fashioned way … by loving the process of pushing yourself toward mastery.
How to Learn to Love to Practice
__________
I’d like to download a program directly into my brain that allows me to understand how the 2016 US Presidential race makes any rational sense. Ha … now that’s science fiction!
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Keep going-
Brian Clark
Further
