Giorgio Bertini
Research on society, culture, art, neuroscience, cognition, critical thinking, intelligence, creativity, autopoiesis, self-organization, rhizomes, complexity, systems, networks, leadership, sustainability, thinkers, futures ++Networks
Learning Change Project
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Author Archives: Giorgio Bertini
The Bilingual Brain Calculates Differently Depending on the Language Used
A new study reports mathematical processes in the brain are influenced by language. Studying bilingual people, researchers discovered cognitive ‘extra effort’ is required for solving math problems when presented in the second language. People can intuitively recognize small numbers up … Continue reading
Childhood Experiences Can Permanently Change DNA
An investigation into more than 500 children shows that upbringing can have dramatic effects on human health. DNA is the genetic material that makes us who we are, determining our physical characteristics and even helping to shape our personality. There … Continue reading
Neuroscience: Mum’s bacteria linked to baby’s behaviour
Infection during pregnancy increases the risk of neurodevelopmental isorders, such as autism, in offspring. Mouse studies now reveal a link between gut bacteria and typical brain-circuit connections. Animal studies and epidemiological analysis in humans have shown that if a mother is infected by certain … Continue reading
How Heat Kills Cells
The proteins that unravel as the temperature starts to rise turn out to be among the most vital. Above a certain temperature, a cell will collapse and die. One of the most straightforward explanations for this lack of heat hardiness … Continue reading
Evolution Runs Faster on Short Timescales
Examine evolution over the course of years or centuries, and you’ll find that it progresses much more quickly than it does over geologic time. Now the oldest viruses on the planet are enabling scientists to calibrate this evolutionary clock. In … Continue reading
How Nature solves Problems through Computation
The evolutionary biologist Jessica Flack seeks the computational rules that groups of organisms use to solve problems. An evolutionary biologist at the Santa Fe Institute, studies how flocks of birds, networks of neurons, slime molds and other biological collectives jointly … Continue reading
Posted in Computation, Nature
Tagged Computation, Nature
Childhood Maltreatment May Change Brain’s Response to Threat
Researchers report people who experienced emotional abuse and neglect as children exhibited increased amygdala activity in anticipation of a mild electrical shock. The findings suggest early life stress could have an impact on the perception of distant threat. Neural activity … Continue reading
Posted in Brains, Childhood, Maltreatment
Tagged brains, Childhood, Maltreatment
Nutritional status, brain network organization, and general intelligence
A new study reveals higher levels of monounsaturated fatty acids are linked to greater general intelligence. Nutrition has been linked to cognitive performance, but researchers have not pinpointed what underlies the connection. A new study by University of Illinois researchers … Continue reading
Posted in Brain structure, Brains, Intelligence, Nutrition
Tagged Brain structure, brains, intelligence, nutrition
How The Food You Eat Affects Your Brain
When it comes to what you bite, chew and swallow, your choices have a direct and long-lasting effect on the most powerful organ in your body: your brain. So which foods cause you to feel so tired after lunch? Or … Continue reading
How alcohol affects the brain
Difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, impaired memory: Clearly, alcohol affects the brain. Some of these impairments are detectable after only one or two drinks and quickly resolve when drinking stops. On the other hand, a person … Continue reading
