Articles and questions about our brains. As I get older I find I'm more and more worried about dementia so I thought I'd start a thread (as if there isn't already enough about the subject online).

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~Sue~

I hear and read a lot about what activities are good for our brains. Specifically, most people will say that watching TV is not a great activity for one's brain. But I watch a lot of "educational" TV - things about history and nature. These shows teach me stuff, so my question is, is watching educational TV good or not good? I'm assuming that when someone says TV isn't necessarily good for your brain, they're talking about silly sitcoms and fictional dramas.

Also, it's said that reading is good for the brain? All reading?

Thoughts?

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~Sue~

Reading (in my experience and opinion) is vastly better than passively going ga-ga in front of the TV. And shun all Marketing/Advertising like the plague (do only what you want to do).

Reading is an active activity that counts for a lot of positivity.

From my own reading around, strong factors to avoid dementia are:

Outdoor activity;
Keeping active;
Healthy eating for a good gut biome;
Minimising inflammation;
Good restful sleep;
Good socialising;
A Mediterranean diet;
Enjoying good motivation;
Enjoying life and the environment around you.

Good luck!

And have fun!!
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

I agree that not all tv is bad for you. I watch a lot of science and sciencie stuff. Even documentary shows stimulate the brain. Then sometimes tv is not necessary to enjoy the experience. For instance Star Trek TOS. You know the episodes down to the last sound. Then the theater of the mind takes over. The show plays with a narrator for the seeing impaired and you just follow along after Kirk and Spock.

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Do not watch those reality shows as they'll be the end of you really fast with their fake everything. ;-)

Watching anything that is educational or playing games doing puzzles and listening to good music works well while getting in as much physical activity as your body can take does wonders.

Once the brain and body become inactive you're done for.

Cheers..

... Which equates to about an hour or so a day in front of the TV for mind and body to seize up...


Stay fun and active folks!
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Reading (in my experience and opinion) is vastly better than passively going ga-ga in front of the TV. And shun all Marketing/Advertising like the plague (do only what you want to do).

Reading is an active activity that counts for a lot of positivity.

From my own reading around, strong factors to avoid dementia are:

Outdoor activity;
Keeping active;
Healthy eating for a good gut biome;
Minimising inflammation;
Good restful sleep;
Good socialising;
A Mediterranean diet;
Enjoying good motivation;
Enjoying life and the environment around you.

Good luck!

And have fun!!
Martin

Thanks, Martin, but I wasn't asking for advice. I've seen/read everything you shared elsewhere. I basically know what's good for the brain and what isn't but, in this case, I was wondering about educational TV vs. the average sitcom. What you've done is basically "manspaining." Read my post again and you'll see why I'm saying that.

No hard feelings.

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~Sue~

Do not watch those reality shows as they'll be the end of you really fast with their fake everything. ;-)

Watching anything that is educational or playing games doing puzzles and listening to good music works well while getting in as much physical activity as your body can take does wonders.

Once the brain and body become inactive you're done for.

Cheers..

Who said I watch "reality" shows? Where did you see that?
And you're doing a little mansplaining, as well.

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~Sue~

Who said I watch "reality" shows?

No one said that you did. ;-)

Cheers.

I have found that my access to vocabulary has slowed. Curious about the cause I have been participating in several brain health studies. One that I participate with is run by Stanford, you know the university across the bay from Berkeley. Anyways you can access some of the tests that they have developed here at Brain Guide. Take the test periodically and see how you are doing. The program I am part of gives a test monthly. However, I don't officially get the results. Unofficially I do have access.

You might also consider enrolling in the intuition study. They are still looking for people 50-86 and you can get a free iPhone. This one is run by Biogen.

There is also one that I just received run by the University of Indiana. It uses smell to identify the genetic disposition for Parkinson's. You can sign up for that one here.

... I was wondering about educational TV vs. the average sitcom... [vs reading...]

Do your own experiments?...


For a totally random statistic that I'll leave for yourself to explore/explain:

Speed of human brain thought/comprehension with respect to ("wrt") reading is

x1 wrt reading;
x2 wrt lectures;
x3 wrt educational TV;
x6 wrt sitcoms (especially the ones where the jokes are explained/revealed before the actual joke itself).

For an example, try playing YouTube videos at x1.5 or x2 speed? Or try enabling subtitles and see how quickly you naturally read ahead of the video dialog...


As you already know, physical exercise is good and brain exercise is good and doing both is very much good all round.

In other words, leap out of the TV "sleepy slow lane" and choose your own speed for enjoying reading a book!

Enjoy!!
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Aside:

A little off from the original specific question...

Another good stimulus for your brain is good, detailed, and varied music.


Very much enjoy!
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Is it just me for the very brief sampling that I've seen but...

Are not the TV 'discovery'/'educational'/'history' channels just a brief collection of visual soundbites that get repeated three times or so to be then bundled up as an episode? Too often with intrusive added made-up 'drama'?...


Anyone like to suggest some good alternatives online from such as YouTube or Vimeo or wherever?

(Obviously not Tik Tok!!)


Enjoy!
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Just remember the short attention span of some viewers.

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Who said I watch "reality" shows?

No one said that you did. ;-)

Cheers.

Well, okay then.

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~Sue~

I have found that my access to vocabulary has slowed. Curious about the cause I have been participating in several brain health studies. One that I participate with is run by Stanford, you know the university across the bay from Berkeley. Anyways you can access some of the tests that they have developed here at Brain Guide. Take the test periodically and see how you are doing. The program I am part of gives a test monthly. However, I don't officially get the results. Unofficially I do have access.

You might also consider enrolling in the intuition study. They are still looking for people 50-86 and you can get a free iPhone. This one is run by Biogen.

There is also one that I just received run by the University of Indiana. It uses smell to identify the genetic disposition for Parkinson's. You can sign up for that one here.

Thanks for that info. I'll have a look at it.

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~Sue~

Did someone here send me an email about medications that affect memory? Or was it spam?

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~Sue~

???! Not me.

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I'm just sitting here waiting for my free Apple Watch so that I can be monitored 24/7/365. (Thanks, Carlos, for the info about the study.) I've already ordered a new watchband for it because I know the plastic band will make me sweat. I find that very annoying. That's why I quit wearing a watch, in general. I sweat a lot. I come from a family of heavy sweaters perspirers. A doctor once told me that, if you sweat a lot, it means you have a healthy heart. So far I've had no heart problems.

(Since I live alone, it's an added benefit to be wearing a watch that is constantly monitored. At least this way someone will know if I've died. LOL!)

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~Sue~

I'm just sitting here waiting for my free Apple Watch so that I can be monitored 24/7/365. (Thanks, Carlos, for the info about the study.) I've already ordered a new watchband for it because I know the plastic band will make me sweat. I find that very annoying. That's why I quit wearing a watch, in general. I sweat a lot. I come from a family of heavy sweaters perspirers. A doctor once told me that, if you sweat a lot, it means you have a healthy heart. So far I've had no heart problems.

(Since I live alone, it's an added benefit to be wearing a watch that is constantly monitored. At least this way someone will know if I've died. LOL!)

I am too active to use the monitoring function. If I use my chainsaw or chipper the watch keeps warning me that my environment is too loud. It would ask me if I had fallen several times a day. If you don't tell it you didn't fall it will call 911. I turned that function off. It may work for the average person but I guess I am just too active to be monitored.