Notes

Emily Balcetis: Why some people find exercise harder than others
1. Emily Balcetis tells us that perception is subjective. What are some examples she gives to illustrate this point?
One of the examples she gives to illustrate the point is, "Dieters see apples as larger than people who are not counting calories". Another example is, "Softball players see the ball as smaller if they've just come out of a slump, compared to people who has a hot night at the plate".
2. How can understanding how our eyes work, help us understand how it’s possible for one person to look at something (a person, an object, or an event) and see something very different than somebody else?
Understanding how our eyes work, helps us understand how it's possible for one person to look at something and see something very different than someone else because we get information about the way we look at things and how our mind makes us see things.
3. Balcetis set out to better understand why some people may actually see exercise as more difficult while some see it as easier and how our mind’s eye relates to this. Briefly describe the first steps she took to explore this idea and her initial prediction. Was her prediction correct?
The first steps she took to explore this idea and her initial prediction were gathering objective measurements of individuals physical fitness, they measured the circumference of their waist, compared to the circumference of their hips. "A higher waist-to-hip ratio is an indicator of being less physically fit than a lower waist-to-hip ratio". They also told the participants that they'll walk to a finish line while carrying extra weight, but before they walk to the finish line they asked them to estimate the distance to the finish line. They thought that physical states of their body might change how they saw the distance. They found out that waist-to-hip ratio predicted perceptions of distance. People who were out of shape and were not fit actually saw the distance to the finish line greater than the ones who are in better shape. Her prediction was incorrect.
4. Explain why Balcetis and her team came up with the slogan, "Keep your eyes on the prize."
Balcetis and her team came up with the slogan "Keep your eyes on the prize" so that people can find the exercise easier.
5. What was the big final question that Balcetis explored? What conclusions was she able to make after exploring this final question?
The big final question that Balcetis explored was "Did keeping your eyes on the prize and narrowly focusing on the finish line change their experience of the exercise?" The conclusions she was able to make after exploring this final question was basically that the way we see things is all up to how our mind wants to see them but we can put in a bit of effort so that we can change the way our mind makes us see things.

Sandrine Thuret: You can grow new brain cells: Here's how
1. What is neurogenesis? Does neurogenesis occur in children or adults?
Neurogenesis is the growth of new nerve cells. Neurogenesis occur in adults.
2. When it comes to neurogenesis, what is the most exciting part of the brain and why?
The most exciting part when it comes to neurogenesis is the hippocampus. It's the gray structure in the center of the brain. This is important for learning, memory, mood and emotion. What they have recently learned is "that this is one of the unique structures of the adult brain where new neurons can be generated".
3. Why are new neurons important and what are their function?
New neurons are important for learning and memory. If they block the ability of the adult brain to produce new neurons in the hippocampus, they'll block certain memory abilities. With the new neurons it can help his patients recover from depression.
4. List a few of the ways that Thuret tells us we can control neurogenesis. Specify whether the activity increases or decreases neurogenesis.
Learning - increase
Stress - decrease
Sleep deprivation - decrease
5. Briefly discuss the study conducted by Rusty Gage from the Salk Institute.
One of the first studies that was carried out by Rusty Gage from the Salk Institute, showed that the environment can have an impact on the production of new neurons. What you eat will have an effect on the production of new neurons in the hippocampus.