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Ways to maximize your cognitive potential

blogs.scientificamerican.com

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Re: Ways to maximize your cognitive potential

#11

Post by atemerev »

I can relate to that. I am not super-intelligent, I have ADD, and generally consider myself to be lazy and distraction-prone.

However, for some reasons unknown, I have excellent working memory, which allows me to perform feats. Multi-choice exams? Can prepare for anything in few hours. Learn Scala (and another 5-6 programming languages) in a few months? Easy! I don't use password managers, as I remember all my long passwords. And credit card numbers. And phone numbers. This multiplies my intelligence quite significantly.

If only I could be consistently productive...

Re: Ways to maximize your cognitive potential

#12

Post by phreeza »

atemerev wrote: post #11

I can relate to that. I am not super-intelligent, I have ADD, and generally consider myself to be lazy and distraction-prone. However, for some reasons unknown, I have excellent working memory, which allows me to perform feats. Multi-choice exams? Can prepare for anything in few hours. Learn Scala (and another 5-6 programming languages) in a few months? Easy! I don't use password managers, as I remember all my long p…

The things you describe are long term memory, not working memory, I believe.

Re: Ways to maximize your cognitive potential

#13

Post by atemerev »

phreeza wrote: post #12
atemerev wrote: post #11

I can relate to that. I am not super-intelligent, I have ADD, and generally consider myself to be lazy and distraction-prone. However, for some reasons unknown, I have excellent working memory, which allows me to perform feats. Multi-choice exams? Can prepare for anything in few hours. Learn Scala (and another 5-6 programming languages) in a few months? Easy! I don't use password managers, as I remember all my long p…

The things you describe are long term memory, not working memory, I believe.

I forget things I don't use as fast as the next person (perhaps faster). The only difference is the speed of acquisition.

Re: Ways to maximize your cognitive potential

#14

Post by mjlm »

atemerev wrote: post #11

I can relate to that. I am not super-intelligent, I have ADD, and generally consider myself to be lazy and distraction-prone. However, for some reasons unknown, I have excellent working memory, which allows me to perform feats. Multi-choice exams? Can prepare for anything in few hours. Learn Scala (and another 5-6 programming languages) in a few months? Easy! I don't use password managers, as I remember all my long p…

Minor point: What you describe isn't usually called working memory. Working memory is what you can "keep in mind" at any one point. It lasts for a few seconds and then has to be refreshed, e.g. by repeatedly saying a phone number to yourself in your head. Working memory is more or less synonymous with short-term memory.

What you describe is long-term memory (everything beyond a few seconds is considered long-term).

Edit: Too slow. Some more justification: Very broadly, one hypothesis is that working/short term memory is stored in the currently present activity patterns of neurons, which fade/decorelate after a few secodns. Anything longer is thought to be stored in the weights of the synapses between neurons (there are alternative theories but I like this one).

Re: Ways to maximize your cognitive potential

#15

Post by slig »

atemerev wrote: post #11

I can relate to that. I am not super-intelligent, I have ADD, and generally consider myself to be lazy and distraction-prone. However, for some reasons unknown, I have excellent working memory, which allows me to perform feats. Multi-choice exams? Can prepare for anything in few hours. Learn Scala (and another 5-6 programming languages) in a few months? Easy! I don't use password managers, as I remember all my long p…

Have you tried any meds to ADD?

Re: Ways to maximize your cognitive potential

#18

Post by bjz_ »

panglott wrote: post #6

It is one thing to improve the IQ of rapidly-growing children who have developmental disorders, and quite another to improve the fluid intelligence of adults. Brain training games don't boost IQ http://www.vox.com/2016/6/22/11993078/brain-training-games-d...

The author does mention this under '2. Challenge Yourself':

> I'm going to shatter some of that stuff you've previously heard about brain training games. Here goes: They don't work. Individual brain training games don't make you smarter—they make you more proficient at the brain training games.

Re: Ways to maximize your cognitive potential

#19

Post by whiteandnerdy »

CuriouslyC wrote: post #9

One of the most consistent ways research has demonstrated to increase connectivity in the brain is to learn new physical skills. Controlling the body in space appears to be particularly good at stimulating the growth of new synapses (and possibly new neurons as well, though the research is not conclusive here outside the hippocampus). Yoga is a good start. Modern dance, breakdancing, capoeira and gymnastics are all e…

To what extent is that connectivity valuable beyond physical exercise? Is there good evidence that this does more than improve coordination and proprioception?

(Obviously coordination and proprioception are valuable, but people who value them likely don't need convincing of the merits of exercise!)

Re: Ways to maximize your cognitive potential

#20

Post by bjz_ »

ferbivore wrote: post #17
jobvandervoort wrote: post #3

The 5 ways listed are: 1. Seek Novelty 2. Challenge Yourself 3. Think Creatively 4. Do Things The Hard Way 5. Network

Oh, so it's just the feel-good BS everyone is already aware of. Thank you for saving me the time.

The elaboration on those points is the interesting part.
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