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Today's Daily Brain Teaser (May 30, 2012)

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:01 GMT

Coward...

What does this rebus mean?

Lies
Fear
Lies

Check Braingle.com for the answer.

Today's Daily Trivia Quiz (May 30, 2012)

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:01 GMT

Song: "Lips of an Angel"
Do you know the lyrics to the song, "Lips of an Angel"?

Take the Quiz at Braingle.com

Vocabulary : Word of the Day : Unwonted

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:01 GMT

un-wont-ed

adj. :: Uncommon; unusual; infrequent; rare

"...for though it was a most unwonted hour, yet so impressive was the cry, and so deliriously exciting, that almost every soul on board instinctively desired a lowering." -- Melville, Herman

Creativity : Imagination

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:01 GMT

A creative person must have a vivid imagination that is free to create without constraint. When you are imagining things, you do not need to be bound by the laws of physics or other rules that govern our normal lives. Set yourself free to explore what you could do under any circumstances. If you come up with a fruitful idea you might be able to modify it to work in reality.

To spark some interesting ideas you could ask yourself some "What if?" questions that break a rule. For example, you could ask yourself how you would solve the problem if you had the strength of Superman. Or, you could ask, "What if cost were not a factor?"

Another important aspect of imagination is to use all of your senses. We already know that using all of your senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) can help you make long lasting memories. Your senses can also be used to enhance creativity. If you think only verbally, then your solutions will be predominantly verbal. Try to imagine smells, sounds and textures when you are thinking about a problem.

Memory : Alzheimer's Prevention

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:01 GMT

Several recent studies have shown that mental and physical exercise throughout one's lifetime may significantly reduce the effects of Alzheimer's.

Mental exercises such as crossword puzzles, brain teasers, chess, or card games help keep the mind working in top shape. This helps build what is called a "cognitive reserve." Formal education also helps build a person's cognitive reserve. In fact, each year of education reduces a person's chances of getting Alzheimer's by an average of 17%. Scientists believe this is because people with a large cognitive reserve are better able to adapt as neurons are killed by the disease. The more neural connections you have, the longer it takes for the disease to make a significant impact.

It's important to note that mental exercise cannot help significantly once Alzheimer's has already set in. A person must have a lifetime commitment to learning in order to build up his or her cognitive reserve. It is probably not possible to completely prevent the disease in genetically susceptible people, but it is possible to delay the onset so that it will not occur in the person's lifetime.