Like a Scrabble habit, a passion for Wordle isn’t likely to make you smarter or ward off brain aging. But it may give you a daily dose of complex cognition combined with social interaction.
Corvids and parrots might be the superstars of the bird world - but other species like gulls, geese and even chicken have shown some impressive skills too.
Even short periods of physical activity can improve concentration throughout the day.
Somkid Saowaros/ Shutterstock
During Mental Health Week, let’s look at why some people, such as those experiencing depression or substance dependency, struggle to make decisions like everyone else.
Trucks like this are used to convey inmates to the prison in Lagos State, Nigeria. Over 70 percent of inmates in Nigeria have not appeared in court and haven’t been sentenced.
Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images
The proportion of prisoners awaiting trial in Nigeria is disturbing, and prolonged imprisonment can have a damaging effect on their mental functioning .
If more girls studied maths, we could see a narrowing of the gender wage gap.
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Previous studies that explored whether chess improves children’s cognitive abilities have had mixed results. We found playing chess wasn’t linked to better standardised test scores.
The same-sex marriage postal ballot forms have been posted to Australians on the electoral roll.
AAP/Morgan Sette
There is a strong and statistically significant association between respondents’ cognitive ability and their support for equal rights between same- and different-sex couples.
Autism first began to be routinely diagnosed in children in the 70s. It is only now that we are beginning to understand how the condition changes with age.
A short history of research into the links between genes and intelligence.
Aboriginal people with mental and cognitive disability are ‘managed’ by police, courts and prisons due to a lack of appropriate community-based services.
Kate Ausburn/flickr
Australia’s high rates of imprisonment and re-imprisonment of Aboriginal people with mental and cognitive disabilities is not only shameful, it is entirely predictable and preventable.
Takign pill via kb-photodesign/www.shutterstock.com
Chronic environmental noise, like cars zooming past or airplanes overhead, can make children struggle with reading comprehension and affect their memory.
Eat up. You’ll get an A.
Healthy breakfast via ISchmidt/www.shutterstock.com
Give your children bran for breakfast and they could concentrate better at school.
High intake of take-away foods, red and processed meat, soft drinks, and fried and refined food is a risk factor for poor academic performance.
Jay Peg/Flickr
As their children submit themselves to the ordeal of all-important end-of-year exams, parents of high school and university students may be wondering what they can do to help. One thing they ought to consider…
Don’t understand? Do a bit of brain training.
mfhiatt
Bryan Roche, National University of Ireland Maynooth
A recent article in The Conversation by Emma Blakey addressed a widespread concern about exaggerated claims made by developers of brain training products. Blakey correctly pointed out that the evidence…
Just telling yourself you’re well rested doesn’t mean you can override how your body is experiencing lack of sleep.
William Brawley/Flickr
Sleep – elusive, precious, restful sleep – is a topic close of many of our hearts. Such is the importance of this activity that sometimes people cling on to half-baked ideas about it with an unnatural…
In simple ways at home, parents can improve their child’s cognitive ability and ready them for learning.
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Student achievement has been found to be most influenced by parents’ aspirations and expectations for their children’s development along with active involvement in their learning. Parents must be supporters…