Learning

Studies have shown that individuals who pursue lifelong learning are able to maintain their cognitive ability longer, and avoid dementia longer than those who merely consume entertainment. The best types of learning to avoid dementia includes anything complex. Dancing is an example of a complex activity. It involves complicated patterns and interactions with a partner. Solving puzzles is another example of a complex activity.

Any time you engage your brain in problem-solving activities, your brain is forced to forge new neural connections. Part of learning, especially in babies, is the pruning of useless knowledge. The other part of learning is the strengthening of useful neural pathways. As we age, all of us begin to notice that we forget things, particularly nouns. Once, when I was student, I saw as our teacher wanted to tell us to test how hot a crucible was by using their fingernails. Unfortunately, the word fingernail would not come to his mind. Thinking fast, he told the students to use the heat shields connected to the backs of their fingers (and pointed to his fingernail) to prevent burns when testing to see if the crucible had cooled off enough that it would be safe to put it on the electronic balance.

According to a number of studies, mental agility is one of the advantages to age. Although we may have that word on the “tip of our tongue”, we learn to use alternative strategies to make up for memory lapses.

Education researchers, both in the fields of early education and adult education believe that “discrepant events”, events which on the surface make no sense, but when you apply careful logic, do make sense, are key to learning. The act of “figuring something out” is the most important aspect of learning. It is the challenge that makes learning fun and rewarding, and it is the cranial calisthenics that allows you to ward off mental decline, and increase your intelligence.
In an article I read about dancing and maintaining brain function, the author used the following aphorism:

“The more stepping stones there are across the creek,
the easier it is to cross in your own style.”

I really like this thought because it represents the beauty of aging. As you get older, you have so many more strategies for coping. Science experiments are just one way to increase your mental agility, they are just my favorite way. Everyone knows that oil is less dense than water, but there are a zillion cool ways to experiment with this concept. Ways that you would never in a million years think to put into practice. Everyone knows that the more bonds there are, the more rigid the resulting substance will be… but there are some really cool experiments that show you how this works.