Attention and Intelligence : The Frontal Cortex In both humans and mice, the efficacy of working memory capacity and its related process, selective attention, are each strongly predictive of individuals’ aggregate performance in cognitive test batteries. Because working memory is taxed during most cognitive tasks, the efficacy of working memory may have a causal influence on individuals’ performance on tests of “intelligence”. Despite the attention this has received, supporting evidence has been largely correlational in nature. Here, genetically heterogeneous mice were assessed on a battery of five learning tasks. Animals’ aggregate performance across the tasks was used to estimate their general cognitive abilities, a trait that is in some respects analogous to intelligence. Obviously, every discussion of general intelligence in the context of mouse performance is bracketed by lots of question marks. This rodent experiment, however, argues that intelligence is really about the ability to control the spotlight of attention.
AlphaKnowledge : The joy of innocence and complete... AlphaKnowledge: Christopher Donohue: A sweet lesson on patience. This post falls outside of my normal business oriented content. Yet this is a lovely story that should be shared, which falls within my core philosophies: be kind, be loyal, be helpful and contribute. There is so much niceness in the world, but it goes unreported usually. A sweet lesson on patience. A NYC Taxi driver wrote: I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After a long pause, the door opened. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. 'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. 'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.. 'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. I looked in the rear-view mirror. 'What route would you like me to take?' For the next two hours, we drove through the city. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. 'How much do I owe you?' 'Nothing,' I said
Guts annonce Philantropiques, un nouvel album dans la lignée de sa série Beach Diggin' Comme pour ses 4 albums précédents, Philantropiques sortira sur le label Heavenly Sweetness, le 29 mars prochain. Guts s’est d’abord imposé comme beatmaker pillier de la scène hip-hop française en taillant la bande-son d’Alliance Ethnik, de Big Red ou des Svinkels, avant de se lancer en solo sous le nom de Guts avec son premier album « Le Bienheureux » sorti en 2007. Porté par une volonté constante de se renouveler, il s’entoure aujourd’hui d’un nouveau live band. Irrémédiablement attiré par les vibrations du monde, c’est principalement sur celles de l’Afrique et des Caraïbes qu’il s’attarde dans son dernier effort. Expérimental, ensoleillé, ce nouvel album s’inscrit dans le prolongement de sa série de compilations intitulée Beach Diggin’ qu’il concocte avec son complice Mambo depuis 2013. Philantropiques est un album résolument afro-tropical où se rencontrent le jazz et le carimbó. Une rencontre avec Guts et une écoute de Philantropiques auront lieu le 14 mars prochain avec Sonarium.
Alpha Knowledge: Christopher Donohue: How long will it take to make sustainable change? This is a deviation from my usual type of posts, but the way we treat Earth and the biodiversity is a growing passion and concern of mine. How long will it take for governments, organisations, farmers and individuals to move away from elements that are harmful to our ecosystem? The authors, led by Chensheng (Alex) Lu, associate professor of environmental exposure biology in the Department of Environmental Health (Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)), writes that the new research provides “convincing evidence” of the link between imidacloprid and CCD. The impact to Earth's ecosystem with the continued use of imidacloprid has the potential to be severe, especially with the flow on effects in the food chain. My question is how long will it take governments and organisations to either ban or limit usage then phase out the offending insecticide. Have you seen great examples of governments or organisations making great, yet swift change that has been beneficial to the environment?
Histoires d'arbres - Les racines de l’enfance Tous deux vénérés, le vieux tilleul "à danser" de Himmelsberg, en Allemagne, et le chêne appelé "Whiteleaved oak", en Angleterre, semblent cacher un secret dans leurs feuillages. L’un au centre d’un village, l'autre perdu dans la campagne, ils donnent à ceux qui les admirent le pouvoir de retrouver une âme d’enfant. À Himmelsberg, on vient depuis des siècles danser dans les branches du vieux tilleul, une tradition folâtre que nul ne souhaite abandonner. Le tronc creux et tortueux du chêne anglais aurait, dit-on, des pouvoirs singuliers. Aussi lui rend-on hommage avec des prières, des chants, des poésies, des ablutions, entre ésotérisme païen et folie douce. Tous deux vénérés, le vieux tilleul "à danser" de Himmelsberg, en Allemagne, et le chêne appelé "Whiteleaved oak", en Angleterre, semblent cacher un secret dans leurs feuillages.