Authors@Google: Dr. John Medina, Brain Rules

Another cool author talk at Google, featuring John Medina, author of Brain Rules. He offers 12 Rules (see below) to make and keep our brains healthy.

Via Wikipedia:

John J. Medina is a developmental molecular biologist with special research interests in the isolation and characterization of genes involved in human brain development and the genetics of psychiatric disorders. Founding director of the Talaris Research Institute in Seattle Washington, Medina has spent most of his professional life as a private research consultant, working primarily in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries on research issues related to mental health. He is an affiliate professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine and is the director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University. Dr. Medina writes the "Molecules of the Mind" column for the Psychiatric Times.

Here is some info from his site promoting the book.

The brain is an amazing thing. Most of us have no idea what’s really going on inside our heads. Yet brain scientists have uncovered details every business leader, parent, and teacher should know.

How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget—and so important to repeat new knowledge?

Brain Rules is about what we know for sure, and what we might do about it.

Find out more about Brain Rules

John Medina Media Coverage

Here is his talk from Google.



Here are his 12 Rules:

Explore each rule through illustrations, charts and video. These tutorials are designed to reinforce the concepts in the book; we recommend reading the corresponding chapter first.

EXERCISE | Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power.
SURVIVAL | Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too.
WIRING | Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently.
ATTENTION | Rule #4: We don't pay attention to boring things.
SHORT-TERM MEMORY | Rule #5: Repeat to remember.
LONG-TERM MEMORY | Rule #6: Remember to repeat.
SLEEP | Rule #7: Sleep well, think well.
STRESS | Rule #8: Stressed brains don't learn the same way.
SENSORY INTEGRATION | Rule #9: Stimulate more of the senses.
VISION | Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses.
GENDER | Rule #11: Male and female brains are different.
EXPLORATION | Rule #12: We are powerful and natural explorers.

Tags: Authors@Google, Dr. John Medina, Brain Rules, Psychology, brain, biology, aging, developmental molecular biologist, mental health, bioengineering, Molecules of the Mind, stress, sleep, exercise, evolution, attention, memory, senses, vision, gender, explorers