How Music Affects the Brain and How You Can Use It to Your Advantage [Music]

Music can often make or break a day. It can change your mood, amp you up for exercise, and help you recover from injury. But how does it work exactly, and how can you use it to your advantage?

Photo by JT Theriot.

Recently, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords used music therapy to help her learn to talk again. The still unproven theory revolves around the idea that music is represented in multiple parts of the brain and therefore accesses deeper pathways between neurons. Music then helps patients connect the stored knowledge of words through songs and helps create the new connections needed for speech. This same idea has been used for stroke victims in the past, and has been referred to as the Kenny Rogers Effect.

You don't need to have suffer from brain damage to get the benefits though, lets take a look at how music affects the brain in a more casual sense, and how you can use it to enhance your day-to-day.

Recall Memories

You might remember reports back in the 1990s that said that studying while listening to Mozart increases the likelihood of performing well on a test, but that has been disproven in some studies, and in turn, studies have shown some music has a negative affect on fact retention if you're studying numbers or lists. Still, performing music has been proven to increase memory and language skills, but for listeners, it's better used as a means to recall memories. It has been shown in Alzheimer's patients to help with memory recall, and even restore cognitive function. It works for Alzheimer's patients in the same way it works in everyone else.

When you listen to music you know, it stimulates the hippocampus, which handles long-term storage in the brain. Doing so can also bring out relevant memories you made while listening to a particular song. So, even though the Mozart-effect has essentially been disproven, the idea that forming a new memory with music, and then using the same music again later to recall the memory still appears to be a sound idea. If you're having trouble remembering something, you might have better luck if you play the same music you were listening to when you first made the thought.

Photo by David Mican.

Boost Your Immune System

The idea that listening to music can boost your immune system might sound a little crazy on the surface, but the science is backs it up. Soothing music is known to decrease stress, and when it does that, it decreases the level of the stress hormone cortisol. It's not just soothing music though, even upbeat dance music is known to increase the level of antibodies in your system. Dr. Ronny Enk, who lead the recent research about music's effect on the immune system suggests, "We think the pleasant state that can be induced by music leads to special physiological changes which eventually lead to stress reduction or direct immune enhancement."

Now the cold season has set in, it's a good idea to keep this in mind throughout the day. If you're feeling stressed out or if you're starting to feel ill, listening to music might be the extra help you need to stay well. If you're having trouble finding something soothing to listen to, our collection of work sounds are a good place to start. If you prefer the upbeat method, any fast and upbeat dance song will do the trick.

Photo by sunshinecity.

Enhance Your Exercising

As we've previously covered, music has a positive effect on exercising. In a recent study, researchers found a positive correlation between fast paced music and exercise. While it's nothing too surprising, music works to increase exercising strength by distracting attention and pushing the heart and muscles to work at a faster pace. Not much is known about how or why it works, but it's thought it eases exercise.

The best music to listen to is between 120-140 beats per minute, which also happens to be the standard tempo for upbeat dance music, meaning you'll be increasing your immune system and helping you exercise at the same time.

Keep Yourself from Choking Under Pressure

We've heard before that humming a tune decreases anxiety and the same goes to prevent choking. In a study of basketball players who were prone to failing at the free throw line, researchers found they could improve the player's percentage if they first listened to catchy, upbeat music. Listening to the Monty Python song, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," caused the basketball players to lose focus and execute their free throws with minimal involvement from the prefrontal cortex.

If you're prone to getting anxious, worried, or choking in meetings or presentations, throwing on a humorous, light-hearted song before you go in might help distract your brain enough to keep you from failing. The above mentioned "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," is a great example, but we're sure tracks from the likes of Jonathan Coulton, They Might Be Giants, Weird Al Yankovic, or any other comedy focused song will work just as well.

Photo by Ludie Cochran.

Fight Fatigue and Increase Productivity

The effect of using music to increase productivity is still inconclusive, even though a few studies were done on the subject. Regardless, it certainly doesn't hurt, and it seems the best option might be to use music without words so it doesn't have affect the language parts of your brain. The theory is similar to the exercise one above, faster music might keep you and your brain working hard.

That said, if you have a monotonous job, music is a great way to increase your mood while performing boring work. For the same reasoning it helps with exercising, it can also help with fighting fatigue, especially if you change up the music often. Studies have also shown that almost all music increases your mood, because it causes a release of dopamine, so if you're feeling tired, bored, or depressed, a good pop song might be the cure you need.

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Music is a motivator and a great means to keep yourself in your good mood, and while a number of the effects are still unproven, listening to music certainly doesn't hurt. Do you have a particular song that always puts you in a good or productive mood?

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/YBOnLjeS92o/how-music-affects-the-brain-and-how-you-can-use-it-to-your-advantage

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/CA2YK5Rz7ng/story01.htm

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Afghanistan's allies pledge to stay for long haul (Reuters)

BONN (Reuters) ? The West used an Afghanistan meeting on Monday to signal enduring support for Kabul as allied troops go home, but economic downturn in Europe and crises with Pakistan and Iran could stir doubts about Western resolve.

The goal is to leave behind an Afghan government strong enough to escape the fate of its Soviet-era predecessor, which collapsed in 1992 in a civil war. The country's allies are preparing increasingly for a scenario in which there is no peace settlement with the Taliban before most foreign combat troops leave in 2014.

"The United States intends to stay the course with our friends in Afghanistan," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the conference. "We will be there with you as you make the hard decisions that are necessary for your future."

Hosts Germany sought to signal Western staying power as the gathering of dozens of foreign ministers opened in the German city of Bonn.

"We send a clear message to the people of Afghanistan: We will not leave you on your own. We will not leave you in the lurch," said German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.

Ten years after a similar conference held to rebuild Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks, Western countries are under pressure to spend money reviving flagging economies at home rather than propping up a government in Kabul widely criticized for being corrupt and ineffective.

Brewing confrontations pitting Washington against Pakistan and Iran, two of Afghanistan's most influential neighbors, have added to despondency over the outlook for the war.

Pakistan boycotted the meeting after NATO aircraft killed 24 of its soldiers on the border with Afghanistan in a November 26 attack the alliance called a "tragic" accident.

Some in the West are still hoping Pakistan will use its influence to deliver the Afghan Taliban, whose leadership Washington says is based in Pakistan, to peace talks.

But foreign governments, while regretting Pakistan's absence, made clear they would press ahead in building up the Kabul government's ability to survive after 2014 even if Islamabad fails to bring insurgents into a political settlement.

"It may take a longer time to bring about our objectives but we should not be deterred at all by Taliban reluctance to come to the table," British Foreign Secretary William Hague told the BBC.

FEARS OF CIVIL WAR

Embryonic contacts with the Taliban have so far yielded little, and with the government in Kabul unable to provide security and economic development, the risk is that the withdrawal of foreign troops will plunge Afghanistan back into civil war. Renewed strife might also stir more violence over the border in Pakistan, fighting its own Islamist insurgency.

Iran's growing confrontation with the West over its nuclear program could also bleed into the war in Afghanistan.

Tehran said on Sunday it shot down a U.S. spy drone in its airspace and threatened to respond. International forces in Kabul said the drone may have been one lost last week while flying over western Afghanistan.

Iran has been accused in the past of providing low-level backing to the Taliban insurgency, and diplomats and analysts have suggested Tehran could ratchet up this support if it wanted to put serious pressure on U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Monday reiterated Iran's opposition to the United States keeping some forces in Afghanistan after 2014.

"Certain Western countries seek to extend their military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014 by maintaining their military bases there. We deem such an approach to be contradictory to efforts to sustain stability and security in Afghanistan," he told the conference.

"LAND OF OPPORTUNITY"

Foreign governments however were determined to try to dispel at least some of the pessimism seeping into the Afghan project.

Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna, whose country became the first to sign a strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan - much to the irritation of Pakistan - pledged India would keep up its heavy investment in a country whose mineral wealth and trade routes made it "a land of opportunity".

In a rare positive development, Clinton said the United States would resume paying into a World Bank-administered trust fund for Afghanistan, a decision that U.S. officials said would allow for the disbursement of roughly $650 million to $700 million in suspended U.S. aid.

The United States and other big donors stopped paying into the Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund in June, when the International Monetary Fund suspended its program with Afghanistan because of concerns about Afghanistan's troubled Kabul Bank.

The conference is not expected to produce new aid pledges; instead, U.S. officials say they hope it will mark a start to a process outlining future support to be pledged by mid-2012.

The Taliban condemned the conference in a November 30 statement which reiterated a call for foreign occupation of the country.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the conference that reconciliation -- a term used to refer to talks among different Afghan groups as well as with insurgents -- remained an important part of efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.

"The political process will have great importance in future, this is the place where the questions of reconciliation and power sharing must be solved in a way that includes all parts and ethnic groups of the society," she said.

"We can help Afghanistan in this process, we can provide our experience, but we can't solve the problem, it is only the Afghans who can do this."

Britain's Hague reiterated that any settlement with insurgents would require them to renounce violence, sever ties with al Qaeda and respect the Afghan constitution -- "end conditions" which some argue effectively close the door to talks by determining the outcome in advance.

Afghanistan has blamed Pakistan for hindering peace talks. Pakistan says it is being used as a scapegoat for the failure of the United States and its allies to bring Afghan stability. (Additional reporting by Hamid Shalizi, Arshad Mohammed, Sabine Siebold, Myra MacDonald, Missy Ryan and Hamid Khalizi; Writing by Myra MacDonald; Editing by William Maclean)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111205/ts_nm/us_afghanistan_conference

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49ers, Santa Clara secure funding for new stadium (AP)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. ? The 49ers are a big step closer to moving from San Francisco to a new stadium about 45 miles south in Santa Clara.

The team and City of Santa Clara announced on Friday that they have secured long-awaited funding for the project. Goldman Sachs, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch and U.S. Bank have agreed to an $850 million loan with the city's stadium authority and the 49ers.

The money will cover the bulk of the estimated $1 billion project. Funding from the National Football League, a hotel tax and city redevelopment funds is expected to make up the difference.

Officials say the loans were the last major piece of the project. The goal is to open the new stadium in 2015.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111203/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn49ers_stadium

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Astronomers find 18 new planets: Discovery is the largest collection of confirmed planets around stars more massive than the sun

ScienceDaily (Dec. 2, 2011) ? Discoveries of new planets just keep coming and coming. Take, for instance, the 18 recently found by a team of astronomers led by scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

"It's the largest single announcement of planets in orbit around stars more massive than the sun, aside from the discoveries made by the Kepler mission," says John Johnson, assistant professor of astronomy at Caltech and the first author on the team's paper, which was published in the December issue of The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. The Kepler mission is a space telescope that has so far identified more than 1,200 possible planets, though the majority of those have not yet been confirmed.

Using the Keck Observatory in Hawaii -- with follow-up observations using the McDonald and Fairborn Observatories in Texas and Arizona, respectively -- the researchers surveyed about 300 stars. They focused on those dubbed "retired" A-type stars that are more than one and a half times more massive than the sun. These stars are just past the main stage of their life -- hence, "retired" -- and are now puffing up into what's called a subgiant star.

To look for planets, the astronomers searched for stars of this type that wobble, which could be caused by the gravitational tug of an orbiting planet. By searching the wobbly stars' spectra for Doppler shifts -- the lengthening and contracting of wavelengths due to motion away from and toward the observer -- the team found 18 planets with masses similar to Jupiter's.

This new bounty marks a 50 percent increase in the number of known planets orbiting massive stars and, according to Johnson, provides an invaluable population of planetary systems for understanding how planets -- and our own solar system -- might form. The researchers say that the findings also lend further support to the theory that planets grow from seed particles that accumulate gas and dust in a disk surrounding a newborn star.

According to this theory, tiny particles start to clump together, eventually snowballing into a planet. If this is the true sequence of events, the characteristics of the resulting planetary system -- such as the number and size of the planets, or their orbital shapes -- will depend on the mass of the star. For instance, a more massive star would mean a bigger disk, which in turn would mean more material to produce a greater number of giant planets.

In another theory, planets form when large amounts of gas and dust in the disk spontaneously collapse into big, dense clumps that then become planets. But in this picture, it turns out that the mass of the star doesn't affect the kinds of planets that are produced.

So far, as the number of discovered planets has grown, astronomers are finding that stellar mass does seem to be important in determining the prevalence of giant planets. The newly discovered planets further support this pattern -- and are therefore consistent with the first theory, the one stating that planets are born from seed particles.

"It's nice to see all these converging lines of evidence pointing toward one class of formation mechanisms," Johnson says.

There's another interesting twist, he adds: "Not only do we find Jupiter-like planets more frequently around massive stars, but we find them in wider orbits." If you took a sample of 18 planets around sunlike stars, he explains, half of them would orbit close to their stars. But in the cases of the new planets, all are farther away, at least 0.7 astronomical units from their stars. (One astronomical unit, or AU, is the distance from Earth to the sun.)

In systems with sunlike stars, gas giants like Jupiter acquire close orbits when they migrate toward their stars. According to theories of planet formation, gas giants could only have formed far from their stars, where it's cold enough for their constituent gases and ices to exist. So for gas giants to orbit nearer to their stars, certain gravitational interactions have to take place to pull these planets in. Then, some other mechanism -- perhaps the star's magnetic field -- has to kick in to stop them from spiraling into a fiery death.

The question, Johnson says, is why this doesn't seem to happen with so-called hot Jupiters orbiting massive stars, and whether that dearth is due to nature or nurture. In the nature explanation, Jupiter-like planets that orbit massive stars just wouldn't ever migrate inward. In the nurture interpretation, the planets would move in, but there would be nothing to prevent them from plunging into their stars. Or perhaps the stars evolve and swell up, consuming their planets. Which is the case? According to Johnson, subgiants like the A stars they were looking at in this paper simply don't expand enough to gobble up hot Jupiters. So unless A stars have some unique characteristic that would prevent them from stopping migrating planets -- such as a lack of a magnetic field early in their lives -- it looks like the nature explanation is the more plausible one.

The new batch of planets have yet another interesting pattern: their orbits are mainly circular, while planets around sunlike stars span a wide range of circular to elliptical paths. Johnson says he's now trying to find an explanation.

For Johnson, these discoveries have been a long time coming. This latest find, for instance, comes from an astronomical survey that he started while a graduate student; because these planets have wide orbits, they can take a couple of years to make a single revolution, meaning that it can also take quite a few years before their stars' periodic wobbles become apparent to an observer. Now, the discoveries are finally coming in. "I liken it to a garden -- you plant the seeds and put a lot of work into it," he says. "Then, a decade in, your garden is big and flourishing. That's where I am right now. My garden is full of these big, bright, juicy tomatoes -- these Jupiter-sized planets."

The other authors on the The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series paper, "Retired A stars and their companions VII. Eighteen new Jovian planets," include former Caltech undergraduate Christian Clanton, who graduated in 2010; Caltech postdoctoral scholar Justin Crepp; and nine others from the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii; the University of California, Berkeley; the Center of Excellence in Information Systems at Tennessee State University; the McDonald Observatory at the University of Texas, Austin; and the Pennsylvania State University. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and NASA.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by California Institute of Technology. The original article was written by Marcus Woo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. John Asher Johnson, Christian Clanton, Andrew W. Howard, Brendan P. Bowler, Gregory W. Henry, Geoffrey W. Marcy, Justin R. Crepp, Michael Endl, William D. Cochran, Phillip J. MacQueen, Jason T. Wright, Howard Isaacson. Retired A Stars and Their Companions. VII. 18 New Jovian Planets. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 2011; 197 (2): 26 DOI: 10.1088/0067-0049/197/2/26

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111202155801.htm

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Communications - School Activity or Youth Game

You'll need as many pairs of communications devices as you can find - or at least, as many as you want to use.

In my classroom, I used pairs of tin can telephones, walkie-talkies, and Army field telephones. As each pair of devices requires a pair of operators, three of them require six people on a team. Most of the time, you will have an odd number of people, so you can use them as runners, taking the original message to the first team member, and receiving it from the last.

There is a good chance you won't have a set of field phones. In this case, you can add more tin can phones, and if necessary more walkie-talkies. Unfortunately, the more radios you have, the more goofing around the students will do; that seems to be a natural result. Additionally, a pair of radios for each of two teams requires two different channels; two pairs require four channels, etc., which requires some thought. The simplest way of keeping students from being on the wrong frequency is to write the frequency and tone on a piece of tape and stick it to the back of each radio as you set them up. That's still not going to guarantee they won't deliberately be off the channel.

Everybody knows how to use tin can phones, but you need to remind them anyway - keep the string tight. They just don't work with a droopy string.

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Source: http://www.instructables.com/id/Communications-School-Activity-or-Youth-Game/

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Is Resident Evil 6 going to China? (Digital Trends)

Next year will see a pair of new Resident Evil games hit shelves with Resident Evil: Revelations on the Nintendo 3DS and Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (shown above) for the PC and consoles, but one title we haven?t heard much about thus far is the next top-level, numerical release, Resident Evil 6.

With Resident Evil 4 set in Europe and Resident Evil 5 in Africa, it stands to reason that Resident Evil 6 will unfold in a new country ? and now there?s some evidence pointing to China as the next place Umbrella Corp. will try its bio-weapon shenanigans.

Gaming website The Silent Chief discovered a listing for Resident Evil 6 on the online resume of voice actress Wendy Mok, who was listed as playing a ?Chinese Villager/Zombie? in the upcoming game. After outlets began picking up the story, Mok?s profile was quickly edited to remove the description of her RE6 role. The profile was later removed altogether.

This is the second such listing to have appeared on a voice actor?s resume lately, though Mok?s is the first to include a role description. Earlier this week, voice actor Joe Cappalletti also posted an online resume that listed Resident Evil 6 among his recent projects.

Still, with two Resident Evil games planned for 2012, we?re probably a long way off from seeing Resident Evil 6 hit shelves. Of course, that just leaves us plenty of time for speculation ? and plenty of time to find more hints popping up around the ?net.

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20111201/tc_digitaltrends/isresidentevil6goingtochina

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