Brain Rules

Brain Rules 12 Principles for surviving and thriving at Work, Home and School Presented By: Emad Selim

About the Author Dr. John Medina is a developmental molecular biologist and research consultant. He is an affiliate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is also the director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University.

Introduction • Go ahead and multiply the number 8,388,628 x 2 in your head. • There is a young man who can double that number 24 times in a few seconds. • There is a boy who can tell you the exact time of day at any moment, even in his sleep. • There is a girl who can correctly determine the exact dimensions of an object 20 feet away

Introduction • There is a child who at age 6 drew such lifelike and powerful pictures, she got her own show at a gallery on Madison Avenue. • Yet none of these children could be taught to tie their shoes. • None of them have an IQ greater than 50. • The brain is an amazing thing.

About Brain Rules • All these rules are based on “science” not speculations. • All rules are collected from research published and reviewed

Who cares?

Rule #1 “Exercise boosts brain power” • Strength of mind is directly related to the level of activity. • Exercise improves cognition for two reasons: - Increases oxygen flow into the brain - Acts directly on the molecular machinery of the brain itself

Rule #1 “Exercise boosts brain power”

Source: Colcombe, S and Kramer, AF (2003) Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults: a meta-analytic study Psych Sci 14: 125 - 130

Rule #1 “Exercise boosts brain power” And Yet …..

Rule #1 “Exercise boosts brain power” And Yet …..

Rule #1 “Exercise boosts brain power” • How much exercise is enough? • 30 minutes of cardiovascular 2-3 times a week

Rule #1 “Exercise boosts brain power” Some Tips: • Try walking while speaking on the phone. • Try Parking away from the destination. • Try taking the stairs instead of elevators. Bottom line: simple things do make a difference

Rule #1 “Exercise boosts brain power” Exercise is the “one” factor that can predict how well we will age. Exercise benefits the whole body.

Rule #1 “Exercise boosts brain power”

Rule #1 “Exercise boosts brain power”

Rule #1 “Exercise boosts brain power”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things” Messages that grab your attention are connected to: Memory Interest Awareness

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things”

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things” • How would that affect software development? • “"A specification that will not fit on one page of 8.5x11 inch paper cannot be understood." • What do we feel when hearing that new project must be: – Scalable – Maintainable – Etc.

Rule #4 “We do not pay attention to boring things” • Fully understanding an average software application requires enormous capacity to absorb and relate details. • No one is intelligent enough to program a computer without simplifying the task. • Worst Programmers refuse to realize it and try to keep everything in their head. They ultimately fail. Their ego prevent them from being better programmers. • The more you realize your limited capabilities, the better programmer you are.

Rule #5 “We need to repeat to remember”

People usually

forget 90 percent of what they learn in a class within 30 days

Rule #5 “We need to repeat to remember” Talking about an event immediately after is has occurred

enhances memory for that event

Rule #5 “We need to repeat to remember”

Rule #5 “We need to repeat to remember”

Rule #7 “Sleep well to think well” Loss of sleep hurts attention, executive function, immediate memory, mood, quantitative skills, logical reasoning, general math knowledge and even motor dexterity.

Rule #7 “Sleep well to think well” • When we’re asleep, the brain is not resting at all. It is almost unbelievably active! It’s possible that the reason we need to sleep is so that we can learn. • Sleep must be important because we spend 1/3 of our lives doing it! • We still don’t know how much we need! It changes with age, gender, pregnancy, puberty, and so much more.

Rule #7 “Sleep well to think well” • Napping is normal. Ever feel tired in the afternoon? That’s because your brain really wants to take a nap. • Taking a nap might make you more productive. • In one study, a 26-minute nap improved NASA pilots’ performance by 34 percent. • Don’t schedule decision meetings at 3 p.m. It just doesn’t make sense.

Rule #7 “Stressed brain do not learn the same way”

• In almost every way it can be tested, chronic stress hurts our ability to learn. • Specifically affected are the skills needed to excel in school and business.

Rule #7 “Stressed brain do not learn the same way” Chronic stress: • Dangerously deregulates a system built only to deal with short-term responses. • Creates too much adrenaline, leading to high blood pressure, and elevating the risk for heart attack and stroke • Ravages parts of the immune system involved in producing antibodies.

Rule #7 “Stressed brain do not learn the same way” How does that affect software development: • “Adding people to a late project makes it even later” . • Working in noisy offices • Project Heroics  “we will work on Weekends, stay late to finish on time”.