Exercise Your Brain

Did you know…?

Smart people think faster!

Researchers at UCLA have found that folks who actively exercise their brains are not only smarter, but think faster as well.  While genetics (what you’re born with) plays a big part in determining things like your IQ and aptitude, don’t lose hope!  The life-long pursuit of learning plays a significant role in flexing that grey matter muscle!

“…the good news is that we’re not necessarily stuck with the brain, or the brain speed, we inherit. He says thinking is like running or weightlifting. It helps to have certain genes. But anyone can get stronger or faster by working out.

The brain is like a muscle, Haier says: “The more you work it the more efficient it gets.”

So people who practice the violin, or do math problems, or learn a foreign language are constantly strengthening certain pathways in their brains.

And Thompson notes that our brains, unlike our bodies, peak relatively late in life”

Read more of this NPR report here.

So this Spring, break out the books, dust off that guitar, and pull your bicycle out of storage, then head on over to the Cambridge Center for Adult Education and stretch those intellectual muscles! Our Spring Term begins on Monday, March 30 – so don’t miss out on your chance to make yourself a more efficient thinking machine!

Your brain will thank you!

Will McMillan: The Kid Inside

Will McMillan, Assistant Director at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, tells us a little about his upcoming performance:

This week I’ve been happy to see the numbers rise for my benefit performance with Doug Hammer on Saturday, March 14th at our Blacksmith House performance space (and we even received a $50 donation from a local arts critic who was unable to attend but wanted to show her/his support!)

The fact that the Cambridge Center for Adult Education has two grand pianos – one in each building – is partly how I ended up working here 13 years ago.

Several performers – including Brad Conner, Ben Sears, Leslie Holmes, Mike Palter and Lynne Jackson – had done successful performances featuring voice and piano. They encouraged CCAE’s then PR director, Tracy Gibbs, to start the Cabaret Connection performance series, and I volunteered to help out as needed.

My offer to help became a part-time job, which several years later morphed into a full-time position.

Hundreds of people have performed at CCAE over the past few decades using the trusty old Steinert grand piano in our intimate Spiegel auditorium at 56 Brattle Street.

I am delighted to be helping to raise money to pay for its recent renovation, and grateful to CCAE for being my musical home for the past 13 years.

May live music continue to shimmer at CCAE for many decades to come!

Read more about Will’s upcoming performance in the Cambridge Chronicle.

Come hear Will sing at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education on Saturday, March 14 at 8:00 pm at 56 Brattle Street in Cambridge!  Tickets are available online here, and are going quickly!  Save your seat today!

Sociable Robots

Today’s Big Picture Blog from the Boston Globe features robots and the many ways they are improving the quality of life for humans.

From Big Picture Blog:

(Twendy-One demonstrates its ability to hold delicate objects by manipulating a drinking straw between its fingers at the Department of Mechanical Engineering laboratory in Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009. The sophisticated robot has been developed by the university’s team, led by Dr. Shigeki Sugano, in hope of supporting people in aging societies. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi))

“Robotic systems continue to evolve, slowly penetrating many areas of our lives, from manufacturing, medicine and remote exploration to entertainment, security and personal assistance. Developers in Japan are currently building robots to assist the elderly, while NASA develops the next generation of space explorers, and artists are exploring new avenues of entertainment. Collected here are a handful of images of our recent robotic past, and perhaps a glimpse into the near future.“

Take a peek at the blog, then stop by the Cambridge Center for Adult Education this evening for a glimpse into the world of Sociable Robots with Mikey Siegel from the Personal Robotics Group at the MIT Media Lab.

The lecture tonight begins at 8 pm at 56 Brattle Street, our Blacksmith House facility.  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door.  Get there early – seats are going fast!  See you there!